Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United States Con ...

Addison Road station Addison Road–Seat Pleasant is a rapid-transit railway station on the Washington Metro's Blue and Silver Lines. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, who opened it in 1980. It was the eastern end of the Blue Li ...

Downtown Largo station Downtown Largo is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Lake Arbor census-designated place, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, with a Largo postal address.Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

Silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview

Bowie State University Bowie State University (Bowie State) is a public historically black university in Prince George's County, Maryland, north of Bowie. It is part of the University System of Maryland. Founded in 1865, Bowie State is Maryland's oldest historically b ...

Prince George's County, Maryland ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobroo ...

Six Flags America Six Flags America is a theme park located in the Woodmore CDP of Prince George's County, Maryland,

Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview

Bowie State University Bowie State University (Bowie State) is a public historically black university in Prince George's County, Maryland, north of Bowie. It is part of the University System of Maryland. Founded in 1865, Bowie State is Maryland's oldest historically b ...

Addison Road station Addison Road–Seat Pleasant is a rapid-transit railway station on the Washington Metro's Blue and Silver Lines. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, who opened it in 1980. It was the eastern end of the Blue Li ...

Downtown Largo station Downtown Largo is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Lake Arbor census-designated place, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, with a Largo postal address.Crain Highway and serving Collington Center via Prince George's Boulevard, Commerce Drive, and Trade Zone Avenue. The two routes then operate vice versa back to Addison Road. Saturday C29 trips run along Pointer Ridge Drive, Pittsfield Lane, Mitchellville Road, Peach Walker Drive, Mount Oak Drive, Nottinghill Drive, and Northview Drive, then turn and loop along Health Center Drive serving Bowie Health Center. The route then continues along Collington Road and Laurel Bowie Road before reaching Bowie State University. The route then operates vice versa back to Addison Road station. Routes C21, C22, C26, C27, and C29 currently operate out of Landover division.

History

Service in Central

Prince George's County, Maryland ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobroo ...

was originally operated by various Metrobus lines until the 1990s under the "T" lines. These lines connected

Capitol Heights, Maryland Capitol Heights is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located on the border of both the Northeast & Southeast quadrants of Washington. Per the 2020 census, the population was 4,050. The town of Capitol Heights is officially ...

to Downtown DC and Central Prince Georges County. But the routes were slowly eliminated or terminated at New Carrollton or Addison Road and replaced by Metrorail after 1978. Eventually, the Central Ave-Belair Line (T10, T11), and Bowie-Belair Line (T12, T14) were the main lines operating along Central Avenue. Eventually, three lines were created to operate into Central Prince Georges County. The Pointer Ridge–Addison Road Line (C21, C22, C29), Kingsford–Addison Road Line (C23, C24, C25, and C26), and Pointer Ridge Line (C28). These lines would connect

Addison Road station Addison Road–Seat Pleasant is a rapid-transit railway station on the Washington Metro's Blue and Silver Lines. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, who opened it in 1980. It was the eastern end of the Blue Li ...

(C21, C22, C23, C24, C25, C26, C29) and

New Carrollton station New Carrollton station is a joint Washington Metro, MARC, and Amtrak station just outside the city limits of New Carrollton, Prince George's County, Maryland located at the eastern end of the Metro's Orange Line. The station will also serve as ...

(C28) to East

Kettering Kettering is a market and industrial town in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located north of London and north-east of Northampton, west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place (or territory) of Ket ...

, Pointer Ridge (C21, C22, C29), Collington Center (C21, C22), and

Bowie Town Center Bowie Town Center is an outdoor shopping mall located in Bowie, Maryland that opened in November 2001. The mall is located on Emerald Way near the interchange of US Route 301 and US Route 50. Bowie Town Center has 79 stores including Macy's, S ...

(C29). Route C29 would operate on the C28 routing on Saturday between Bowie Town Center and Pointer Ridge plus operate on a combination of the C22 and C26 routing. Eventually prior to 1998, both the Central Avenue Line and Kingsford–Addison Road Line would merge into a single route. Routes C25 and C26 joined the C21, C22, and C29 while routes C23 and C24 were eliminated. The C25 and C26 routing remained the same during the merger of the routes. The line was renamed into the Central Avenue Line as a result. There was no Sunday service on any of the routes. On September 20, 1999, route C26 buses going to Addison Road station in the morning was changed to operate westbound on Lake Arbor Way and turn south into Campus Way North. In the afternoon, buses going to East Kettering was also changed to operate north on Campus Way North and turn right into Lake Arbor Way. On December 18, 2004, when the Blue Line extension to

Largo Town Center station Downtown Largo is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Lake Arbor census-designated place, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, with a Largo postal address.Hampton Towne Centre would be eliminated. New Sunday service was also added to route C29 but only operating between Pointer Ridge and

Addison Road station Addison Road–Seat Pleasant is a rapid-transit railway station on the Washington Metro's Blue and Silver Lines. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, who opened it in 1980. It was the eastern end of the Blue Li ...

as a combination to routes C22 and C26. On May 28, 2005, a new route C27 was introduced to operate during the summer seasons between

Addison Road station Addison Road–Seat Pleasant is a rapid-transit railway station on the Washington Metro's Blue and Silver Lines. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, who opened it in 1980. It was the eastern end of the Blue Li ...

and Pointer Ridge via

Largo Town Center station Downtown Largo is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Lake Arbor census-designated place, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, with a Largo postal address.Bowie State University Bowie State University (Bowie State) is a public historically black university in Prince George's County, Maryland, north of Bowie. It is part of the University System of Maryland. Founded in 1865, Bowie State is Maryland's oldest historically b ...

from the intersection of Northview Drive and Collington Road. The current C29 routing via the Bowie Park & Ride lot and South Belair to Belair Center was discontinued due to low ridership. This routing was a combination of routes B21, B22, B24, B25, B27, B29, and B31, during the weekends except serving

Addison Road station Addison Road–Seat Pleasant is a rapid-transit railway station on the Washington Metro's Blue and Silver Lines. It is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, who opened it in 1980. It was the eastern end of the Blue Li ...

instead of

New Carrollton station New Carrollton station is a joint Washington Metro, MARC, and Amtrak station just outside the city limits of New Carrollton, Prince George's County, Maryland located at the eastern end of the Metro's Orange Line. The station will also serve as ...

. On February 23, 2018, routes C22 and C29 discontinued service along Harry S. Truman Drive south of Mount Lubentia Way due to a long-term construction project. Stops along Harry S. Truman Drive near Mount Lubentia Way, New Orchard Drive, Woodlawn Boulevard, and Birdie Lane will not be served. Customers may board buses at stops along Mount Lubentia Way near Harry S. Truman Drive. All route C22 and C29 skip the loop and instead turn left onto Mount Lubentia Way. Alternative service is provided by TheBus. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, routes C21, C22, and C26 service was suspended and route C29 operated in its place on its Saturday supplemental schedule between Addison Road and Bowie beginning on March 16, 2020. However beginning on March 18, 2020, route C29 was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule daily between Addison Road and Pointer Ridge with service to Bowie suspended. Weekend service was further suspended on March 21, 2020. On August 23, 2020, all route C21, C22, and C26 service was restored operating on its regular schedule while the C29 reverted to weekend only schedule. However, route C29 service to Bowie remained suspended. In May 2020, WMATA announced that route C27 will not operate during the 2020 summer season due to the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and Metro's reduced service since March 16, 2020. Alternative service would be provided by routes C29. On September 10, 2020, as part of WMATA's FY2022 budget, WMATA proposed to eliminate the C29 segment between Pointer Ridge and Bowie State University on Saturday. This was due to low federal funds and proposing to eliminate all route C28 service. Later on February 20, 2021, as part of WMATA's revised FY2022 budget during the first half, WMATA proposed to extend route C26 to Bowie Park & Ride via Bowie Gateway Center along the C28 and C29 routing along Pittsfield Lane, Mitchellville Road, Peach Walker Drive, Mount Oak Drive, Nottinghill Drive, and Northview Drive during the weekday peak hours in order to partially replace the B29 and C28. WMATA also proposed to restore Saturday C29 service to Bowie. However, in the second half, service to Bowie would be eliminated on the C26 and C29. On June 6, 2021, all route C26 service was extended to Bowie Park & Ride via Pointer Ridge, Bowie Health Center and Bowie Gateway Center via the C28 and C29 routing in order to partially replace the B29 and C28. All route C29 service to Bowie was also restored on the same day.

References

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Route Description and Service

History

References