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WMATA 2025 redesign will bring more frequent, continuous bus service to Mount Rainier, council told
Summary
Councilmember Jarrett Stolzkiewicz summarized WMATA’s 2025 bus network redesign: routes will be renamed and restructured (e.g., G8→D34, B2→C41) to provide more continuous, frequent service and new one‑seat connections to West Hyattsville and Anacostia stations; implementation is planned for spring/summer 2025 pending Metro board approval.
Councilmember Jarrett Stolzkiewicz briefed the Nov. 19 work session on WMATA’s Better Bus network redesign and its likely effects on Mount Rainier. Stolzkiewicz said the redesign aims to provide more frequent, consistent service on key corridors while consolidating some overlapping routes. He highlighted specific changes: the G8 would be renamed D34 and extended to West Hyattsville Metro; the B2 would be renamed C41 and provide new connections down Bladensburg Road to Anacostia Metro; and service on Rhode Island Avenue will be simplified and increased in frequency.
Stolzkiewicz said these changes should improve access for transit‑dependent residents and provide more one‑seat rides to stations that previously required transfers or long walks. He recommended waiting for Metro board approval (expected this month, possibly delayed) before initiating negotiations with WMATA about downtown bus‑bay use; he said continued route extensions may open opportunities to reclaim some downtown space for civic green or other uses.
Council members raised follow‑ups: timing for Metro board action, potential January engagement with WMATA after approval, and the implications for local street redesign and traffic calming. One councilmember cautioned about preserving access for large service vehicles (garbage trucks) when considering aggressive traffic‑calming measures on corridors that could be affected by route changes.
Stolzkiewicz framed the redesign as an important improvement for a dense, transit‑reliant city, noting that in parts of Mount Rainier up to 40% of households are transit‑dependent.
