New Hampshire Avenue Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Route K6 |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C., Prince George's County, Maryland |
| Products | Bus service |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
New Hampshire Avenue Line (Route M60)
The New Hampshire Avenue Line, designated as Route M60, is a daily transit service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It links Fort Totten station, which provides access to the Red and Green Lines, with the White Oak Medical Center. During peak periods, buses run every 12 minutes, with each journey taking roughly 28 minutes.
Background
Route M60 runs every day between Fort Totten station and White Oak Medical Center, traveling along New Hampshire Avenue and serving the communities along this route. Initially managed by the Montgomery division, operational responsibility was shifted to the Bladensburg division in 2019.
M60 stops
<section begin=m60-table/>
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Washington, D.C. | ||||
| Fort Totten station Bus Bay A |
Northbound station, Southbound terminal |
Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 60, 64, 80, E2, E4, F6, K2, K9, R1, R2 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA iconTemplate:WMATA icon | ||
| Fort Totten station Bus Bay K |
Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 60, 64, 80, E2, E4, F6, K2, K9, R1, R2 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA iconTemplate:WMATA icon | ||
| First Place NE / Riggs Road NE | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 60, 64, E4, K2, R1, R2 | ||
| First Place NE / Ingraham Street NE | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 60, 64, E4, K2, R1, R2 | ||
| Riggs Road NE / Blair Road NE | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 60, 64, E4, K2 | ||
| Riggs Road NE / Rock Creek Church Road NE | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 60, 64, E4, K2 | ||
| Riggs Road NE / North Capitol Street | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 60, 64, E4, K2 | ||
| New Hampshire Avenue NE / Longfellow Street NE | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: K2 | ||
| New Hampshire Avenue NE / Madison Street NE | Bidirectional | |||
| New Hampshire Avenue NE / Oneida Street NE | Bidirectional | |||
| New Hampshire Avenue NE / Peabody Street NE | Bidirectional | |||
| New Hampshire Avenue NE / Quackenbos Street NE | Bidirectional | |||
| New Hampshire Avenue NE / Rittenhouse Street NE | Bidirectional | |||
| Prince George's County, Maryland | ||||
| New Hampshire Avenue / Eastern Avenue | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: F1, K9 | ||
| New Hampshire Avenue / Sheridan Street | Bidirectional | |||
| New Hampshire Avenue / Poplar Avenue | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: K9 | ||
| New Hampshire Avenue / Ray Road | Northbound | |||
| New Hampshire Avenue / Belford Place | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: K9 | ||
| New Hampshire Avenue / Maryland Route 410 | Southbound | |||
| New Hampshire Avenue / East-West Highway | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: F4, K9 Template:Bus icon Ride On: 16 | ||
<section end=m60-table/>
History
Prior to the implementation of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign, Route M60 was initially designated as Route K6, which began service in 1964 under the Capital Transit Company. This route connected White Oak Shopping Center in Maryland with Metro Center in Downtown Washington D.C., primarily traversing Columbia Pike, New Hampshire Avenue, and North Capitol Street NW. On February 4, 1973, K6 was incorporated into WMATA's Metrobus System following the merger of four struggling private bus operators.
Following the inauguration of Fort Totten station on February 19, 1978, Route K6 was truncated to operate solely between White Oak Shopping Center and Fort Totten station. The previous segment extending from Fort Totten to Metro Center was replaced by the newly introduced Route K4.
On December 29, 2013, service to the Food and Drug Administration was discontinued on K6, with route K9 extended from Northwest Park to cover that area instead.
With the opening of the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center on December 22, 2016, K6 was rerouted to serve this new transit hub alongside route K9.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, starting March 16, 2020, K6 operated on a reduced schedule, shifting from supplemental Saturday service to Sunday-level service with a frequency of every 30 minutes on weekends. Full service was restored on August 23, 2020.
Service intervals were enhanced on September 5, 2021, with buses running every 12 minutes daily between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Effective June 25, 2023, northbound trips on Route K6 were rerouted via Stuart Lane and Lockwood Drive to terminate at White Oak; consequently, service along Old Columbia Pike and inside White Oak Shopping Center was discontinued.
Better Bus Redesign
In 2022, WMATA launched its Better Bus Redesign initiative, marking the first extensive restructuring of the Metrobus Network in its history.
In April 2023, WMATA released its Draft Visionary Network plan which proposed extending Route K6 to White Oak Medical Center via Columbia Pike and adjacent roads while renaming it as Route MD243. Additionally, a new Route MD144 (previously K9) was proposed to operate between Fort Totten station and Colesville along New Hampshire Avenue by combining portions of existing routes K6, C8, and Z2. Unlike MD243, MD144 would not include service to Northwest Park.
Within the Revised Draft Visionary Network, MD144 was renamed Route M6X and reconfigured as a limited-stop express service; meanwhile, MD243 became Route M62. Both routes retained their proposed alignments and were incorporated into WMATA's 2025 Proposed Network.
In the final proposal phase, M6X was shortened from Colesville to terminate at the Food and Drug Administration headquarters and rebranded as the current New Hampshire Avenue Express (Route K9). Meanwhile, Route M62 was renamed Route M60 while maintaining its routing.
WMATA approved the Better Bus Redesign Network on November 21, 2024. Starting June 29, 2025, Route K6 will be extended to White Oak Medical Center along the proposed alignment and rebranded as Route M60 while continuing service between Fort Totten station and New Hampshire Avenue & Lockwood Drive in White Oak.
Incidents
- On December 30, 2013, a tragic accident occurred when a K6 bus driver died after her vehicle rolled away unattended and trapped her against a wall at White Oak Shopping Center. Prior to the incident, she attempted to apply the brake through an open window. She was pronounced deceased several hours later.
- On April 14, 2020, a collision involving a car striking the rear of a K6 bus resulted in serious injuries to three individuals inside the vehicle.