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New Hampshire Avenue Express

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article New Hampshire Avenue Express, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 20258 sources
New Hampshire Avenue Express (Route M6X)
Company typePublic transit service
IndustryPublic transportation
Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Area served
Washington, D.C., Maryland
ProductsBus service
ParentWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

New Hampshire Avenue Express (Route M6X)

The New Hampshire Avenue Express (Route M6X) is a limited-stop Metrobus line operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. This service links the Fort Totten station, which provides access to the Red and Green Lines, with the Food and Drug Administration complex located in White Oak, Maryland. The route functions solely during weekday rush hours, maintaining a frequency of every 16 to 20 minutes, with journey durations typically between 30 and 35 minutes.

Background

Route M6X runs in both directions during weekday peak periods between Fort Totten station and the Food and Drug Administration. It serves as a supplementary service to route M60 during these hours, offering fewer stops—14 on southbound trips and 11 on northbound.

Originally overseen by the Montgomery division, management of this route shifted to the Bladensburg division in 2019 before returning to Montgomery division on December 18, 2023.

Stops

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<section end=m6x-table/>

History

Prior to WMATA's implementation of the Better Bus Redesign, the service now known as Route M6X was initially designated as Route K9, which operated between Tamarack and Federal Triangle before being discontinued sometime during the 1970s or 1980s.

The K9 designation was reinstated on December 30, 2012, launching as a MetroExtra limited-stop route that operated during weekday peak periods between Fort Totten station and Northwest Park Apartments. This route paralleled the K6 along the New Hampshire Avenue corridor. The reintroduction of K9 was driven by requests from Prince George's County, Montgomery County, and Takoma Park to alleviate overcrowding on the K6 and provide faster transit options.

This marked the first Maryland MetroExtra route since the J4 in 2002 and demonstrated strong performance from its inception.

In WMATA's Fiscal Year 2014 budget, proposals included extending K9 service to White Oak Shopping Center and rerouting to serve the Food and Drug Administration facility. Various routing alternatives were evaluated to enhance operational efficiency.

On December 29, 2013, K9's northern terminus was extended to the FDA building. This adjustment simplified routing by maintaining service along New Hampshire Avenue and eliminated previous diversions, which were instead served by K6 and Ride On buses.

Following the opening of the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center on December 22, 2016, K9 was rerouted to utilize Bus Bay A for northbound trips and Bus Bay G for southbound trips, aligning with other Metrobus and Ride On services at the center.

In WMATA’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal, a fare increase for MetroExtra routes from $2.00 to $3.00 was suggested alongside plans to introduce midday weekday service on K9.

Service on K9 was suspended beginning March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, WMATA proposed discontinuing K9 because of reduced federal funding; the route had remained inactive since March 17, 2020. However, this elimination was reconsidered in early 2021 amid ongoing funding uncertainties. Service resumed on September 5, 2021, but was again temporarily halted on December 26, 2021. The route was restored once more on May 29, 2022.

Long Term Proposals

Future plans for the K9 route depend on securing capital and operational funding and include:[1]

  • Extending service to White Oak Transit Center to operate alongside route K6 while reducing congestion on the Z6 and Z8 routes. This extension would require an estimated $750,000 capital investment for a new bus vehicle plus about $150,000 annually for operations and maintenance.
  • Implementing dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority systems, signal timing adjustments, enhanced payment methods, real-time arrival information displays, and upgrading stops and shelters to be fully accessible along the K9 corridor.

Better Bus Redesign

In 2022, WMATA launched its inaugural comprehensive Metrobus network redesign called the Better Bus Redesign project.

By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network which proposed extending the K9 route to Colesville via New Hampshire Avenue under a new designation of Route MD144. This plan combined existing Route K9 with Routes C8 and Z2 between Manhan Road & New Hampshire Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue & Randolph Road. The service would operate alongside a proposed Route MD243 (formerly Route K6) between Fort Totten station and White Oak Medical Center via New Hampshire Avenue and adjacent corridors.[2]

In subsequent revisions to the Draft Visionary Network, Route MD144 was renamed M6X and converted into a limited-stop express service; MD243 became Route M62 while retaining their planned alignments.[3] These adjustments were incorporated into WMATA’s Proposed Network for 2025.[4]

During public feedback stages, M6X’s northern terminus was shortened from Colesville back to the Food and Drug Administration headquarters. This alignment effectively restored it as the current Route K9 with service limited to weekday peak hours. Meanwhile, Route M62 was renamed M60 without changes to its routing.[5][6]

On November 21, 2024, WMATA’s Board of Directors approved the Better Bus Redesign Network.[7]

Effective June 29, 2025, Route K9 will be renamed M6X while maintaining its existing route structure.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Success K9
  2. ↑ Draft Visionary Maryland Routes
  3. ↑ Revised Visionary Network Route Summary
  4. ↑ Revised Visionary Network Route Summary
  5. ↑ Proposed 2025 Network Maryland Routes
  6. ↑ Maryland Better Bus Routes
  7. ↑ Metro Board of Directors approves Better Bus Network Redesign
  8. ↑ Metro Board of Directors approves Better Bus Network Redesign

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