Marshall Heights Line
| Company type | Public transit bus service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Mayfair-Marshall Heights Line (D.C. Transit System) |
| Founded | 1973-02-04 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Northeast and Southeast Washington, D.C. |
| Products | Bus routes U5 and U6 |
| Parent | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
The Marshall Heights Line, consisting of Routes U5 and U6, was a daily bus operation managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority that linked Minnesota Avenue station on the Orange and Silver metro lines to Marshall Heights through Lincoln Heights. Both routes maintained service intervals of 20 to 30 minutes throughout the day, with an average journey duration of approximately 30 minutes.
Route Description
Serving neighborhoods in Northeast and Southeast Washington, Routes U5 and U6 connected areas such as Marshall Heights, Lincoln Heights, Benning Heights, and Greenway. Their paths included Minnesota Avenue, Ridge Road, Texas Avenue, and East Capitol Street. Operations for both routes were based out of WMATA’s Bladensburg garage.
History
Initially part of the "Mayfair-Marshall Heights" line under the D.C. Transit System, routes U5 and U6 transitioned to WMATA Metrobus services on February 4, 1973, following WMATA’s acquisition and integration of four regional bus operators.
On December 3, 1978, the routes were adjusted to incorporate service to the newly inaugurated Minnesota Avenue station. Later, on November 22, 1980, their coverage expanded to include Benning Road station at the intersection of East Capitol Street NE and Benning Road NE/SE.
In WMATA’s Fiscal Year 2015 proposal, plans were made to truncate routes U5 and U6 at Minnesota Avenue station, with route U1 taking over service to Mayfair. This adjustment aimed to enhance reliability, align capacity with demand, and improve on-time performance that was recorded at 78%, below the target of 81%.
The FY2019 budget revisited these changes by proposing that U5 and U6 terminate at Minnesota Avenue station while route U7 would assume Mayfair service responsibilities. This recommendation was informed by the 2014 U and V Lines Service Evaluation Study and completion of construction in Minnesota Avenue NE. Performance data showed solid ridership levels and cost recovery but revealed riders per trip below WMATA benchmarks:
| Performance Measure | Route U5, U6 | WMATA Guideline | Pass/Fail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Weekday Riders | 3,233 | 432 | Pass |
| Cost Recovery | 18% | 16.6% | Pass |
| Subsidy per Rider | $2.40 | $4.81 | Pass |
| Riders per Trip | 45 | 10.7 | Fail |
| Riders per Revenue Mile | 4.4 | 1.3 | Pass |
Effective June 24, 2018, service to Mayfair and Parkside was discontinued on routes U5 and U6; this segment was taken over by an extended route U7. Subsequently, all trips concluded at Minnesota Avenue station. Concurrently, the line’s name changed from "Mayfair–Marshall Heights Line" to simply "Marshall Heights Line."
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic beginning March 16, 2020, weekday service was reduced to a Saturday supplemental schedule and further curtailed to Sunday schedules by March 18. Weekend operations were suspended on March 21 but reinstated on August 23, 2020.
In the FY2022 budget proposal released in February 2021, WMATA considered eliminating routes U5 and U6 if federal funding was not secured. The proposed replacement involved rerouting services via modified routes 96 (East Capitol Street–Cardozo Line) and V2 (Capitol Heights–Minnesota Avenue Line).
Under WMATA’s Better Bus Redesign plan set for implementation on June 29, 2025, route U5 will be combined with route M6—covering travel from Minnesota Avenue station through Marshall Heights before continuing along Southern Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue to Potomac Avenue station—and rebranded as route C37. Meanwhile, the portion of route U6 serving Fort Dupont will be substituted by a rerouted U7 service renamed as C35.
Incidents
- On November 13, 2011, an individual suffered two gunshot wounds aboard a U6 bus near the intersection of 37th Street and Ridge Road and was subsequently admitted to the hospital.
- On May 3, 2016, Keith James Loving commandeered a U6 bus by using needle nose pliers, driving it into the parking area of a gas station, resulting in the death of Anthony Payne. The bus operator experienced minor back injuries, while no passengers were injured. Loving was apprehended, faced murder charges, and was ultimately sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment.