Metro adds new Alexandria-Metro Center link, updates service on 50 Metrobus routes, Dec 14 2025
Advisory Effective: 12/14/25 - 1/14/26
Metro adds new Alexandria-Metro Center link, updates service on 50 Metrobus routes
Beginning Monday, Dec. 15, customers seeking to travel from Alexandria to downtown Washington, D.C. can ride the new A29 Metrobus route.
Route A29 offers transfer-free weekday, rush hour service between Van Dorn St station, Beauregard St, Mark Center, Southern Towers, Shirlington, and Metro Center via the I-395 Express Lanes. Buses will run every 24 minutes from Northern Virginia to Washington, D.C. only in the morning, and every 24 minutes from Washington, D.C. to Northern Virginia only in the afternoon. The new route is funded through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission’s I-395/95 Commuter Choice grant program.
Additional Metrobus Service Changes
Changes to 50 additional Metrobus routes will begin Sunday, Dec. 14, as Metro continues to improve reliability, reduce crowding, strengthen connections, and respond to customer and operator feedback since the June network launch.
Highlights include:
- In the District of Columbia, improving connectivity to Washington Hospital Center and the VA Hospital from neighborhoods to the west and the Green Line by extending Route C63 to Georgia Av-Petworth, and adding service along Martin Luther King, Jr. Av SE on Route C11 in response to customer feedback; and
- In Maryland, shifting routes M42 and M44 to Plum Orchard Dr to better serve Adventist White Oak Medical Center and shopping destinations, and improve connections with other bus routes.
Metro will make schedule and other changes to improve service for customers on the following routes:
- DC: C11, C15, C17, C25, C26, C27, C35, C37, C53, C63, C77, C83, C85, C87, D1X, D32, D34, D40, D4X, D60, D70, D74, D90, D94, D96
- Maryland: M22, M42, M44, M52, M60, M70, M82, P1X, P15, P16, P35, P62, P66, P72, P93
- Virginia: A11, A12, A1X, A25, A40, A66, A71, F20, F28, F60, F61
Other changes:
District of Columbia
C11 S Capitol St
- To improve service and respond to crowding and high customer demand, additional trips will be added to the weekday rush hour schedule between Anacostia and Eastover.
C25 Pomeroy Rd-Skyland
C26 Stanton Rd-Skyland
- To provide more direct service between Skyland and Anacostia, westbound buses to Anacostia will operate via 23 St and Savannah St between Stanton Rd and Alabama Av SE, instead of Alabama Av SE. The routes will no longer detour to Congress Heights Station. Direct Green Line connections are available at Anacostia.
- At Skyland Shopping Center, service will begin and end at Denver St + 30 St SE, stop 1005083, due to road safety improvements made by the District Department of Transportation.
C27 Naylor Rd-Shepherd Pkwy
- To provide more direct service between Naylor Rd and Congress Heights, and to better serve TheARC Center, buses will operate via Southern Av, 22 St, 25 St, and 23 St SE between Mississippi Av and Alabama Av SE, instead of 21 St, Savannah St, Trenton Pl, and Stanton Rd SE.
C35 Deanwood-Mayfair-Fort Dupont
- In Fort Dupont, buses operating to and from Deanwood will begin and end at 37 St + Ridge Rd SE, stop 1000743.
C37 Lincoln Heights-Potomac Av
- The temporary routing via Southern Av at 41 St SE will become permanent and will be reflected in MetroPulse and other electronic systems.
C55 Union Station-L'Enfant Plaza
- In Buzzard Point, buses operating between L'Enfant Plaza and Buzzard Point will begin and end at Half St + T St SW, stop 1003994.
C63 Deanwood-Washington Hospital Center
- The route will extend to Georgia Av-Petworth via Columbia Rd, Irving St, 11 St, and New Hampshire Av NW, to improve connections with the Green Line and surrounding neighborhoods, Washington Hospital Center (Hospital Circle NW), and the VA Medical Center. This extension expands the connection with Deanwood and Fort Lincoln, including the Dakota Crossing commercial center.
- Westbound destination information will change to indicate Georgia Av instead of Washington Hospital Center.
C85 Nebraska Ave - Foggy Bottom
- The schedule will be updated to have travel times reflect the end of a detour and the restoration of service onto MacArthur Blvd, NW.
C87 Silver Spring-Van Ness
- Trips will operate between Silver Spring and Tenleytown, with some trips extended to begin or end at Mt. Pleasant, improving connections between Silver Spring, Tenleytown, and Mt. Pleasant. The route will no longer serve Van Ness Station.
- Southbound destination information will change to indicate Tenleytown or Mt. Pleasant instead of Van Ness or Mt. Pleasant, and the route name will change to Silver Spring-Tenleytown.
D1X Pennsylvania Av Limited
- The route will extend from Archives to Federal Triangle. Buses will begin and end at northbound 10 St + Pennsylvania Av NW, stop 1003287, near Federal Triangle, one block west of the existing Archives terminal to improve service reliability.
- Westbound destination information will change to indicate Federal Triangle instead of Archives.
D32 Rhode Island Av-Fort Lincoln
- The route will serve Federal Triangle instead of Gallery Place. Buses will begin and end at northbound 10 St + Pennsylvania Av NW, stop 1003287, near Federal Triangle, approximately two blocks south of the existing Gallery Place terminal to improve service reliability.
- Westbound destination information will change to indicate Federal Triangle instead of Gallery Place.
D34 W Hyattsville-Edgewood-Metro Center
- To provide more direct routing to West Hyattsville, buses will travel to and from Queens Chapel Rd via Ager Rd. The route will no longer operate via Hamilton St.
D74 Rhode Island Av-Foggy Bottom
- Near Dupont Circle, the long-term detours in place to support the District of Columbia's Connecticut Av Deckover Project will be reflected in MetroPulse and other electronic systems.
D94 Gallery Place - Sibley Hospital
- Trip times will be adjusted to operate 10 minutes later to respond to ridership at major destinations, including schools.
D96 Massachusetts Av-Bethesda
- Two trips to Dupont Circle will be added to the weekday schedule departing 39 St + Calvert St NW at 5:10 and 7:10pm to respond to riderstip at major destinations, such as schools.
- Near Dupont Circle, the long-term detours in place to support the District of Columbia's Connecticut Av Deckover Project will be reflected in MetroPulse and other electronic systems.
Maryland
M22 Olney-Bethesda
- At Wheaton, southbound buses to Bethesda will serve Bay A to improve connections and service reliability.
M42 Randolph Rd-College Park
M44 Randolph Rd-Hyattsville Crossing
- The routes will operate via Plum Orchard Dr between Broadbirch Dr and Cherry Hill Rd, serving all stops, to improve connections with Adventist White Oak Medical Center, shopping destinations, and other bus routes.
- With service rerouted to Plum Orchard Dr, stops on Cherry Hill Rd north of Plum Orchard Dr, and on Broadbirch Dr east of Plum Orchard Dr will no longer be served.
- At North Bethesda, buses will serve Bay A on Marinelli Rd instead of Bay D on Rockville Pike.
M52 Colesville Rd-Burtonsville
- An additional southbound trip to Silver Spring will be added to the weekday schedule, departing Burtonsville at 4:20 a.m., in response to ridership and to expand service.
P1X Baltimore Av Limited
- Stops will be added to the route on Rhode Island Av + Charles Armentrout Dr: northbound to IKEA Center, stop 3001532; southbound to Rhode Island Av Station, stop 3002663.
P15 Riggs Rd-Adelphi
- Two northbound trips to Adelphi will be added to the weekday schedule, departing Fort Totten at 3:10 and 3:30 p.m., in response to ridership and to expand service.
P35 New Carrollton-Fort Totten
- At Hyattsville Crossing, eastbound buses to New Carrollton will serve Bay H to improve service reliability.
P62 Deanwood-Branch Av
- Two northbound trips to Deanwood will be added to the weekday schedule, departing Addison Rd Station at 6:21 and 7:21 a.m., to reduce crowding.
P66 Forestville-Suitland
- Two westbound trips to Suitland will be added to the weekday schedule, departing Penn Mar at 4:45 and 5:15 a.m., in response to ridership and to expand service.
P72 Central Av-Bowie
- A westbound trip to Largo will be added to the weekday schedule, departing Bowie Park + Ride at 4:53 a.m., in response to ridership and to expand service.
Virginia
A11 Pentagon-Huntington
A12 Ballston-Hunting Point
- On weekends, new schedules will reflect coordinated service for customers who can use either route between Old Town Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Av + South Glebe Rd in Arlington.
A1X Pentagon City-Braddock Rd
- In Crystal City, southbound buses to Braddock Rd Station will operate via South Bell St and South Clark St. Service to South Clark St + 23 St South, stop 6000948, will be restored. The long-term detour via Richmond Highway will end.
A25 Pentagon-S Fairlington-Landmark
- Frequency will improve to every 15 minutes from every 30 minutes in response to ridership.
- This improvement is funded through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission's I-395/95 Commuter Choice grant program.
A29 Metro Center-Alexandria W (NEW!)
- Service will operate every 24 minutes during weekday rush hours, connecting Metro Center, Shirlington, Park Center, Southern Towers, Mark Center, North Beauregard St, West Alexandria Transit Center (former Landmark Mall), and Van Dorn St Station -- a new transfer-free connection between downtown DC and Alexandria.
- Morning service will operate north to Metro Center and afternoon service will operate south to Van Dorn St.
- Route A29 is funded through the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission's I-395/95 Commuter Choice grant program.
A40 Columbia Pike
- During the late-night route extension to DC, at L’Enfant Plaza, buses will begin and end at westbound D St + 6 St SW, stop 1003599.
A66 Pentagon-Shirlington-Culmore
- Buses will serve Pentagon City during weekday rush hours, westbound to Culmore in the morning and eastbound to Pentagon in the afternoon, expanding access to Pentagon City in the non-rush direction of travel and improving connections between Pentagon City and Shirlington for customers who can use Route A27 or A66.
- Weekday, midday and evening, and all weekend service will continue to serve Pentagon City.
F20 Leesburg Pike
- At West Falls Church, eastbound buses to King St-Old Town will serve Bay F and westbound buses to Tysons will serve Bay E to accommodate station construction and development.
F28 Kings Park W Express
- An eastbound trip to the Pentagon will be added to the schedule, departing Kings Park West at 7:10 a.m. to reduce crowding.