Starting June 29, the J1 and J2 Metrobus lines are being removed in favor of the M70 as a part of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA), Better Bus Network Redesign. The M70 will mirror the current J2 line but will feature 18 fewer stops.
WMATA’s Better Bus Network is the first major overhaul of the Metrobus network in 50 years and is a complete revamp of the current system. WMATA’s goals for the network include, “Better connecting people to where they want to go; providing more frequent, consistent bus service, advancing access to opportunity for Equity Focus Communities, make bus service easier to understand and prepare WMATA for the future,” according to WMATA’s website.
The Better Bus Network, when instituted, will increase bus service by an estimated 7% while removing 5% of all stops in the Metrobus system, replacing the current routes and naming system with a simpler, uniform design. The more manageable routes will now be named off the broader regional area they are in, with the “M” in the new M70 line standing for Montgomery County.
WMATA announced the Better Bus Redesign in 2022, undergoing a three-phase process that included years of planning, taking feedback and attempting to adapt the new system to fit the needs of the community.
“We heard from customers all over the region. During the planning phase, we held about 225 different events and we got over 21,000 comments and we read every single one,” said WMATA Senior Vice President of Planning and Sustainability Allison Davis at a briefing to the WMATA Safety and Operations committee on May 15th.
This new system may be overwhelming for riders, especially many WJ students who have grown familiar with the current routes. WMATA is spending the last few days leading up to the June 29 launch date communicating information about the new system to communities and trying to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.
“We encourage all riders to take the new system one ride at a time,” WMATA Chief Experience & Engagement Officer Sarah Meyer said in the same briefing alongside her colleague Davis.
However smooth WMATA can try to make the transition, it goes without saying that things will go wrong. WMATA asks for people’s patience and understanding and promises to flesh out any major errors by December.
“It might not be quicker because we have to wait more time for each kid to get off at each stop, so it could cause more of a downtime at stops,” sophomore Ian Volchok said.
Many students rely on the Metrobus system to get to and from WJ. Fortunately for this demographic of students who may have trouble adapting, the changes to the bus system come after the end of school on June 17th.
An even larger number of students ride the bus on a more passive schedule, riding the iconic red and gray buses to get around the area. Common stops for students feature Montgomery Mall and the Grosvenor Metro. The new system increases focus on these “hotspots” of the Metrobus, and tries to minimize slower, more idle stops.
“I ride the J2 bus to the rec center to play basketball after school a lot and it can take up to 30 minutes just to get to downtown Bethesda so I hope it will be quicker with the new system,” junior Jacob Yi said.
WMATA’s current focus is on simply implementing the program and getting the less-accessible communities, such as senior citizens and others who aren’t technologically equipped enough to find all the info WMATA has put out online, informed and adapted to the new bus system.
As the summer progresses, a greater focus will be put on students and schools as school systems across the region will pick back up in late August and September.
“We are going to flex very hard leading up to this and over the period of time after this,” WMATA CEO Randy Clarke said at a Board of Directors meeting on May 15th. “Then we’ll do that second round really focused on schools as we move towards the end of summer, because that’s a different customer base.”
New signs can already be viewed across the area, with the new lines labeled underneath the current lines and a subprint reading, “Starts June 29, 2025.” WMATA encourages people to check out their social media accounts and use the Trip Planner tool on their website at https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/ to prepare for the update.
