Dedicated Bus Lanes

Tactical Bus Lanes

When buses are given priority on the road, customers have a quicker, more reliable travel experience. As part of MWCOG and Metro’s joint efforts on the regional DMVMoves Plan, we are working to improve Metro Bus service through the implementation of bus lanes throughout our region.  These are designated lanes, painted in red, that allow buses to avoid traffic congestion and delays.

By allowing buses to travel independently of regular traffic, bus-only lanes have been known to save commuters up to 15% on their travel time. That improved service and reliability can lead to more people choosing transit, fewer single-occupancy vehicles on the road, reduced traffic and congestion, safer streets, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions -- a win for everyone!

Regional map of Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia highlighting initial bus priority corridors in bright pink. Routes connect areas including Silver Spring, Bethesda, Shady Grove, Union Station, King Street, and New Carrollton. Metro Rail lines and the Maryland Transit Administration Purple Line are shown for reference, with a legend listing major corridors such as Georgia Avenue, Columbia Pike, Rhode Island Avenue, and Route 7.

Corridors

The DMVMoves Plan identified seven high-value corridors for investment by jurisdictional partners in the coming years, with Metro providing project development support. Each bus corridor is different and needs a different level of investment in bus priority. There are several types of bus priority treatments and a spectrum of infrastructure investments that the region can make.