Tenleytown–Glover Park Line
| Company type | Public transit bus service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Defunct | 2011-09-23 |
| Fate | Discontinued due to low ridership |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C. |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
The Tenleytown–Glover Park Line, known as Route N8, was a bus service operating exclusively on weekdays under the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It linked Tenleytown–AU station on the Red Line with the neighborhood of Glover Park. Buses ran at intervals ranging from 20 to 40 minutes, with each journey lasting approximately half an hour. Due to insufficient ridership, this route was discontinued on September 23, 2011.
History
Initially, Route N8 connected Friendship Heights station and Glen Echo Park, taking over from route C1. This service ended in the 1990s and was succeeded by Ride On route 29, which extended coverage to Bethesda station.
The line was revived in 1999 as the Van Ness–Wesley Heights Line, providing daily transit between Van Ness–UDC station and Wesley Heights as part of the District of Columbia Small Bus Program. This initiative aimed to replace larger buses operating along Yuma Street in response to noise complaints. Route N8’s path included Veazey Street, Van Ness Street, Yuma Street, Massachusetts Avenue, New Mexico Avenue, and Nebraska Avenue. It also supplanted segments of routes H2, H3, and H4 along Yuma Street. The service primarily facilitated direct travel for Wesley Heights residents and American University students without requiring transfers. Due to modest demand, smaller Orion II and 30-foot Orion V buses from the Western division were deployed.
On December 26, 2004, the route was extended along New Mexico Avenue to reach Glover Park, enhancing access for residents around American University and Spring Valley.
In 2006, WMATA proposed ending weekend operations owing to low usage. Performance data revealed averages significantly below benchmarks—approximately 120 passengers per weekend day—with high subsidies per rider and minimal cost recovery. Consequently, weekend service ceased on September 24, 2006; weekday operations remained unaffected.
A proposal in 2010 suggested complete elimination of Route N8 because of ongoing low patronage. The plan involved rerouting the H2 line to cover areas served by N8 between Van Ness–UDC and Tenleytown–AU stations; other potential substitutes included routes D1, D2, N2, N4, and N6. Nevertheless, no alternatives were planned for Yuma Street or portions of New Mexico Avenue and Tunlaw Road.
Effective December 19, 2010, Route N8 was truncated to terminate at Tenleytown–AU station with the H2 line extended to replace service to Van Ness–UDC. The route was renamed the Tenleytown–Glover Park Line. Evening trips after 7:50 PM were also discontinued.
In 2011, WMATA again recommended full discontinuation of N8 due to persistent underperformance relative to standards. Despite opposition from local residents concerned about longer travel times, the route was officially terminated on September 25, 2011. To compensate for lost service segments, WMATA rerouted N2 between Friendship Heights and Ward Circle via Massachusetts Avenue and Western Avenue.
Plans under WMATA’s Better Bus Network redesign aim to restore service between Cathedral Heights and Glover Park by June 2025 through a combination of former routes D2 and N4/N6 running via Bethesda station, Friendship Heights station, and Dupont Circle station.