Burtonsville–Greencastle Express Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Defunct | 2020-03-18 |
| Fate | Service discontinued and replaced by Flash BRT service |
| Headquarters | Silver Spring, Maryland , United States |
Area served | Montgomery County, Maryland |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Parent | WMATA |
The Burtonsville–Greencastle Express Line, designated as Route Z11, operated as a weekday peak-period bus service under the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It linked Silver Spring station on the Red Line with the Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride Lot located in Burtonsville, Maryland. During peak travel times, buses ran every 10 to 25 minutes in the direction of highest demand, with each trip taking about 50 minutes. Service was halted on March 18, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently replaced by the Flash BRT service in October 2020.
Background
Route Z11 provided weekday peak-hour connections between Silver Spring station and Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride Lot, passing through Briggs Chaney Park & Ride, Castle Boulevard, and Greencastle Park & Ride. The route traversed corridors including Columbia Pike, Castle Boulevard, Colesville Road, Briggs Chaney Road, Ballinger Drive, and Greencastle Road. Functioning as an express alternative to routes Z6 and Z8, Z11 operated express service along Columbia Pike while Z6 and Z8 provided local stops in Calverton and along Old Columbia Pike respectively. Service was suspended on March 18, 2020, amid WMATA’s COVID-19 related reductions and did not restart on August 23, 2020. Prior to suspension, the route was managed out of Montgomery division.
Boarding restrictions were as follows:
- Southbound: Passengers were prohibited from boarding or alighting between Briggs Chaney Road & Castle Boulevard and Colesville Road & Spring Street except at Oak Leaf Drive and Prelude Drive; morning trips bypassed University Blvd.
- Northbound: No boarding or alighting was allowed between Colesville Road & Spring Street and Briggs Chaney Road & Outlet Drive except at Prelude Drive and Oak Leaf Drive; boarding/alighting was permitted at University Boulevard.
History
Initiated in 1978 as the Greencastle-Briggs Chaney Express Line concurrent with the opening of Silver Spring station, routes Z11 and Z13 connected Silver Spring with Greencastle Park & Ride Lot via Columbia Pike, Castle Boulevard, Colesville Road, Briggs Chaney Road, and Greencastle Road. The primary distinction was that Z11 served Briggs Chaney Park & Ride while Z13 bypassed it via Ballinger Drive and Wexhall Drive.
Following the inauguration of the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center at Silver Spring station, both routes were redirected there and assigned Bus Bay 108 on level 1.
In 2015, WMATA proposed consolidating routes Z9 and Z11 into a single route Z11 that would operate along Old Columbia Pike rather than Columbia Pike, extending service to Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride via Columbia Pike—streamlining express service according to findings from the 2014 Z Line Metrobus Study.
On March 27, 2016, route Z11 was extended to Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride via Blackburn Road, effectively replacing routes Z9 and Z29 (which was renamed Z7). The frequency was adjusted to every 10–15 minutes during weekday peak periods with later trips running every 20–30 minutes. Its new terminus became Bus Bay 115 on level 1 at the Sarbanes Transit Center. Concurrently, route Z13 was discontinued due to redundancy, and the line was renamed Burtonsville–Greencastle Express Line.
In 2016, WMATA suggested removing the segment between Burtonsville Crossing and Greencastle Park & Ride to reduce expenses while decreasing frequency between Greencastle Park & Ride and 1400 Castle Boulevard to roughly every 20 minutes. Performance evaluations indicated:
| Performance Measures | Route Z11 | WMATA Guideline | Pass/Fail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday Daily Riders | 903 | >432 | Pass |
| Cost Recovery | 19.2% | >16.6% | Pass |
| Subsidy/Rider | $4.74 | <$4.81 | Pass |
| Riders per Rev Trip | 25.8 | >10.7 | Pass |
| Riders per Rev Mile | 0.6 | >1.3 | Pass |
The portions proposed for elimination exhibited ridership well below WMATA’s threshold standards.
In anticipation of the launch of the Ride On Flash BRT service in 2020, WMATA proposed discontinuing route Z11 in 2019. At that time, it averaged about 35 trips daily with roughly 24 passengers per trip.
Officials from Montgomery County strongly opposed these proposed service reductions that would impact approximately 65,000 residents dependent on these transit options. More than thirty local representatives—including state senators Craig Zucker, Susan Lee, Cheryl Kagan; delegates Marc Korman, Sara Love, Julie Palakovich Carr; along with all county council members—urged WMATA to preserve frequent and reliable transit services citing disproportionate effects on students, seniors, and essential workers relying on public transportation.
Feedback collected from customers in early 2020 revealed that 73% opposed changes to route Z11 due to concerns over increased transfers and longer travel durations.
All operations for route Z11 ceased amid WMATA’s response to COVID-19 in March 2020 and were never reinstated. With the October 2020 rollout of Flash BRT and prior plans for elimination in place, WMATA quietly removed references to route Z11 from its website alongside proposals released in September 2020.