Building the New Bladensburg

The Bladensburg Bus Garage, located in northeast DC, is a facility rich with history and strong ties to its neighboring communities. Metro plans to modernize and update the facility to increase environmental safety features, accommodate an expanded bus fleet, support Metro’s zero-emission bus plan and compliment the communities evolving landscape.

The project will be completed in phases to allow the facility to remain operational throughout construction of the new Bladensburg Bus Garage. The state-of-the-art facility will be able to hold up to 300 buses, have separate entrances for buses and employee vehicles, provide on-site employee parking, and make use of environmentally friendly technologies.

Project Schedule

WSP USA has been selected to provide project management and construction management services with contractor Hensel Phelps conducting construction services. The following timeline details Metro's process for design, review and approval, and construction surrounding the Bladensburg Bus Garage Replacement Project. Dates for the start of demolition and construction activities will be established upon conclusion of the design phase. All dates reflect the latest project status and will be updated as needed.

Awarded Contract	April 21, 2020
Notice to Proceed	July 9, 2021
Completed Federal Environmental Review Process	July 2, 2020
Complete Section 106	March 2021 - May 2024
Notice to Proceed for Demolition and Construction	Spring 2021
Phase 1 Construction of Maintenance Facility	July 2021 – July 2024
Start of Phase 1 Demolition	January 28, 2022
Phase 2 Construction of Employee Parking Structure	August 2024 – February 2026
Phase 3 Construction of Remaining Bus Parking	March 2026 – March 2027
Project Completion	Spring 2027

A Phased Approach

The demolition and reconstruction of the garage will be completed over the next five years in three phases, allowing Metro to maintain regular bus operations throughout the project. The images below detail the configuration of the facility before and after each phase.

Existing Conditions: The current layout and orientation of the Bladensburg Bus Garage Facility and bus parking assignments.

Phase 1: (A). Demolition of the heavy overhaul maintenance shop and (B.) construction of the new three level facility and new employee entrance.

Phase 2: (A.) Demolition of bus fueling facility and operating garages. (B.) Construction of the two-tier parking structure for WMATA employees and buses and new bus entrance.

Phase 3: (A.) Expansion of parking structure and (B.) project completion with pedestrian bridge connecting Maintenance and Operations Building to Parking Structure.

A Greener Bus Garage

As part of Metro’s commitment to environmentally responsible strategies and with a goal of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the project design will incorporate the following design elements to use resources efficiently:

Rainwater Harvesting for Bus Wash

In addition to reducing storm water run-off, collecting and storing rainwater for use in washing buses potentially saves money on water bills.

Solar Panels

Solar panels will help advance the Clean Energy DC Plan that seeks to cut carbon emissions in half and transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2032.

State-of-the-Art Facility

The new Bladensburg Bus Garage will include environmental and infrastructure improvements to support Metro’s transition to zero-emission buses, including being able to support a 100% zero-emission fleet at opening.

Expanded Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Capacity

The expansion of CNG capacity at the Bladensburg Bus Garage allows more alternative fueled buses, effectively reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

EV chargers will be installed in the new parking structure for use by Metro passenger fleet vehicles and employee personal vehicles.