The University Boulevard Line, designated Route M12, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Hyattsville Crossing station of the Green and Yellow Lines and Twinbrook station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 6 – 24 minutes during peak hours, every 12-24 minutes during weekday off-peak and weekend daytime, and every 20-30 minutes during late night. Trips take roughly 70 minutes. Every other trip on the M12 operates between Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center and Wheaton station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro which takes roughly 30 minutes. The line connects northern Prince George's County to Montgomery County via the University Boulevard East/West (MD 193) corridor.
Background
Route M12 mostly provides service along University Boulevard operating between Montgomery County and Prince George's County via Takoma Park connecting riders between the two. The route operates out of Montgomery division.
Stops
Bus stopDirectionConnectionsMontgomery County, MarylandTwinbrook stationBus Bay AWestbound terminal,Eastbound station Ride On: 5, 26, 44, 45, 46 Washington Metro: Parklawn Drive / FDABidirectionalParklawn Drive / Wilkins AvenueBidirectionalParklawn Drive / Wilkins AvenueBidirectionalParklawn Drive / Braxfield CourtBidirectionalRandolph Road / Putnam RoadEastbound Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Lauderdale DriveWestbound Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Hunters LaneBidirectional Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Rockinghorse RoadEastbound Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Gaynor DriveWestbound Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Dewey RoadBidirectional Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Charles RoadBidirectional Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Bennion RoadEastbound Metrobus: M42, M44Randolph Road / Selfridge DriveWestbound Metrobus: M42, M44Veirs Mill Road / Bushey DriveBidirectional Ride On: 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Ferrara AvenueBidirectional Ride On: 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Connecticut AvenueBidirectional Ride On: 38, 40, 41, 48Veirs Mill Road / Andrew StreetWestbound Ride On: 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Centerhill StreetEastbound Ride On: 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Gail StreetEastbound Ride On: 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Claridge RoadBidirectional Ride On: 33, 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Pendleton DriveBidirectional Ride On: 33, 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Newport Mill RoadBidirectional Ride On: 33, 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Norris DriveBidirectional Ride On: 33, 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / College View DriveEastbound Ride On: 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / Galt AvenueWestboound Ride On: 38, 40, 48Veirs Mill Road / University BoulevardBidirectional Ride On: 34, 38, 40, 48Wheaton stationBus Bays B & DBidirectional Ride On: 4, 7, 8, 9, 31, 34, 37, 38, 40, 41, 48 Metrobus: M20, M22 Washington Metro: Veirs Mill Road / University BoulevardBidirectional Metrobus: M20, M22 Ride On: 8, 9, 34, 38, 40, 48Reedie Drive / Fern StreetWestbound Ride On: 7, 8, 9, 31University Boulevard / Fern StreetEastbound Ride On: 7, 8Amherst Avenue / University BoulevardWestbound Ride On: 7, 8, 9, 31University Boulevard / Westchester DriveBidirectional Ride On: 7, 8University Boulevard / Reedie DriveBidirectional Ride On: 7, 8University Boulevard / Eastcrest DriveBidirectional Ride On: 7, 8University Boulevard / Inwood AvenueBidirectional Ride On: 7, 8University Boulevard / Sligo Creek ParkwayBidirectional Ride On: 8University Boulevard / Warwick TowersWestbound Ride On: 8University Boulevard / Gabel StreetEastbound Ride On: 8, 9University Boulevard / Northwood High SchoolWestbound Ride On: 8, 9University Boulevard / Orange DriveEastbound Ride On: 9University Boulevard / Eisner StreetWestbound Ride On: 9University Boulevard / Dennis AvenueBidirectional Ride On: 9, 19 (Westbound only)University Boulevard / Royalton RoadBidirectional Ride On: 9, 19University Boulevard / Burnett AvenueBidirectional Ride On: 9, 19University Boulevard / Sutherland RoadWestbound Metrobus: M52, M54 Ride On: 9, 19, 21, 22, Flash BRT (Blue, Orange)University Boulevard / Colesville RoadBidirectional Metrobus: M52, M54 Ride On: 9, 19, 21, 22, Flash BRT (Blue, Orange)University Boulevard / Lexington DriveBidirectional Ride On: 19University Boulevard / Williamsburg DriveBidirectional Ride On: 19University Boulevard / East Franklin DriveBidirectional Ride On: 14University Boulevard / East Melbourne DriveBidirectional Ride On: 14University Boulevard / East Wayne AvenueEastbound Ride On: 14University Boulevard / Buckingham DriveWestbound Ride On: 14University Boulevard / Langley DriveEastbound Ride On: 14University Boulevard / Patton DriveWestbound Ride On: 14University Boulevard / Piney Branch RoadBidirectional Ride On: 15, 16, 20, 24 MTA: Purple Line (at Piney Branch Road station) (Planned)University Boulevard / Seek LaneBidirectional Ride On: 15University Boulevard / Forston StreetEastbound Ride On: 15University Boulevard / Carroll AvenueWestbound Ride On: 15University Boulevard / Merrimac DriveEastbound Ride On: 15University Boulevard / Navahoe DriveWestbound Ride On: 15Prince George's County, MarylandTakoma Langley Crossroads Transit CenterBus Bays A & DBidirectional Metrobus: M60, M6X, P31 Ride On: 15, 16, 17, 18, 25 TheBus: P43 Shuttle-UM: 129 MTA: Purple Line (Planned)University Boulevard / 14th AvenueBidirectional Metrobus: P31 TheBus: P43University Boulevard / 15th AvenueBidirectional Metrobus: P15, P16, P31 TheBus: P43 MTA: Purple Line (at Riggs Road station) (Planned)Riggs Road / University BoulevardEastbound Metrobus: P15, P16, P31 TheBus: P43 MTA: Purple Line (at Riggs Road station) (Planned)Riggs Road / Drexel StreetBidirectionalRiggs Road / Drexel StreetBidirectionalRiggs Road / Riggs Road CourtEastboundRiggs Road / Beechwood DriveWestboundRiggs Road / Avalon PlaceEastboundRiggs Road / Amherst RoadWestboundEast-West Highway / 19th PlaceBidirectional Metrobus: P15, P16, P30, P35East-West Highway / Ager RoadBidirectional Metrobus: P15, P16, P30, P35East-West Highway / 23rd AvenueBidirectional Metrobus: P15, P16, P30, P35 TheBus: P43Toledo Terrace / East-West HighwayBidirectional Metrobus: P30, P32, P35 TheBus: P43Toledo Terrace / Toledo PlaceBidirectionalToledo Terrace / The SevilleBidirectional Metrobus: P33Toledo Terrace / Belcrest RoadBidirectional Metrobus: P33Belcrest Road / Toledo RoadBidirectional Metrobus: P32, P33 Shuttle-UM: 113Belcrest Road / Freedom WayEastbound Metrobus: M44, P10, P32, P33 Shuttle-UM: 113Belcrest Road / #6505Westbound Metrobus: M44, P10, P32, P33 Shuttle-UM: 113Belcrest Road / East-West HighwayEastbound Metrobus: M44, P10, P32, P33 Shuttle-UM: 113Hyattsville Crossing stationBus Bay AWestbound station,Eastbound terminal Metrobus: M44, P10, P30, P32, P33, P35 TheBus: P43 Shuttle-UM: 113 Washington Metro:
History 20th century C2 was created as a new route on February 4, 1973, to replace the segment of the former J8 streetcar line between Wheaton Plaza & Montgomery Mall when the J8 became a Metrobus Route and was truncated to only operate between the Wheaton Plaza & Beltway Plaza. Routes C2 & J8 operated as part of the "Beltway Plaza–Montgomery Mall Line" until February 19, 1978. when they were both merged into route C2. Route C2 operated between Montgomery Mall & Beltway Plaza, via Prince George's Plaza Mall & University of Maryland, College Park.
Route C4 was originally designated as the Randolph Road Line. It operated between White Oak and Montgomery College until September 6, 1981, when it was replaced by extended Metrobus route Z4.
On January 27, 1985, route C2 was rerouted to terminate at the newly opened Twinbrook station, discontinuing service to Montgomery Mall. The portion of the route between Wheaton station and Montgomery Mall would be replaced by Ride On route 35. As a result of this change, the line would be renamed the "Beltway Plaza-Twinbrook Line".
On September 22, 1990, route C2 was truncated to only operate up to Wheaton station. The C4 would begin revenue service at the same time, operating between Langley Park and Twinbrook station. Route C2 would now only operate between Wheaton station and Beltway Plaza.
On December 11, 1993, route C2 was extended from Beltway Plaza Mall to Greenbelt Center via Greenbelt station when the Green Line northern portion was opened replacing route F6 service between University Of Maryland and Beltway Plaza which was rerouted to serve New Carrollton station along with route F4. But Route C2 will discontinue service via Prince Georges Plaza, and would operate through the University Of Maryland operating on a direct route along Campus Drive.
Route C4 was extended from Langley Park to Prince George's Plaza (now ) station, along route C2's original routing from intersection of University Boulevard East in Langley Park & the Prince George's Plaza Mall, via Riggs Road, and East West Highway. The line was renamed as the "Greenbelt-Twinbrook Line" as result of these changes.
21st century
On January 13, 2001, route C4 was rerouted along Toledo Terrace and Belcrest Road to serve the apartment complexes behind The Mall at Prince Georges. The line would serve the mall bus bays from Belcrest Road.
On May 15, 2003, the original bus bays inside Prince Georges Plaza mall, were demolished in order to build a new Target store. Routes C4 along with routes 86, F4, F6, F8, R2, R3, R4 and TheBus 13, 14, 18 have stopped entering and looping inside around the mall.
In 2010, WMATA proposed to completely discontinue the C4 and to replace it with the C8 and J5. Under the proposal, the J5 would discontinue service along the Capital Beltway and Grosvenor–Strathmore station and will serve the former C4 stops via Parklawn Drive, Randolph Road, Veirs Mill Road, Wheaton Station, and Georgia Avenue. Service to Prince George's Plaza station would be provided by the C8 which was proposed to discontinue service to College Park–University of Maryland station and University of Maryland. However a major problem in the proposal was the C8 was proposed to only operate on Weekday Peak Hour services only while the J5 only operated during Peak Hours. With the discontinuation of the C4 and the changes made on the C8 and J5, it would not only lose direct service from Prince George's Plaza to Twinbrook, it would also mean residents would have a lack of bus service where the C4 operated since the C8 and J5 would only operate during rush hours only.
Route C2 was also proposed to be shorten to Greenbelt station discontinuing service to Greenbelt Center being replaced by a new route T12, T14, and existing T16 or routes G12, G14, and G16 eliminating service between Greenbelt station and Greenbelt Center. This was a result of Greenbelt bus service lacking much service and the city of Greenbelt wanting to restructure the lines.
On December 19, 2010, route C2 was truncated from the Greenbelt Center to only operate up to Greenbelt station at the request of the city of Greenbelt. Service between Greenbelt station and Greenbelt Center being replaced by new routes G13, G14, and G16, in order to simplify Greenbelt bus service as much as possible with other routes and as a method of circumventing the transportation budget shortfall in Prince George's County. Route C2 also discontinue the Beltway Plaza Loop as well being replaced by routes G14 and G16.