Rhode Island Avenue–New Carrollton Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Defunct | 2025-06-29 |
| Fate | Renamed and rerouted as Route P41 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Prince George's County, Maryland; Washington, D.C. |
| Parent | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
Rhode Island Avenue–New Carrollton Line (Route T14)
The Rhode Island Avenue–New Carrollton Line, designated as Route T14, was a daily transit service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It linked New Carrollton station on the Orange Line with Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station on the Red Line. During peak periods, buses ran every 20 to 25 minutes, while midday and weekend service operated at one-hour intervals. The average journey time for the route was approximately 50 minutes.
Background
Route T14 provided daily connections between New Carrollton station and Rhode Island Avenue station, serving distinct neighborhoods compared to the more direct Route T18. Alongside Route T18, it featured a limited-stop section between Mount Rainier Terminal and Rhode Island Avenue, stopping at only five locations. Local coverage along this corridor was supplemented by routes 83 and 86.
The Landover division was responsible for operating Route T14.
T14 stops
<section begin=T14-table/>
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County, Maryland | ||||
| New Carrollton station Bus Bay K |
Westbound station, Eastbound terminal |
Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12, B21, B22, B24, B27, F4, F6, F12, F13, F14, G12, G14, T18 Template:Bus icon MTA Maryland Commuter Bus Template:Bus icon TheBus: 15X, 16, 21, 21X Template:Bus icon Greyhound Template:Bus icon Peter Pan Bus Lines Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon Template:Rint MARC: Penn Line Template:Rint Amtrak: Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Vermonter Template:Rint MTA: Purple Line (Planned) | ||
| 85th Avenue / Lenox Court Apartments | Westbound | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 16 | ||
| 85th Avenue / Carrollan Gardens Condos | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 16 | ||
| 85th Avenue / Carrollan Manor Apartments | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 16 | ||
| 85th Avenue / Longfellow Street | Bidirectional | |||
| 85th Avenue / Legation Road | Westbound | |||
| Westbrook Drive / 85th Avenue | Eastbound | |||
| Westbrook Drive / Madison Street | Westbound | |||
| Westbrook Drive / Nicholson Street | Eastbound | |||
| Westbrook Drive / Oglethorpe Street | Westbound | |||
| Westbrook Drive / Oliver Street | Eastbound | |||
| Westbrook Drive / Powhatan Street | Westbound | |||
| Powhatan Street / Westbrook Drive | Eastbound | |||
| 85th Place / Powhatan Street | Bidirectional | |||
| 85th Place / Fremont Street | Bidirectional | |||
| 85th Place / Carrollton Parkway | Westbound | |||
| 85th Place / Ravenswood Road | Eastbound | |||
| Carrollton Parkway / 85th Place | Bidirectional | |||
| Carrollton Parkway / Fairbanks Street | Bidirectional | |||
| Carrollton Parkway / Quentin Street | Bidirectional | |||
| Carrollton Parkway / Lamont Drive | Westbound | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 16 | ||
| Lamont Drive / Carrollton Parkway | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 16 | ||
| Lamont Drive / Quentin Street | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 16 | ||
| Lamont Drive / Fairbanks Street | Westbound | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 16 | ||
<section end=T14-table/>
History
Route T14 began as the Bowie-Belair Line, running alongside route T12 between Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood station and Bowie State University starting March 27, 1976. When New Carrollton station opened on December 3, 1978, both routes were shortened to operate solely between New Carrollton and Bowie State University. This line was eventually discontinued in the early 1990s, with routes B24, B25, and B27 taking over service.
Routes 84 and 85 originally shared much of the same path, beginning as streetcar lines before their conversion to Metrobus service in 1973. Route 84 provided daily service, whereas route 85 operated only during peak periods. Their route extended from West Potomac Park to Eastpine Shopping Center in Riverdale Park, Maryland, traveling along Riverdale Road, Kenilworth Avenue, Edmonston Road, Annapolis Road, Bladensburg Road, and North Capitol Street into Downtown Washington D.C.
On March 27, 1976, both routes 84 and 85 were adjusted to serve the newly opened Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station, looping via Washington Place before continuing alongside routes 82, 83, & 86 toward West Potomac Park. To minimize overlap with the Red Line and other Metrobus services, these routes were truncated on September 21, 1978, to terminate at Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station; passengers transferred there for travel downtown or to West Potomac Park.
After the inauguration of New Carrollton station on November 21, 1978, routes 84 and 85 were extended beyond Eastpine Shopping Center to New Carrollton using Riverdale Road and adjacent streets. Route 84 operated daily between Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood and New Carrollton, while route 85 ran during peak hours only with boarding permitted exclusively within D.C. Notably, route 85 bypassed Eastpine Shopping Center whereas route 84 served it directly.
Route 85 was discontinued on December 30, 2007; its function was absorbed by modified trips on route 84 that adopted similar boarding restrictions. Concurrently, route 84 was rerouted to pass Eastpine Shopping Center directly via Riverdale Road without entering the shopping area.
On December 14, 2014, route 84 was rebranded as Route T14, retaining its existing course but adding a limited-stop section along Rhode Island Avenue between Mount Rainier terminal and Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood station in conjunction with route T18. This change aimed to alleviate bus bunching and enhance punctuality. Limited stops included Rhode Island Ave at 12th St NE; Montana Ave NE/14th St NE (eastbound/westbound); 18th St NE; South Dakota Ave NE/24th St NE (eastbound/westbound); and Newton St NE. Passengers requiring local stops were directed to routes 83 or 86.
Service adjustments occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic: beginning March 16, 2020, operations shifted to a Saturday supplemental schedule before further reducing to a Sunday schedule by March 18. Weekend service was suspended starting March 21. On August 23, weekday service resumed at normal levels with limited Saturday service; however, Sunday operations remained suspended.
On September 26, 2020, WMATA proposed eliminating all Sunday T14 trips due to diminished federal funding amid the pandemic. Despite this proposal, Sunday service was reinstated on March 14, 2021.
Better Bus Redesign
In 2022, WMATA initiated the Better Bus Redesign, marking its first extensive revamp of the Metrobus Network.
By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network, suggesting the shortening of Route T14 to end at Mount Rainier Terminal, which would be redesignated as Route MD252. Other routes were planned to cover service to Rhode Island Avenue station.
In the Revised Draft Visionary Network, WMATA renamed MD252 to Route P42 and adjusted its path to serve Takoma station via the existing F1 and the proposed MD342 routes. This new alignment passes through Chillum Road, La Salle Road, Eastern Avenue NE, Fort Lincoln Drive NE, Joshua Barney Drive, Colmar Manor, and Fort Lincoln. The section between Bladensburg Road and 38th Street was reassigned to Route T18, which was renamed Route P40. The portion of Route T14 running between New Carrollton station and Bladensburg Road & 38th Street remained unchanged. These adjustments were incorporated into the 2025 Proposed Network.
On November 21, 2024, WMATA officially approved the Better Bus Redesign Network.
Starting June 29, 2025, Route T14 was altered to provide service to Takoma station via Chillum Road and Fort Lincoln before continuing along its existing route between Bladensburg Road and New Carrollton. This route was renamed Route P41, partially restoring the previous Route B9 service connecting Colmar Manor and Fort Lincoln.