National Harbor–Alexandria Line
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | October 23, 2016 |
| Defunct | June 29, 2025 |
| Fate | Merged with Route D12 to create Route P90 |
Area served | Alexandria, Virginia and National Harbor, Maryland |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Parent | WMATA |
The National Harbor–Alexandria Line (designated as Route NH2) was a daily bus operation managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority that linked King Street–Old Town station, serving the Blue and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro, with National Harbor, Maryland. Running every half hour, each journey took approximately 30 minutes, providing a direct transit corridor between Alexandria, Virginia, and National Harbor by crossing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge along the Capital Beltway (I-495). Notably, NH2 was the sole Metrobus route to traverse this bridge, offering a unique bus connection between Maryland and Virginia.
Background
Initiated on October 23, 2016, the NH2 service was introduced as a nine-month pilot to address significant transit demand. This route was supported through a public-private collaboration involving Peterson Companies—the developers of National Harbor—alongside the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and the Maryland Department of Transportation. By July 2017, the service was established as a permanent fixture.
The NH2 operated daily from 5:00 AM until midnight with buses dispatched every 30 minutes. All vehicles servicing this route were maintained at the Shepherd Parkway garage.
Stops
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History
National Harbor officially opened its doors on April 1, 2008, coinciding with the debut of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Since then, the area has grown to include attractions such as Tanger Outlets and the Capital Wheel. The newly constructed Woodrow Wilson Bridge was engineered with provisions for potential future Washington Metro rail extensions to National Harbor, although no such rail lines have been planned to cross it. Instead, Maryland sponsors the NH1 bus route, which commenced operations on March 23, 2008, providing a transit link between National Harbor and the Southern Avenue station on the Green Line.
In mid-2008, Gaylord National sought additional transit funding aimed at enhancing employee transportation options. By 2011, Metro was examining the possibility of extending the Green Line to reach National Harbor as part of a long-range transit strategy. A 2013 plan proposed that NH1 would connect to King Street station, supplemented by alternative service through TheBus 35, but these initiatives were never realized, and Metrobus service across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge was ultimately discontinued.
On June 8, 2016, the Metro Board introduced a proposal for a new Route NH2 to operate between Huntington station and National Harbor via the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. This initiative marked the first Metrobus route linking Maryland and Virginia since 2004. Key stops on this route included King Street–Old Town station, Oxon Hill Park & Ride, and MGM National Harbor. The NH2 was scheduled to run daily from 6:00 AM until 1:00 AM at 30-minute intervals. Its initial launch was structured as a nine-month pilot program from October 2016 through June 2017 to evaluate ridership levels and perform required equity assessments. Pending positive results, permanent adoption was planned for WMATA's FY2018 budget starting July 1, 2017.
The pilot program had an estimated cost of $2.175 million, financed through a combination of bus fare revenues, contributions from Prince George’s County, Maryland’s Department of Transportation, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and a $500,000 investment from National Harbor’s developer, the Peterson Group. Should full-year service continue permanently, expenses were projected to rise to approximately $2.9 million annually.
Introduction of the NH2
WMATA inaugurated Route NH2 on October 23, 2016, as a nine-month trial designed to address strong passenger demand. This route became the first to utilize the rebuilt Woodrow Wilson Bridge for bus service since previous routes N11 and N13 were discontinued in 2004.
Before NH2’s introduction, travelers journeying from Alexandria to National Harbor were required to transfer in Washington, D.C., using both Yellow and Green Lines before accessing NH1 service. The NH2 offered a direct connection via the bridge itself, resolving limited bus options to National Harbor which at that time consisted only of NH1 and weekday-only TheBus routes 35 and 35S. The NH2 specifically catered to passengers traveling between Alexandria, Virginia and National Harbor.
Following successful ridership figures during the pilot phase, WMATA incorporated NH2 as a permanent route in its FY2018 budget effective June 25, 2017.
Changes
On September 9, 2018, WMATA adjusted routing for both NH1 and NH2 within National Harbor by diverting buses away from congested downtown streets. Instead, they followed a more streamlined path along National Harbor Blvd and St. George Blvd which reduced multiple stops down to a single one.
In proposals for the FY2020 budget, WMATA considered truncating NH2 service to terminate at King Street–Old Town station only. This change aimed to eliminate overlap with existing services on the Yellow Line and Richmond Highway Express by discontinuing service to Huntington station. Additionally, frequency was proposed to be reduced from every 30 minutes to every 40 minutes with no trips scheduled after midnight.
During the COVID-19 pandemic response beginning March 16, 2020, NH2 adopted weekend schedules before suspending weekend operations altogether. On June 28, 2020, WMATA temporarily halted all NH2 service due to sharply decreased ridership and diminished demand at National Harbor. Service resumed on August 23, 2020 under Metro's Recovery Plan with modifications that removed stops between King Street–Old Town and Huntington stations but maintained access at Eisenhower Avenue station.
As part of budget considerations for FY2022 announced on September 26, 2020, WMATA proposed eliminating all weekend NH2 service as a cost-saving measure amid reduced federal funding levels. Nonetheless, weekend operations were fully reinstated on March 14, 2021 with schedules returning to pre-pandemic norms.
Better Bus Redesign
In 2022, WMATA launched the Better Bus Redesign initiative, marking its first extensive revamp of the Metrobus system.
By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network, which included several new routes running along the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The proposed Route MD263 was designed to connect King Street–Old Town station and Suitland station, tracing the current D12 corridor between Suitland and Oxon Hill Road & Livingston Road. From there, it would extend through Oxon Hill Park & Ride, MGM National Harbor, Eisenhower Avenue station, and King Street–Old Town, utilizing major corridors such as Monument Avenue and the Capital Beltway.
The existing NH2 service was slated for renaming as Route VA389 without any changes to its path. Additionally, Route VA488 was introduced to link National Harbor with Franconia–Springfield station, stopping at key locations including Huntington station and Van Dorn Street station.
In the Revised Draft Visionary Network, WMATA updated the plan by renaming MD263 to Route P94 and integrating it with VA389’s alignment to provide direct service to National Harbor. Meanwhile, VA488 was rebranded as F88 and extended to Springfield Park & Ride via supplementary local streets.
Moving into the 2025 Proposed Network, Route F88 was eliminated in favor of P94, which was then redesignated as Route P90 while retaining its established routing.
On November 21, 2024, WMATA formally approved the Better Bus Redesign Network, enhancing efficiency on the College Park Line.
Effective June 29, 2025, Route NH2 merged with D12 to create Route P90, operating between King Street–Old Town station and Suitland station through National Harbor and St. Barnabas Road. On weekdays, trips alternate between Suitland and Oxon Hill Park & Ride.