The U Street–Anacostia Line, designated Route C51, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Tenleytown station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro and Anacostia station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro. This route replaced former route 96 on the East Capitol Street–Cardozo Line on June 29, 2025. The line operates every 20 minutes at all times and trips take roughly 80 minutes to complete.
Background The line provides daily service through Downtown Washington DC via Potomac Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, U Street, Woodley Road, and Wisconsin Avenue.
Route C51 operates out of the Shepherd Parkway division.
Stops
Bus stopDirectionConnectionsWashington, D.C.Fort Drive NW / Albemarle Street NWTenleytown-AUSouthbound stop,Northbound terminal Metrobus: C61, C81, C85, C87, D80, D82, D90 AU Shuttle Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Albemarle Street NWTenleytown-AUSouthbound Metrobus: C61, C81, C85, C87, D80, D82 AU Shuttle Washington Metro: Wisconsin Avenue NW / Tenley Circle NWSouthbound Metrobus: C81, C85, C87, D80, D82 Wisconsin Avenue NW / Veazey Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: C85, C87, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Van Ness Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C61, C85, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Upton Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C61, C85, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Rodman Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C61, C85, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Porter Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C61, C85, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Newark Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C85, D80, D82Woodley Road NW / Wisconsin Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: C85, D80, D82Woodley Road NW / 35th Street NWBidirectional Woodley Road NW / 34th Street NWBidirectionalWoodley Road NW / 32nd Street NWBidirectionalCathedral Avenue NW / Woodley Road NWBidirectionalCathedral Avenue NW / 29th Street NWNorthbound29th Street NW / Cathedral Avenue NWSouthbound29th Street NW / Woodley Road NWNorthbound29th Street NW / Garfield Street NWSouthboundCalvert Street NW / 29th Street NWNorthboundCalvert Street NW / McGill Terrace NWSouthboundCalvert Street NW / Shoreham Drive NWWoodley ParkSouthbound Metrobus: C53, D70 Washington Metro: Calvert Street NW / Connecticut Avenue NWWoodley ParkBidirectional Metrobus: C53, D70 Washington Metro: Calvert Street NW / Biltmore Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C53Calvert Street NW / Lanier Place NWSouthbound Metrobus: C53Adams Mill Road NW / Columbia Road NWNorthbound Metrobus: C53, D72, D7418th Street NW / Columbia Road NWSouthbound Metrobus: C53, D72, D7418th Street NW / Belmont Road NWBidirectional Metrobus: C5318th Street NW / California Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C53U Street NW / Florida Avenue NWNorthbound Metrobus: C53U Street NW / New Hampshire Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: C53, D60, D6XU Street NW / 14th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C53, D50, D5XU Street NW / 13th Street NWU StreetBidirectional Metrobus: C53 Washington Metro: U Street NW / Vermont Avenue NWU StreetBidirectional Metrobus: C53, C57, D44 Washington Metro: U Street NW / 9th Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C53, C57Florida Avenue NW / 7th Street NWSouthbound Metrobus: C53, C57, D40, D4XFlorida Avenue NW / Georgia Avenue NWNorthbound Metrobus: C53, C57, D40, D4XFlorida Avenue NW / 6th Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C53, C57New Jersey Avenue NW / Florida Avenue NWNorthbound Metrobus: C53, C57New Jersey Avenue NW / Rhode Island Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: D32New Jersey Avenue NW / P Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C91New Jersey Avenue NW / N Street NWBidirectionalNew Jersey Avenue NW / M Street NWNorthbound Metrobus: D34New Jersey Avenue NW / Pierce Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D34New Jersey Avenue NW / K Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D36 New Jersey Avenue NW / H Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D20 Massachusetts Avenue NW / G Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: D80Massachusetts Avenue NE / First Street NEBidirectional Amtrak, VRE, MARC at Union Station Metrobus: C43, C55, C71, D20, D2X, D24, D30, D80 MTA Maryland Bus: 903, 922 Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: at Union StationMassachusetts Avenue NE / Delaware Avenue NESouthbound Metrobus: C43, C55, D24 Massachusetts Avenue NE / Columbus Circle NENorthbound Metrobus: C43, C55, D24Massachusetts Avenue NE / 2nd Street NESouthbound Metrobus: C43, C55, D24Massachusetts Avenue NE / 3rd Street NENorthbound Metrobus: C43, C55, D24Massachusetts Avenue NE / 4th Street NESouthbound Metrobus: C43, C55, D24C Street NE / 4th Street NENorthbound Metrobus: C43, C55, D24Massachusetts Avenue NE / Constitution Avenue NESouthbound Metrobus: C53Massachusetts Avenue NE / 8th Street NENorthbound Metrobus: C53East Capitol Street SE / Kentucky Avenue SESouthboundEast Capitol Street NE / Tennessee Avenue NENorthboundMassachusetts Avenue SE / 13th Street SEBidirectionalMassachusetts Avenue SE / 14th Street SESouthbound Massachusetts Avenue SE / Independence Avenue SENorthbound Massachusetts Avenue SE / 15th Street SESouthboundMassachusetts Avenue SE / 17th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C41, D24 Washington Metro: at Stadium-Armory station17th Street SE / C Street SESouthbound Metrobus: C41, D24 Washington Metro: at Stadium-Armory station17th Street SE / D Street SESouthbound Metrobus: C41Potomac Avenue SE / 18th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C41Potomac Avenue SE / Kentucky Avenue SESouthbound Metrobus: C41Potomac Avenue SE / 15th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C41Potomac Avenue SE / 14th Street SEPotomac AvenueBidirectional Metrobus: C15, C37, C41, D10, D1X Washington Metro: Potomac Avenue SE / 13th Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C41I Street SE / 13th Street SESouthbound Metrobus: C41K Street SE / Kentucky Avenue SENorthbound Metrobus: C4111th Street SE / M Street SENorthbound Metrobus: C11, C41, C5311th Street SE / O Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C11, C41, C53Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE / Marion Barry Avenue SENorthbound Metrobus: C11, C15 (Southbound only), C23 (Southbound only), C31 (Westbound only), C41Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE / U Street SESouthbound Metrobus: C11, C15 (Southbound only), C23 (Southbound only), C31 (Westbound only), C41Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE / W Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C11, C15, C23, C31, C41, C51Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE / Talbert Street SEBidirectional Metrobus: C11, C15, C23, C29, C31, C41, C51AnacostiaBus Bay ENorthbound stop,Southbound terminal Metrobus: C11, C13, C15, C17, C21, C23, C25, C26, C29, C31, C41 Washington Metro:
History
Route 96 originally operated as part of the East-Capitol Hill Streetcar Line under the Washington Railway & Electric Company, which began service in 1922. The line originally as Woodley via 29th but was later replaced. Route 96 operated between Duke Ellington Bridge in Northwest and the Capitol Building. The line would operate along Calvert Street, 18th Street, U Street, Florida Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, North Capitol Street, Louisiana Avenue, and Constitution Avenue.
The line was later acquired by the Capital Traction Company and replaced by buses in 1962 operating under DC Transit. WMATA later acquired DC Transit and three other private bus companies that operated throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and merged them all together to form its own, Metrobus System on February 4, 1973.
On March 27, 1976, 96 was rerouted from the Capitol Building, and instead terminate at the Washington Union Station. Service along Constitution Avenue was discontinued.
On May 11, 1991, when the U Street station opened, route 96 began serving the newly opened U Street in the middle of its route. No route changes were made during this particular time.
In March 1995, when Routes 40 and 44 were both discontinued, and Route 42 was shorten to operate between Mount Pleasant and Metro Center, Route 96 was extended from Washington Union Station to operate to Capitol Heights station, via Stadium–Armory station, District of Columbia General Hospital, and Benning Road station. Route 96 will terminate at Stadium Armory during the weekday peak-hours only. The new routing helped out Route D6 and provided additional service between Union Station and Stadium Armory. Route 96 will mainly operate along Massachusetts Avenue and East Capitol Street.
A new route 97 was introduced to operate alongside the 96, except only operating between Union Station and Capitol Heights during the weekday peak-hours along East Capitol Street. Route 97 would operate on a different pathway between Stadium Armory and Union station mostly remaining along East Capitol Street, and turned on 1st Street, Constitution Avenue, and Louisiana Avenue. Route 96 would operate along Massachusetts Avenue to Union station. The new route would directly serve Stadium–Armory while operating both directions, but 96 would only directly serve Stadium–Armory eastbound only. Passengers wishing to board/alight on the 96, were required to do so at DC General Hospital. Also, the 97 would not serve DC General Hospital. As a result of the changes, the line was renamed the East Capitol Street–Cardozo Line.
On June 24, 2007, the 96 was extended from Duke Ellington Bridge, to McLean Gardens, operating on Calvert Street past Duke Ellington Bridge, then operating via 29th Street NW, Cathedral Avenue NW, Woodley Road NW, Wisconsin Avenue NW, Idaho Avenue NW, and Newark Street NW, in order to replace the segment of Routes 90, 92, 93 between Duke Ellington Bridge and McLean Gardens. The changes were to improve on-time performance for routes 90, 92, and 93.
On September 30, 2012, route 96 along with route X3 was extended from McLean Gardens to Tenleytown-AU station adding additional service along Wisconsin Avenue NW from McLean Gardens due to a long-term detour route to accommodate construction of Cathedral Commons in 2012.
In 2014, WMATA proposed to shorten the 96 back at Duke Ellington Bridge and reroute the line along Massachusetts Avenue NE between 11th & East Capitol Streets and Washington Union Station instead of via 1st Street and Louisiana Avenue NW. A new route 98 would replace the 96 routing between Tenleytown-AU station and U Street station for the following reasons: Improve reliability of service by operating shorter routes. Provide direct peak period service between Capitol Heights and Duke Ellington Bridge. Provide a faster more direct routing around the U.S. Capitol. Create a better balance of capacity and demand throughout the entire line.
On June 21, 2015, WMATA rerouted the 96 along Massachusetts Avenue between East Capitol Street and 1st Street NE and directly serving Station Park in order to improve reliability of service. Route 97 was unaffected from the changes.
In 2017, WMATA proposed to eliminate 96's segment between McLean Gardens and Tenleytown-AU station as it operates parallel with the 30N, 30S, 31, 33, 37, and H3, H4. The line would terminate back at Cathedral Commons which was its pre-2012 extension. Under the proposal, the turnaround would include one of the following: Option 1: From northbound Wisconsin Avenue, left on Newark Street to terminal stand on the north side of Newark Street, midblock between Wisconsin and Idaho Avenues NW. Departing the terminal, buses would proceed west on Newark Street, right on Idaho Avenue, right on Wisconsin Avenue NW and resume the current eastbound route. Option 2: From northbound Wisconsin Avenue, left on Newark Street, left on Idaho Avenue NW to terminal stand midblock on the west side of Idaho Avenue, between Newark and Macomb Streets NW. Departing the terminal, buses would proceed south on Idaho Avenue, left on Macomb Street, right on Wisconsin Avenue NW and resume the current eastbound route.