The Wisconsin Avenue Line, designated as the Wisconsin Avenue–Union Station Line on Route D80, and Wisconsin Avenue-Foggy Bottom Line on Route D82, are bus routes operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Its main purpose is to provide service to the upper Northwest side via Wisconsin Avenue NW.
Background
Routes D80 and D82 operate between the Friendship Heights station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro and Washington Union Station (D80) or Potomac Park (D82), running every 10 to 12 minutes between 6 AM and 9 PM on weekdays. In addition, Route D80 operates on weekends every 10 minutes during the day and 15 to 20 minutes after 9 PM daily. Route D80 trips are roughly 60 minutes long, while Route D82 trips are 45 minutes long. Route D80 operates 24 hours daily, while Route D82 operates during the weekday peak hours only.
The routes operate out of WMATA's Western division with overnight Route D80 service operating out of Montgomery division.
Route D80 stops
Bus stopDirectionConnectionsMontgomery County, MarylandFriendship HeightsBus Bay CSouthbound stop,Northbound terminal Metrobus: C83, D82, D96, M82 Ride On: 1, 11, 23, 29 Friendship Heights Village Bus Washington Metro: Washington, D.C.Wisconsin Avenue NW / Western Avenue NWFriendship HeightsNorthbound Metrobus: C83, D82, D96, M82 Ride On: 1, 11, 23, 29 Friendship Heights Village Bus Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Jenifer Street NWFriendship HeightsBidirectional Metrobus: D82 Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Fessenden Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Chesapeake Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: D82 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Brandywine Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: D82 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Albemarle Street NWTenleytown–AUBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C61, C81, C85, D82, D90 AU Shuttle Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Tenley Circle NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C61, C81, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Van Ness Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51, C61, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Veazey Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: C51, C61, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Upton Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Rodman Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Porter Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D82 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Newark Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Woodley Road NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Cathedral Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Garfield Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Edmunds Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Calvert Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Hall Place NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / 35th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / 34th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / R Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Q Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / P Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Dumbarton Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: D82M Street NW / Wisconsin Avenue NWSouthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D82M Street NW / 31st Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D82Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 28th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: A58, C85, D82Pennsylvania Avenue NW / L Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D82Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 26th Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D82Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 24th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: A58, C85, D82Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 22nd Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: A58, C85, D10, D20, D74, D82 Washington Metro: at Foggy BottomPennsylvania Avenue NW / 21st Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: D10, D20H Street NW / 18th Street NWFarragut WestFarragut NorthSouthbound Metrobus: A49, A58, D10, D20, D70, D72, D94, F19 MTA Maryland Bus: 901, 902, 904, 905, 909, 950, 995 Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide MTA Maryland Bus: 305, 325 PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: I Street NW / 18th Street NWFarragut WestFarragut NorthNorthbound Metrobus: A49, A58, D10, D20, D70, D72, D94, F19 PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: I Street NW / 17th Street NWFarragut SquareNorthbound Metrobus: A49, A58, D10, D20, D70, D72, D94, F19 MTA Maryland Bus: 901, 902, 904, 905, 909, 950, 995 Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: (at Farragut West) (at Farragut North)H Street NW / Madison Place NWMcPherson SquareSouthbound Metrobus: A29, A49, D10, D20, D24, D36, D50, D5X, D60, D6X, D72, D94, F19 Washington Metro: I Street NW / 15th Street NWMcPherson SquareNorthbound Metrobus: A29, A49, D10, D20, D24, D36, D50, D5X, D60, D6X, D72, D94, F19 Washington Metro: I Street NW / 14th Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: A29, A49, D20, D24, D50, D5X, D60, D6X Washington Metro: at McPherson SquareNew York Avenue NW / 12th Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: A29, A49, D20, D32, D34, D36, D44I Street NW / 12th Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: A29, A49, D20, D32, D34, D36, D44New York Avenue NW / 9th Street NWBidirectionalMassachusetts Avenue NW / 7th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D20, D24, D2X, D30, D34, D36, D40, D4X Washington Metro: at Gallery PlaceMassachusetts Avenue NW / 5th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D34, D36, D90Massachusetts Avenue NW / New Jersey Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D20Massachusetts Avenue NW / G Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51New Jersey Avenue NW / F Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: C51E Street NE / Columbus Circle NENorthbound stop,Southbound terminal Amtrak, VRE, MARC at Union Station Metrobus: C43, C51, C55, C71, D20, D2X, D24, D30 MTA Maryland Bus: 903, 922 Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: at Union Station
Route D82 stops
Bus stopDirectionConnectionsMontgomery County, MarylandFriendship HeightsBus Bay CSouthbound stop,Northbound terminal Metrobus: C83, D80, D96, M82 Ride On: 1, 11, 23, 29 Friendship Heights Village Bus Washington Metro: Washington, D.C.Wisconsin Avenue NW / Western Avenue NWFriendship HeightsNorthbound Metrobus: C83, D80, D96, M82 Ride On: 1, 11, 23, 29 Friendship Heights Village Bus Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Jenifer Street NWFriendship HeightsBidirectional Metrobus: D80 Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Fessenden Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Chesapeake Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: D80 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Brandywine Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: D80 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Albemarle Street NWTenleytown–AUBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C61, C81, C85, C87, D80, D90 AU Shuttle Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Tenley Circle NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C61, C81, D80, D96Wisconsin Avenue NW / Van Ness Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C51, C61, D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Veazey Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: C51, C61, D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Upton Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C61, D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Rodman Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C61, D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Porter Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C61, D80 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Newark Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Woodley Road NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Cathedral Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80, D90Wisconsin Avenue NW / Garfield Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Edmunds Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Calvert Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Hall Place NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / 35th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / 34th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / R Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Q Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C91, D80, D94, D96Wisconsin Avenue NW / P Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: D80Wisconsin Avenue NW / Dumbarton Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: D80M Street NW / Wisconsin Avenue NWSouthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D80M Street NW / 31st Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D80Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 28th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: A58, C85, D80Pennsylvania Avenue NW / L Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D80Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 26th Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: A58, C85, D80Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 24th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: A58, C85, D8023rd Street NW / I Street NWFoggy Bottom-GWUBidirectional Metrobus: A58, C85, D10, D20, D74, D80 Washington Metro: 23rd Street NW / G Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D74F Street NW / 22nd Street NWWestbound Metrobus: D74F Street NW / 21st Street NWWestbound Metrobus: D74, D96Virginia Avenue NW / E Street NWPotomac ParkNorthbound stop,Southbound terminal Metrobus: D74, D96
History
Before WMATA implemented the Better Bus Redesign network, Route D80 was previously known as Route 33, while Route D82 was previously known as Route 31. The 30 series line is one of the oldest transit routes in the city, tracing its origin to streetcar lines and the Washington and Georgetown Railroad in the 1860s. Buses began to operate on the line in 1936. Today, it is one of the most-ridden bus lines in D.C., serving more than 20,000 passengers a day in 2008.
The five routes, 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36, begin their journey at Friendship Heights station and end at Potomac Avenue station (30), Southern Avenue station (32), or Naylor Road station (34, 35, and 36).
In 2008, WMATA launched a study on the Pennsylvania Avenue line to improve services and to reduce delays and bus bunchings.
Route 31 Route 31 was introduced on June 29, 2008, dubbed as a "neighborhood connector" as part of an overhaul of the busy Pennsylvania Avenue Line. Route 31 connects Friendship Heights station to Potomac Park to provide help to routes 32 and 36 along Wisconsin Avenue and replace routes 30, 34, and 35.
Route 33 As part of proposals from 2013 to simplify the Wisconsin Avenue Line again, route 33 was introduced on August 24, 2014 to replace the 32 and 36 portion along Wisconsin Avenue and to provide extra service to the 31, and the newly introduced Friendship Heights–Southeast Line or routes 30N and 30S. Route 33 provides more service between Friendship Heights station and Federal Triangle to help out the 30N, 30S, and 31. Routes 32 and 36 were shorten to Potomac Park being replaced by routes 30N, 30S, 31, and 33.
Changes In 2019, as a part of WMATA's Blue/Orange/Silver Line Corridor Capacity & Reliability Study (BOS Study), the transit agency suggested, as one of six potential options, realigning Metrorail's Blue Line along Wisconsin Avenue, terminating at Friendship Heights or Bethesda station, after crossing over the Potomac River from Georgetown from Rosslyn. The proposal was ultimately not included among WMATA's list of four finalists in 2023.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, routes 31 and 33 operated on their Saturday supplemental schedule during the weekdays beginning on March 16, 2020. On March 18, 2020, the line was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule. Weekend service was later suspended on March 21, 2020 being replaced by Routes 30N and 30S. On August 23, 2020, routes 31 and 33 restored its regular schedule but Route 31 weekend service was suspended being replaced by Route 33.
On September 26, 2020, WMATA proposed to eliminate all route 31 weekend service and add route 33 trips due to low federal funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Weekday service will not change. Later in February 2021 during WMATA's FY2022 budget crisis, WMATA proposed to increase span to add late-night service to 2:00 AM on Route 33 between July and December 2021 in the first half of the fiscal year, but would reduce it back to midnight between January to June 2022 in the second half of the fiscal year. Subsequently on April 22, 2021, WMATA approved the FY2022 budget and received federal funding to avoid service cuts.
On June 6, 2021, late-night service was increased to operate up to 2:00 AM on Route 33.