College Park–North Bethesda Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | February 19, 1978 |
| Defunct | June 29, 2025 (planned) |
| Fate | Replaced by Routes M42 and M44 as part of WMATA Better Bus Redesign |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. metropolitan area , United States |
Area served | Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Parent | WMATA Metrobus |
College Park–North Bethesda Line (Route C8)
The College Park–North Bethesda Line, identified as Route C8, was a Metrobus route managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority that connected the College Park–University of Maryland station on the Green Line with the North Bethesda station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro. Operating six days a week from Monday to Saturday, the service maintained a half-hour frequency and journeys typically lasted between 70 and 80 minutes.
Route
Route C8 provided transit service linking College Park and North Bethesda stations from Monday through Saturday, with no operations on Sundays. The route was dispatched from the Montgomery division.
C8 stops
<section begin=C8-table/>
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, Maryland | ||||
| Rockville Pike / Marinelli Road North Bethesda station |
Eastbound station, Westbound terminus |
Template:Bus icon Ride On: 5, 26, 38, 42, 46, 81, 101 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon | ||
| Citadel Avenue / Old Georgetown Road | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 42 | ||
| Nicholson Lane / Rockville Pike | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 38 | ||
| Nicholson Lane / Huff Court | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 38 | ||
| Nicholson Lane / White Flint Plaza | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 38 | ||
| Nicholson Lane / Nicholson Court | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 38 | ||
| Nicholson Lane / Nebel Street | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 38 | ||
| Parklawn Drive / Boiling Brook Parkway | Bidirectional | |||
| Parklawn Drive / Parklawn Terrace | Bidirectional | |||
| Randolph Road / Putnam Road | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Lauderdale Drive | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Hunters Lane | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Rockinghorse Road | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Gaynor Drive | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Dewey Road | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Charles Road | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Bennion Road | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Selfridge Drive | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Veirs Mill Road | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: C4, Q2, Q4, Q6 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10, 48 | ||
| Randolph Road / Colie Drive | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Bushey Drive | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10 | ||
| Randolph Road / Connecticut Avenue | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: L8 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 10, 34 | ||
<section end=C8-table/>
History
Route C8 has been associated with two separate services prior to its current identity as the Aspen Hill Road-Montgomery Mall Line and the Glenmont-College Park Line.
Aspen Hill Road–Montgomery Mall Line
Initially, C8 operated the Aspen Hill Road–Montgomery Mall Line connecting Aspen Hill, Maryland and Montgomery Mall from February 19, 1978, until its discontinuation in 1996. Before January 27, 1985, the route extended from Layhill to Congressional Plaza in Rockville. During the early 1990s, select Saturday trips ended at the National Capital Trolley Museum. Starting June 28, 1992, weekday off-peak and Saturday services were transferred to Montgomery County's Ride On system. The route was ultimately discontinued in 1996 and replaced by Ride On route 26.
Glenmont–College Park Line
On July 25, 1998, Route C8 was reinstated as part of WMATA's newly established Glenmont–College Park Line. This action responded to a request from the Action Committee for Transit aimed at enhancing transit options between University of Maryland, College Park and northern Montgomery County, Maryland Metro stations. Initially operated during weekday peak periods as a pilot service, C8 connected College Park with Glenmont station, traversing major corridors including River Road, Paint Branch Parkway, Adelphi Road, New Hampshire Avenue, Randolph Road, and Georgia Avenue. A future extension to White Flint station was planned contingent on the pilot's success.
Changes
Following strong ridership numbers, WMATA officially established C8 as a permanent route on July 18, 1999, adding midday weekday and Saturday service in response to transit advocacy efforts.
On January 13, 2001, C8 was extended past Glenmont to White Flint station via Randolph Road, taking over from Ride On route 40. At this point, the line was renamed the College Park-White Flint Line.
In WMATA’s FY2011 budget considerations, there was a proposal to reroute C8 to serve Prince George's Plaza (now ) station instead of College Park station. This change aimed to replace route R3 service and provide access to the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Research Center in White Oak. However, this adjustment would limit service to weekday peak hours only, eliminating midday, evening, and Saturday trips.
Effective June 17, 2012, weekday service for C8 was altered to include stops at the National Archives at College Park and the FDA/Federal Research Center; however, these detours were not made on Saturdays due to building closures.
In proposals for FY2018 (2016), WMATA suggested removing the Glenmont–White Flint segment to cut expenses. Although performance data indicated that C8 exceeded WMATA’s ridership and cost recovery benchmarks on this section, it still accounted for a considerable share of boardings—approximately 44.4% eastbound and 26.6% westbound on weekdays.
Saturday service to National Archives at College Park was eliminated on July 29, 2017 because of weekend building closures; weekday service continued uninterrupted.
Beginning September 1, 2019, due to Purple Line construction near College Park station, C8 was temporarily rerouted along River Road with turnarounds via Haig Drive.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16, 2020, C8 shifted to a reduced Saturday schedule; all operations ceased by March 18 as WMATA limited Metrobus services to Sunday schedules only. Service resumed on August 23 with hourly intervals and returned to full operation by September 5, 2021.
Because of Purple Line construction starting April 20, 2020 affecting Calvert Road near College Park station, C8 adopted a detour via Baltimore Avenue and Calvert Road when service restarted in August 2020. The east side bus bays reopened for use on June 12, 2022.
On May 29, 2022, Route C8’s alignment changed to run along Old Georgetown Road, Citadel Avenue, and Marinelli Road terminating near White Flint station on Rockville Pike.
Following the renaming of White Flint station to North Bethesda station, the route was rebranded as the College Park–North Bethesda Line on September 11, 2022.
Better Bus Redesign
In 2022, WMATA launched its inaugural comprehensive overhaul of the Metrobus system, known as the Better Bus Redesign initiative.
By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network plan, which suggested dividing Route C8 into two separate services. One portion, running between North Bethesda station and Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue, would remain intact but be extended to White Oak Medical Center as Route MD241, with an additional extension from North Bethesda to Westfield Montgomery Mall. The other segment, covering the area from College Park station to Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue, was proposed to be rerouted to White Oak Medical Center under the designation Route MD345.
In the Revised Draft Visionary Network, Route MD345 was renamed M56. Meanwhile, MD241 was segmented at Glenmont station into two routes: M42, operating between North Bethesda and Glenmont, and M44, running from Glenmont through Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue before continuing along the former Route 83 path to College Park station. The proposal also introduced a limited-stop express service labeled M4X connecting Westfield Montgomery Mall and White Oak Medical Center.
These proposals were incorporated into WMATA’s 2025 Proposed Network with some modifications: the M4X route was eliminated in favor of Ride On’s Flash BRT service along Randolph Road; similarly, the M56 route was discontinued. Routes M42 and M44 were merged into a single M42 line operating daily from North Bethesda station through New Hampshire Avenue and Tech Road to College Park–University of Maryland station. A new M44 route was planned to run concurrently with M42 between North Bethesda and Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue before branching off via Powder Mill Road and following the former Route 86 corridor to Hyattsville Crossing station. This service would omit College Park station and operate Monday through Saturday with limited service on Sundays.
On November 21, 2024, WMATA formally approved the Better Bus Redesign Network. Starting June 29, 2025, Route C8 will be restructured and combined with Routes 83 and 86 into Routes M42 and M44. Both routes will cover the former C8 alignment between North Bethesda station and New Hampshire Avenue but will split at White Oak.
Route M42 is set to travel along New Hampshire Avenue, Lockwood Drive, Columbia Pike, Broadbirch Drive, Cherry Hill Road, and then continue on the previous Route 83 path toward College Park–University of Maryland station. Conversely, Route M44 will follow Randolph Road before joining M42 on Broadbirch Drive to serve White Oak Medical Center. It will then proceed via Cherry Hill Road and Powder Mill Road along the old Route 86 corridor to Hyattsville Crossing station, bypassing College Park station altogether. Both routes are scheduled to provide full daily service.
Service connecting the Food and Drug Administration in White Oak to Adelphi will transition to Route M60, while transit between College Park station and Adelphi via University of Maryland will be replaced by TheBus Route P37.