Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

The Comeback of Transit-Priority Streets in DC

A new station for the Crystal City transitway. Photo: Arlington County via Beyond DC

Forty years ago, the Washington region had 60 miles of bus lanes on its streets, a network that was erased once Metrorail started operating. Today passengers make about half a million trips on Metro buses each weekday, not a great deal less than Metrorail, but there is no network of priority streets for buses.

This map shows the new Crystal City bus rapid transit line opening this month in Arlington, Virginia
Phase two of the Crystal City BRT line opens later this month in Arlington, Virginia.
false

That's starting to change. This month two bus projects with dedicated lanes will open in the DC region, and Dan Malouff at Beyond DC says they will both pack a punch:

Georgia Avenue’s bus lanes will run just four blocks, from Florida Avenue to Barry Place. They’ll be curbside lanes, with normal bus stops on the sidewalk.

Four blocks is short, but this location is specifically one of the slowest stretches WMATA’s busy 70-series bus line passes through. Bus lanes here will speed the entire line.

Just as importantly, this will be a test project for DDOT to study, and to learn about bus lane implementation. In May, crews will add red paint to the roadway to make the bus lanes more visually obvious. By adding the red surface later, DDOT will gather data on whether the red really does dissuade car drivers from using the lanes illegally.

One week after DC's Georgia Avenue bus lanes debut, Arlington will launch phase two of a BRT line in Crystal City:

On Sunday the 17th, Arlington will open the second half of the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway, better known as Metroway. The first half opened in 2014 in Alexandria, and was the Washington region’s first foray into BRT.

The new Crystal City transitway section will run from Crystal City Metro south to Alexandria, where it will join the existing busway. It’ll be a mix of curbside bus lanes and fully exclusive bi-directional busway.

With these projects and a slate of other bus lanes in the works, writes Malouff, the region's network of transit-priority streets is on the verge of a comeback.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Green Lake Blue City and Rust Wire (a post by yours truly) imagine what a real urban policy would look like for the state of Ohio. The Urbanist makes the case that abundant parking and affordable housing just don't go together. And The Suburban City points out that Atlanta's suburbs are still growing faster than the city itself.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

NYPD’s Push To Criminalize Cycling Spells Trouble For Immigrant Workers

Safety for the community? Great. But aren't delivery workers part of the community, too?

May 9, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Habemus Knicksum Edition

It was a big day yesterday, but we're not on the sports or the religion desk, so let's get to our news.

May 9, 2025

Friday Video: Who Ruined Outdoor Dining?

We sent our own video team to find out.

May 9, 2025

Decision 2025: Mayoral Hopefuls Discuss E-Bikes … With Joy and Concern

E-bikes are a vital tool for delivery workers and for people seeking to reduce their use of private cars. What would you do to both expand e-bike use and make streets safer? And the answers are...

Live from Albany: Hochul’s ‘Safety’ Measures Stripped from Budget

Lawmakers dropped three initiatives that Gov. Hochul said would have made roadways safer (though, as we'll see, that's very much in question). Let's review them.

May 9, 2025
See all posts