The Metrobus New Hampshire Avenue-Maryland Line Study (En Español)

Quick Facts:

• Who is involved? The study is a partnership between Metro, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT), and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT), and the City of Takoma Park.
  
• What is being studied? Metrobus route K6.
• Where is the corridor located? The existing K6 route runs from Fort Totten Metro in DC north along New Hampshire Avenue through the Maryland communities of Chillum, Langley Park, Northwest Park, and Hillandale to White Oak Shopping Center.
• Why was this corridor chosen for study? About 5,800 passengers use the line on an average weekday, one of the highest Metrobus riderships in Maryland. Service on the line is reported to have some reliability issues; these will be identified as the study progresses.
• How will service on the line be improved? The study is now complete and recommendations have been made in the Final Report. The next step in the process is for the WMATA Board to approve the recommendations, after which the project team will develop an implementation plan and timeline. The initial phase of implementation is expected to take place in mid-2012.

Timetables and Maps:

Click here for a downloadable schedule of the current service for route K6.

Click on the icon below for a full-size map of the existing K6 corridor.

Reports and Publications:

- K6 Final Report
- K6 Results of Public Meeting #2
- K6 Public Meeting #2, Presentation (draft recommendations)
- K6 Public Meeting #2, Display Boards (draft recommendations)
- K6 Technical Memorandum #1, Draft Transit Service Assessment
- K6 Technical Memorandum #2, Draft Summary of Traffic Operations
- K6 Results of Public Meeting #1
- K6 Public Meeting #1, Presentation
- K6 Public Meeting #1, Display Boards
- K6 Factsheet
- K6 Newsletter, May 2010
- K6 results of the Rider Survey

As the study progresses, more downloadable documents that support the study will be linked to this page.

Events:

Public Meeting #2

The second and final public meeting for the K6 Line study took place at Takoma Park Recreation Center on the evening of Thursday, October 21, 2010. Metro and its partner agencies presented the preliminary recommendations for improvements to the K6 Line and listened to participant comments about them. The study team will now take the recommendations to the Metro Board for approval. Pending their approval, the first phase of improvements to the K6 Line is expected to take place in mid-2011.

Public Meeting #1

Metro and its partner agencies held the first of two public meetings for the K6 Line study on May 12, 2010, at the Langley Park Community Center in Hyattsville. The purpose of the meeting was to assemble K6 riders and hear their comments about issues facing the line and suggestions on how to improve transit service along New Hampshire Avenue. The first half hour of the meeting consisted of an open house, followed by a 20-minute presentation and hour-long group discussion. Armed with the information collected at the meeting, the study team will now explore options for improving K6 Line service and present draft recommendations at the second public meeting to be held in either late June or early July 2010.

Rider Survey Conducted

The first public outreach task for the K6 Line Study was the rider survey. On April 21, Metro and its partner agencies distributed paper surveys at select bus stops on the K6 route. The surveys were also hung from the overhead railings on buses that serve these routes. Riders completed their surveys on the bus and placed them in marked pouches, or sent them in the mail later postage-paid. The purpose of the survey was to collect feedback from riders about what needs to be improved on the line; it asked questions about the quality of buses, bus stops, and bus drivers; factors that affect trips; safety and security; and other service or operations enhancements riders would like to see. While the paper survey was administered on only one day, the on-line version was available for several months. The final results of the rider survey can be seen here.