Deanwood–Minnesota Avenue Line
| Company type | Bus service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | June 21, 2015 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C. |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
| Parent | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
The Deanwood–Minnesota Avenue Line, identified as Route U7, was a bus service managed daily by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, linking Deanwood station with Minnesota Avenue station on the Orange and Silver Lines of the Washington Metro. On weekdays, buses operated every 20 to 24 minutes, every 24 minutes on Saturdays, and every half hour on Sundays, with each trip taking roughly 30 minutes. During weekday midday hours and throughout Saturdays, the route extended beyond Minnesota Avenue to Greenway (Minnesota Ave. & Ridge Road), with an approximate travel time of 32 minutes.
Background
Route U7 served passengers traveling between Deanwood station and Minnesota Avenue station, passing through Mayfair and offering direct access to Metrorail stations previously covered by routes V7 and V8. Operations for U7 were based out of the Bladensburg garage.
History
In the Fiscal Year 2015 planning cycle, WMATA proposed modifications to routes U2, U4, U5, U6, U8, V7, V8, and V9 aimed at addressing issues with schedule adherence and bus clustering.
U2, V7, V8, V9
The primary revisions included:
- Route U2: Providing daily service between Capitol Heights station and Anacostia station, combining the segment currently served by U8 from Capitol Heights to Minnesota Avenue via Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue with the existing U2 route extending to Anacostia.
- Routes V7 and V8: Offering daily trips connecting Capitol Heights and Navy Yard–Ballpark station, merging the existing U8 segment to Minnesota Avenue with the current V7 service to Navy Yard. The section between Deanwood Station and Minnesota Avenue would be replaced by a rerouted U4.
- Route V9: Operating during peak hours between Benning Heights and the Bureau of Engraving, passing through Navy Yard Ballpark.
These changes were designed to improve connections at key regional hubs, optimize capacity along corridors serving Minnesota Avenue, and eliminate underperforming segments. Shortening routes V7 and V8 at Navy Yard Station would impact about 13% of weekday trips and over 20% of weekend trips; however, some weekday effects might be mitigated by extending route V9.
U4
Regarding route U4:
- It would provide daily service between River Terrace and Deanwood Station, maintaining its current routing from River Terrace to Minnesota Avenue before following the existing V7/V8 path from Minnesota Avenue to Deanwood.
- The segment connecting Minnesota Avenue to Sheriff Road would be discontinued for U4 and substituted by a newly established route U7.
This reorganization intended to better match service capacity with passenger demand along lines serving Minnesota Avenue.
U5, U6
Routes U5 and U6 continued to offer daily service linking Minnesota Avenue station with Marshall Heights and Lincoln Heights, but discontinued coverage of Mayfair. A new Route U1 was introduced to cover travel between Minnesota Avenue station and both Mayfair and Parkside.
This adjustment aimed at enhancing reliability by shortening routes and balancing capacity more effectively according to demand. The current on-time rate stands at 78%, slightly below the target of 81%.
Changes
In June 2015, WMATA implemented major modifications impacting routes U2, U4, U5, U6, U8, V7, V8, and V9.
The Deanwood–Minnesota Ave Line was launched as route U7 on June 21, 2015. This service runs between Deanwood station and Minnesota Avenue station via Kenilworth Avenue Service Road, taking over segments previously served by the discontinued V7 and V8 routes. The adjustment was intended to improve punctuality for the newly introduced V2 and V4 lines.
Moreover, routes U2, V7, and V8 were replaced by the new V2 and V4 routes; route V9 was rebranded as V1; and route U8 was shortened to cover only the stretch between Capitol Heights station and Minnesota Avenue station.
During WMATA's FY2019 budget planning, there was a proposal to extend route U7 to reach Mayfair following the former path of routes U5 and U6. This extension aimed to preserve direct transit links connecting Mayfair, Parkside, Minnesota Avenue station, and the Minnesota Avenue retail corridor during peak shopping periods. Additionally, it sought to enhance operational efficiency by serving areas with moderate to high residential and commercial density.
Performance data for route U7 in FY2016 revealed varied outcomes:
| Metric | Route U7 | WMATA Standard | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Weekday Ridership | 761 | 432 | Pass |
| Cost Recovery Ratio | 12% | 16.6% | Fail |
| Subsidy per Passenger | $3.69 | $4.81 | Pass |
| Passengers per Trip | 7 | 10.7 | Fail |
| Passengers per Revenue Mile | 3.6 | 1.3 | Pass |
On June 24, 2018, route U7 was rerouted through Mayfair to substitute for the shortened U5 and U6 services that terminated at Minnesota Avenue station. Additionally, it was extended from Minnesota Avenue to serve Greenway during weekday middays and throughout Saturdays.
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, service on route U7 was scaled back to Saturday schedules on weekdays starting March 16, 2020; then further reduced to Sunday schedules on March 18; weekend service was suspended beginning March 21. Full service including weekends resumed on August 23, 2020, incorporating extensions to Greenway during weekday peak periods.
In the FY2022 budget proposal released in February 2021, WMATA recommended cutting the portion of route U7 running between Deanwood station and Greenway due to budgetary limitations.
Under WMATA’s Better Bus Redesign plan effective June 29, 2025, route U7 will be reclassified as C35 while retaining its existing routing and adding coverage through the former U6 loop in Greenway. Peak weekday trips will be extended to Naylor Road station via Minnesota Avenue SE and Branch Avenue SE.