The Tenleytown-Brookland Line, designated Route C61, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Brookland station and Tenleytown station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 12 minutes between 6AM and 9PM, and 20 minutes between 9PM and 6AM daily. Trips roughly take 40-50 minutes to complete.
Background The C61 operates daily between Brookland station and Tenleytown station. The route connects Brookland and Tenleytown stations by bus without having to take the Red Line. The C61 currently operates out of Bladensburg division.
C61 stops
Bus stopDirectionConnectionsFort Drive NW / Albemarle Street NWTenleytown stationEastbound stop,Westbound terminal Washington Metro: Metrobus: C51, C81, C85, C87, D80, D82, D90 AU ShuttleWisconsin Avenue NW / Albemarle Street NWTenleytown stationEastbound Washington Metro: Metrobus: C51, C81, C85, C87, D80, D82, D90 AU ShuttleWisconsin Avenue NW / Tenley Circle NWEastbound Metrobus: C51, C81, C85, D80, D82, D90Wisconsin Avenue NW / Veazey Street NWWestbound Metrobus: C51, C85, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Van Ness Street NWEastbound Metrobus: C51, C85, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Upton Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C85, D80, D82Wisconsin Avenue NW / Rodman Street NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C85, D80, D82Porter Street NW / Wisconsin Avenue NWBidirectional Metrobus: C51, C85, D80, D82Porter Street NW / 35th Street NWBidirectional Porter Street NW / 34th Street NWBidirectionalPorter Street NW / #3040EastboundPorter Street NW / #3055Westbound Porter Street NW / Connecticut Avenue NWCleveland Park stationBidirectional Washington Metro: Metrobus: D70, D72Porter Street NW / #2723Westbound Metrobus: D72 Porter Street NW / #2724Eastbound Metrobus: D72Porter Street NW / #2501Westbound Metrobus: D72Porter Street NW / #2500Eastbound Metrobus: D72Adams Mill Road NW / Klingle Road NWWestbound Metrobus: D72Adams Mill Road NW / Walbridge Place NWBidirectional Irving Street NW / Adams Mill Road NWEastbound Adams Mill Road NW / Irving Street NWWestbound Harvard Street NW / Adams Mill Road NWWestbound Irving Street NW / Hobart Street NWEastboundHarvard Street NW / Argonne Place NWWestbound Metrobus: D72, D74Irving Street NW / 16th Street NWEastbound Metrobus: D60, D6X, D72, D74Columbia Road NW / 16th Street NWWestboundD60, D6X, D72, D74Irving Street NW / 14th Street NWColumbia Heights stationEastbound Washington Metro: Metrobus: D50, D5X, D74Columbia Road NW / 14th Street NWColumbia Heights stationWestbound Washington Metro: Metrobus: D50, D5X, D74Irving Street NW / 13th Street NWEastbound Metrobus: D74 Columbia Road NW / 13th Street NWWestbound Metrobus: D74 Irving Street NW / 11th Street NWEastbound Metrobus: C63, D44, D74Columbia Road NW / 11th Street NWWestbound Metrobus: C63, D44, D74Irving Street NW / Georgia Avenue NWEastbound Metrobus: C63, D40, D4XColumbia Road NW / Georgia Avenue NWWestbound Metrobus: C63, D40, D4XIrving Street NW / Warder Street NWEastbound Metrobus: C63Columbia Road NW / Warder Street NWWestbound Metrobus: C63Irving Street NW / Park Place NWEastbound Metrobus: C63First Street NW / Hospital Center Drive NWBidirectional Metrobus: C63, D36First Street NW / Michigan Avenue NWWestbound Metrobus: C63, D36Michigan Avenue NW / First Street NWEastbound Metrobus: C63, D36 Michigan Avenue NW / North Capitol Street NW Eastbound Metrobus: C63, D30, D36Michigan Avenue NE / North Capitol Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C63, D30, D36Michigan Avenue NE / Franklin Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C63, D30Michigan Avenue NE / Irving Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C63, D30 Michigan Avenue NE / 4th Street NEEastbound Metrobus: C63, D30 Michigan Avenue NE / Gibbons HallCatholic University of AmericaWestbound Metrobus: C63, D30Monroe Street NE / 7th Street NEBidirectional Metrobus: C63, D30, D34Brookland stationBus Bay BWestbound stop,Eastbound terminal Washington Metro: Metrobus: C63, D30, D34, D74, P33 CUA Shuttle: Blue, Green ACHS Shuttle: Brookland Metro Metropolitan Branch Trail
History
Routes H2 and H4 originally operated under streetcars by the Capital Traction Company. The line was then made into buses in the 1920s. Routes H2 and H4 operated between Fort Lincoln and Westmoreland Circle connecting Tenleytown, Forest Hills, Cleveland Park, Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights, Rock Creek Park, Brookland along Yuma Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, Porter Street NW (H4), Van Ness/Veazey Street NW (H2), Connecticut Avenue (H2), Columbia Road NW, Irving Street NW, Michigan Avenue NW/NE, Franklin Street NE, and 14th Street NE. It mostly provides service in outer DC without having to enter Downtown.
The line was later acquired by DC Transit in 1956 and later diverted to serve the Washington Hospital Complexes along 1st Street. It later became a Metrobus route in 1973.
On February 19, 1978, after Brookland–CUA station opened, routes H2 and H4 were diverted off Monroe Street to serve the new station. This gives residents access to the Red Line on its route. No route changes were made during its route.
On August 25, 1984, routes H2 and H4 were rerouted off Tenley Circle to serve Tenleytown–AU station in the middle of its route when it opened. No route changes were made on the route.
On September 18, 1999, after Columbia Heights station Route H2 was shorten to terminate at Van Ness–UDC station and Route H4 was shorten to terminate at Tenleytown–AU station. Service to Westmoreland Circle and along Yuma Street was replaced by a new route N8 which will operate between Van Ness and Wesley Heights. This was due to resident complaint along Yuma Street and Tenleytown over H2 and H4 buses making loud noises along Yuma street causing noise pollution and damage to homes. The new N8 solves the noise complaint problem by using smaller and quieter 30 ft buses. Routes H2 and H4 were also shorten from Fort Lincoln to Brookland–CUA station with the portion between the two points was replaced by a new route H6 which operates on the former route H2 and H4 routing.
A new route H3 was introduced to operate alongside route H4 during the weekday peak-hours between Brookland and Tenleytown stations following route H2's routing in Mount Pleasant and route H4 routing along Porter Street and Wisconsin Avenue plus operating along Reno Road. The main difference is route H3 would not serve the Hospital Complexes along 1st street and instead remain along Michigan Avenue.
On June 25, 2000, route H3 was rerouted along the H4 routing on Mount Pleasant Street, Park and Klingle roads instead of operating along Adams Mill Road, Irving Street, and Harvard Street where the H2 operates.
In 2010 during WMATA's FY2011 budget year, WMATA proposed to reroute route H2 back to Tenleytown–AU station discontinuing service to Van Ness–UDC station in order to replace route N8 which is proposed to be eliminated due to declining ridership. Route H2 would operate along Van Ness Street, Reno Road, Veazey Street, and Wisconsin Avenue. Route H3 would also be rerouted between the intersections of Porter Street & Reno Road NW and Wisconsin Avenue & Veazey Street NW via Porter Street and Wisconsin Avenue which follows the current H4 route. Alternative service along Connecticut Avenue to Van Ness will be available on routes L1, L2, and L4.
On December 19, 2010, route H2 was rerouted to turn on Van Ness Street, Reno Road, Veazey Street, and Wisconsin Avenue to serve Tenleytown–AU station in order to replace the N8 routing along those streets which was shortened to Tenleytown station. Route H3 service was also rerouted to remain on Porter Street and turn onto Wisconsin Avenue and follow the H4 routing to Tenleytown station. Service along Reno Street where the H3 operated plus H2 service to Van Ness–UDC station, and H3 service inside the Hospital Complex was discontinued. Routes L1, L2, and L4 took over the discontinued portion of the H2 along Connecticut Avenue but there was no alternative service is provided on Reno Road.
In September 2013, during WMATA's FY2014 budget year, WMATA proposed to convert route H3 into a MetroExtra limited-stop route and extend the route to Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station via 12th street and Rhode Island Avenue. This was to provide a more direct connection between Rhode Island Ave station, the hospital center complex, and Columbia Heights and provide a faster ride across town by limiting the number of stops. The current H3 routing between Brookland and Tenleytown, weekday service frequency and span of service will remain unaffected. Route H3 will serve the following stops: Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station Brookland–CUA station Michigan Avenue & 1st Street NW Georgia Avenue 11th Street 14th Street 16th Street Park Road & Mount Pleasant Street Porter Street & Connecticut Avenue Porter Street & Wisconsin Avenue Tenleytown–AU station Existing local stops will still be provided by routes H2 and H4.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all route H3 was suspended and route H2 and H4 was reduced to operate on its Saturday supplemental schedule beginning on March 16, 2020. However on March 18, 2020, the line was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule. On March 21, 2020, route H2 weekend service was suspended and route H4 service was reduced to operate every 30 minutes. Additional service was added and Route H2 weekend service was restored on August 23, 2020, however route H3 remained suspended.
In September 2020, WMATA proposed to eliminate all route H3 service due to low federal funds. 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 H4 between July and December 2021 in the first half of the fiscal year. However in the second half of the fiscal year beginning in January 2022, WMATA proposed to reroute the H2 and H4 to Friendship Heights station via Connecticut Avenue NW north of Calvert Street NW to replace the L1 and L2 beginning in January 2022. WMATA also proposed to operate the H2 via Columbia Road and Calvert Streets NW to Connecticut Avenue and eliminate service on Adams Mill Road & Harvard Street NW. Service after midnight, and service to Tenleytown–AU station, on Porter Street between Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues, Wisconsin Avenue, and on Van Ness Street between Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues and on Veazey Street would be eliminated. 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 H4.
On June 10, 2021, WMATA proposed to increase the H2 and H4 to operate every 12 minutes daily between 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily as part of WMATA's Pandemic Recovery Plan.
On September 5, 2021, service was increased to operate every 12 minutes between both routes between 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. However, route H3 service was never restored.
Due to rising cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the line was reduced to its Saturday service on weekdays. Full weekday service resumed on February 7, 2022.
On December 17, 2023, new 24 hour service was added to Route H4.
Better Bus Redesign 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.