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7th Street–Georgia Avenue Express

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article 7th Street–Georgia Avenue Express, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Company typePublic transit authority
IndustryPublic transportation
Founded1967
Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Area served
Washington metropolitan area
ProductsBus service, Metrorail
Websitewmata.com

The 7th Street–Georgia Avenue Express (Route D4X) is a bus service managed daily by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It links the Silver Spring Red Line station with the Washington Metro's Green and Yellow lines at Archives station. Buses run every 10 to 12 minutes between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM, with each journey taking approximately 50 minutes. This express route complements route D40 by offering limited-stop service along Georgia Avenue. It caters to important commercial and residential areas in Northwest Washington and Montgomery County, having served more than 2.4 million passengers in fiscal year 2024.

Route

Operating between Silver Spring station and Archives station, route D4X provides express service with selected stops along Georgia Avenue. Formerly known as route 79, it, along with the S9 (now D6X), were unique among MetroExtra routes for offering full-time service; other MetroExtra lines were limited to weekdays or peak hours. (Following the 2025 Better Bus Network Redesign, the MetroExtra branding was phased out.) Route D4X was also distinctive for having dedicated bus lanes on parts of its path. The majority of its operations were based out of the Montgomery division, though some peak period trips originated from the Bladensburg division.

Route D4X Stops

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History

Prior to the implementation of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign, the route now known as D4X operated under the designation Route 79. Originally, the sole express service along Georgia Avenue was the Brightwood Express Line (Route 73), which connected Silver Spring station with Archives station, complementing local routes 70 and 71. This Route 73 service was discontinued in 2000 and its function absorbed by routes 70 and 71.

Introduction of Route 79

In response to increasing ridership along Georgia Avenue and to alleviate congestion on routes 70 and 71, WMATA introduced Route 79 on March 19, 2007, under the MetroExtra branding. This marked WMATA’s inaugural MetroExtra service, offering limited-stop express trips between Silver Spring station and Archives station during weekday peak periods, with 16 northbound stops and 15 southbound stops.

At launch, Route 79 utilized 2007 New Flyer C40LFR buses based out of the Bladensburg division; however, over time various bus models have been deployed due to maintenance rotations. Presently, the route operates with multiple Metrobus vehicle types.

Service Modifications

Midday service was introduced on September 25, 2011, providing buses at intervals of every 10 to 12 minutes. Saturday operations commenced on March 24, 2013, running every 15 minutes from early morning at 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., followed by Sunday service initiation on December 29, 2013, maintaining an identical schedule.

In 2018, Route 79 became part of WMATA's pilot program for "cashless" fare payments aimed at reducing travel delays.

For Fiscal Year 2021, WMATA proposed raising the MetroExtra fare from $2.00 to $3.00 and extending Route 79’s operating hours until 10:00 p.m. daily instead of ending at 7:00 p.m.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, service was scaled back to a Saturday schedule starting March 16, 2020, then further reduced to Sunday schedules by March 18. Weekend operations were suspended entirely on March 21 and replaced by Route 70 service.

Service resumed adjustments on August 23, 2020, including a southbound reroute from 9th Street to 7th Street to enhance efficiency, alongside restoration of weekend service.

On September 5, 2021, bus frequency improved to every twelve minutes daily between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

As part of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign effective June 29, 2025, Route 79 was rebranded as D4X without any changes to its routing.

Cashless Payment Pilot

Beginning June 24, 2018, Route 79 launched a six-month pilot program implementing cash-free fare collection for WMATA. The route was selected due to its proximity to retail outlets and Metrorail stations where riders could purchase or reload SmarTrip cards; additionally, nearby local route 70 continued accepting cash fares. Passengers paying with cash were advised to use route 70 instead.

Public Response

The initiative sparked concern among riders who did not use SmarTrip cards and feared losing access to this heavily utilized line.

DC Councilmember David Grosso called on WMATA to carefully consider how eliminating cash payments would affect unbanked or underserved populations.

WMATA sought public input regarding possible expansion of cashless payments across other MetroExtra and limited-stop routes; however, opposition remained significant. Phil Posner, Chair of the Metro Accessibility Advisory Committee, emphasized that disabled individuals and communities without alternative payment options could face hardships due to the policy change.

Maryland Metro Board Member Michael Goldman also expressed reservations about the pilot’s impact on equity.

By November 2018, WMATA had gathered all survey results necessary for determining whether to continue or expand cashless payment systems.

In December of that year, WMATA extended the pilot on Route 79 for an additional six months pending a final decision in early 2019. Ultimately, in May 2019 WMATA announced that the pilot would conclude on June 23, reinstating regular fare payment methods thereafter.

References

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