Maryland METROBUS ROUTES circa mid 1970's to 1978 (part 1)

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

*B2* (Bladensburg) CHILLUM/Mt RAINER to (I don't remember. . .  Sorry)
7days a week.
Before the F2 was created (TAKOMA to CHEVERLY) some B2 routes operated past Mt Rainer to CHILLUM. The layover point for the B2, was in front of the liquor store, on Eastern Ave, between Chillum Rd & New Hampshire Ave.
(Look for the concrete pad on Eastern Ave, in front of store.)
This layover point was also shared by the K4 (CHILLUM to METRO CENTER)

*C2*  (Western)  WHEATON PLAZA to MONTGOMERY MALL
7days week
Terminal was same as the Z2 & J8 at Wheaton Plaza
Exit by McDonalds on University Blvd
University Blvd/Connecticut Ave
Knowles Ave
Summit Ave/Cedar Ln
N.I.H. Campus
(I don't remember if by this time, Building #10 was expanded to eliminate the long driveway & circle in front of the building)
Old Georgetown Rd
Greentree Rd/Fernwood Rd
Democracy Blvd
Westlake Dr
If memory serves me right, by this time, buses going to MONTGOMERY MALL, had a stop in back of the mall, next to the SEARS entrance to the mall. This stop was used till sometime in 1990-91. When I 1st started for Ride-On, the 35 & 38's I drove also used this stop.

NOTE:Current C2 (Montgomery) operates from WHEATON STATION to GREENBELT CENTER, along mostly the same routing as the J8, except bypassing Riggs Rd/Pg Plaza & continuing to Old Town GREENBELT.


*C4* (Northern) WHITE OAK to MONTGOMERY COLLEGE/ROCKVILLE
7days a week
White Oak terminal was the same as K6 & Z4, by the Sears entrance
US 29/Tech Rd/US 29
Randolph Rd (When I 1st started riding this route, Randolph Rd was 2 lanes     from US 29 to Glenmont/Georgia Ave)
Parklawn Dr
Twinbrook Pkwy
Rockville Pk
E Jefferson St/N Washington St/Hungerford Dr
Manakee St
Campus Dr
MC terminal used to be up next to the Admin Building.

NOTE
The C4 service was cut & renamed as a Z4. And operating from WHITE OAK to TWINBROOK STATION. At that time, the C4 was changed to operate from TWINBROOK to LANGLEY PARK. It was then extended to serve PG PLAZA station, along basically the same routing as the old J8 as far as PG Plaza.


*C8* (Northern) LAYHILL (Plaza del Mercado) to CONGRESSIONAL PLAZA
6days week
Bel Pre Rd
Connecticut Ave
Aspen Hill Rd
Viers Mill Rd
Twinbrook Pkwy
Rockville Pk
Halpine Rd
LAYOVER POINT was on E Jefferson St, after turning from Halpine Rd

NOTE #1When the C8 bus was first put into service, the LAYHILL layover point was the driveway of Argyle Jr High. When Argyle 1st opened in early mid 70's, enrollment was not enough to keep the school opened, so it sat, as M.C.P.S. white elephant for 3-5 years (or longer). When the school did reopen, the C8 terminus was moved to Longmeade Crossing & Homecrest.

NOTE #2
This route C8 was eventually re-routed to provide continuous service to MONTGOMERY MALL, while maintaining the loop behind Congressional Plaza.



*E2*E3*E4* (Northern?) IVY CITY/RIGGS PARK/FT TOTTEN to FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS.
7days a week.
The E series lines were created to replace the T-Lines, when the T-lines were moved when the REDLINE opened to Dupont Circle. 

*F2* (Bladensburg, now Landover) TAKOMA to CHEVERLY
7days a week
When this route was created, all B2 trips ended at the Mt Rainer terminal

*F4* (Northern, now Landover) SILVER SPRING to NEW CARROLTON
6days a week (currently 7days)
This route was created, by slicing the J2/J4 into 2 separate routes, to end/start at Silver Spring. When the F4 was first operating, the end of the line was by the McDonalds at 450/495/Princess Garden Pkwy. This end of line layover point was before the Orange Line METRO operated to New Carrolton. The routing was behind PG Plaza, to terminal at GC Murphy, Queensbury Rd, Riverdale Rd, Annapolis Rd.

*F6* (Northern, now Landover) SILVER SPRING to GREENBELT
5 days a week when created.
This route was created, by slicing the J2/J4 into 2 separate routes, to end/start at Silver Spring. The F6 traveled with the F4 up to Riggs & EW-Highway. There, the F6 continued along Ager Rd, Hamilton St, Queens Chapel Rd, Queensbury Rd, PG Plaza (Murphy), Adelphi Rd, UofMD, US #1, Greenbelt Rd, Beltway Plaza,  Lakecrest, to terminal it Old Greenbelt (todays C2 GREENBELT lays over there)

*F8* (Bladensburg now Landover) LANGLEY PARK to CHEVERLY (PG Hospital)
7days a week.
This bus was once known as the G8, and from Langley Pk to PG Hospital, along mostly the same routing, aside from detours into the METRO stations.

*J2* (Northern now Montgomery) MONTGOMERY MALL to SILVER SPRING
7days a week.
This route, along with its sister routes J1 & J3 operate service to Bethesda, Medical Center, NIH & Montgomery Mall. It no longer operates to Beltway Plaza.

*J4* (Northern) FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS to BELTWAY PLAZA
This J4 was eliminated when Ride-On started operating in the Silver Spring community in Feb 1978. Modern Day the J4 is the proto-type for the planned PURPLE LINE lightrail

*J6* (Northern)
This J6 was eliminated when Ride-On started operating in Feb 1978

*J8* (Northern)
This J8 was eliminated when Ride-On started Operating in Feb 1978. It was renamed as a C2

*K4* (Northern) CHILLUM to METRO CENTER
7days a week.
CHILLUM terminal was the liquor store on Eastern Ave, between Chillum Rd & N.H. Ave
(concrete pad still in front of store)
Chillum Rd
New Hampshire Ave/North Capital St/New Hampshire Av
Sherman Av/Vermont Av
(I Don't remember if followed 9th or 11th southbound to downtown & over to Metro Center)

NOTE #1
When Ft Totten opened in 1978, the K4 northernmost terminal was changed to Ft Totten
NOTE #2
Operator Street reliefs were at New Hampshire Ave & Georgia Ave.

*K6* (Northern, currently Montgomery) WHITE OAK to METRO CENTER
7days a week
Sears Department Store
New Hampshire
Northhampton Dr/Southhampton Dr
New Hampshire Ave/North Capital St/New Hampshire Av
Sherman Av/Vermont Av
(I Don't remember if followed 9th or 11th southbound to downtown & over to Metro Center)

NOTE #1
Selected K6 trips in Rush Hours only operated as far as Langley Park (New Hampshire Ave/Quebec St/Merrimac St) before going back downtown.
NOTE #2
When Ft Totten opened in 1978, the southernmost terminal for the K6 was Ft Totten.
NOTE #3
Operator Street reliefs were at New Hampshire Ave & Georgia Ave.








 

[Perry]

Interesting sidenote with the J8/C2 routing was that my dad was extremely active in the Civic Association with Carole Highlands.  The original proposal was to have the C2 stay on Univ. Blvd. and bypass Riggs and E/W Hwy and have nothing along there except the R's to the F at E/W Highway or the F8 on Univ.  Along with others, he was able to organize and fight until WMATA kept the routing that is now the C4 between Univ. and Riggs and PG Plaza.  He wrote an article in the Carole Highlands Newsletter called, "The Fate of the J8".  I think that's what really piqued my interest in transit was to see how things were operated and how you really could fight to save a route if you do it the right way. 

I probably rode with you at times on the 35/38 as my first job out of High School was working for the Sears at Mont. Mall.  I used to take the C2 to Wheaton Plaza, then hop either one to the Sears.  Sometimes I'd get adventurous and ride to Twinbrook and catch the C8 there, but there was this one a$$ of an operator that I hated getting on there so I limited the times I would take it to avoid him.

[jbgroup1]

*K4* (Northern) CHILLUM to METRO CENTER
7days a week.
CHILLUM terminal was the liquor store on Eastern Ave, between Chillum Rd & N.H. Ave
(concrete pad still in front of store)
Chillum Rd
New Hampshire Ave/North Capital St/New Hampshire Av
Sherman Av/Vermont Av
(I Don't remember if followed 9th or 11th southbound to downtown & over to Metro Center)

NOTE #1
When Ft Totten opened in 1978, the K4 northernmost terminal was changed to Ft Totten
NOTE #2
Operator Street reliefs were at New Hampshire Ave & Georgia Ave.

*K6* (Northern, currently Montgomery) WHITE OAK to METRO CENTER
7days a week
Sears Department Store
New Hampshire
Northhampton Dr/Southhampton Dr
New Hampshire Ave/North Capital St/New Hampshire Av
Sherman Av/Vermont Av
(I Don't remember if followed 9th or 11th southbound to downtown & over to Metro Center)

NOTE #1
Selected K6 trips in Rush Hours only operated as far as Langley Park (New Hampshire Ave/Quebec St/Merrimac St) before going back downtown.
NOTE #2
When Ft Totten opened in 1978, the southernmost terminal for the K6 was Ft Totten.
NOTE #3
Operator Street reliefs were at New Hampshire Ave & Georgia Ave.








 

Actually, the K6 continued to Metro Center during non-rail hours after Fort Totten Station opened.  The first Saturday K6 and the first few Sunday K6's would go from White Oak to Metro Center and the last few late night K6 trips would travel between Chillum and Metro Center.  When rail hours were extended in the early '90's the late night K4's would run trips from Chillum to Metro Center.

Also, the buses would travel inbound on 9th St. and outbound on 11th St.

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

Yes. .  back when METRO was still in its infancy, and shut down at 8pm, a lot of trips originating in MD did continue to their former downtown DC terminus, after the system closed or before it opened. Im sure that some routes from VA also came across the river to their former downtown terminals back then.

I believe that the present day  A-11?? line still has a trip or 2 that operates to downtown DC before the METRO is fully opened on Saturday and/or Sundays?