Oxon Hill–Suitland Line

Oxon Hill–Suitland Line
Company type	Public transit bus service
Industry	Public transportation
Predecessor	Washington Marlboro & Annapolis Motor Lines Inc. (WM&A)
Founded	1945 (Route D14), 1948 (Route D12)
Area served	Prince George's County, Maryland
Products	Bus routes D12 and D14
Parent	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
Website	www.wmata.com

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Oxon Hill–Suitland Line, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

The Oxon Hill–Suitland Line, consisting of Routes D12 and D14, was managed daily by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and linked the Green Line stations at Southern Avenue station and Suitland station. The D12 operated at 20-minute intervals from 7 AM until 9 PM, then shifted to an hourly schedule. Meanwhile, the D14 ran every 24 to 30 minutes during peak periods and hourly during off-peak times. Typical travel times were around 60 minutes for the D12 and ranged between 70 and 80 minutes for the D14.

Background

Routes D12 and D14 provided service between Southern Avenue station and Suitland station, with the D12 primarily serving passengers along Saint Barnabas Road. In contrast, the D14 traveled via Brinkley Road, Allentown Road, and Indian Head Highway. Both routes operated daily; however, the D14 closely paralleled most of the D12’s route but omitted stops on Audrey Lane, Deal Drive, Marcy Avenue, and Livingston Terrace.

Operations for both lines were consolidated at the Andrews Federal Center garage full-time, having previously divided service between Southern Avenue garage on weekdays and Shepherd Parkway on weekends.

D12 Stops

Bus stop	Direction	Connections
Prince George's County, Maryland
Southern Avenue station Bus Bay P	Eastbound station, Westbound terminal	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 32, A2, A32, D14, NH1, P12, P18, W1, W2, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon
Southern Avenue / #1380	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D14, NH1, P12, W2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / United Medical Center	Eastbound	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D14, NH1, P12, W2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Forest Hills Apartments	Westbound	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D14, NH1, P12, W2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / 13th Street SE	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D14, NH1, P12, P18, W2, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Wheeler Road	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, A6, A7, D14, NH1, P12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / 9th Street SE	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, D14, NH1, P12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Chesapeake Street SE	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, D14, NH1,P12,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:33 ,35 ,37
Southern Avenue / Robert L. Yeldell Towers	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,D14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:33 ,35 ,37
Southern Avenue / Owens Road	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,D14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:33 ,35 ,37
Southern Avenue / Barnaby Street SE	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,D14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37
Southern Avenue / 6th Street SE	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,A8,D14,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37
Southern Avenue / South Capitol Street	Westbound	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,A8,D14,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37
Indian Head Highway / Southern Avenue	Bidirectional	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,A8,D14,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37

D14 Stops

Stop Name	Travel Direction	Transit Connections
Prince George's County, Maryland
Southern Avenue station Bus Bay Q	Terminal westbound, Station eastbound	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 32, A2, A32, D12, NH1, P12, P18, W1, W2, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon
Southern Avenue / #1380	Both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D12, NH1, P12, W2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / United Medical Center	Eastbound only	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D12, NH1, P12, W2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Forest Hills Apartments	Westbound only	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D12, NH1, P12, W2 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / 13th Street SE	Serves both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, D12, NH1, P12, P18, W2, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Wheeler Road	Available both ways	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A2, A6, A7, D12, NH1, P12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / 9th Street SE	Accessible in both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, D12, NH1, P12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Chesapeake Street SE	Stops both ways	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, D12, NH1, P12, P18, W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Robert L. Yeldell Towers	Bidirectional service	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, D12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Owens Road	Both directions served	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7, D12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 33, 35, 37
Southern Avenue / Barnaby Street SE	Available for both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6, A7,D12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 35, 37
Southern Avenue / 6th Street SE	Stops in both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,A8,D12,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37
Southern Avenue / South Capitol Street	Westbound only stop	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,A8,D12,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37
Indian Head Highway / Southern Avenue	Serves both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A6,A7,A8,D12,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37
Indian Head Highway / Audrey Lane	Stops both ways	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: P12,P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,37
Indian Head Highway / Talbert Drive	Eastbound stop only	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:37
Indian Head Highway / Livingston Road	Westbound service only	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:37
Indian Head Highway / Seneca Drive	Eastbound boarding point	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:37
Indian Head Highway / Tecumseh Drive	Eastbound direction stop	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:37
Indian Head Highway / I-95, I-495	Westbound direction only	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: P18,W14 Template:Bus icon TheBus:37
Oxon Hill Park & Ride Lot Bus Bay C	Serves both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: NH1,NH2,P18 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,35S
Oxon Hill Road / Harborview Avenue	Stops available in both directions	Template:Bus icon Metrobus: NH1,NH2,P18 Template:Bus icon TheBus:35 ,35S

History

Routes D12 and D14 trace their origins back to Washington Marlboro & Annapolis Motor Lines Inc. (WM&A), which began service between Eastover Shopping Center and Downtown Washington DC, with Route D14 starting in 1945 and Route D12 in 1948. Initially designated as Route D (D12) and Route M (D14), the company adopted letter-based route identifiers in 1953. WMATA took over these routes in 1973.

Subsequently, Route D14 was discontinued and replaced by route S12 alongside the existing D12. While S12 operated between Southview apartments and Federal Center station, D12 connected Marlow Heights with Federal Center. Both routes were components of the Eastover–Marlow Heights Line.

On November 21, 1978, both D12 and S12 were shortened to run solely between Eastover Shopping Center and Federal Center station; the segment from Southview to Eastover previously served by S12 was taken over by route P12.

Starting January 3, 2000, boarding restrictions were implemented on route D12 during peak hours to enhance passenger flow between Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Following the Green Line extension launch on January 13, 2001, route D12 was adjusted to run between Suitland and Southern Avenue stations, extending service through Marlow Heights Shopping Center. Routes W11 and W12 were rebranded as D13 and D14 respectively, operating alongside D12 along major corridors such as Suitland Road and Indian Head Highway. These routes also served Andrews Air Force Base and adjacent communities. The S12 route was eliminated, with its service area absorbed by D12 and P12.

In WMATA’s fiscal year 2011 budget, a proposal aimed to reroute D13 and D14 to Oxon Hill Park & Ride to facilitate better connections with NH1 serving National Harbor, thereby improving regional transit accessibility.

From October 15, 2019, eastbound trips on routes D13 and D14 were detoured due to construction related to the Maryland Route 210 Interchange Project near Livingston Road; westbound services remained unaffected.

During the COVID-19 pandemic beginning March 16, 2020, route D13 was suspended entirely; meanwhile, routes D12 and D14 operated on reduced schedules with further reductions implemented later in March. Full service was restored on August 23, 2020.

In February 2021, WMATA proposed eliminating routes D13 and D14 while extending route D12 to National Harbor as a replacement for NH1 service pending federal funding approval; however, these changes were postponed in March 2021.

On June 15, 2021, eastbound routing for D13 and D14 returned to normal following completion of the Maryland Route 210 project.

Effective September 5, 2021, all service formerly designated as route D13 was consolidated into route D14 with the removal of certain segments in Glassmanor; simultaneously, frequency was increased on routes D12 and P12 along with additional stops at Oxon Hill Park & Ride.

Beginning December 17, 2023, route D12 underwent rerouting along Deal Drive and Audrey Lane within Glassmanor while discontinuing service on Glassmanor Drive and Irvington Street.

Better Bus Redesign

In 2022, WMATA launched its inaugural comprehensive overhaul of the Metrobus Network known as the Better Bus Redesign initiative.

By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network plan proposing major consolidations and extensions of bus routes. Among these changes, Route D12 was merged with the NH2 line to create Route MD263, which would operate from Suitland station to King Street–Old Town station via key locations including Oxon Hill Park & Ride and MGM National Harbor. The portion of former route D12 running between Southern Avenue station and Birchwood City was combined with Route P12 to form Route MD265 extending service towards National Harbor.

Route D14 was reconfigured into Route MD264, partially integrating H12 service to connect Marlow Heights Shopping Center with Oxon Hill Park & Ride through an altered alignment. The section of route D14 between Suitland station and Hunters Mill Shopping Center was retained as Route MD367. Segments of both former routes near Southern Avenue station were reassigned to proposed Routes MD376 (W14) and MD377 (P18).

In the Revised Draft Visionary Network plan, WMATA renamed and adjusted these proposals: MD263 became P94 offering direct National Harbor connections; MD264 was revised as P96 featuring a more streamlined routing that eliminated certain loops; MD367 was redesignated P87 with modified access to Oxon Hill Park & Ride. Additionally, proposed MD265 merged with MD148 into Route P93 linking Suitland station, Eastover Shopping Center, and National Harbor.

These concepts were incorporated into WMATA’s Proposed Network for 2025 which further refined services: P94 was renamed P90 maintaining core routing plus additional peak trips; P93 discontinued National Harbor service but included the Birchwood City loop; a new P94 assumed the previous P93 alignment serving National Harbor. Routes P87 and P96 remained largely unchanged from earlier revisions.

On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved the finalized Better Bus Redesign Network modifications scheduled for implementation on June 29, 2025. The College Park Line underwent simplification:

Route D12 was replaced by P90 combining previous D12 and NH2 services from Suitland station through Oxon Hill Park & Ride to King Street–Old Town station.
Service to Birchwood City transitioned to Route P93 (a combination of former D12/P12).
Service at Marlow Heights Shopping Center was discontinued.
Route D14 was divided into two separate lines: P96 (partially merged with H12) serving Oxon Hill Park & Ride to Haras Place Loop via a revised path; and P87 operating between Suitland station and Oxon Hill Park & Ride along Brinkley Road excluding Temple Hills Road.
Service connecting Southern Avenue station on both former routes ceased operations.

These adjustments align with WMATA’s strategic goals of streamlining transit operations while enhancing connectivity to major commercial centers such as National Harbor and optimizing resource deployment across Maryland’s bus network.

References