Fort Washington Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Route P18 |
| Founded | 1970s |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Prince George's County, Maryland, Washington metropolitan area |
| Products | Bus service |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Website | www |
The Fort Washington Line, identified as Route P97, is a bus service operating exclusively on weekdays under the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It links the Fort Washington Park & Ride Lot with Southern Avenue station on the Green Line. During weekday peak periods, buses run every 25 minutes, while midday service operates at 60-minute intervals. Each journey lasts roughly 45 minutes.
Background
Route P97 functioned on weekdays, connecting Fort Washington Park & Ride Lot to Southern Avenue station, mainly traveling along Oxon Hill Road, Indian Head Highway, and Southern Avenue. It provided all-day service on weekdays, featuring a limited-stop section between Southern Avenue station and Indian Head Highway, stopping at only three locations in each direction.
The Shepherd Parkway division was responsible for operating Route P97.
P97 Stops
<section begin=p97-table/>
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County, Maryland | ||||
| Southern Avenue station Bus Bay F |
Southbound station, Northbound terminal |
Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 32, A2, A32, D12, D14, NH1, P12, W1, W2, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon | ||
| Southern Avenue / 13th Street SE | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D12, D14, NH1, P12, W2, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37 | ||
| Southern Avenue / Chesapeake Street SE | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, D12, D14, NH1, P12, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37 | ||
| Southern Avenue / 6th Street SE | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, A8, D12, D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 37 | ||
| Southern Avenue / South Capitol Street | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, A8, D12, D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 37 | ||
| Indian Head Highway / Southern Avenue | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, A8, D12, D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 37 | ||
| Indian Head Highway / Audrey Lane | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D12, D14, P12, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 37 | ||
| Indian Head Highway / Talbert Street | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35 | ||
| Indian Head Highway / Livingston Road | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 20 | ||
| Indian Head Highway / Seneca Drive | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 37 | ||
| Indian Head Highway / I-95, I-495 | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 37 | ||
| Indian Head Highway / Tecumseh Drive | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 37 | ||
| Oxon Hill Park & Ride Lot Bus Bay D |
Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14, NH1, NH2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 35S | ||
| Oxon Hill Road / Harborview Avenue | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14, NH1, NH2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 35S | ||
| Oxon Hill Road / Oxon Hill Manor | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35S | ||
| Oxon Hill Road / Tanger Outlets Main Entrance | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35S | ||
| Oxon Hill Road / Pipers Glen Lane | Southbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14 | ||
| Oxon Hill Road / Brockton Road | Northbound only | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14 | ||
| Oxon Hill Road / Abbington Drive | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14 | ||
| Oxon Hill Road / Claudia Drive | Both directions | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D14 | ||
<section end=p97-table/>
History
Prior to WMATA's Better Bus Redesign initiative, the current Route P97 was originally designated as Route P18, established in the 1970s to provide transit between Downtown DC and Fort Washington. This service was part of the Oxon Hill–Fort Washington Line, which also included Routes P17 and P19. Routes P17 and P19 operated during weekday peak periods, connecting Fort Washington Park & Ride with Farragut Square via Oxon Hill Road and South Capitol Street. Meanwhile, Route P18 covered midday trips between Fort Washington Park & Ride and Bolling Air Force Base. The P17 and P18 routes traveled along Tantallon Drive and Fort Foote Road, whereas P19 followed a more direct path on Oxon Hill Road. Notably, P17 and P19 featured limited-stop sections with boarding restrictions.
On December 28, 1991, Route P18 was adjusted to serve Anacostia station following its opening. Later, on January 13, 2001, Route P19's path between Fort Washington and Oxon Hill Park & Ride was modified to run via East Swann Creek and Livingston Roads; Routes P17 and P18 remained unchanged at that time.
In WMATA’s fiscal year 2015 budget considerations, there was a proposal to reroute Route P18 to serve Southern Avenue station through Southern Avenue. This change aimed to enhance transit connections in southern Prince George's County and alleviate congestion at Anacostia station. Another alternative discussed involved transferring this route to TheBus. Additionally, WMATA suggested removing the confusing boarding restrictions on Routes P17 and P19 by introducing a limited-stop segment between Oxon Hill Park & Ride and South Capitol & O Streets to preserve the clarity of express service.
On June 21, 2015, Route P18 officially shifted its service from Anacostia station to Southern Avenue station. Concurrently, Routes P17 and P19 eliminated their boarding restrictions and adopted the limited-stop segment.
During the fiscal year 2018 budget review, WMATA examined options including discontinuing the Oxon Hill–Fort Washington Line entirely or ending Downtown DC service by rerouting Routes P17 and P19 to Southern Avenue station with local fare application. This consideration arose from high subsidy costs per passenger despite solid ridership figures. Although performance data indicated robust usage, subsidy per rider exceeded established thresholds. Ultimately, the line was retained in 2017.
Starting June 25, 2017, service to Downtown DC was terminated. Route P19 was redirected along Southern Avenue to Southern Avenue station alongside Route P18. At this time, Route P18 absorbed the weekday peak-direction service previously provided by the discontinued Route P17. Express fares and limited-stop segments on Route P19 were discontinued, converting all trips to local service.
On August 7, 2017, following rider feedback, Routes P18, P19, and W14 introduced a new limited-stop section along Southern Avenue between Southern Avenue station and Indian Head Highway, featuring only three stops in each direction. Local coverage continued through Routes A6, A7, D12-D14, NH1, and P12.
All operations were suspended on March 22, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Service on Route P18 resumed on August 23, 2020; however, Route P19 remained inactive.
On September 26, 2020, WMATA proposed permanently eliminating all Route P19 service in response to diminished federal funding during the pandemic. Since March 17, 2020, Route P19 has not operated and was removed from WMATA’s official website by September 5, 2021.
Enhanced Bus Network Redesign
In 2022, WMATA launched the Better Bus Redesign, marking the first extensive revamp of its Metrobus system.
By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network, which included proposed adjustments to Route P18 serving Fort Washington. The proposal rebranded the route as MD377 and redirected it along Livingston Road, Washington Lane, Old Fort Road, Lampton Lane, Tantallon Drive, Fort Washington Road, and Swan Creek Road to reach Fort Washington Park & Ride, while also introducing weekend service.
Subsequently, the Revised Draft Visionary Network changed the designation from MD377 to Route P97. It reinstated the original P18 path via Fort Washington Road, Tantallon Drive, and Gable Lane to Fort Washington Park & Ride but removed weekend operations. These revisions were incorporated into WMATA's 2025 Proposed Network.
On November 21, 2024, WMATA ratified the Better Bus Redesign Network, streamlining service on the College Park Line. Starting June 29, 2025, Route P18 was officially redesignated as Route P97 without any alterations to its routing.
Incidents
- On November 27, 2015, a pedestrian sustained severe injuries after being hit by a P18 bus at the intersection of Southern Avenue SE and Indian Head Highway.
- On September 28, 2017, a P18 bus experienced a power failure resulting in a stall and subsequent crash. This event prompted WMATA to suspend operation of its entire fleet of 105 NABI 42-BRT buses for a period of two months.