About two dozen bus stops in Arlington and Falls Church are scheduled to be eliminated at the end of June as part of a Metrobus “redesign” project.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) plans to remove at least 19 Arlington Metrobus stops and three Falls Church stops on June 29, the agency told ARLnow.
The eliminations are part of the Better Bus Network Redesign project, which is consolidating bus routes in an effort to improve ride frequency.
WMATA is selecting bus stops for termination based on ridership, walkability conditions and proximity to other stops. Signs indicate stops slated for termination.
Every Metrobus route will also receive a new name on June 29, and some may begin to service new areas, WMATA Senior Vice President of Planning and Development Allison Davis told ARLnow.
About one-third of Metrobus routes “are really changing in name only,” Davis said. These are mostly routes with high-frequency service and significant ridership, like the 16A route along Columbia Pike.
“The key thing that we’re trying to get people to understand is a change is coming to every route, because we’re renaming,” Davis said. “At a minimum, the route name is changing, but you only really need to know trip-by-trip.”
New route names, available to view at each bus stop’s signage, will start with a letter that references the primary city or county of service. In Arlington and Alexandria, routes will start with an “A.”
Expected route changes in Arlington include an extension of the 38B route, which runs from D.C.’s Farragut Square to Ballston. The new route, called A58, will be extended to service the Seven Corners Transit Center.
Another new route, A71, will offer service from Ballston to King Street in Alexandria.
Below is a confirmed list of Arlington and Falls Church Metrobus stops scheduled to be eliminated.
Arlington locations:
- Buchanan Street and 31st Street (Fairlington)*
- S. Arlington Ridge Road and S. Glebe Road (Arlington Ridge)
- 23rd Street S. and S. Ives Street (Aurora Highlands)*
- Army Navy Drive and S. Eads Street (Pentagon City)
- Wilson Blvd and Liberty Street (Dominion Hills)*
- Wilson Blvd and Manchester Street (Dominion Hills)
- Wilson Blvd and Harrison Street (Bluemont)
- Wilson Blvd and Greenbrier Street (Bluemont)*
- Wilson Blvd and Buchanan Street (Bluemont)*
- N. Glebe Road and 15th Street (Waycroft-Woodlawn)*
- N. Glebe Road and 25th Street (Old Dominion)*
- Crystal Drive and 20th Street (Crystal City)
Falls Church locations:
- N. Washington Street and Great Falls Street*
- N. Washington Street and Jefferson Street
A * indicates two bus stops on either side of a road.
