Rhode Island Avenue Limited Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Defunct | 2021 |
| Fate | Discontinued |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C., Mount Rainier, Maryland |
| Products | Limited-stop MetroExtra bus service |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
The Rhode Island Avenue Limited Line, identified as Route G9, was a peak-hour limited-stop MetroExtra bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It connected the Mount Rainier Terminal and Franklin Square with trips every 15 minutes during rush periods, taking approximately 45 minutes per journey. This route provided a direct weekday link between Mount Rainier and Downtown DC, removing the need for rail transfers.
Background
Operating during weekday peak hours, Route G9 ran between Mount Rainier Terminal and Franklin Square via Rhode Island Avenue, delivering a seamless one-seat ride without requiring passengers to change vehicles. The route included 15 stops westbound and 13 stops eastbound, serving both directions during busy periods.
The Bladensburg division was responsible for managing Route G9.
Stops
<section begin=dcG9-table/>
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | ||
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / Eastern Avenue | Eastbound terminal, Westbound station |
Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, B2 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / Eastern Avenue | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, B2 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / Newton Street NE | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, T14, T18 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / South Dakota Avenue NE | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, T14, T18 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / 24th Street NE | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, T14, T18 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / 18th Street NE | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, E2, T14, T18 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / Montana Avenue NE | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, B8, B9, S41, T14, T18 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / Brentwood Road NE | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, B8, B9, T14, T18 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / 8th Place NE (Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station) |
Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 83, 86, B8, B9, D8, H8, P6, S41, T14, T18 Template:Bike icon Metropolitan Branch Trail Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon |
| Rhode Island Avenue NE / 3rd Street NE | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: G8 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NW / North Capitol Street | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 80, G8 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NW / 3rd Street NW | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 90, 92, G2, G8 |
| Rhode Island Avenue NW / 7th Street NW (Shaw–Howard University station) | Eastbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 70, 79, G8 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon |
| Rhode Island Avenue NW / 8th Street NW (Shaw–Howard University station) | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 70, 79, G8 Template:Rint Washington Metro: Template:WMATA icon |
| Rhode Island Avenue NW / 11th Street NW | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 63, 64, G2; G8 (Eastbound only) |
| 13th Street / N Street NW | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 63 |
| 13th Street NW / K Street NW | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: 16E, 80, D1, D4, D6, S2, S9, X2 Template:Bus icon DC Circulator: Georgetown–Union Station Woodley Park–Adams Morgan–McPherson Square Metro |
| 13th Street NW / I Street NW | Westbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: D6 |
<section end=dcG9-table/>
History
Initially, Route G9 functioned as a component of the Queens Chapel Road Line alongside route G7, connecting the Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, Maryland with Downtown DC via Queens Chapel Road. In 1978, both G7 and G9 were phased out and substituted by routes R2, R4, R6, and R7. These new routes currently serve corridors between Brookland–CUA station and Calverton (R2), Hyattsville (R4), Lewisdale (R6), and Highview Apartment Complex (R7).
Proposal
In 2014, WMATA introduced plans for a new MetroExtra service designated as route G9 along the Rhode Island Avenue corridor to enhance route G8. This initiative aimed to restore a direct link from Mount Rainier, Maryland to Downtown DC for the first time since the late 1970s. The proposed service would enable riders to travel straight to McPherson Square station without having to transfer at Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station, thereby increasing service frequency and providing more direct downtown access for residents of Ward 5 and Mount Rainier.
The envisioned G9 route would trace portions of the former 82, E2, and F2 Streetcar Line paths along Rhode Island Avenue, Logan Circle, 13th Street, I Street, 14th Street, and Thomas Circle. However, initial plans lacked the necessary funding to initiate operations.
This proposal arose in response to growing passenger demand on route G8—the only bus connecting Rhode Island Avenue with Downtown—although G8 primarily serves Avondale rather than Mount Rainier. Meanwhile, route 80 covers Bloomingdale but is frequently subject to delays.
By 2016, WMATA revisited the G9 proposal during FY 2017 budget deliberations with the DC Council's Committee on Finance and Revenue. It was anticipated that funding would come from DC’s budget since non-regional routes are financed by their respective jurisdictions.
Community feedback was overwhelmingly favorable, with strong advocacy from local residents supporting the route’s establishment.
At that time, routes 81, 82, 83, 86, G8, T14, and T18 mainly operated along Rhode Island Avenue. Except for G8—which did not serve Rhode Island Avenue station—all terminated there.
Approved Budget
In May 2016, the DC Council authorized funding for route G9, paving the way for service commencement as early as 2017.
Route Implementation
Following three years of analysis, funding negotiations, and customer consultations, WMATA announced in January 2017 that the G9 MetroExtra route would begin operations in March 2017 as initially declared by Kenyan McDuffie. The service operates under a reimbursement framework whereby WMATA manages operations while DC assumes financial responsibility.
G9 acts as a supplement to routes 80 and G8 during weekday peak periods, running every 15 minutes from 6 am to 9 am and again from 3 pm to 7 pm. It connects Mount Rainier, Maryland at Eastern and Rhode Island Avenue with Downtown DC, primarily following Rhode Island Avenue, Logan Circle, 13th Street, I Street, 14th Street, and Thomas Circle. The line includes a limited-stop section between Mount Rainier and Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station, overlapping with routes T14 and T18.
Service officially launched on March 20, 2017, coinciding with system-wide bus schedule updates. At the same time, PM peak short trips of route 83 between Mount Rainier Terminal and Rhode Island Avenue station were discontinued and replaced by the new G9 service.
Controversy
Upon the introduction of route G9, residents of Mount Rainier appreciated the new service; however, WMATA situated its endpoint three blocks away from the official Mount Rainier bus terminal. Rather than stopping at the terminal itself, G9 buses turned around at the nearby roundabout without allowing passengers to board or alight, compelling riders to walk to the terminal to make transfers. This setup deprived G9 users of access to the terminal’s sheltered waiting areas and seating, leaving only a basic curbside sign adjacent to a used car dealership.
WMATA and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) explained that space constraints at the Mount Rainier terminal—currently serving routes 83, 86, B2, F1, F2, T14, T18, along with TheBus routes 12 and 17—limited additional bus stops. DDOT’s Steve Strauss highlighted that layover requirements for B2 and T14 buses, combined with through traffic for F1 and F2, occupied most available space. He mentioned ongoing discussions planned with WMATA and Maryland officials regarding the G9’s terminus location. To extend G9 service into the terminal would necessitate using Perry Street and Terminal Roadway for westbound turns; otherwise, remaining on Rhode Island Avenue would require lengthy U-turns resulting in delays unless the route continued past Mount Rainier.
The absence of boarding opportunities at Mount Rainier for G9 passengers risks diminishing ridership levels, potentially affecting both District residents who help fund WMATA and local businesses that could benefit from increased cross-border patronage. Strauss conveyed willingness to consider extending G9 into the terminal if WMATA’s planning process does not resolve this issue. Malcolm Augustine, Prince George’s County’s alternate on the WMATA board, confirmed that “the G9… will be part of the FY19 State of Good Operations program,” presenting a chance to negotiate a stop at the Mount Rainier bus terminal.
Proposed Extensions
Multiple extension proposals have been considered to improve route G9’s service reach and market appeal. In WMATA’s Fiscal Year 2018, Steve Strauss advocated extending G9 to Fort Lincoln, intending to replace the underutilized B8 and B9 routes while increasing frequency to every 18–20 minutes; however, this proposal was not approved by WMATA’s board. Other ideas included expanding G9 into downtown College Park, Maryland, connecting both College Park–University of Maryland station and University of Maryland, thereby supplementing routes 83 and 86 along Baltimore Avenue. Additional suggestions targeted extending service toward the emerging Hyattsville Arts District as well as the new Riverdale Park Station in Riverdale Park, Maryland. These proposed expansions aimed to establish route G9 as a regional transit link designed to attract commuters from heavily congested sections of Route 1. There were also recommendations to transform G9 into a daily operation running throughout the week rather than limiting service to rush hours.
Temporary Daily Service
In July 2018, route G9 temporarily operated daily service in response to a significant capital improvement project that closed the Red Line segment between Fort Totten station and NoMa–Gallaudet U station. During this period, buses ran every 15 minutes during peak times and every 20 minutes during off-peak hours, operating from 6:00 a.m. until midnight each day. This enhanced schedule was in effect from July 21 through September 3, 2018. Following the reopening of the Red Line segment, G9 reverted back to its regular peak-hour-only schedule.
Discontinuation
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, WMATA halted all G9 operations beginning March 16, 2020. Due to ongoing low passenger numbers and a decrease in federal funding, WMATA put forward a plan on September 26, 2020, to discontinue the G9 route permanently. The service had been inactive since March 13, 2020. Ultimately, by September 5, 2021, route G9 was officially removed from WMATA’s active service roster and ceased to exist indefinitely.