Anacostia Transitway

Anacostia Transitway
Name	Anacostia Transitway
Locale	Washington, D.C.; Prince George's County, Maryland
Transit type	Bus rapid transit
Stations	18
Began operation	2024
Operator	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
System length	12.6 mi
Website	WMATA

Anacostia Transitway The Anacostia Transitway is a bus rapid transit corridor serving southeastern Washington, D.C., and northeastern Prince George's County, Maryland. It connects neighborhoods and institutions along the Anacostia River corridor with transfer points to rail at Metro Center, L'Enfant Plaza, Benning Road station, and New Carrollton station. The project integrates service patterns used by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Maryland Transit Administration, and local municipal partners to improve cross-river connectivity for residents, commuters, and visitors to sites such as Nationals Park, United States Navy Yard, Anacostia Park, and University of the District of Columbia.

Overview

The transitway is a 12.6-mile dedicated median and curbside bus rapid transit route linking southeastern District of Columbia neighborhoods with suburban nodes in Prince George's County, Maryland. Sponsors included the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Federal Transit Administration, and the Maryland Department of Transportation. Design objectives referenced precedents like the Rea Vaya, TransMilenio, and the Metroway pilot to balance speed, accessibility, and network integration. Funding combined federal grants, District of Columbia Department of Transportation allocations, and Maryland capital budgets with project delivery overseen by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation stakeholders.

Route and Stations

The main alignment follows the Anacostia River valley, running from the Navy Yard–Ballpark station area southward along I-295 and east along Pennsylvania Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE before crossing into Maryland near Deanwood. Key station interchanges are sited at or near Navy Yard, Naylor Road station, Congress Heights station, Anacostia station, Benning Road station, and New Carrollton station. Stops provide multimodal connections to Amtrak, MARC Train, and commuter bus services at transfer hubs near Union Station and New Carrollton. Stations feature real-time information modeled on installations at Heathrow Terminal 5, Port Authority Bus Terminal, and select BRT Standard examples.

History and Planning

Planning traces to corridor studies by the District Department of Transportation and the Council of the District of Columbia following redevelopment initiatives post-Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and the revitalization surrounding Nationals Park. Early design phases invoked consultants experienced on Los Angeles Metro Busway, Bogotá TransMilenio, and the Toronto Transit Commission rapid bus planning. Public outreach involved community groups including the Anacostia Coordinating Council, advocacy from Transport DC, and technical reviews by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. Environmental assessments complied with National Environmental Policy Act standards with mitigation plans coordinated with National Park Service stewardship of Anacostia Park.

Operations and Services

Service is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority with supplemental runs by the Maryland Transit Administration during peak periods. The line uses proof-of-payment fare integration compatible with the SmarTrip card and regional passes accepted on MARC Train and Amtrak Corridor services. Scheduling aligns with peak-direction patterns similar to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority BRT timetables and off-peak frequencies matched to demand modeling used by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Operations coordination includes incident response protocols with District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and Prince George's County Police Department.

Ridership and Impact

Initial ridership projections were developed with input from the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and local universities such as Georgetown University and Howard University. Early-operational ridership exceeded comparable corridors like Metroway and showed strong modal shift from Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority bus service routes and private automobiles. Economic assessments cited spillover benefits for commercial corridors near Anacostia Arts Center, Benning Road commercial district, and industrial nodes adjacent to Suitland Parkway. Equity analyses referenced initiatives by the DC Office of Planning and Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development to ensure transit-oriented development consistent with Sustainable Communities Initiative objectives.

Infrastructure and Rolling Stock

Stations feature elevated boarding platforms, level-boarding ramps, and signal-priority hardware interoperable with traffic management systems used by the District Department of Transportation. The fleet comprises articulated low-floor buses procured from manufacturers that supplied New Flyer Industries and Gillig Corporation products to other U.S. BRT operators, with battery-electric variants evaluated alongside diesel-electric hybrids used by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Maintenance is conducted at facilities comparable to the Western Bus Garage (WMATA), with operations control integrated into the Regional Integrated Transportation Information System and CAD/AVL systems consistent with Transit Cooperative Research Program recommendations.

Future Expansion and Proposals

Proposals include eastern extensions toward Prince George's Plaza station, a spur to National Harbor, and potential rail conversion studies analogous to conversions considered for the Red Line and Yellow Line realignments. Local governments and agencies such as the Maryland Transit Administration, District Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments have commissioned feasibility studies with participation from firms experienced on projects like Los Angeles Metro, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Funding scenarios cite federal discretionary grants, state capital budgets, and public–private partnerships similar to arrangements used for Hudson Yards redevelopment and other transit-oriented investments.

Category:Bus rapid transit in the United States Category:Transportation in Washington, D.C. Category:Transportation in Prince George's County, Maryland