New Limited-Stop Bus Service Along New Hampshire Avenue

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today joined Montgomery County Councilmembers Roger Berliner, Hans Riemer and Valerie Ervin, Metro General Manager Richard Sarles, D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser and WMATA Board Member Kathy Porter to mark the launch of the new MetroExtra bus service along New Hampshire Avenue from Northwest Park to Fort Totten Station.
The new route, called the “K9,” adds new limited-stop service that will help relieve crowding along the busy New Hampshire Avenue corridor.
“Metro’s new K9 bus route will make a tremendous difference on busy New Hampshire Avenue, which has the third highest bus ridership in Maryland,” said Leggett.
“The K9 is the first step in a Rapid Transit System for the New Hampshire Avenue corridor; the first phase of service we hope will extend to the Food and Drug Administration campus in White Oak and the start of a connection to the future Purple Line at the new Takoma Langley Transit Center,”
 he added.
MetroExtra K9 buses operate every 15-20 minutes in each direction during morning and evening rush hours.  K9 buses serve about half the stops as the local K6 buses along the route, meaning a faster trip for some customers.  The addition of K9 buses also will reduce crowding on K6 buses by adding trips along the corridor.  There will be no schedule changes to the K6 service along the route.
“The new K9 MetroExtra service will improve reliability, reduce crowding and travel time for thousands customers who travel along the New Hampshire Avenue corridor each weekday,” said Sarles.
“This new route is the latest product of our ‘Better Bus’ initiative, the largest investment in bus service improvements in more than five years,” concluded.
This new MetroExtra service is the result of a study process that included public meetings, on-board rider surveys and a detailed technical analysis to develop ways of improving transit service on the New Hampshire Avenue corridor.   Information about the study process and final recommendations can also be found on the project website www.metrobusstudies.com/K6/K6.htm.
For bus schedule and route information, customers can visit www.wmata.com/bus.