Washington Boulevard Line
| Company type | Public transit authority |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington metropolitan area |
| Products | Bus service, Metrorail |
| Website | wmata |
Washington Boulevard Line (Route F50)
The Washington Boulevard Line (Route F50) is a daily transit route managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority that links either George Mason University or Vienna station on the Orange Line with Ballston–MU station on both the Orange and Silver Line.
This line serves prominent communities such as George Mason, Vienna, Merrifield, Falls Church, and Ballston. It covers areas within the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, Falls Church, and Arlington County. Typical weekday journeys last between 30 and 45 minutes, while weekend trips generally take around 45 minutes.
Route and service
Operating every day from the Cinder Bed Division, the F50 connects Vienna and Ballston stations following a path along Route 29 and Washington Boulevard. Weekday departures begin at George Mason University. The route passes through Fairfax County neighborhoods including Vienna, Merrifield, and West Falls Church, as well as Arlington County sectors such as East Falls Church, Westover, and Bluemont. It provides transit access to major shopping centers, commercial districts, and office locations throughout the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County, Falls Church, and Arlington County.
History
The Washington Boulevard Line originated in 1925 under the Alexandria & Suburban Motor Vehicle Company. In 1927, its eastern portion was acquired by the Washington Virginia & Maryland Coach Company (WV&M). The western segment was launched in 1937 by the Arlington & Fairfax Motor Transportation Company under the name Lee Highway Line and later merged with WV&M in 1947 to establish a consolidated Washington Boulevard Line. WMATA assumed control of operations in 1973.
Initially composed of routes 2A, 2C, 2M, and 2W, the line experienced multiple modifications during the 1980s: route 2A operated between Ballston and Tysons Corner Shopping Center before being replaced north of Dunn Loring station by route 2C; route 2G was introduced; route 2M was discontinued; and route 2W was reassigned to the Vienna–Oakton Line.
By the early 2000s, service patterns included route 2A covering Ballston–Dunn Loring during early morning and late evening hours; routes 2B and 2G extending service to Fair Oaks in Fairfax County with varying schedules; and route 2C providing daily service to Tysons Corner Center. On December 29, 2013, a restructuring occurred: route 2A transitioned into the Washington Blvd.–Dunn Loring Line operating daily; route 2B was shortened to run between Dunn Loring and Fair Oaks Mall; route 2C was discontinued and replaced by route 2T serving Tysons Corner–Dunn Loring; and route 2G was eliminated.
In June 2008, route 2G stopped servicing Gateway Center but maintained its path through Flint Hill Office Park to Fair Oaks Mall. A proposal in 2013 aimed at minimizing overlap and bus bunching suggested converting certain trips from route 2G into route 2B service while creating a new Fair Oaks–Jermantown Road Line from portions of route 2B.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic starting March 2020, route 2A saw progressive reductions from supplemental Saturday service down to Sunday schedules, with weekend operations temporarily halted. Weekend service resumed by August of that year. In September 2020, WMATA proposed further cuts to weekday frequency on route 2A due to financial limitations caused by reduced federal funding.
Under WMATA's Better Bus Redesign plan effective June 29, 2025, route 2A will partially merge with route 2B. The integrated service will operate between Ballston and Dunn Loring stations following the current alignment before continuing along Merrilee Drive and Route 29 to Vienna station, then onward to George Mason University on weekdays. This updated line will be designated as F50.