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North Capitol Street Line

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D30
North Capitol Street Line
Route D30 at Fort Totten station
Overview
SystemMetrobus
OperatorWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
GarageBladensburg
LiveryLocal
StatusIn Service
Began service1872
Predecessors80
Route
LocaleSouthwest, Northwest, Northeast
Communities servedFort Totten, Brookland, Stronghold, Truxton Circle, NoMa, Judiciary Square, Chinatown, Downtown, Federal Triangle
Landmarks servedFort Totten station, Providence Hospital, Brookland station, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic University of America, Trinity Washington University, Government Publishing Office, Washington Union Station, Union Station, Judiciary Square station, Gallery Place station, Capital One Arena, Metro Center station, Federal Triangle station, L'Enfant Plaza station
StartFort Totten station
Via12th Street NE, Michigan Avenue NE, North Capitol Street, E Street NW
EndFederal Triangle
L'Enfant Plaza station (D & 7th Streets SW) (Late nights)
Service
LevelDaily
Frequency15-20 minutes
Operates24 Hours
Ridership1,746,495 (FY 2025)[1]
TransfersSmarTrip only
TimetableNorth Capitol Street Line
 D2X  {{{system_nav}}}  D32 

The North Capitol Street Line, designated as Route D30 is a daily bus route that is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Fort Totten station of the Red, Green and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro and Federal Triangle in Downtown Washington, D.C., with late night and early morning trips extending to L'Enfant Plaza station which is served by the Blue, Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 15 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes at night.

Background

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Route D30 operates between Fort Totten station and Federal Triangle with late night and early morning trips extending to L'Enfant Plaza station providing service along North Capitol Street. The route was one of the most popular routes, with having 4,594 average weekday ridership in 2023.[2] Route D30 operates out of Bladensburg division.

Route D30 stops

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History

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Before WMATA implemented the Better Bus Redesign network, Route D30 was previously known as Route 80. Route 80 began service in 1872 as the North Capitol Street and College Park Line as a horsecar service.

The line was a mix of its current and the College Park Line, Operated along North Capitol Street and in College Park, Maryland via Brentwood.

After electric streetcars operated by the Metropolitan Railroad took over the city, the line was acquired in 1902 by the Washington Railway and Electric Company, which merged to become the Capital Traction Company in the 1930s, and operated as DC Transit after 1956. Just two years later on September 7, 1958, Routes 80 and 82 were abandoned, the first streetcar lines to be abandoned.[3]

After DC Streetcars, Route 80 service on the North Capitol Street Streetcar Line, alongside 81 between Brookland & Potomac Park. it was later extended to Riggs Road NE, via 12th Street NE and South Dakota Avenue NE during the early 1970s although both routes were eventually truncated to the Fort Totten Metro Station on February 19, 1978, shortly after it opened.

Route 81 operated as a part of the Line until 1996/1997 when it became a part of the College Park Line, operating between Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood station and Cherry Hill via Greenbelt station.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the line was reduced to operate on its Saturday supplemental schedule beginning on March 16, 2020.[4] However beginning on March 18, 2020, the line was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule.[5] Weekend service was also suspended beginning on March 21, 2020.[6] The line restored its full schedule beginning on August 23, 2020.[7]

In February 2021 during WMATA's FY2022 budget crisis, WMATA proposed to cutback the 80 from the Kennedy Center to McPherson Square station and add late-night service to 2:00 AM between July and December 2021 in the first half of the fiscal year. In the second half of the fiscal year between January to June 2022, WMATA proposed to reroute the 80 to terminate at Federal Triangle station, from the intersection of North Capitol Street NW & Massachusetts Avenue NW to operate over E Street and 10th Street to partially replace the D6. Service after midnight would also be eliminated[8] Subsequently on April 22, 2021, WMATA approved the FY2022 budget and received federal funding to avoid service changes.[9]

On June 6, 2021, late-night service was increased to operate up to 2:00 AM.[10]

On June 10, 2021, WMATA proposed to increase the 80 to operate every 12 minutes daily between 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily as part of WMATA's Pandemic Recovery Plan. However the proposed cutback from The Kennedy Center to McPherson Square station was brought back. Service to Kennedy Center would be replaced by Routes 42 and 43.[11][12]

On September 5, 2021, the line was shorten to operate up to McPherson Square station and service to Kennedy Center was replaced by routes 42 and 43. Service was also increased to operate every 12 minutes daily.[13]

Due to rising cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the line was reduced to its Saturday service on weekdays with Route 31 being suspended.[14] Full weekday service and all Route 31 service resumed on February 7, 2022.[15]

Early morning and late night service was extended to Foggy Bottom station on June 25, 2023.[16]

As of December 17, 2023, the route now operates 24/7.[17]

In WMATA's FY2025, they proposed terminating Route 80 at Washington Union Station instead of McPherson Square, eliminating service on service along H Street, I Street, K Street, 15th Street, 13th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Massachusetts Avenue. It was also proposed Route 80 would be moved into the 20-minute Frequent Service Network, rather than the 12-minute Frequent Service Network from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week.[18] However on April 25, 2024, Metro’s Board of Directors approved a $4.8 billion capital and operating budget which avoided the service changes.[19]

Better Bus Redesign

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In 2022, WMATA launched its Better Bus Redesign project, which aimed to redesign the entire Metrobus Network and is the first full redesign of the agency's bus network in its history.

In April 2023, WMATA launched its Draft Visionary Network. As part of the drafts, WMATA proposed to keep the 80 mostly the same, renaming it to Route DC110, except the route would travel along E Street NW instead of H Street NW.[20]

During WMATA's Revised Draft Visionary Network, WMATA renamed the DC110 to Route D30 and originally kept the routing the same.[21] However the route was then rerouted to serve Federal Triangle station via 12th Street NW and 10th Street NW. Late night service would then be extended to L'Enfant Plaza station via Constitution Avenue NW and 7th Street NW. All changes were then proposed during WMATA's 2025 Proposed Network.[22][23][24]

On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved its Better Bus Redesign Network.[25]

Beginning on June 29, 2025, Route 80 was mostly kept the same, but it was modified to operate along E Street NW and terminate at Federal Triangle instead of McPherson Square. Late night service was extended to L'Enfant Plaza station. The line was renamed into the D30.[26]

References

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  1. "Metrobus FY2025 Annual Line Performance Report" (PDF). wmata.com. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  2. "Metrobus Ridership Summary". wmata.com. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  3. Cohen, Bob. "Washington, D.C. Railroad Histor". Archived from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  4. "Metro announces additional COVID-19 changes, including reduced service beginning Monday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  5. "METRO SERVICE LEVELS & HOURS FURTHER REDUCED TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL TRIPS ONLY, STARTING WEDNESDAY | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  6. "Weekend: Metro service limited to 26 bus routes, reduced rail service; expect wait times of 30 minutes; customers urged to travel only if essential | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  7. "Metrobus Service Changes beginning August 23 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  8. "FY22 Proposed Metrobus Service Changes District of Columbia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  9. "FY2022 PROPOSED BUDGET" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  10. "Metrobus Service Changes June, 6". Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  11. "Finance and Capital Committee Action Item III-A June 10, 2021 Service and Fare Recommendations" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  12. "Report by Finance and Capital Committee (A) 06-10-2021" (PDF). Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  13. "Improved frequency and changes to Metrobus service begin Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  14. "Metro takes measures to combat omicron variant; Announces service adjustments and protections for customers and employees". Archived from the original on May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  15. "Regular weekday Metrobus service to return February 7". Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  16. "Metrobus Changes Begin Sunday, June 25, 2023 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  17. "Metrobus Changes Begin Sunday, December 17, 2023 with 24/7 DC Bus Service". WMATA. Archived from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  18. "District of Columbia Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Metrobus Service Changes" (PDF). www.wmata.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 1, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  19. "Metro Board approves $4.8B budget that maintains service, avoids drastic cuts thanks to additional investments from D.C., Maryland, and Virginia". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  20. "Draft Visionary District of Columbia Routes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  21. "Revised Visionary Network Route Summary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  22. "Proposed 2025 Network District of Columbia Routes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  23. "Revised Visionary Network Route Summary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2025.
  24. "District of Columbia Better Bus Routes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2025. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  25. "Metro Board of Directors approves Better Bus Network Redesign, new bus routes to start next summer". WMATA. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  26. "District of Columbia Route Profiles" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.