Metro's faster trains and "Better Bus" launch mark biggest overhaul in decades
Why it matters: Trains are expected to run faster and longer, while the entirely new "Better Bus" system launches Sunday — the first major overhaul in 50 years.
🚆 State of play: Metro just rolled out major improvements to rail service with longer weekend hours and more frequent trains.
Trains start an hour earlier, at 6am, on Saturdays and Sundays. They run an hour later, until 2am, on Fridays and Saturdays.
Red Line trains run every 4 minutes during peak weekday rush — up from every 5 minutes (the heat may slow things).
Meanwhile, the Silver Line is split into two service patterns and additional trains will run during peak service times.
Ashburn ↔ Downtown Largo
Ashburn ↔ New Carrollton
🚌 What's next: Metro's long-anticipated "Better Bus Network" launches Sunday with changes to all Metrobus routes and schedules.
The goal: create a more efficient, equitable and energy-saving system.
Highlights include:
All-new route names focusing on regional letter prefixes for easier navigation (e.g., "A" for Arlington/Alexandria, "M" for Montgomery County, "D" for downtown D.C. and "C" for crosstown).
The elimination of 500-plus stops to streamline service and focus on safer, more accessible and evenly spaced stops.
New routes, including direct lines to popular destinations (e.g., National Harbor to L'Enfant Plaza) and points with better access to supermarkets or transfer hubs.
More buses on busy routes with frequent service (between 12 and 20 minutes) — plus greater all-day and weekend coverage, as opposed to just during rush hour.
Over 7,000 new signs to help make the network easier to navigate.
Between the lines: Montgomery County Ride On and Prince George's County TheBus are also changing service on June 29 and June 30, respectively.
Friction point: Despite extensive community input over three years, some residents have raised concerns about eliminated stops, like one outside a senior center in Edgewood.
The big picture: WMATA aims to make bus the backbone of the D.C.-area's transportation system by 2030. Many of the changes are an attempt to solve transportation disparities and provide access to underserved communities, given 60% of Metrobus riders are low-income and 83% are people of color.
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