Fairland Line
| Company type | Public transit authority |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1967 |
Area served | Washington metropolitan area |
| Products | Bus services, Metrorail |
| Owner | Government-owned corporation |
| Website | www |
Colesville Road Line
The Colesville Road Line comprises two routes: the Colesville Road–Burtonsville Line (Route M52) and the Colesville Road–Greencastle Line (Route M54), both operated daily by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. These services link Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride (M52) and Greencastle Park & Ride (M54) with Silver Spring station on the Red Line. Each route runs at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes, with journeys taking about one hour. These routes were introduced on June 29, 2025, replacing the former Silver Spring–Fairland Line's Z6 and Z8 as part of WMATA's Better Bus Network Redesign.
Background
Route M52 provides daily service between Silver Spring station and Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride, traversing through areas such as Calverton, Westfarm, and White Oak, Maryland. Meanwhile, Route M54 operates daily between Silver Spring station and Greencastle Park & Ride, primarily following Old Columbia Pike and Colesville Road. Both lines are managed from the Montgomery division.
History
Established on January 27, 1985, Route Z6 connected Silver Spring station to Calverton, traveling mainly along Calverton Boulevard, Old Columbia Pike, Columbia Pike, Lockwood Drive, and Colesville Road. During the 1990s, Z6 was discontinued and its Calverton segment was taken over by Route Z7.
Route Z8 has its origins in the Old Bladensburg Road Line and Sligo Avenue Line, which were initially streetcar services operated by the Capital Traction Company before transitioning to buses in 1927 and 1940. These lines merged under DC Transit management until WMATA assumed control in 1973. Eventually, Z8 service was replaced by Ride On.
Later on, Route Z8 reappeared as the Colesville Road–Fairland Line, running from Silver Spring station to Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride via White Oak, Greencastle Park & Ride, Briggs Chaney Park & Ride, with some peak trips extending to Verizon–Chesapeake Complex.
Following proposals made in early 2004, Route Z6 was reinstated on September 26, 2004, as the Tanglewood–Westfarm Line, operating between Silver Spring station and Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride through Calverton, Westfarm, and White Oak. This route consolidated portions of several discontinued routes including Z1, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z7, Z17 as well as segments of Route Z8. Concurrently, Route Z8 was truncated to serve between Silver Spring station and Greencastle Park & Ride via Briggs Chaney Park & Ride.
On June 24, 2007, service to Tanglewood was transferred to Ride On Route 21; subsequently, the line was renamed the Calverton–Westfarm Line.
With the inauguration of the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center at Silver Spring station, both routes were redirected to Bus Bays 106 and 114.
In WMATA's Fiscal Year 2016 proposal, Saturday service was introduced on Route Z6 between Silver Spring and Castle Boulevard with buses running every half hour to accommodate high weekday ridership while addressing low demand beyond Castle Boulevard. This Saturday service commenced on March 27, 2016.
For Fiscal Year 2021 proposals, WMATA suggested removing Route Z6 service between Castle Boulevard and Burtonsville Park-and-Ride in favor of Ride On Flash BRT along U.S. Route 29. Additionally, Route Z6 would be extended to Greencastle Park & Ride replacing Routes Z8 and Z11 with increased frequency; this plan would eliminate all remaining Route Z8 service.
Montgomery County officials voiced opposition to these proposed reductions that could impact roughly 65,000 residents. Over thirty county leaders urged WMATA to preserve frequent service due to its critical importance for students, seniors, and essential workers dependent on Metrobus.
In April 2020 public feedback indicated strong resistance to proposed modifications for both routes: with 59% opposing changes for Route Z6 and 70% against those for Route Z8.
Beginning March 16, 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Routes Z6 and Z8 operated on Saturday schedules; by March 18 all Route Z6 trips were suspended while Route Z8 ran reduced service following a modified Sunday timetable. Weekend frequencies were further cut before partial restoration occurred in August 2020.
On September 26, 2020 WMATA proposed eliminating Saturday service on Route Z6 due to budget constraints; however, Saturday operations resumed on March 14, 2021 along with pre-pandemic frequency levels.
On September 5, 2021 Routes Z6 and Z8 merged into a combined Silver Spring–Fairland Line, retiring the previous Calverton–Westfarm and Fairland designations. Service frequency improved to every fifteen minutes with new Sunday service added for Route Z6. The routing inside Verizon-Chesapeake Complex was discontinued for Route Z8 but extended during weekday peak periods to Greencastle Park & Ride.
Better Bus Redesign
In 2022, WMATA launched the Better Bus Redesign initiative, marking the first major transformation of its Metrobus system.
By April 2023, WMATA unveiled the Draft Visionary Network plan, which suggested consolidating routes Z6, Z7, and Z8 into a unified Route MD242 running between Silver Spring and Laurel stations along the MARC Camden Line. This route was designed to cover significant corridors such as Colesville Road, Columbia Pike, and several park & ride facilities.
Plans also called for transferring service in White Oak on Lockwood Drive and Stewart Lane to the Ride On Flash BRT Orange Line and the proposed Route MD346 connecting the FDA Headquarters with South Laurel Park & Ride. Additionally, WMATA recommended ending service between Tech Road Park & Ride and Castle Boulevard.
In the Revised Draft Visionary Network, Route MD242 was redesignated as M52 with adjustments to include stops at Castle Boulevard, Briggs Chaney Park & Ride, and White Oak via Lockwood Drive and Stewart Lane. The M52 would conclude at South Laurel Park & Ride instead of Laurel station, operating daily between Silver Spring and Laurel and adding weekend service extending to Burtonsville.
A new Route P11 was introduced to link Hyattsville Crossing station with Greencastle Park & Ride, passing through White Oak Medical Center and key corridors like East-West Highway and Old Columbia Pike. These proposals were integrated into WMATA’s 2025 Proposed Network.
Subsequent updates confined M52 service to Laurel during weekday peak periods while maintaining daily trips between Silver Spring and Burtonsville Park & Ride. Route P11 was replaced by Route M54, which parallels the M52 route from Silver Spring to Greencastle Park & Ride but diverges at Tech Road Park & Ride to serve Old Columbia Pike and Briggs Chaney Road before arriving at Greencastle. Meanwhile, M52 continued to serve Briggs Chaney Park & Ride and Castle Boulevard.
On November 21, 2024, WMATA formally approved the Better Bus Redesign Network.
Starting June 29, 2025, Route Z6 largely preserved its Silver Spring–Burtonsville alignment but combined with Route Z7 to South Laurel Park & Ride during weekday peak hours under the new designation M52, with weekend service extended to Burtonsville. Route Z8 was rebranded as M54 and ceased operations along Castle Boulevard and Briggs Chaney Park & Ride.
Incidents
- On February 1, 2012, a Z8 bus (DE40LF 6020) collided with a truck at Colesville Road and Franklin Avenue during morning rush hour, resulting in minor injuries for two passengers.
- On December 19, 2021, a vehicle struck a Z8 bus at Fairland Road and Fairridge Drive; this accident caused the death of the driver and injuries to the bus operator.
- On February 17, 2023, a fatal shooting took place aboard a Z6 bus at Lockwood Drive and New Hampshire Avenue in White Oak following a passenger dispute. The suspect fled but was apprehended on June 14, 2024.