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College Park–North Bethesda Line
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The College Park–North Bethesda Line, designated Route C8, was a bus route that operates Monday to Saturday that is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, United States, between College Park–University of Maryland station of the Green Line and North Bethesda station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. The line operated every 30 minutes at all times. Trips were roughly 70–80 minutes long.
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Route
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Route C8 operated between College Park and North Bethesda stations from Monday through Saturday with no Sunday service. The C8 operated out of Montgomery division at all times.
C8 stops
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History
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Route C8 was known for two different lines, prior to its current line being named under the Aspen Hill Road-Montgomery Mall Line and Glenmont-College Park Line.
Aspen Hill Road–Montgomery Mall Line
C8 originally operated as part of the former Aspen Hill Road–Montgomery Mall Line between Aspen Hill, Maryland and Montgomery Mall from February 19, 1978, until 1996.[2] Until January 27, 1985, the route operated from Layhill to Congressional Plaza in Rockville. Starting in the early 1990s, some Saturday trips would terminate at the National Capital Trolley Museum. Beginning on June 28, 1992, weekday off-peak and Saturday service would be operated by Montgomery County's Ride On bus system. The route was discontinued in 1996, and was replaced by Ride On bus route 26.[3]
Glenmont–College Park Line
Route C8 was then reincarnated on July 25, 1998, to operate as part of WMATA's new Glenmont–College Park Line. The line was created at the request of the Action Committee for Transit in February 1998, which sought to enhance transportation between University of Maryland, College Park and Washington Metro stations that are located in the upper northwestern region of Montgomery County, Maryland. The Action Committee for Transit had a very strong ambition for the C8 to operate between College Park–University of Maryland station and White Flint station, via Glenmont station between Monday and Saturday.[3]
WMATA initially began operating the C8 between College Park and Glenmont station during the weekday peak hours as an experimental route as WMATA was not sure if the C8 would be successful in attracting enough riders to be able to sustain the route. The route mostly operated along River Road, Paint Branch Parkway, Campus, Adelphi Road, New Hampshire Avenue, Randolph Road, and Georgia Avenue.[3] If the route succeeded, the line would become permanent and can be extended to North Bethesda station.
Changes
On July 18, 1999, as a result of the success of the route in attracting a high volume of riders, WMATA made the C8 a permanent Metrobus route. WMATA also implemented weekday midday and Saturday service, as opposed to operating only during rush hours to meet the Action Committee for Transit's request for the C8 to operate more frequently throughout the day and Saturdays.[4]
On January 13, 2001, WMATA finally met the full request of the Action Committee for Transit, of extending the C8 route beyond Glenmont station to White Flint station along Randolph Road replacing Ride On route 40. As a result, the name of the route was changed to the College Park-White Flint Line.[5][6]
During WMATA's 2011 Fiscal Year, route C8 was proposed to be rerouted to operate to Prince George's Plaza (now Hyattsville Crossing) station instead of College Park–University of Maryland station to replace route R3. It was also proposed to divert Food and Drug Administration and Federal Research Center in White Oak, Maryland and into Archives II in College Park, Maryland. But route C8 would revert to a weekday peak hour route only discontinuing all midday, weekday evening, and Saturday service. This would lead to a loss of ridership for the C8 since it will only have reduced weekday service instead of Monday through Saturday service.[7]
On June 17, 2012, route C8 was rerouted to divert off the intersection of Adelphi Road and directly enter the National Archives at College Park, replacing route R3. Route C8 also diverted into the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Research Center. Route C8 would skip its diversion into both the National Archives Building and White Oak FDA/FRC building on Saturdays as both buildings were closed.[8]
In 2016 as part of WMATA's FY2018 budget, it was proposed to eliminate the C8 segment between Glenmont station and White Flint station to reduce costs. Performance measures according to WMATA goes as follows:[9]
- Discontinued segment averages 591 eastbound weekday boardings (19.1 per trip) and 401 westbound weekday boardings (12.5 per trip) according to WMATA automatic passenger counter data, which, accounts for 44.4% of eastbound boardings and 26.6% of westbound boardings.
- Discontinued segment averages 354 eastbound Saturday boardings (9.1 per trip) and 248 westbound Saturday boardings (7.8 per trip) according to WMATA automatic passenger counter data, which, accounts for 46.2% of eastbound boardings and 29.7% of westbound boardings.
On July 29, 2017, Saturday service to National Archives at College Park was discontinued due to the National Archives was now closed on Saturdays. Route C8 would skip the diversion on Saturdays but still serve the diversion on weekdays.[10]
Beginning on September 1, 2019, for nine months, the College Park Metrobus loop was temporarily closed for construction of the Purple line at College Park station having all stops located along River Road. As of result, route C8 was temporarily rerouted along River Road having to turn around on the roundabout along Haig Drive to return to its regular route going to White Flint.[11]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, route C8 was reduced to operate on its Saturday schedule beginning on March 16, 2020.[12] However beginning on March 18, 2020, all route C8 service was suspended once WMATA reduced its Metrobus services to Sunday schedule only.[13] Route C8 resumed service on August 23, 2020 operating every hour instead of every 30 minutes.[14] Full service for Route C8 was restored on September 5, 2021.[15]
Beginning on April 20, 2020, parts of Calvert Road were closed due to the ongoing construction of the Purple line, route C8 was originally going to be temporarily rerouted along Baltimore Avenue and to turn on Calvert Road to serve the west side of College Park–University of Maryland station since vehicles cannot travel along parts of Calvert Road.[16] However the reroute did not operate at first due to the 2019-20 COVID-19 outbreak and Metro's reduced service since March 16. When Route C8 resumed service on August 24, 2020, it ran the detour along Baltimore Avenue and Calvert Road. Service to the east side resumed on June 12, 2022 with buses serving Bus Bay B.[17]
On May 29, 2022, Route C8 was modified to operate along Old Georgetown Road, Citadel Avenue, and Marinelli Road, now terminating along Rockville Pike, adjacent to White Flint station.[18]
On September 11, 2022, the line was changed to the College Park–North Bethesda Line due to White Flint station being renamed to North Bethesda station.[19]
Better Bus Redesign
In 2022, WMATA launched its Better Bus Redesign project, which aimed to redesign the entire Metrobus Network and is the first full redesign of the agency's bus network in its history.
In April 2023, WMATA launched its Draft Visionary Network. As part of the drafts, WMATA proposed to split the C8 into two routes. The portion between North Bethesda station and the intersection of Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue remained the same, but was extended to White Oak Medical Center via East Randolph Road. Additionally, the line was also extended from North Bethesda station to Westfield Montgomery Mall via Old Georgetown Road and Democracy Boulevard. The line was named Route MD241. The C8 portion between College Park station and the intersection of Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue via Paint Branch Parkway, Stadium Drive, University Boulevard, Adelphi Road, Archives II, New Hampshire Avenue, and FDA Headquarters was also rerouted to White Oak Medical Center via Old Columbia Pike, Tech Road, Broadbirch Drive, and Plum Orchard Drive and was named Route MD345.[20]
During WMATA's Revised Draft Visionary Network, Route MD345 was retained in the proposals and was renamed to Route M56. WMATA also split the MD241 into two separate routes at Glenmont station and renamed them into Routes M42 and M44. The M42 would operate on the former C8 portion between North Bethesda station and Glenmont station. The M44 would operate on the C8 portion between Glenmont station and the intersection of Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue, then continued straight on East Randolph Road before serving Tech Road Park & Ride, then operate along Broadbirch Drive, then Cherry Hill Road before operating on the former Routes 83 routing between Cherry Hill Campground and College Park station via Seven Spring Village, Edgewood Road, Rhode Island Avenue, Greenbelt Road, Baltimore Avenue, and Campus Road. The line would operate its full routing Monday through Saturday, with Sunday service only operating between College Park and Cherry Hill Campground. Service between Westfield Montgomery Mall and North Bethesda station was not included in these changes. A new limited-stop express route named the M4X was also proposed to operate alongside the M42 and M44, operating between Westfield Montgomery Mall and White Oak Medical Center via Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda, Randolph Road, and Glenmont, operating daily.[21][22]
All changes were then proposed during WMATA's 2025 Proposed Network.[23]
During WMATA's proposed 2025 changes, WMATA made further changes to the proposed Routes M42, M44, M4X, and M56. Route M4X was dropped from the proposals in favor of Ride On's Flash BRT proposed Randolph Road BRT line. Route M56 was also dropped from the proposals in favor of new Routes M42 and M44. Both the previosly proposed routes M42 and M44 would be combined into one route and named Route M42 and operate on the same routing of the former C8 between North Bethesda station and Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue, but would then operate along New Hampshire Avenue, then turn onto Lockwood Drive and operate via Stewart Lane, Old Columbia Pike, Tech Road, before operating on the proposed M44 routing between Broadbirch Drive and College Park–University of Maryland station. The proposed route would operate its full route daily.
The new proposed M44 was to operate alongside the M42 and operate between North Bethesda station and the intersection of Randolph Road & New Hampshire Avenue, then would continue along the original proposed M42, remaining straight along Randolph Road and serving Tech Road Park & Ride, then operate along Broadbirch Drive and Cherry Hill Road. Then the route would turn onto Powder Mill Road and operate to Calverton, then operate on the former Route 86 portion between Calverton and Hyattsville Crossing station via Powder Mill Road, Rhode Island Avenue, Baltimore Avenue, and East-West Highway before serving Hyattsville Crossing station while skipping College Park–University of Maryland station. The proposed route would operate its full route Monday through Saturday with Sunday service only operating between White Oak Medical Center and Hyattsville Crossing station.[24]
On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved its Better Bus Redesign Network. Beginning on June 29, 2025, Route C8 was modified and partially combined with Routes 83 and 86 and renamed into Routes M42 and M44. Both routes would operate along the same routing that the former C8 did between North Bethesda station and New Hampshire Avenue, but both would deviate from each other in White Oak.[25][26]
Route M42 would remain along New Hampshire Avenue, then operate via Lockwood Drive and Columbia Pike, then turn on Broadbirch Drive, then Cherry Hill Road. The line would continue down and operate along the former Route 83 routing between Cherry Hill Park and College Park–University of Maryland station.
Route M44 would continue along Randolph Road and meet the M42 on Broadbirch Drive before serving White Oak Medical Center. Then the M44 operates along Cherry Hill Road before turning onto Powder Mill Road, and operating along the former Route 86 routing between Calverton and Hyattsville Crossing station, skipping College Park station in the process. Service would operate its full route daily instead of short turning in White Oak on Sundays.[27]
All service between the Food and Drug Administration in White Oak, Maryland and Adelphi, Maryland was replaced by Route M60, while service between College Park station and Adelphi via University of Maryland and Archives II was replaced by TheBus Route P37.
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