Wilson Boulevard Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Washington Virginia & Maryland Coach Company |
| Defunct | June 29, 2025 |
| Fate | Replaced by WMATA routes F60, F61, and F62 |
Area served | Fairfax County and Arlington County, Virginia |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
| Parent | WMATA |
Wilson Boulevard–Vienna Line
The Wilson Boulevard–Vienna Line, designated as Route 1A and Route 1B, was a daily transit service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. It linked Vienna station (served by 1A) or Dunn Loring station (served by 1B) on the Orange Line with Ballston–MU station, which serves both the Orange and Silver lines.
This corridor provided transit access to prominent communities within Fairfax and Arlington counties, including the areas of Vienna, Merrifield, and Ballston. It enabled convenient travel to important commercial centers, shopping districts, and employment hubs throughout these localities.
Route Description and Service
Both routes 1A and 1B were dispatched daily from the Four Mile Run garage. Route 1A operated every day between Vienna and Ballston stations, traveling along Arlington Boulevard and Wilson Boulevard. It served several Fairfax County neighborhoods such as Vienna, Woodburn, West Falls Church, Seven Corners, as well as Arlington County communities including Boulevard Manor and Bluemont. Route 1B functioned during weekday peak periods between Dunn Loring and Ballston stations. It followed Arlington Boulevard via Fairview Park Drive but bypassed the Seven Corners Transit Center.
History
The origins of the Wilson Boulevard–Vienna Line trace back to 1920 when it was established by the Washington Virginia & Maryland Coach Company, making it among Virginia’s longest-standing transit routes alongside the Columbia Pike Line. WMATA assumed control in 1973 after acquiring services previously run by AB&W and WV&M. Since its inception under WMATA management, this line has consistently connected residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, notable landmarks, and business centers across Fairfax and Arlington counties. Over time, it has operated under various route names.
Wilson Boulevard Line
Initially called the Wilson Boulevard Line, it encompassed multiple routes including 1A, 1B, 1E, 1F, 1M, 1V, 1W, and 1X. In 1983, this line was divided into two branches: Wilson Boulevard–Annandale Lines (including routes like 1A and 1B) and Wilson Boulevard–Fairfax Lines (including routes such as 1F and 1X). Throughout the late 1980s into the early 1990s, several routes (notably 1A, 1M, 1V, 1W, and 1X) were phased out. This consolidation resulted in primary service being maintained by routes 1A, 1B, and 1E within the Fairfax segment.
By the early ’90s, service patterns were organized with peak-hour routes (such as 1D, 1E, and 1Z), a weekday-only route (1B), a daily route (1C), and a night/early morning/Sunday route (1F). Key transit nodes like Dunn Loring and Ballston stations were focal points for these lines with differing neighborhood stops. The express-focused route 1Z offered nonstop trips between Bluemont and Ballston during peak times.
On June 24, 2007, a restructuring led to the elimination of route 1D to alleviate bus congestion. The Wilson Boulevard–Fairfax Line was further segmented: route 1C became part of the newly created Dunn Loring–Fair Oaks Line, while routes including 1B, 1C, 1E, 1F, and 1Z remained within the Wilson Boulevard Line. Route 1A was reinstated to serve the eastern section previously covered by route 1C. Schedule modifications included shifting route 1B to operate only during weekday peak periods; route 1F continued night and Sunday service until its discontinuation in December 2013. At this point in time, the line adopted the name Wilson Boulevard–Vienna Line. Routes 1E and 1Z persisted until their eventual termination in 2016.
In WMATA’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget plan, efforts to improve operational efficiency called for merging low-ridership route 1E into route 1F to reduce bus bunching along Wilson Boulevard. Additionally, routing changes were implemented to incorporate stops at the newly opened Seven Corners Transit Center in January 2012.
The FY2014 budget proposed extending late-night operations from Seven Corners all the way to Vienna station by converting all trips on route 1F into route 1A services. This adjustment aimed to enhance late evening and Sunday accessibility for residential neighborhoods as well as Inova Fairfax Hospital. Consequently, route 1F was discontinued on December 29, 2013.
Major revisions in June and August of 2016 resulted in discontinuing routes 1Z first and later route 1E—replaced by services from Arlington Transit route 54—to streamline operations and eliminate overlapping coverage. These changes also removed stops at Seven Corners Transit Center from route 1B.
During the COVID-19 pandemic beginning March 2020, service on route 1B was fully suspended; meanwhile, route 1A operated on a reduced schedule before resuming normal weekday frequency in August 2020. In WMATA’s FY2022 budget considerations aimed at cost savings amid reduced federal funding levels, permanent elimination of route 1B was proposed but ultimately both routes were restored fully by September 2021. Temporary reductions occurred again during the Omicron wave but full weekday service returned by February 2022.
Under WMATA’s Better Bus Redesign initiative effective June 29, 2025, the Wilson Boulevard–Vienna Line was replaced with three new routes: F60—which combined segments of former routes 1A and 1C but excluded Dunn Loring and Vienna stations; F61—covering parts of former route 1A along with sections of route 2B; and F62—which followed a modified version of former route 1B plus portions of route 4B. Additional service between Ballston and Seven Corners is provided by an extended Route A58.