Pennsylvania Avenue Line (Washington, D.C.)
The Pennsylvania Avenue Line, designated Routes 32, 34, and 36, is a daily Metrobus route in Washington, D.C., Operating between the Southern Avenue station or Naylor Road station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro and the Archives station of the Green and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro or Potomac Park. Until the 1960s, it was a streetcar line, opened in 1862 by the Washington and Georgetown Railroad as the first line in the city.
The current routing also incorporates portions of the Naylor Road Line, formerly a standalone route.
Current route
Route 32 and 36 begin at the Potomac Park apartments near the Foggy Bottom–GWU station and follow H and I Streets to Pennsylvania Avenue. Route 34 begins at the Archives station and continues east along the same route. The three bus routes travel across Southeast and over the Sousa Bridge. At L'Enfant Square, the routes separate. Routes 32 and 34 take Naylor Road, while Route 36 continues along Pennsylvania to Branch Avenue. Route 32 terminates at the Southern Avenue station, just across the Maryland border, while Routes 34 and 36 finish at Naylor Road station, also in Maryland. Both stations are served by the Green Line.Routes 32 and 36 operate seven days a week, but Route 34 only operates on weekdays. All three routes are supplemented by the Friendship Heights–Southeast Line, operated by Routes 30N and 30S, which traverse the same route as the 32, 34, and 36, but continue north along Wisconsin Avenue to Friendship Heights.
The line currently operates out of Andrews Federal Center division with some trips operated out of Shepherd Parkway division. Prior to being moved to Andrews, the line operated both out of Bladensburg and Western division at some points.
Route 32 stops
Route 34 stops
Route 36 stops
History
The Pennsylvania Avenue Line was the main line of the Capital Traction Company, connecting Georgetown to the Navy Yard. As authorized in the charter, it began at M Street North and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, and headed east and southeast across Rock Creek on the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge. Because the White House and Capitol lie directly in the line of Pennsylvania Avenue, diversions were made around the White House to the north and east via 15th Street Northwest and around the south edge of the Capitol Grounds. At the time, this meant that it turned south along the current western boundary between the two traffic circles, but continued to curve southeast and east to the intersection of A Street South and First Street East, where Pennsylvania Avenue restarted. The line continued along Pennsylvania Avenue to Eighth Street Southeast, turning south to end at the Navy Yard. A branch to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station ran northeast from Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street West to New Jersey Avenue and B Street North, heading east on B Street and south just east of the Capitol to rejoin the main line. Trains began running between the Capitol and White House on July 29, 1862, and the line was extended west to Washington Circle on August 12, Georgetown on August 18, and east to the Navy Yard on October 2. Connections could also be made to the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station at Sixth Street once it opened in 1872.On March 3, 1875, the Washington and Georgetown and Metropolitan Railroad were "directed to take up such portions of their tracks as may come in way of the improvement of the Capitol Grounds". This improvement gave the Capitol Grounds their present shape, bounded by First Street West and East and B Street North and South, and the Pennsylvania Avenue Line was moved to First Street West and B Street South. The B&O station branch was moved to First Avenue West and C Street North, ending at New Jersey Avenue; this had been the route of the B&O before its tracks were ripped up in 1872.
Also on March 3, 1875, the Washington and Georgetown was required to move its line from the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge to the M Street Bridge via 26th Street West. The old bridge was reconstructed in the mid-1910s, with Capital Traction paying one-third of the cost, and cars moved back to Pennsylvania on July 7, 1916, and July 15.
On August 23, 1894, the company was required to, within a year, build a union station at the Georgetown end of the Aqueduct Bridge and extend its line west to it, where passengers could transfer to lines into Virginia.
The Pennsylvania Avenue Line was extended southeast to the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge over the Anacostia River in the late 1890s, with some cars running there and some continuing to serve the Navy Yard.
A loop off the line through the West End of Washington was authorized on June 4, 1900 and opened on March 24, 1901. Westbound cars could turn south on 17th Street West, west on G Street North, and north on 25th Street West to return to Pennsylvania Avenue, while the eastbound track was laid in 26th Street West, F Street North, and 17th Street West. A track in G Street between 25th and 26th Streets allowed for a short-turn service, reversing direction at 26th Street.
On May 23, 1908, Congress authorized extensions of several companies to serve the new Union Station. The Capital Traction's branch to the old B&O station was extended east on C Street and northeast on Delaware Avenue to the station, and a second route between this branch and the tracks towards the east ran via First Street East and B Street North to Delaware Avenue.
A second loop through the West End was approved on December 7, 1916, from Pennsylvania Avenue south to Virginia Avenue near West Potomac Park via 18th and 19th Streets.
After consolidation
After Capital Traction and the Washington Railway and Electric Company were merged in 1933 to form the Capital Transit Company, some of the redundant lines were abandoned. This included the WR&E's Georgetown line between Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues, resulting in Cabin John Line and Tenleytown Line cars, and cars of other lines that ran to Georgetown, being routed via Pennsylvania Avenue between Georgetown and the White House. When numbers were assigned to the car routes in 1936, the following regular routes used the Pennsylvania Avenue Line:- 10, Rosslyn to Kenilworth via the Pennsylvania Avenue Line and ex-WR&E Columbia Line
- 20, Cabin John to Union Station via the ex-WR&E Cabin John Line and Pennsylvania Avenue Line
- 30, Friendship Heights to Barney Circle via the ex-WR&E Tennallytown Line and Pennsylvania Avenue Line
- 54, Brightwood to the Navy Yard via the Fourteenth Street Line and Pennsylvania Avenue Line
- 80, Rosslyn to Brookland via the Pennsylvania Avenue Line and ex-WR&E Brookland Line
- 82, Potomac Park to Branchville via the Pennsylvania Avenue Line and ex-WR&E Maryland Line
- 90, Calvert Street Bridge to Barney Circle via the U Street Line, New Jersey Avenue Line, and Pennsylvania Avenue Line
The East Washington Heights Traction Company's streetcars, which ran from Barney Circle to Randle Highlands via the Sousa Bridge, were replaced by buses on December 1, 1923, originally numbered Route C2 in 1936, before eventually being renamed as routes, "32 & 34". The 32 streetcar line operated between Shipley Terrace & Friendship Heights; while the 34 streetcar line operated between Hillcrest & Friendship Heights.
The Capital Traction Company began operating buses to Hillcrest and Good Hope on December 23, 1924, originally numbered as Route C6 in 1936, before eventually being renamed as routes, "35 & 36". Both the 35 & 36 bus routes operated between Hillcrest & Friendship Heights, just like the 34 bus route, only with the exception that 35 & 36 would divert off of the intersection of Naylor Road SE onto the intersection of Branch Avenue SE, then operate on Branch Avenue SE, before operating on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, while 34 would remain straight on Naylor Road SE, then divert onto 23rd Street SE, 25th Street SE, and Minnesota Avenue SE, before operating on Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
Later, routes 32, 34, 35, and 36 would operate under DC Transit after streetcars were phased out. Routes 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 eventually became Metrobus routes on February 4, 1973 when WMATA acquired DC Transit and three other transit agencies all operating their original routes.
Service changes
1977 Service Changes
On July 15, 1977, when Potomac Avenue, Eastern Market, Federal Triangle, McPherson Square, Farragut West, and Foggy Bottom–GWU stations opened, the 32, 34, 35, and 36 began serving each of those Metro Stations in the middle of their routes. No route changes were made during this particular time.1983 Service Changes
On April 30, 1983, when Archives station opened, the 32, 34, 35, & 36 began serving Archives station in the middle of their routes. No route changes were made during this particular time. However, the 30 streetcar line, which had been discontinued, was reincarnated to operate as a new Metrobus Route between Archives station and Friendship Heights.1984 Service Changes
On August 25, 1984 when Friendship Heights station opened, the 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 were all extended from their original Friendship Heights terminus at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue NW and Western Avenue NW, to instead terminate at the newly opened Friendship Heights station. During this same exact time, the 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 also began serving the newly opened Tenleytown–AU station. The routes remained on Wisconsin Avenue instead of diverting onto Fort Drive Road and 40th Street to serve Tenleytown.2001 Service Changes
On January 13, 2001 when both Naylor Road & Southern Avenue stations opened, routes 34, 35, and 36 were extended south of their original Naylor Gardens and Hillcrest terminus, to instead terminate at the newly opened Naylor Road station while the 32 was extended south of its original Shipley Terrace terminus, to instead terminate at the newly opened Southern Avenue station. Route 30 was also extended to operate all the way between the Friendship Heights and Potomac Avenue station. The 35 was rerouted on 30th Street between Erie Street and Naylor Road and route. 36 was extended via 31st, Erie and 30th streets and Naylor Road. Route 30 was not affected by the changes.June 29, 2008 Route Changes
On June 29, 2008, there were several major changes made to the Pennsylvania Avenue Line as part of a restructuring effort after proposals from riders.The 30, 34 and 35 routes were completely discontinued and replaced by new routes 31, 37, and 39, plus the existing routes 32, 36. The 34 was replaced by a new route M5 under the Naylor Road Line, which would operate between the Naylor Road station & Eastern Market station. Route 30 which only operated during weekday peak-hours only, was replaced by the brand new route 37 under the Wisconsin Avenue Limited Line, which was designed to operate as a limited-stop MetroExtra Route, that would provide express service between Friendship Heights station & Archives station which was route 30's routing from 1984 to 2001.
WMATA also created its brand a new route 39 under the Pennsylvania Avenue Limited Line under route 39, to provide new limited stop Metrobus service between the Naylor Road station and Foggy Bottom during weekday peak-hours only like the 37.
WMATA also created a new route 31 under the Wisconsin Avenue Line to provide extra service between Foggy Bottom–GWU station & Friendship Heights, to ease up crowding on the 32 and 36.
December 2008 changes
On December 28, 2008, the M5 was renamed as Route 34 which was also extended to Archives station. The new 34 would operate between Naylor Road station and Archives station operating on portions of routes 32 and 36. Additionally, 34 operated as part of the Naylor Road Line, instead of operating as part of the Pennsylvania Avenue Line instead.2013 Proposed Changes
In 2013, WMATA announced proposals to simplify the busy Pennsylvania Avenue Line and Naylor Road Line. Under the proposals, Routes 32 and 36 will terminate at Foggy Bottom with a new 30s line to replace portions of the 32, and 36, and discontinue the 34 with four options to replace the 32 and 36. According to WMATA, it proposes the following:- Option 1: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Potomac Avenue Station SE, then west to Georgetown via Lincoln Park, Union Station, and Thomas Circle, and then follow Route 31 between Georgetown and Friendship Heights.
- Option 2: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Eastern Market, then west to Georgetown via 8th Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Union Station, and Thomas Circle, and then follow Route 31 between Georgetown and Friendship Heights.
- Option 3: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Independence Ave & 7th St SW, then west to Foggy Bottom via Independence Ave, 17th St SW, Virginia Ave, and Washington Circle, and then follow Route 31 to Friendship Heights.
- Option 4: Same as Route 32 between Southern Avenue and Anacostia Freeway SE, then west to Foggy Bottom via Anacostia Freeway, Southeast/Southwest Freeway, Maine Avenue, 17th St SW, Virginia Ave, and Washington Circle, and then follow Route 31 to Friendship Heights.
August 2014 changes
On August 24, 2014, changes were made to the Pennsylvania Avenue Line as part of another reconstructing effort.Route 32 & 36 were both rerouted to operate to Foggy Bottom–GWU station, instead of operating all the way up to the Friendship Heights station being replacing 30N and 30S which covers the same routes as route 32 and 36. Both the 30N and 30S would operate 24 hours a day with each trips every hour from each other.
A new route 33 was also introduced to operate alongside the 31. The 33 provides service along Wisconsin Avenue NW to provide discontinued service from the 32 and 36 lines running from Friendship Heights station and Federal Triangle.
The 32 and 36 will operate alongside the 34 with the Naylor Road Line name being discontinued and replaced by the current Pennsylvania Avenue Line name.