Sheriff Road–Capitol Heights Line
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Washington Marlboro & Annapolis Motor Lines Inc. (WM&A) |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Fate | Merged into Route P61 under Better Bus Redesign plan |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Prince George's County, Maryland; Washington, D.C. |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Parent | WMATA Metrobus |
Sheriff Road–Capitol Heights Line (Route F14)
The Sheriff Road–Capitol Heights Line, designated as Route F14, was a bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) from Monday through Saturday. This service linked New Carrollton station, which serves the Orange and Silver Lines, with Naylor Road station on the Green Line. During peak periods, buses ran approximately every 30 to 35 minutes, while midday and Saturday intervals extended to about 50 minutes, with total travel times around one hour.
Background
Operating six days a week from early morning until evening, Route F14 provided a direct connection between New Carrollton and Temple Hills without requiring passengers to pass through downtown Washington DC or transfer to Metrorail services. The line served several communities by linking them to multiple Metrorail stations. On Sundays, the stretch of Route F14 between Capitol Heights station and Addison Road station along East Capitol Street was substituted by the A12.
The Landover Division was responsible for managing Route F14 operations.
F14 stops
<section begin=F14-table/>
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County, Maryland | ||||
| New Carrollton Bus Bay A |
Southbound station, Northbound terminal |
Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12, B21, B22, B24, B27, F4, F6, F12, F13, G12, G14, T14, 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:WMATA icon Template:Rint MARC: Penn Line Template:Rint Amtrak: Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Vermonter Template:Rint MTA: Purple Line (Planned) | ||
| Corporate Drive / Garden City Drive | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12, F12 | ||
| Ardwick Ardmore Road / Pennsy Drive | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12, F12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 21 | ||
| Ardwick Ardmore Road / Ardwick Place | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12, F12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 21 | ||
| Ardwick Ardmore Road / Whitetire Road | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 21 | ||
| Martin Luther King Highway / Reed Street | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12 | ||
| Hayes Street / Glenarden Parkway | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12 | ||
| Glenarden Parkway / Brightseat Road | Southbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 21 | ||
| Brightseat Road / Maple Ridge Apartments | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 21, 21X, 22 | ||
| Hill Oaks Road / Nalley Road | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 23 | ||
| Village Green Drive / Sheriff Road | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 23 | ||
| Belle Haven Drive / Martin Luther King Highway | Northbound | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: A12, F12 Template:Bus icon TheBus: 18 | ||
| Sheriff Road / Giant Main Entrance | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon TheBus: 23 | ||
| Addison Road / Sheriff Road | Bidirectional | Template:Bus icon Metrobus: V14 | ||
<section end=F14-table/>
History
The F14 originally operated as the Sheriff Road Line under Washington Marlboro & Annapolis Motor Lines Inc. (WM&A) beginning in 1951. It connected the Mayfair area in Northeast Washington D.C. to Glenn Dale Hospital in Maryland, mainly traveling along Kenilworth Terrace, Sheriff Road, and Palmer Highway. WMATA took over the F14 route on February 4, 1973.
Following the launch of Deanwood and New Carrollton stations on December 3, 1978, the F14 was redirected to run between New Carrollton and Deanwood, utilizing Annapolis Road, Whitfield Chapel Road, Palmer Highway, Sheriff Road, Addison Road, and Minnesota Avenue. The section along Sheriff Road NE and Eastern Avenue NE was reassigned to route U4; the Mayfair loop service was replaced by route U2; and the segment extending to Glenn Dale Hospital was taken over by route T12.
After the opening of Addison Road and Capitol Heights stations on January 4, 1981, the F14 route shifted to operate between New Carrollton and Bradbury Heights (located at Ridge Road SE & Southern Avenue SE), discontinuing service to Deanwood. The route preserved its original course up to Addison Road & Sheriff Road before diverting along Addison Road and East Capitol Street to serve Capitol Heights station en route to Bradbury Heights. The portion between Addison Road & Sheriff Road and Deanwood was transferred to route R12.
On December 11, 1993, routes F13 and F14 exchanged their alignments. The F14 terminal at New Carrollton moved from the station's west side to the east side and was rerouted through Glenarden and Landover Mall heading toward Martin Luther King Jr. Highway & Belle Haven Drive. Meanwhile, route F13 assumed coverage of Ellin Road, Harkins Road, Annapolis Road, and Whitfield Chapel Road.
With the opening of Naylor Road station on January 13, 2001, the F14 extended its service from Bradbury Heights to Naylor Road via Southern Avenue and Branch Avenue. At this time, it adopted the name Sheriff Road–Capitol Heights Line.
In 2014, WMATA proposed rerouting the F14 along Landover Road between Brightseat Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Highway to cover a portion previously served by route A12. This adjustment intended to eliminate service between Brightseat and Landover Roads on F14, substituting it with an extended A12.
During the COVID-19 crisis beginning March 16, 2020, F14 operated on a reduced schedule equivalent to Saturday supplemental service; Saturday operations were suspended starting March 21 but were fully reinstated by August 23, 2020.
On May 29, 2022, WMATA increased the frequency of Saturday service for this route.
Better Bus Redesign
In 2022, WMATA initiated its Better Bus Redesign initiative—an extensive revamp of its Metrobus system.
By April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network plan which proposed splitting Route F14 into two separate routes: MD363 would operate similarly to current F14 service between New Carrollton and Suitland stations but include significant routing adjustments serving Palmer Park; MD257 would follow most of the existing F14 alignment between New Carrollton and FedEx Field but omit Johnson and Hayes Streets before extending to Branch Avenue station with partial overlap on Route K12.
During the Revised Draft Visionary Network phase, WMATA made substantial changes: MD257 was renamed P61—restoring coverage on Johnson and Hayes Streets—and extended to Suitland station by merging with Route V12. MD363 became P63 operating solely between Naylor Road and Addison Road stations along the former F14 corridor; meanwhile, service linking Capitol Heights and FedEx Field was reassigned to other routes.
The Proposed Network for 2025 combined P63 with a proposed P51 route running from Downtown Largo to Naylor Road stations via Central Avenue and Morgan Boulevard corridors. The routing for P61 remained unchanged.
On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved the Better Bus Redesign plan. Effective June 29, 2025, Route F14 will merge with V12 under the designation P61. The segment from New Carrollton to FedEx Field will maintain its current F14 alignment but incorporate Garrett A. Morgan Boulevard and Morgan Boulevard station before following V12’s path onward to Suitland station. The portion of F14 between Naylor Road and Addison Road will be replaced by P63 (previously Routes C21, C22, C26, C27, and C29), while service between Capitol Heights and FedEx Field will either be discontinued or covered by alternative routes.