Transit services in the Washington region are transitioning to normal operations this fall, with increases in service and the addition of amenities that target workers returning to their commutes.
The boost in service levels signals a path to recovery about 18 months after the coronavirus pandemic hit the Washington area and comes as major employers are calling back workers to offices and schools resume in-person teaching.
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Although some D.C.-area workers will continue to work remotely in the months ahead, many are transitioning to hybrid schedules. Transportation officials say they hope people who are commuting — even only a few days a week — will consider transit to avoid saturating the region’s road network. And there are a few new perks in transit, they say.
Returning to offices, rethinking commutes
Metro riders should expect shorter waits at station platforms and bus stops this fall, while Maryland commuters will be able to bring their bike aboard MARC trains. Capital Bikeshare riders who also ride Metro could get free rides. Bus riders in Prince George’s County will have free WiFi on new buses and Alexandria’s DASH bus will be free permanently.
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Transit systems continue to operate under robust cleaning protocols, with mask requirements in effect. The federal mask mandate for transportation settings, including trains and buses, has been extended until January.
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Local bus system ridership is 50 to 70 percent below pre-pandemic levels, according to transit officials, while Maryland and Virginia commuter trains are largely empty — down by about 85 percent.
Here is what to expect on bus and train systems in the Washington region this fall.
Metro: Lower fares and more frequent service
Fare reductions and service increases go into effect Sept. 5. Weekend rides on Metrorail are a flat $2, a $1.50 transfer fee between rail and bus is lifted and the price of a seven-day regional bus pass drops by $3 to $12.
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Waits at platforms will be shorter. Trains will operate every six minutes on the Red Line and every 12 minutes on other lines daily during off-peak hours. The increased frequencies begin this month for weekday service and later in the year on weekends.
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Metrobus waits will be reduced to 12 minutes or less on 20 of the system’s busiest lines, while 16 routes will see wait times cut to no more than 20 minutes. Bus service will be restored or increased on an additional 46 routes.
Hours on Metrorail will extend to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights in the fall.
Maryland services: Full MARC train, commuter bus service is back
The Maryland Transit Administration returned to full schedules on MARC trains and commuter buses on Aug. 30. Both systems had been operating on a reduced service plan.
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As of June 1, MARC passengers are allowed to bring full-sized bicycles aboard trains. Before June, those were allowed only on the Penn Line. Trains on the Penn, Camden and Brunswick lines have at least one car with two first-come, first-served bicycle racks.
MARC and commuter bus ridership is down 90 percent compared with before the pandemic.
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Maryland commuters have access to a new discounted fare option created for people with more flexible or hybrid work schedules. CharmFlex 3- and 10-day passes are available on the CharmPass app and can be used on MARC trains and commuter buses. The multiday passes save riders about 15 percent on a day pass or single-trip fare, officials said, and can be used on consecutive or nonconsecutive days.
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MARC is also piloting a limited-stop afternoon rush service. Penn Line Train 536 will operate between Union Station and Penn Station, stopping only at BWI Marshall Airport.
Transit agencies are struggling to make ends meet. They’re also preparing for record federal investment.
Virginia’s VRE trains: New round-trip train on both lines after Labor Day
Virginia Railway Express resumed a full schedule June 1 after months of operating with limited service. The transit agency is planning to add a new round-trip train on both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines this fall.
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The Fredericksburg Line, which has been operating on a seasonal schedule to mitigate delays stemming from heat orders, will revert to a regular schedule Sept. 7.
Construction at VRE’s Rolling Road and Quantico stations is expected through August 2023. The stops remain open.
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Ridership remains about 85 percent below the 18,000 daily riders the system served before the pandemic. VRE officials say they expect an increase this month.
D.C. Circulator: Free fares end Sept. 30
The D.C. Circulator, which turned 16 this summer, is back on normal operations. Buses serve stops every 10 minutes.
The six-route service is free through the end of September before a $1 fare returns.
Ridership aboard Circulator buses is still well below normal. In July, the system carried about 156,000 passengers, roughly 75 percent less than in July 2019.
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Montgomery’s Ride On: More buses in October
Montgomery County’s Ride On — the region’s second-largest bus system after Metrobus — plans to boost service by 14 percent on Oct. 14 to bring it to 91 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Ride On is operating every route.
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Ridership has recovered to about 60 percent of the pre-pandemic average, with gradual but steady increases this summer.
“We expect these numbers to rise as more people return to work and in-person school begins,” county transportation spokeswoman Emily DeTitta said.
Ride On adjusted schedules on 19 routes in July to improve frequencies and address demand shifts. Riders should expect another restructuring of route schedules this fall as more people return. The system also will add 10 electric buses in the spring for a total of 14 in the fleet — a step toward having a zero-emissions fleet by 2035.
Riders also have access to Ride On Flex, an on-demand transit service that allows people to request a ride via a smartphone app for travel within a defined zone in Rockville and the Wheaton/Glenmont area.
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Montgomery is not charging fares aboard buses at least through September, officials said. Free rides will continue for seniors and disabled residents, including aboard some Metrobus routes that serve the county.
Fairfax Connector: System operating on normal schedule
Ridership is down 40 percent on the Fairfax Connector, which before the pandemic carried an average of 30,000 riders on weekdays. But Virginia’s largest bus system has seen robust demand for service on weekends.
The Connector, the Washington area’s third-largest bus system, restored full service a year ago, and in July assumed operations of five Metrobus routes — four of which had been suspended during the pandemic. The routes provide connections to the McLean, East Falls Church, West Falls Church and Pentagon Metro stations.
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Commuters have access to a new express route from the Stringfellow Road Park and Ride lot to Southwest Washington (at D Street SW near L’Enfant Plaza). The route offers 10 morning trips to downtown and 10 afternoon trips to the Stringfellow Road Park and Ride lot.
Prince George’s TheBus: New tracking system debuts
In Prince George’s County, TheBus is operating 20 of its 28 bus lines. The system will restore three bus lines in October serving Greenbelt and Largo. County transportation officials said they will evaluate whether to resume the five remaining bus lines next year.
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In November, TheBus launched Saturday service on 13 lines, providing weekend service for the first time in areas such as Langley Park, West Hyattsville, New Carrollton and Largo. Residents in the Fort Washington area have access to the PGC Link, an on-demand service that launched using the TransLoc app.
Most bus routes are running every 30 minutes, and plans call for maintaining service Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on most lines.
TheBus put 25 new buses in service in the past year and is adding eight more this fall. A new system to track bus arrivals, which officials said will give passengers a more accurate idea of bus arrivals and delays, will launch in early September. Passengers also will have free WiFi.
Fares for adult passengers were reduced from $1.25 to $1. Bus service is free for school-aged children, seniors and disabled residents.
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Bus ridership remains about 3,500 passengers on weekdays — well below the average of 10,000 passengers pre-pandemic.
Alexandria’s DASH: bus service permanently free
Alexandria is launching the first comprehensive redesign of the DASH bus system this fall, and with the transition, DASH service will be free. The changes will increase service levels by 15 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The first phase, to launch Sept. 5, will provide more service across the city with three new routes running daily every 15 minutes.
The new network includes new bus line numbers for all routes. Lines 30 to 36 are considered core routes, which run daily, year-round. Lines 102 to 104 are commuter-oriented routes and operate on weekdays.
In advance of the new free-fare policy, DASH discontinued sales of DASH Passes and all passes purchased on the DASH Bus app expire Sept. 4. DASH will not refund unused or partially used passes.
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Arlington’s ART: All lines to be restored in September
Arlington County’s ART is running 12 of 16 routes and will restore the remaining four routes — 53, 61, 62 and 74 — on Sept. 7.
Once those four rush-hour-only routes are reinstated, Arlington Transit will be operating full service with no restrictions on seating capacity.
Social distancing guidelines aboard buses were lifted Aug. 1, although riders are still required to wear a mask.
The ART 72 route continues to operate on a modified scheduled, and passengers of ART 53 and ART 62 should be aware of a bus stop relocation to Fairfax Drive before N. Stuart Street because of construction at the Ballston Metro station.
Ridership aboard Arlington buses continues to be well below normal. In July, ART carried about 143,300 passengers, about 42 percent less than in January 2020.
Omniride: Shifting bus operations to serve workers with flexible schedules
The system that runs local and commuter buses is operating near normal service. Officials said they are adjusting commuter service based on demand.
“We are adding later morning trips on some inbound commuter routes and adding some additional earlier afternoon outbound commuter routes to appeal to making the service more flexible for those that may not be working a full day,” spokeswoman Alyssa Ludwiczak said.
Omniride is charging for express routes that carry passengers from Manassas and from Prince William and Stafford counties to other parts of Northern Virginia and the nation’s capital. The routes are only accepting payment through SmarTrip. Local and Metro Express buses continue to be free this fall to minimize interactions between bus operators and riders.
Commuter ridership is about 35 percent of pre-pandemic levels while local bus ridership is at about 60 percent.
Capital Bikeshare: More stations rolling out this fall
The region’s bike-sharing system is on track to add dozens of new stations and grow its electric-bike fleet. Capital Bikeshare is adding 25 stations in Fairfax County and planning to add five in D.C. and 17 in Alexandria this fall.
Capital Bikeshare partnered with Metro to offer 10 free Bikeshare rides to transit riders who sign up to pay their Metro fare virtually. The promotion is good through December and is available to residents of jurisdictions served by Capital Bikeshare, including the District, Alexandria and Falls Church, and Arlington, Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Capital Bikeshare gears up for expansion as commuters resume pre-pandemic routines
Other options: Scooters, mopeds, bikes still around
Operators of shared services such as e-scooters, e-bikes and mopeds are reporting a rise in demand this summer following a pandemic slowdown.
Some are adding more vehicles to the streets, have entered new markets or are expanding discount and commuting programs. Operators LINK and Bird launched scooters in Fairfax County this summer, while similar services remain widely available in the District, Alexandria, Fairfax City and Arlington and Montgomery counties.
In the District, where the devices are popular among tourists and workers who use them for short trips, riders will need to lock them to racks or poles starting Oct. 1. Officials with some of the companies said they are updating their fleets to provide locking capabilities.
Lyft, which operates scooters and manages the region’s Capital Bikeshare system, said members of its subscription service, Lyft Pink, get three free Lyft scooter or Capital Bikeshare rides of up to 30 minutes per month.
Ford Motor Company’s Spin said trips have tripled during the morning commute hours in the past two months and it has deployed larger numbers of vehicles to keep up with demand. Bird said trip data in the city suggests riders are taking longer rides.
Lime said it will launch its Gen 4 scooters for people commuting this fall and is finalizing plans to bring its “commuter time” discounts between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays. The company added mopeds to its D.C. fleet this spring.