Metro begins first phase of Better Bus Network implementation with new bus stop signs

Some Metrobus customers may notice new signage at their bus stop starting the first week of March as the authority marches forward in the effort to implement the newly redesigned Better Bus Network.

Metro will start installing new bus stop signs in Virginia. About 7,000 bus stop signs will be replaced by Metro crews over the next three months in anticipation of the June 29 official Better Bus launch date.

The new bus network will feature new route names, plus route and bus frequency changes that will optimize service for customers across the region.

The new route names will begin with a letter to indicate the area served:

• "A" for Arlington/Alexandria
• "C” (crosstown) or “D" (downtown) for DC
• "F" for Fairfax City, Fairfax County, and Falls Church
• "M" for Montgomery County
• "P" for Prince George's County
• Limited Stop Routes are indicated by an "X" at the end of their names

During the installation, informational signs will be posted at eye level in English and Spanish on signposts to provide riders with additional information, including contact information for reaching Metro.

Each sign will have the current route name highlighted in blue and the route's ending date, June 28, listed. The new route name will be highlighted in red immediately below the old route with a new start date of June 29. The bus stop signs will also display the destination-end point of the bus, so customers can ensure they are standing on the correct side of the street, providing easier wayfinding. It will also highlight customer information such as whether the route is 24-hour, the identifying stop number, and a new contact phone number for Metro’s customer call center.

The 202-GO-METRO number is a new addition for customers and was selected to help customers easily remember how to contact customer representatives for services like trip planning or maintenance reporting. 

Metro conducted extensive customer research, including surveying more than 1,000 Transit App users and meeting with representatives from Metro’s Accessibility Advisory Committee to make sure the text, colors, and icons are easy to read and understand.

If a stop has only one bus route, the route name will be displayed at twice the size compared to the old signs making it easier to see. 

Signs will also mark the changes at about 500 bus stops that will be consolidated to make bus service faster with fewer stops.

The temporary signs will eventually be replaced with permanent ones. Metro is using this opportunity to collaborate with local bus providers to imagine a future permanent bus stop sign that displays bus service information across all regional transit providers on a unified sign.

Here’s what you can expect in the coming months:

• March 3: New signs begin to go up in Virginia.
• Winter/Spring: Bus operator training continues.
• Spring: New bus signs continue to go up across the region.
• Spring: Trip planner updated with new bus routes and names.
• Late Spring/Early Summer: In-person education and outreach at bus stops and on buses.
• May: Onboard bus announcements alert customers of coming changes.
• June 29: New route names, route changes, and bus stop consolidation go into effect.

About Better Bus

Better Bus is Metro's overarching initiative to improve Metrobus for the region. In the coming years, Better Bus will mean many things for the region, including new facilities, zero-emissions vehicles, improved bus communications, and more bus lanes and transit signals.

The 2025 Network represents Metro's commitment to improving service and connections using the resources we have today. It provides more frequent, consistent bus service between places where people want to go. We used customer input to finalize the network, which was approved by Metro's Board of Directors in November 2024

Metro planners started the redesign project in 2022 with the goal of making the bus system easier to use, faster, and more reliable. Many Metrobus routes are still named after old streetcar lines that are more than 50 years old. The new naming convention aims to bring order to route names and make using the Metrobus system easier. 

During the public comment period, more than 45,000 people were engaged through more than 200 in-person events, including open houses and pop-ups held across the region.

Learn more about our Better Bus Network Redesign at wmata.com/betterbus.