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Military Road–Crosstown Line

From Alfawiki
Military Road–Crosstown Line (Route E4)
Company typePublic transit bus route
IndustryPublic transportation
Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Area served
Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, Maryland
ProductsBus service
ParentWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Military Road–Crosstown Line (Route E4)

The Military Road–Crosstown Line, designated as Route E4, was a daily bus route managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority that linked Friendship Heights station on the Red Line with Fort Totten station, serving both the Red and Green Lines, or alternatively terminating at Riggs Park (Eastern Ave & Jamaica St NE). Service intervals were every 20 minutes between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM, shifting to every 30 minutes thereafter, with trips alternating between Friendship Heights and Fort Totten/Riggs Park. The complete journey took approximately 40 minutes, while shorter runs ending at Fort Totten lasted around 30 minutes.

Background

Operating daily, route E4 connected Friendship Heights station and Riggs Park, with some trips concluding at Fort Totten station. This line provided a direct bus connection between the Northwest and Northeast quadrants of Washington, D.C., eliminating the need for transfers on the Metro. Key corridors served included McKinley Street NW, Military Road NW, and Kennedy Street NW. The route was primarily dispatched from WMATA's Western division, though certain trips originated from the Bladensburg division.

Stops

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History

The Military Road–Crosstown Line originally included routes E2 through E8 operating from Friendship Heights station. Route E4 initially extended service to University City Apartments in Lewisdale, Maryland, but this segment was truncated to terminate at Riggs Park during the 1970s. By the year 1984, routes E5 and E8 had either been discontinued or shortened to end at Friendship Heights; meanwhile routes E2, E3 and E4 maintained Friendship Heights as their terminal point.

Route E6 functioned as part of the Chevy Chase Line during this period. Prior to changes in 2015, route E2 operated between Friendship Heights and Ivy City (Okie & 16th Streets NE). Route E4 provided service from Friendship Heights to Riggs Park during weekday peak hours. Route E3 covered midday and weekend service connecting Friendship Heights to Ivy City via Riggs Park. Generally speaking, route E2 ran between Friendship Heights and Fort Totten station, serving Ivy City only during peak periods and early or late hours.

On September 24, 2006 service adjustments removed midday runs on route E3; these were substituted with full-route operations on routes E2 and E4. After that date during weekdays both route E4 and full-route E2 operated regularly while route E3 was limited to weekend service. Shortened trips on route E2 between Friendship Heights and Fort Totten continued during times when route E3 was active.

In a proposal made in 2012 by WMATA to improve efficiency and balance demand-driven service levels—routes E3 and E4 were suggested for elimination while route E2 would be shortened to operate solely between Friendship Heights station and Fort Totten station. Service east of Fort Totten would be replaced by an extended route D4 and a rerouted F6. This plan aimed to reduce overall travel times and enhance schedule adherence.

Two years later in 2014 WMATA proposed dividing routes E2 and E4 into two separate lines for better reliability through shorter routes with balanced capacity. Under this plan route E4 would continue running to Riggs Park, including short trips terminating at Fort Totten from Friendship Heights; route E2 would operate exclusively between Fort Totten and Ivy City. Frequency targets were set at intervals of every 16–20 minutes during peak hours and every 36–40 minutes during off-peak times and weekends with coordinated transfers scheduled at Fort Totten.

On June 21, 2015 these changes were implemented: routes E2 and E4 officially separated. Route E4 retained the name Military Road–Crosstown Line while adding weekend service that fully replaced route E3. Meanwhile route E2 was renamed the Ivy City–Fort Totten Line operating only between Fort Totten and Ivy City. A small portion of former route E3 along Sargent Road and Eastern Avenue was not replaced by any direct service but remains accessible within walking distance from stops served by routes E2 and E4.

Post-split frequencies for route E4 were established at every eight to ten minutes during morning and evening rush hours with off-peak and weekend intervals ranging from eighteen to twenty minutes.

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, starting March 16, 2020 service levels were reduced first to a Saturday supplemental schedule on weekdays before shifting to Sunday schedules by March 18. Weekend operations were suspended on March 21 but reinstated on August 23 of the same year.

On September 5, 2021 service frequency improved to run every twenty minutes daily between Friendship Heights and Fort Totten stations.

As part of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign effective June 29, 2025 Route E4 will be divided into two distinct lines. The section running from Fort Totten station to Military Road NW & 30th Place NW will become the C81 line. This new route will merge with former M4 service along Military Road NW then continue via Nebraska Avenue NW toward Sibley Hospital—bypassing stops at Tenleytown–AU station. Meanwhile service to Riggs Park will be transferred to the newly named C71 line (previously designated as route E2).

The segment connecting Friendship Heights station with Military Road NW via McKinley Street NW will be rebranded as C83. It will be rerouted to serve Barnaby Woods through Nevada Avenue NW and Nebraska Avenue NW before looping around Utah Avenue NW followed by Western Avenue and Oregon Avenue NW then returning via Nevada Avenue—partially restoring portions of former route E6 coverage.

Incidents

  • On January 30, 2015, a 14-year-old youth used a stun gun to assault the driver of an E4 bus, targeting the right arm. The teenager was taken into custody on April 21, 2015, facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon.

External links

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