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New Carrollton–Fort Totten Line

From Alfawiki
New Carrollton–Fort Totten Line (Route F6)
Company typePublic transit service
IndustryPublic transportation
FateService suspended in 2020
Headquarters
Landover
,
United States
Area served
Washington Metropolitan Area (Prince George's County, Maryland and Northeast Washington, D.C.)
ProductsBus service
ParentWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

New Carrollton–Fort Totten Line (Route F6)

The New Carrollton–Fort Totten Line, known as Route F6, was a bus service provided by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) that operated exclusively on weekdays. This route linked the New Carrollton station, served by the Orange and Silver Lines, with the Fort Totten station on the Red and Green Lines. Service frequency was every 30 minutes during rush hours and hourly during off-peak periods, with each journey lasting about an hour. The F6 route offered a direct weekday transit connection between Fort Totten and New Carrollton stations without traveling through Downtown Washington, D.C.

Background

Operating on weekdays, Route F6 ran between New Carrollton station and Fort Totten station, primarily following corridors such as Sargent Road, Good Luck Road, Finns Lane, Campus Drive, Ager Road, and University Boulevard. It served various communities including New Carrollton, Riverdale, College Park, University Park, Hyattsville, Green Meadows, Chillum, Queens Chapel, and North Michigan Park. The route facilitated access to Metrorail stations as well as destinations in Northeast Washington, D.C.

The F6 line was managed from the Landover bus garage.

Route F6 stops

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History

Route F6 traces its origins to the former Capital Transit Company's Sargent Road Line, which connected 12th & Quincy Street NE in Brookland, D.C., to Green Meadows, Maryland. Some trips on this line were shortened to terminate at North Michigan Park, D.C. In the 1950s, it became part of DC Transit but was discontinued in the late 1960s, with Metrobus Routes F5 and F7 taking over its service area.

Similarly, Route F4 started as a segment of the Capital Transit Company's Michigan Avenue Line, running between Eastern Avenue NE & Michigan Avenue NE (Avondale) and 9th Street NW & Constitution Avenue NW (Archives). This route transitioned into DC Transit in the 1950s and was later absorbed into WMATA's Metrobus network on February 4, 1973.

The Prince George's–Silver Spring Line was introduced on February 19, 1978, shortly after the opening of Silver Spring station. It replaced the Silver Spring to Beltway Plaza portion of the J2 and J4 routes, which were subsequently shortened to end at Silver Spring station.

Before February 19, 1978, Routes J2 and J4 operated the East-West Highway Line: J2 ran between Montgomery Mall and Beltway Plaza, while J4 connected Chevy Chase Circle and Beltway Plaza. After that date, both routes were truncated to operate solely between Friendship Heights (J4)/Montgomery Mall (J2) and Silver Spring station. The East-West Highway Line was divided into two distinct lines: J2, J3, and J4 formed the Bethesda–Silver Spring Line, serving Friendship Heights/Montgomery Mall to Silver Spring; meanwhile, the segment from Silver Spring to Prince George's Plaza became the Prince George's-Silver Spring Line, serviced by newly designated Routes F4 and F6.

Routes F4 and F6 covered travel between Silver Spring and New Carrollton (F4) or Greenbelt (F6). They shared a common path from Silver Spring to East-West Highway & Ager Road in Green Meadows before diverging. The F4 followed the former J2 alignment along East-West Highway to New Carrollton Mall via Belcrest Road and Riverdale Road. In contrast, F6 traced the old J4 route through Ager Road, Hamilton Street, Queens Chapel Road, near the University of Maryland campus, Greenbelt Road, and Beltway Plaza before reaching Greenbelt Center. During peak hours, F6 extended service to Goddard Space Flight Center.

On December 11, 1993, Route F6 was rerouted between New Carrollton and Prince George's Plaza station via Ellin Road, Kenilworth Avenue, College Park–University of Maryland station, Prince George's Plaza, Belcrest Road, Queens Chapel Road, Ager Road, and East-West Highway. Meanwhile, service to Beltway Plaza and Greenbelt Center was reassigned to an extended route C2.

By the 1990s, F6 had ceased serving Silver Spring station and instead terminated at Prince George's Plaza. Around 1996, following completion of Paint Branch Parkway, F6 was rerouted between Prince George's Plaza and College Park station through Belcrest Road, Adelphi Road, Campus Drive, Paint Branch Parkway, and River Road; this change eliminated its previous segment along Kenilworth Avenue.

On September 12, 1999, Route F6 was extended once again to Silver Spring station via West Hyattsville station along Queens Chapel Road and Hamilton Street.

The demolition of Metrobus bays at Prince George's Plaza on May 15, 2003—due to construction of a new Target store—resulted in the termination of F4 and F6 service inside the plaza.

Starting September 28, 2008, due to construction of the Silver Spring Transit Center, stops for Routes F4 and F6 were temporarily relocated until the transit center opened in September 2015.

Between 2010 and 2012 WMATA proposed separating Routes F4 and F6 to reduce overlapping service. Under this plan, Route F4 would remain unchanged while Route F6 would be rerouted to serve Fort Totten station via Riggs Road and Sargent Road instead of continuing to Silver Spring.

These adjustments took effect on June 17, 2012: Route F6 began operating between New Carrollton and Fort Totten stations replacing R3 service along Riggs Road. Meanwhile, Route F4 increased frequency between Silver Spring and Riggs Road to accommodate riders. The line was renamed the New Carrollton–Fort Totten Line.

From September 1, 2019 for approximately nine months during Purple Line construction at College Park station, Route F6 stops were temporarily relocated onto River Road without detours.

Service on Route F6 was suspended starting March 16, 2020 as part of WMATA’s response to COVID-19 but was fully restored by August 23 of the same year.

On September 26, 2020 WMATA proposed reducing Route F6 frequency to hourly intervals due to limited federal funding; elimination of the route was also considered if funding did not improve. Full service resumed on September 5, 2021.

Better Bus Redesign

In 2022, WMATA embarked on its inaugural comprehensive overhaul of the Metrobus network, known as the Better Bus Redesign.

By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network, which included plans to divide Route F6 into two separate routes: the section running between New Carrollton station and College Park–University of Maryland station was designated Route MD254, while the portion from College Park to Fort Totten station was renamed MD245. This latter route experienced slight adjustments, notably excluding Queens Chapel Road, Ager Road, and West Hyattsville station from its path.

Subsequently, WMATA’s Revised Draft Visionary Network rebranded MD245 as Route P32, incorporating changes to serve West Hyattsville station and to cover part of Route E4’s corridor between Fort Totten and Riggs Park. Concurrently, MD254 was partially combined with MD247 to create Route P31, which runs from New Carrollton to the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center via College Park.

A new service, Route P35, was introduced in the proposal to link New Carrollton and Fort Totten stations by merging segments of the existing F6 and F4 routes. This route would pass through significant stops such as Hyattsville Crossing station. Although initially intended to operate daily, weekend service was later excluded.

These concepts were integrated into WMATA’s 2025 Proposed Network. Adjustments included extending Route P32 to reach Greenbelt station, replacing the proposed P1X service and shifting coverage for Riggs Park to Route C71.

On November 21, 2024, WMATA gave final approval to the Better Bus Redesign Network, streamlining service along the College Park Line. Effective June 29, 2025, Routes P31, P32, and P35 will replace Route F6.

Route P31 will provide daily service following the former F6 corridor from New Carrollton to Riverdale Road & Auburn Avenue. It will then continue along Kenilworth Avenue and River Road to the University of Maryland before terminating at Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center, effectively substituting the C2 and F8 routes.

Route P32 will operate daily between Greenbelt station and Fort Totten station, consolidating segments of former C2, F8, TheBus routes 13 and 19, the Chillum Road Line (F1), and parts of F6. This integration aims to enhance service efficiency across multiple corridors.

Route P35 will offer weekday connections between New Carrollton and Fort Totten stations by combining portions of previous F6 and F4 routes through Riverdale Park and Hyattsville Crossing station, preserving essential commuter links.

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