OWL SERVICE (all night buses) and missing links. . .

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

Did they operate or not?
The following are a list of routes, I vagely remember, or not? At the time, I was between 13 & 15 years old w/ a new Step-Dad. So not 100% sure.

*A* Series
ARCHIVES to SOUTHEAST DC
I remember riding these buses along 395, and they would drop off of 395, at the Marine Barracks, before continuing to ARCHIVES

*B7 or C7*
FAIRLAND to (UNKNOWN)
This route operated to the C&P Telephone complex on US 29. I think 1trip a day.

*F5*
PG Plaza to (Unknown)
This route operated from PG Plaza Park N Ride (By the Grand Union) out EW Hgwy, Riggs Rd/Sgt Rd. Operated in Rush Hours ONLY

*K9*
TAMARACK to FT TOTTEN
Operated from Randolph Rd & Tamarack Dr/New Hampshire Ave
(Bypassing Northwest Park Apts) to FT TOTTEN. (Rush Hours only)

*S* Series
SUMMIT HILLS to Downtown
Was there a 16th street bus that operated to/from Summit Hills apts?

*T1* FRIENDSHIP HGTS to CONGRESSIONAL COUNTRY CLUB
(Western?) Operated along Bradley Blvd?

*T2* FRIENDSHIP HGTS to ROCKVILLE (N Washington St & Bealle Ave)
(Western?) I don't ever remember seeing this bus operate to/from Riggs Park/Ivy City/Dupont Circle. But I did see it behind the CROWN Gas at this location in Rockville.

*T8* FRIENDSHIP HGTS to MONTGOMERY MALL
(Western?) I only heard a rumor of its running.

*W4* CAPITAL PLAZA to BOLLING A.F.B.
(Bladensburg) Once on Bolling AFB, you had to have a US Military ID card to proceed onto base. (in 1978, my 1st duty station was Anacostia Naval Station, but we were housed at Bolling Field, so I rode this bus on occasion)

*86* COLLEGE PARK to (unknown)
(Bladensburg) This bus from Darthmoth Ave (College Park) towards Mt Rainer, operates pretty much the same way as it did in the late 60's & early 70's, including passing that PGPlaza Big Boy

*88* MT RAINER to PG HOSPITAL
I only heard a rumor of this bus operating. Did it or not?


OWL SERVICE
In the mid 70's METROBUS operated an ALL-NIGHT service, called OWL SERVICE on very few & selected routes. I know the following routes DID have OWL SERVICE
*30* FRIENDSHIP HGTS
*40* MT Pleasant (Unsure of OWL service on this line)
*50* NAVY YARD (many a night at 3am, I waited to 14th & K at
               McDonalds after 2:AM for the bus to the NAVY YARD)
*70* SILVER SPRING
*90* Florida Ave/U Street/Navy Yard?
*9* FT BELVIOR



Now that I posted some history about how the buses operated in the 70's & up to present day, in Montgomery & parts of PG County, does anyone else have personal recollections of the routes in VA, Southern PG, DC? Lets post them & answer the missing links.

[Perry]

There was the T11 that ran from Belair to Stadium Armory I think, prior to Addison Road opening up.  It follwed Central Ave. all the way in same as what is now the C20whatevers.

There was the F9 that ran from Lewisdale to Downtown DC that my parents used to take when they lived on Ager Road.

My routes when I was growing up was confined to the Riggs Road/University Blvd. corridor, but I remember bits and pieces when we would cross an intersecting route.

I remember the K6 running to Metro Center at night when Metrorail ran limited service.

[Scrabbleship]

Quit ironic that Metro had owl service on key corridors before Metro grew, but not today. Was the average last bus of the night earlier in the 70's as it was today?

The idea of an S bus running into Summit Hills seems a bit laughable given the S routes aren't that far from there and I can't think of any place a terminal stand was in the complex.

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

Quit ironic that Metro had owl service on key corridors before Metro grew, but not today. Was the average last bus of the night earlier in the 70's as it was today?

The idea of an S bus running into Summit Hills seems a bit laughable given the S routes aren't that far from there and I can't think of any place a terminal stand was in the complex.

But on the destination sign roll from buses at NORTHERN , there was a SUMMIT HILLS. In the back of the apts, there is a small shopping center.

Ride-On #2 (mid/late '80's) ran their route inside of Summit Hills inbound/outbound.

I'm thinking D.C. Transit musta came inside from EW Hgwy & exited onto 16th street. But as I said, I was unsure what route ran in there.

[Scrabbleship]

Quit ironic that Metro had owl service on key corridors before Metro grew, but not today. Was the average last bus of the night earlier in the 70's as it was today?

The idea of an S bus running into Summit Hills seems a bit laughable given the S routes aren't that far from there and I can't think of any place a terminal stand was in the complex.

But on the destination sign roll from buses at NORTHERN , there was a SUMMIT HILLS. In the back of the apts, there is a small shopping center.

Ride-On #2 (mid/late '80's) ran their route inside of Summit Hills inbound/outbound.

I'm thinking D.C. Transit musta came inside from EW Hgwy & exited onto 16th street. But as I said, I was unsure what route ran in there.

That routing doesn't sound that bad though it is a bit circuitous since the shopping center is at the way rear of the complex. It makes me wonder if it was always gated as it currently is (and access out of anywhere but the main E-W Highway exit is closed after 8:00 PM).

Given the design of the roads, entering on E-W Highway, exiting on 16th Street seems like the best way to have done it.

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

It wasn't always a gated community.

[WMAveteran]

In the 1970's before METRO took over, WMA Transit provided service in parts of SE Washington (Zip Code 20019), southern Prince George's County, northern Calvert County and Charles County.  WMA had one "owl" route that ran between Washington DC (11th & Pennsylvania Avenue NW) and Andrews AFB.  The route was interesting in that there was only one bus on the service and it alternated running the "J" route and the "K" route.  The "J" route ran to Andrews using Marlboro Pike and the "K" route ran to Andrews using Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue).  The driver would operate one "J" circuit and then one "K" circuit all night. 

[jbgroup1]

Did they operate or not?
The following are a list of routes, I vagely remember, or not? At the time, I was between 13 & 15 years old w/ a new Step-Dad. So not 100% sure.

*A* Series
ARCHIVES to SOUTHEAST DC
I remember riding these buses along 395, and they would drop off of 395, at the Marine Barracks, before continuing to ARCHIVES

*B7 or C7*
FAIRLAND to (UNKNOWN)
This route operated to the C&P Telephone complex on US 29. I think 1trip a day.

*F5*
PG Plaza to

Fort Totten--Remembered

This route operated from PG Plaza Park N Ride (By the Grand Union) out EW Hgwy, Riggs Rd/Sgt Rd. Operated in Rush Hours ONLY

*K9*
TAMARACK to FT TOTTEN
Operated from Randolph Rd & Tamarack Dr/New Hampshire Ave
(Bypassing Northwest Park Apts) to FT TOTTEN. (Rush Hours only)

*S* Series
SUMMIT HILLS to Downtown
Was there a 16th street bus that operated to/from Summit Hills apts?

*T1* FRIENDSHIP HGTS to CONGRESSIONAL COUNTRY CLUB

--Remembered

(Western?) Operated along Bradley Blvd?

*T2* FRIENDSHIP HGTS to ROCKVILLE (N Washington St & Bealle Ave)
(Western?) I don't ever remember seeing this bus operate to/from Riggs Park/Ivy City/Dupont Circle. But I did see it behind the CROWN Gas at this location in Rockville.

*T8* FRIENDSHIP HGTS to MONTGOMERY MALL
(Western?) I only heard a rumor of its running.

*W4* CAPITAL PLAZA to BOLLING A.F.B.
(Bladensburg) Once on Bolling AFB, you had to have a US Military ID card to proceed onto base. (in 1978, my 1st duty station was Anacostia Naval Station, but we were housed at Bolling Field, so I rode this bus on occasion)

*86* COLLEGE PARK to

RI Ave/Metro Center--Remembered

(Bladensburg) This bus from Darthmoth Ave (College Park) towards Mt Rainer, operates pretty much the same way as it did in the late 60's & early 70's, including passing that PGPlaza Big Boy

*88* MT RAINER to PG HOSPITAL
I only heard a rumor of this bus operating. Did it or not?


OWL SERVICE
In the mid 70's METROBUS operated an ALL-NIGHT service, called OWL SERVICE on very few & selected routes. I know the following routes DID have OWL SERVICE
*30* FRIENDSHIP HGTS
*40* MT Pleasant (Unsure of OWL service on this line)
*50* NAVY YARD (many a night at 3am, I waited to 14th & K at
               McDonalds after 2:AM for the bus to the NAVY YARD)
*70* SILVER SPRING
*90* Florida Ave/U Street/Navy Yard?

--No Question! All night service until the late '90's

*9* FT BELVIOR

*X2,5* Lafayette Square/Seat Pleasant
*A* Archives/Livingston

Now that I posted some history about how the buses operated in the 70's & up to present day, in Montgomery & parts of PG County, does anyone else have personal recollections of the routes in VA, Southern PG, DC? Lets post them & answer the missing links.

[jbgroup1]

There was the T11 that ran from Belair to Stadium Armory I think, prior to Addison Road opening up.  It followed Central Ave. all the way in same as what is now the C20whatevers.

There was the F9 that ran from Lewisdale to Downtown DC that my parents used to take when they lived on Ager Road.

My routes when I was growing up was confined to the Riggs Road/University Blvd. corridor, but I remember bits and pieces when we would cross an intersecting route.

I remember the K6 running to Metro Center at night when Metrorail ran limited service.

The T11 actually went to the Seat Pleasant bus terminal at 63rd & Dix(which is still there, by the way).  It also later terminated at Capital Heights Station not Addison Road as many (not necessarily you) popularly believe although it did go to the Addison Road Station.  The 40 traveled between Union Station and Seat Pleasant terminal.

[Perry]

Thanks for clearing that up.  It was soooo long ago that I rode that route.  The main thing I remembered was riding an AM General on it as we headed eastbound from Kettering.