WMATA Announces Service Changes to Nine Maryland Bus Routes

WASHINGTON — Commuters in Prince George’s County will notice changes to their Metrobus service beginning Sunday as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) rolls out adjustments to nine Maryland routes.

The modifications come just months after June’s Better Bus Network launch, which redesigned dozens of routes across the region. WMATA said this next round of changes is driven by rider demand, schedule reliability, and employee feedback.

“These changes will improve on-time performance and expand service,” the agency noted in a statement. Officials emphasized that this marks only the first wave of post-rollout tweaks, with additional rounds expected in the future.

Routes Affected

All nine routes affected begin with the letter “P” to designate their service in Prince George’s County. Here’s a closer look at the routes and what riders can expect:

P14 — Kenilworth Avenue

Weekdays: The first southbound trip from Greenbelt will leave earlier, at 5 a.m. instead of 5:15 a.m.
Weekends: Adjusted schedules will improve service reliability for both Saturday and Sunday trips.

P32 — Greenbelt–Fort Totten

Weekdays: A revised timetable will improve service reliability.
Riders on both the P32 and P35 routes will benefit from a combined frequency upgrade to and from Fort Totten, giving more consistent service to customers who can use either route.

P33 — Queens Chapel Road

Weekends: Saturday and Sunday evening trips will be adjusted to better match ridership patterns and improve reliability.

P35 — New Carrollton–Fort Totten

Weekdays: Like the P32, the P35 schedule will be adjusted for reliability.
P32 and P35 will run on a coordinated schedule to provide improved combined service frequency into Fort Totten.

P40 — Annapolis Road

Earlier Departures:
- Weekdays: An earlier westbound trip will now leave New Carrollton at 4:45 a.m.
- Saturdays: An earlier westbound trip will leave New Carrollton at 6:20 a.m.
All Days: Adjusted schedules will improve timing and reduce gaps throughout the week.

P60 — Martin L. King, Jr. Highway–Suitland

Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays: Revised schedules will enhance service reliability across the board.

P61 — Glenarden–Suitland

Responding to high ridership during early morning hours, WMATA is expanding the schedule:

Weekdays: Earlier northbound trips from Suitland at 4:42 a.m. and 5:12 a.m., plus earlier southbound trips from New Carrollton at 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
Saturdays: Earlier trips added at 5:45 a.m. in both directions.
Sundays: Earlier trips added at 6:45, 7:15, and 7:45 a.m. in both directions.
All Days: Trip time adjustments will be implemented to maintain reliability.

P62 — Deanwood–Branch Avenue

Weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays: Adjusted schedules to improve performance and reduce delays.

P72 — Central Avenue–Bowie

New Stop Added: Buses will now serve a new stop at the Bowie Health Center, located just west of the Health Center Drive traffic circle. (Stop ID: 3002626)

Why the Changes Matter

For daily riders, even small schedule adjustments can have significant impacts. WMATA says the tweaks are based on data analysis and rider input, with two main goals:

On-Time Performance — Many of the changes focus on improving reliability by fine-tuning departure times and spacing out trips.
Expanded Service — The addition of earlier trips, especially on the P40 and P61, reflects WMATA’s recognition of growing demand among early-morning workers, including those commuting to jobs with pre-dawn start times.

Rider and Community Feedback

WMATA officials say rider and operator feedback has been critical in shaping the new schedules. Several of the earlier departures were requested by passengers who faced long waits or overcrowded buses during early shifts.

“Listening to our riders and frontline employees is an important part of making this new network work better,” the agency said.

What Comes Next

The Better Bus Network rollout was billed as the largest redesign in WMATA history, but officials always cautioned that further fine-tuning would be necessary once the new system was in place. Sunday’s changes are being described as the first phase of an ongoing process.

Riders should expect additional updates later this year as WMATA continues to monitor ridership data and field community input.

For now, commuters in Prince George’s County are advised to check the latest schedules online or through WMATA’s bus app before traveling.