Benning Heights–M Street Line
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | December 28, 1991 |
| Defunct | September 5, 2021 |
| Fate | Discontinued due to reduced federal funding and low ridership |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C. |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Parent | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
The Benning Heights–M Street Line, designated as Route V1, was a bus route managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority that operated during weekday peak periods. It linked the Benning Heights community with Smithsonian station, which serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines of the Washington Metro. Service intervals ranged from 20 to 30 minutes during rush hours, with each trip taking about 55 minutes to complete.
Background
Route V1 offered peak-hour weekday transit between the Benning Heights area in northeast Washington, D.C., and Smithsonian station. The route primarily traversed M Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Minnesota Avenue, providing residents of Benning Heights with a direct bus option to Downtown without relying on the metro rail system. Operations for this route were based out of the Southern Avenue division.
History
Originally, Route V1 was part of the Pan Am Parking Lot/Vienna Shuttle Line, connecting Vienna/Fairfax–GMU station with Pan Am Shopping Center until service ended on January 22, 2001, following the inauguration of a new garage at Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station.
The present-day Benning Heights–M Street Line began service on December 28, 1991, as the Minnesota Ave-M St Line with routes V7, V8, and V9 replacing the former route V4 from Minnesota Avenue station. At the same time, route V6 was introduced alongside these lines.
Route V6 operated between Deanwood station and Half & O Streets SW, primarily utilizing Kenilworth Avenue Service Road, Minnesota Avenue NE, M Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue corridors.
Operating on weekdays, route V7 connected Deanwood station to the Bureau of Engraving near Smithsonian station. It followed much of V6’s path but diverted via 7th Street SW, then D, 12th, and C streets to terminate at Smithsonian station along 14th Street and Independence Avenue. Late-night weekday service and early morning/late-night weekend trips ended at Navy Yard–Ballpark station.
Route V8 ran exclusively on weekends along a similar path as V7 from Deanwood station but continued directly down 7th Street to Archives station.
During weekday peak times in the peak travel direction, route V9 ran between Benning Heights (H Street & Benning Road SE) and the Bureau of Engraving at Smithsonian station. Its path included H Street, Alabama Avenue, and Ridge Road before joining the routing used by V7/V8 up to Potomac Avenue.
Changes
In 1996, route V6 was eliminated following discontinuation of service along Half & O Streets SW. Its removal was compensated by increased frequency on route 70 as well as supplementary service by routes V7, V8, and V9.
On June 25, 2000, service south of M Street along Half & O Streets SW on route V8 was terminated and replaced by routes 70 and 71.
As part of WMATA's FY2014 budget discussions, there were proposals to extend routes V7 and V8 to reach the Walter E. Washington Convention Center while rerouting them via M Street SW to cover the Navy Yard area in place of route 74. The segment between Minnesota Avenue and Deanwood stations served by these routes would be discontinued and substituted with an extended U2 line. These modifications intended to align capacity with ridership levels due to low usage in Southwest D.C.
Another proposed change was to truncate route V9 at Potomac Avenue station instead of continuing to Smithsonian; this service would be replaced by route V7. Subsequently, on March 30, 2014, route V9’s terminus was shortened to Navy Yard–Ballpark station with coverage to Smithsonian transferred to route V7.
In April 2014, WMATA conducted a study focused on simplifying U and V line services. Major outcomes included:
- Route U2 operating daily between Capitol Heights and Anacostia stations via Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue.
- Routes V7 and V8 providing daily service between Capitol Heights and Navy Yard–Ballpark stations; this change eliminated service between Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue stations which was replaced by a rerouted U4. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing as well as Smithsonian access was shifted to an extended route V9.
- Route V9 being re-extended to serve the Bureau of Engraving using its former routing to substitute parts of routes V7 and V8.
These adjustments aimed at enhancing connections at key regional destinations while balancing capacity across Minnesota Avenue lines and reducing underperforming segments. Approximately 13–23% of passengers traveling on weekdays and weekends would experience changes due to the shortening of routes V7 and V8 at Navy Yard Station; however, weekday impact might be mitigated by the extension of route V9.
The final recommendations were published in March 2015.
On June 21, 2015, routes V7 and V8 were discontinued and replaced by new routes V2 and V4. These combined portions of routes U2, U8, V7, and V8 operating between Capitol Heights station and Anacostia (V2) or Navy Yard–Ballpark (V4). They followed U8’s routing from Capitol Heights to Deanwood before continuing along previous U2/V7/V8 alignments.
Route V9 was redesignated as Route V1 and extended back to the Bureau of Engraving via its former path between Navy Yard–Ballpark and that destination. Correspondingly, the line adopted the name Benning Heights–M Street Line after ceasing service to Minnesota Avenue station.
On June 26, 2016, eastbound trips on route V1 were further extended eastward to H Street at Benning Road SE.
In WMATA’s FY2021 budget proposal, elimination of route V1 was suggested due to declining ridership trends; alternative options included routes 54, P6, U5, U6, and V8. Data from 2017 through 2019 indicated an average daily ridership near 695 passengers with moderate load factors.
This elimination proposal was later withdrawn on March 31, 2020.
Service for all route V1 trips was suspended beginning March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 26, 2020 WMATA proposed permanently discontinuing Route V1 citing reduced federal funding; this took effect by September 5, 2021.
Revival of routes V7 and V8
In response to suggestions made in 2017, routes V7 and V8 were brought back into service as part of the Benning Heights–Alabama Avenue Line on June 24, 2018. The former route U8 was redesignated as V8, providing daily service between Minnesota Avenue station and Benning Heights (H & 46th Streets SE). Meanwhile, route V7 operates during weekday peak periods, connecting Minnesota Avenue station with Congress Heights station, and covers Southern and Alabama Avenues.