Convention Center–Southwest Waterfront Line
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Routes 70, 71, DC Circulator Convention Center–Southwest Waterfront line |
| Founded | September 25, 2011 |
| Fate | Discontinued |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C. |
| Products | Bus service |
| Parent | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
The Convention Center–Southwest Waterfront Line, known as Route 74, was a bus route managed daily by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It provided service between the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Buzzard Point, traveling along 7th Street NW/SW. Buses ran every half hour, with each journey taking approximately 20 to 30 minutes. This route linked prominent downtown locations such as major sports venues and the National Mall, offering a direct alternative that did not require transferring to rail. Route 74 succeeded Metrobus Routes 70 and 71, as well as the DC Circulator’s Convention Center-Southwest Waterfront service.
Route description and service
Route 74 connected the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to Buzzard Point, traveling through Downtown DC and the National Mall via 7th Street NW/SW.
During weekdays, operations were dispatched from the Shepherd Parkway division, whereas late-night and weekend trips originated from the Bladensburg division.
Route 74 stops
<section begin=74-table/>
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | ||||
| Walter E. Washington Convention Center 6th Street NW / Massachusetts Avenue |
Southbound stop, Northbound terminus |
Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 33, D4, P6 Template:Bus icon Loudoun County Commuter Bus Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Georgetown–Union Station | ||
| 7th Street NW / Massachusetts Avenue | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 33, 70, D4 Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Georgetown–Union Station | ||
| 7th Street NW / H Street NW Gallery Place station |
Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 70, 79, 80, P6, X2, X9 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | ||
| 7th Street NW / F Street NW Capital One Arena |
Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 70 | ||
| 7th Street NW / G Street NW Capital One Arena |
Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 70 | ||
| 7th Street NW / E Street NW | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 70, D6 | ||
| 7th Street NW / Pennsylvania Avenue NW Archives station |
Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 32, 33, 36, 70, 79, P6, S2 Template:Bus icon MTA Maryland Commuter Bus: 610, 640, 650, 705, 810–840 Template:Bus icon OmniRide Commuter Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon Template:WMATA icon | ||
| 7th Street NW / Constitution Avenue NW | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 70, S2 Template:Bus icon OmniRide Commuter | ||
| Southwest | ||||
| 7th Street SW / Independence Avenue SW | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 32, 33, 34, 36, 39, 70, S2 Template:Bus icon OmniRide Commuter | ||
| 7th Street SW / Maryland Avenue SW L'Enfant Plaza station |
Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 33, 52, 70, A6 (NB only), A8 (SB only), S2 Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Eastern Market – L'Enfant Plaza Template:Bus icon MTA Maryland Commuter Bus Template:Bus icon Loudoun County Transit Template:Bus icon OmniRide Commuter Template:Bus icon Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon, Template:WMATA icon, Template:WMATA icon, Template:WMATA icon, Template:WMATA icon | ||
| 7th Street SW / C Street SW L'Enfant Plaza station |
Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 33, 52, 70, A6 (NB only), A8 (SB only), S2 Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Eastern Market – L'Enfant Plaza Template:Bus icon MTA Maryland Commuter Bus Template:Bus icon Loudoun County Transit Template:Bus icon OmniRide Commuter Template:Rint Washington Metro: Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, Yellow | ||
| 7th Street SW / E Street SW | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 52 (NB only), A8 | ||
| 7th Street SW / G Street SW | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 52, A6, A8 | ||
| 7th Street SW / I Street SW | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 52, A6, A8 Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Eastern Market - L'Enfant Plaza | ||
| Maine Avenue / 7th Street SW | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 52, A6, A8 Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Eastern Market - L'Enfant Plaza | ||
| 6th Street SW / K Street SW | Northbound | |||
| M Street SW / 6th Street SW | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A8 Template:Bus icon MTA Maryland Commuter Bus Template:Bus icon OmniRide Commuter Template:Bus icon Loudoun County Transit |
||
| M Street SW / 4th Street SW Waterfront station |
Both directions | 'Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A8, P6 Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Eastern Market - L'Enfant Plaza Template:Bus icon MTA Maryland Commuter Bus Template:Bus icon OmniRide Commuter Template:Bus icon Loudoun County Transit Template:Rint Washington Metro: Green |
||
| M Street SW / Delaware Avenue SW | 'Southbound' | 'Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6 , A8 , P6 'Template:Bus icon DC Circulator : < br > ' Eastern Market – L'Enfant Plaza ' |
||
| Delaware Avenue SW / #1301-#1311' | 'Southbound' | |||
| Delaware Avenue SW / Canal Street SW' | 'Southbound' | |||
| O Street SW / First Street SW' | 'Southbound' | |||
| Half Street SW / O Street SW < br /> < small > Nationals Park </ small > ' | 'Southbound' | |||
| P Street SW / First Street SW' | 'Southbound' | |||
| 2nd Street SW / R Street SW < br /> < small > Audi Field </ small > ' | 'Southbound' | |||
| V Street SW / 1st Street SW' | 'Southbound' | |||
| T Street SW / 2nd Street SW' | 'Southbound' | |||
| Buzzard Point < br /> < small >2nd Street SW / R Street SW < br > Audi Field </ small > ' | 'Southbound terminus, Northbound stop |
|||
| 2nd Street SW / P Street SW' | 'Northbound' | |||
| P Street SW / 3rd Street SW ' | 'Northbound' | |||
| P Street SW / 4th Street SW' | 'Northbound' | |||
| 4th Street SW / O Street SW ' | 'Northbound' | |||
| 4th Street SW / N Street SW ' | 'Northbound' | |||
<section end=74-table/>
History
Originally, Route 74 ran between the Soldiers Home in Northwest and Fort McNair, but it was phased out sometime between the 1970s and 1980s, with routes 70 and 71 taking over its service area.
Buzzard Point primarily received transit coverage from route 71, which operated from Silver Spring station down Georgia Avenue, while route 70 extended service to Half & O Streets SW near Nationals Park. Additional routes serving Buzzard Point included P1, P2, V7, V8, V9, and the DC Circulator Convention Center–SW Waterfront line.
In WMATA's Fiscal Year 2011 plan, a proposal was made to truncate routes 70 and 71 at Archives station, ceasing service beyond Constitution Avenue to enhance operational efficiency and reduce overlaps with local transit. This plan also suggested rerouting P6 along M Street SW and adjacent corridors to compensate for the segments dropped from routes 70 and 71.
Later proposals introduced a revived route 74 running between the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Buzzard Point, effectively replacing route 71 and shortening route 70 to end at Archives station. This new route followed 7th Street NW, serving prominent destinations including the National Mall, Capital One Arena, Chinatown, Southwest Waterfront, and Fort McNair, mirroring much of its former alignment.
New Route 74
On September 25, 2011, WMATA inaugurated the new route 74 connecting the Walter E. Washington Convention Center with Buzzard Point. This service took over from the DC Circulator Convention Center-Southwest Waterfront line, extended beyond the previous terminus of Route 70 at Archives station, and fully supplanted route 71. Operating every 18 minutes during peak periods and every 24 minutes off-peak, it improved transit access within Southwest Washington.
Changes
The Buzzard Point loop was eliminated on June 17, 2012, due to insufficient ridership; however, weekday peak service frequency increased from intervals of 18–20 minutes to every 12–15 minutes to alleviate overcrowding.
In September 2013, WMATA proposed discontinuing route 74 by June 2014, substituting it with rerouted V7 and V8 lines to better address low ridership in Southwest and optimize capacity distribution. The plan involved redirecting V7 and V8 via Delaware Avenue SW and extending their reach to the Convention Center while eliminating service between Minnesota Ave and Deanwood stations as well as between L’Enfant Plaza and the Bureau of Engraving. Service along O Street SW, Half Street SW, and P Street SW east of Canal Street would have been discontinued. An alternative considered was reducing route 74’s frequency to every 16–20 minutes daily. Ultimately, public opposition prevented these adjustments.
WMATA later proposed reinstating route 74’s extension to Buzzard Point to serve the new Audi Field as part of its FY2018 and FY2019 Metrobus State of Good Operations initiatives. The FY2018 plan outlined three alternatives:
- Stadium Extension: Extending service from Half & O Streets SW terminal directly to Audi Field via Half Street, P Street, and nearby roads.
- Wharf Option: Rerouting to cover the Southwest Wharf development along 7th Street and Maine Avenue SW.
- 4th & P Streets SW Option: Operating in both directions along 4th Street and P Street SW between M Street and Canal Street.
Each alternative proposed discontinuing certain segments that would still be accessible within walking distance through routes V1 or P6.
The FY2019 proposal selected the Stadium Extension option but reduced operating hours by eliminating trips before approximately 6–7 AM and after about 10–11 PM; during these times, route P6 provided alternate service. Frequency adjustments were designed to maintain budget neutrality despite adding one mile and eight minutes per round trip.
| Day | Service Period | Current Frequency | Proposed Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday | 6 AM to 11 PM | 12 min (AM peak) 20 min (Midday) 15 min (PM peak) 24 min (Evening) |
16 min (AM peak) 24 min (Midday) 18 min (PM peak) 30 min (Evening) |
| Weekends | 7 AM to 10 PM | 20–24 min | 30 min |
WMATA cited reasons for these changes including extending service to Buzzard Point/Audi Field, adjusting frequencies to maintain fleet size over a longer route, and complying with requested reductions in service hours from the District Department of Transportation. The early morning and late evening trips affected relatively few riders.
Route 74 received an F rating on Metro’s Report Card due to slow speeds. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen criticized WMATA’s strategy by acknowledging that while extending service to Audi Field is beneficial, decreasing frequency negatively impacts riders reliant on the bus. ANC Commissioner Gail Fast also expressed concerns that longer wait times diminish bus effectiveness in a modern urban environment.
Sherri Ly, WMATA’s Public Relations Manager, indicated that public comments were under review prior to Board decisions on these changes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, weekday operations shifted to a Saturday schedule starting March 16, 2020; then further scaled back to Sunday schedules on March 18; weekend service was suspended entirely beginning March 21.
Service along route 74 was restored on August 23, 2020 with extensions back to Buzzard Point following its previous routing serving Audi Field but operated at a reduced frequency of every half hour from 6:30 AM until 10:30 PM daily.
In February 2021, WMATA proposed eliminating route 74 if federal funding was not secured.
On June 16, 2024, buses ceased running along 1st Street between V and T Streets as well as T Street SW; all trips were rerouted via Half Street, Potomac Avenue, and R Street SW.
As part of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign commencing June 29, 2025, route 74 will be rebranded as C55. This new designation will operate between L'Enfant Plaza station and Washington Union Station via Buzzard Point, M Street SE, among other corridors. Additionally, some shorter trips will run solely between L'Enfant Plaza and Buzzard Point; service to Mount Vernon Square will be discontinued.