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Riggs Road Line

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R1, R2
Riggs Road Line
Route R1 at Fort Totten with a Route R2 behind it.
Overview
SystemMetrobus
OperatorWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
GarageBladensburg
LiveryLocal
StatusIn Service
Began serviceR1: 1993
R2: 1978
Ended serviceR8, R9: December 11, 1993
R5: June 17, 2012
Route
LocalePrince George's County, Montgomery County, Northeast
Communities servedCalverton, Beltsville, Westfarm, Adelphi, Langley Park, Lewisdale, Hyattsville, Riggs Park
Landmarks servedWhite Oak Adventist Medical Center (R2), Federal Research Center of Adelphi (R2), Presidential Park (R1), 23rd Avenue (R2)
StartAdelphi (R1)
Calverton (R2)
ViaRiggs Road
EndFort Totten station
Service
LevelR1: Weekday Peak Hour Service Only
R2: Daily
Frequency30-35 minutes
Weekend frequency60 minutes
Operates4:35 AM – 11:30 PM
Ridership165,008 (R1, FY 2024)[1]
971,495 (R2, FY 2024)[1]
TransfersSmarTrip only
TimetableRiggs Road Line
← Q6  {{{system_nav}}}  R4 →

The Riggs Road Line, designated as Routes R1 & R2, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Fort Totten station of the Red and Green Lines of the Washington Metro & Adelphi (R1) or Calverton (R2). Routes R1 & R2 operate every 20 minutes during peak hours and route R2 operates every 35–60 minutes at other times on weekdays, and 60 minutes on the weekends. R1 trips are roughly 32 minutes and R2 trips are roughly 55 minutes.

Background

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Route R1 and R2 provides service along Riggs Road between Fort Totten station and Adelphi or Calverton. Route R1 operates in the weekday peak-hour direction only while route R2 operates daily. The line operates every 20–30 minutes during weekday peak hours, 35 minutes at all other times on weekdays, and 55-65 on the weekends.

Routes R1 and R2 currently operates from Bladensburg division but had some trips operated by Northern division during peak hours until 2018. The line often utilizes articulated buses due to its high ridership volume.[2]

R1 stops

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R2 stops

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History

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The Riggs Road Line was originally operated by routes R8 and R9 beginning in the 1970s running from Downtown DC to Calverton. Around the late 1970s, service to Downtown was discontinued and was replaced by the Red Line.[3]

In 1975, the R2 was created as a new Metrobus Route to operate as part of the Calverton-Kennedy Center Line between the Kennedy Center and Great Oaks Center (Calverton), via F Street NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, 19th Street NW (southbound), 18th Street NW (northbound), Connecticut Avenue NW, Columbia Road NW, Harvard Street NW (northbound), Mount Pleasant Street NW (northbound), Irving Street NW (eastbound), Park Place NW (southbound), Michigan Avenue NW/NE, Queens Chapel Road, Belcrest Road, the Prince George's Plaza Shopping Center, Toledo Road, Adelphi Road, Campus Drive, Baltimore Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, Powder Mill Road, and Cherry Hill Road. On February 6, 1978, the R2 was rerouted to serve as part of the Queens Chapel Road Line running with routes R4, R6, and R7. Route R2 operated between the newly opened Brookland–CUA station and Centerpark Office Park in Calverton, via Queens Chapel Road, Belcrest Road, Prince George's Plaza, Baltimore Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, and Powder Mill Road.[3]

In 1975 the R4 was created as a new Metrobus Route to operate as part of the Crystal City-Calverton Line between Crystal City in Virginia and Great Oaks Center (Calverton), via the 14th Street bridges, Independence Avenue, 1st Street NE, Columbus Circle, Washington Union Station, Massachusetts Avenue NE, North Capitol Street NW, Riggs Road, Powder Mill Road, Beltsville Drive, Calverton Boulevard, and Cherry Hill Road.[4]

Around the same time, route R8 along with the R4 would operate between Calverton and Crystal City station but would later be shortened to Fort Totten station. Route R5 would also operate between Fort McNair and Kennedy Center but would be later replaced.

On February 19, 1978,[4] shortly after both Fort Totten station and Brookland–CUA stations opened, the R4 was rerouted to operate as part of the Queens Chapel Road Line between Brookland-CUA and Hyattsville. Once this change took place, the R8 replaced R4's routing on the Riggs Road Corridor, by operating between the Fort Totten station and Great Oaks Center (Calverton). In later years, the R9 would join the R8.

On December 11, 1993,[3] Routes R8 and R9 were discontinued and replaced by the R2, originally apart of the Queens Chapel Road Line, which was rerouted to operate between Fort Totten station and Great Oaks Center (Calverton), via Prince George's Plaza station and Prince George's Plaza, and Riggs Road. Service to Brookland–CUA was replaced by the R4.

Also, new Routes R1 and R5 would join the R2. Route R1 would only operate between Fort Totten and Adelphi during the weekday peak hours, skipping the R2's diversion into Lewisdale and Prince George's Plaza and remaining on Riggs Road. The route would make a loop through Adelphi via Metzerott Road, New Hampshire Avenue, Adelphi Road, and Edwards Way, to reach its terminus at Edwards Way & Riggs Road (Adelphi). Route R5 would also operate during the weekday peak hours and would follow the R2's routing except the route would skip Prince George's Plaza.[3]

Later around the 1990s, Route R7, which operated as part of the Queens Chapel Road Line alongside Routes R2, R4, and R6, was restored to operate as part of the Riggs Road Line between the Fort Totten station and Great Oaks Center (Calverton), via R2 and R5's routing but except it would divert into the United States Army Research Laboratory along Floral Drive.[3][2] The R7 would also skip the R2's diversion to Prince George's Plaza.

In June 1996 when the Great Oaks Center closed,[5][6] the R2, R5, and R7 Metrobus Routes were rerouted to terminate at the Orchard Shopping Center.

In 1998, route R7 was eliminated due to security concerns at the United States Army Research Laboratory. Service was replaced by route R2.[2]

On May 15, 2003, the original bus bays inside Prince Georges Plaza Shopping Center, were demolished to build a new Target store. Route R2 along with routes 86, C4, F4, F6, F8, R3, R4 and TheBus 13, 14, 18 have stopped entering and looping inside around the mall.[7] This change did not affect routes R1 or R5.

In 2010, a series of proposals were created for Routes R2 and R5 as part of WMATA's FY2011 and FY2012 budget.[8] In the proposal, WMATA was to reroute route R2 into Lewisdale neighborhood along 23rd avenue and University Boulevard replacing route R3, which is proposed to be eliminated. Route R2 would also discontinue service to Prince George's Plaza station with alternative service provided by routes C4, F4, and TheBus 18. Route R5 would be discontinued and replaced by a more frequent R2 service. Route R1 would not be affected by the changes.[8]

The proposal would be brought up again in 2011 sharing the same proposal idea from the 2010 proposed changes.[9][10]

On June 17, 2012, Route R2 was changed to operate along 23rd Avenue, and University Boulevard before resuming its regular route along Riggs Road to serve the Lewisdale neighborhood, which replaced the R3 which was shortened to terminate at Prince George's Plaza. Service to Prince George's Plaza was discontinued and replaced by TheBus Route 18. Route R5 was also discontinued and replaced by additional R1 and R2 service.[11]

On December 30, 2018, WMATA announced a proposal to make changes to the R2 routing.[12]

One proposal was to extend the R2 beyond Calverton to Muirkirk station on the MARC Camden Line or to Greenbelt station discontinuing the Calverton loop.[13]

The second proposal was to eliminate the segment of Route R2 service 23rd Avenue in Lewisdale and discontinue the R1 completely to create a more direct route for the R2 and to simplify the line.[14][15] The discontinued segments in Lewisdale would be replaced by a rerouted route F8 and the already running TheBus route 18. Route F8 was proposed to make all stops on the proposed discontinued route R2 service in Lewisdale and discontinue service along Adelphi road.[16] If the proposals are made, the R2 would provide a more direct route to Calverton or Fort Totten for customer convenience with the R1 being discontinued due to it being a duplication of the R2.

Other proposals mentioned that weren't considered were the following:[17]

  • Creating a new MetroExtra route for the Riggs Road Line.
  • Moving either route R1 or R2 terminal to Prince George's Plaza (now Hyattsville Crossing) station with the other route remaining at Fort Totten station.
  • Rerouting route R1 to Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center discontinuing service to Adelphi.
  • Giving route R1 daily service but having route R2 be rerouted to Prince George's Plaza (now Hyattsville Crossing) station from Calverton.
  • Swap route R1 and R2 routing in Lewisdale with R2 remaining on Riggs Road while R1 is rerouted along 23rd Avenue and University Boulevard.

None of the proposals went through due to public feedback.[18][17]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all route R1 service was suspended and route R2 was reduced to operate on its Saturday schedule beginning on March 16, 2020.[19] However on March 18, 2020, route R2 was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule with weekend service suspended beginning on March 21, 2020.[20][21] Route R1 was brought back to service on August 23, 2020 while route R2 resumed its regular schedule on the same day.[22]

As part of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign beginning on June 29, 2025, the line was changed. Route R1 was renamed into the P15 and rerouted to serve the Lewisdale neighborhood, with the rest of the routing remaining the same. Route R2 was renamed into the P16 and was rerouted to not serve Cherry Hill Road, and instead have bidirectional service along Calverton Boulevard.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Metrobus FY2024 Annual Line Performance Report" (PDF). wmata.com. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Technical Memorandum #1: Transit Service Assessment" (PDF). Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Pierre, Robert. "METRO SHUFFLING ITS BUS SCHEDULE". Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Major Bus Route Changes Set Tuesday". Washington Post. December 20, 2023. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "The Great Exodus at Md.'s Great Oaks". Washington Post. January 7, 2024. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Maryland State Archives - Guide to Government Records". guide.msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  7. ^ "Metrobus service suspended at Prince Georges Plaza". www.gazette.net. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "MARYLAND PROPOSED BUS SERVICE CHANGES : FISCAL YEAR 2011" (PDF). Wmata.com\accessdate=23 February 2020.
  9. ^ "B11-03: Proposed Adjustments to Metrobus Service; October 11-13, 2011". Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  10. ^ "Notice of Public Hearing Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Proposed Adjustments to Metrobus Service Docket B11-03" (PDF). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  11. ^ "Metro News Release". wmata.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  12. ^ "Riggs Road Service Evaluation Study - WMATA". www.wmata.com.
  13. ^ "Riggs-Road-Proposal-1-R2-Extension-map.pdf" (PDF). wmata.com. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  14. ^ "Riggs-Road-Proposal-2-Adelphi-loop-alternatives-map.pdf" (PDF). wmata.com. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  15. ^ "Riggs-Road-Proposal-2-New-Riggs-Road-Line-R2-map.pdf" (PDF). wmata.com. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  16. ^ "Riggs-Road-Proposal-2-A-Adelphi-Road-F8-reroute-map.pdf" (PDF). wmata.com. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  17. ^ a b "Technical Memorandum #3: Service Plan Recommendations" (PDF). Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "Technical Memorandum #2: Public Outreach and Input Report" (PDF). Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Metro announces additional COVID-19 changes, including reduced service beginning Monday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  20. ^ "Metro Service Levels & Hours Further Reduced to Support Essential Trips Only, Starting Wednesday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  21. ^ "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. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  22. ^ "Metrobus Service Changes beginning August 23 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  23. ^ "Metro Board of Directors approves Better Bus Network Redesign, new bus routes to start next summer". WMATA. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
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