The East Capitol Street–Cardozo Line, designated Route 96, was a daily bus route operated by the

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency that operates transit services in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA provides rapid transit servic ...

between Tenleytown-AU station of the Red Line of the

Washington Metro The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ...

and

Capitol Heights station Capitol Heights station is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Capitol Heights, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on November 22, 1980, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). P ...

of the

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...

and Silver Lines of the Washington Metro. The line operated every 20–30 minutes at all times. Route 96 trips are roughly 80 minutes long.

Background

The line provided service through Downtown Washington DC via

East Capitol Street East Capitol Street is a major street that divides the northeast and southeast quadrants of Washington, D.C. It runs due east from the United States Capitol to the DC-Maryland border. The street is uninterrupted until Lincoln Park then cont ...

, Massachusetts Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, U Street, and

Wisconsin Avenue Wisconsin Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs. The southern terminus begins in Georgetown just north of the Potomac River, at an intersection with K Street under the elevated Whitehurst Freeway. Wisco ...

. Route 96 operated daily. Select early morning trips begin at U and 13th Streets NW. Route 96 operated out of Andrews Federal Center division. Route 96 use to operate out of Southern Avenue division during the weekdays and Bladensburg division during the weekends and late nights (after 9:00 PM). Prior to 2019, route 96 would operate full time out of Bladensburg division. The line has also operated out of Northern division at one point.

Route 96 stops

History

Route 96 originally operated as part of the East-Capitol Hill Streetcar Line under the Washington Railway & Electric Company, which began service in 1922. The line originally as Woodley via 29th but was later replaced. Route 96 operated between

Duke Ellington Bridge The Duke Ellington Bridge, named after American jazz pianist Duke Ellington, carries Calvert Street NW over Rock Creek in Washington, D.C., United States. It connects 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan with Connecticut Avenue NW in Woodley Park, ...

Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

and the Capitol Building. The line would operate along Calvert Street, 18th Street, U Street, Florida Avenue, New Jersey Avenue,

North Capitol Street North Capitol Street is a street in Washington, D.C. that separates the Northwest, Washington, D.C., Northwest and Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast quadrants of the city. Route description North Capitol Street begins at D Street in Lower ...

, Louisiana Avenue, and

Constitution Avenue Constitution Avenue is a major east–west street in the Northwest, Washington, D.C., northwest and Northeast, Washington, D.C., northeast quadrants of the city of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was originally known as B Street, and ...

. The line was later acquired by the

Capital Traction Company The Capital Traction Company was the smaller of the two major street railway companies in Washington, D.C., in the early 20th century. It was formed in 1895 when the Rock Creek Railway acquired the Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company. The ...

and replaced by buses in 1962 operating under DC Transit. WMATA later acquired DC Transit and three other private bus companies that operated throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and merged them all together to form its own, Metrobus System on February 4, 1973. On March 27, 1976, 96 was rerouted from the Capitol Building, and instead terminate at the

Washington Union Station Washington Union Station, known locally as Union Station, is a major train station, transportation hub, and leisure destination in Washington, D.C. Designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1907, it is Amtrak's second-busiest station and North ...

. Service along

was discontinued. On May 11, 1991, when the

U Street station U Street station is a rapid transit station on the Green Line of the Washington Metro in the U Street neighborhood of Washington, D.C. U Street station is located in northwest Washington and serves the U Street neighborhood; nearby attracti ...

opened, route 96 began serving the newly opened U Street in the middle of its route. No route changes were made during this particular time. In March 1995, when routes 40 and 44 were both discontinued, and route 42 was truncated to operate between Mount Pleasant and Metro Center, route 96 was extended from

to operate to

, via

Stadium–Armory station Stadium–Armory station is a Washington Metro station in Southeast, Washington, D.C. It is located in the Hill East neighborhood near the border of Barney Circle and Kingman Park. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by ...

District of Columbia General Hospital The District of Columbia General Hospital was a hospital located in the Hill East neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was operational from 1806 to its controversial closing by mayor Anthony A. Williams in 2001 as the city was trying to cut costs ...

, and

Benning Road station Benning Road station is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in the Benning Ridge neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., United States. The station was opened on November 22, 1980, and is operated by the Washington Metropolita ...

. Route 96 will terminate at Stadium Armory during the weekday peak-hours only. The new routing helped out route D6 and provide additional service between Union Station and Stadium Armory. Route 96 will mainly operate along Massachusetts Avenue and

. A new route 97 was introduced to operate alongside the 96, except only operating between Union Station and Capitol Heights during the weekday peak-hours along

. Route 97 would operate on a different pathway between Stadium Armory and Union station mostly remaining along East Capitol Street, and turned on 1st Street,

, and Louisiana Avenue. Route 96 would operate along Massachusetts Avenue to Union station. Route 97 would directly serve Stadium–Armory while operating both directions, but 96 would only directly serve Stadium–Armory eastbound only. Passengers wishing to board/alight on the 96, were required to do so at DC General Hospital. Also, the 97 would not serve DC General Hospital. As a result of the changes, the line was renamed the East Capitol Street–Cardozo Line. On June 24, 2007, 96 was extended from

, to McLean Gardens, by operating on Calvert Street past Duke Ellington Bridge, then operating via 29th Street NW, Cathedral Avenue NW, Woodley Road NW,

NW, Idaho Avenue NW, and Newark Street NW, in order to replace the segment of routes 90, 92, 93 between Duke Ellington Bridge and McLean Gardens. The changes were to improve on-time performance for routes 90, 92, and 93. On September 30, 2012, route 96 along with route X3 was extended from McLean Gardens to Tenleytown-AU station adding additional service along

NW from McLean Gardens due to a long-term detour route to accommodate construction of Cathedral Commons in 2012. In 2014, WMATA proposed to shorten 96 back towards

and reroute the line along Massachusetts Avenue NE between 11th & East Capitol Streets and

instead of via 1st Street and Louisiana Avenue NW. A new route 98 would replace the 96 routing between Tenleytown-AU station and

for the following reasons. * Improve reliability of service by operating shorter routes. * Provide direct peak period service between Capitol Heights and Duke Ellington Bridge. * Provide a faster more direct routing around the U.S. Capitol. * Create a better balance of capacity and demand throughout the entire line. On June 21, 2015, WMATA rerouted route 96 along Massachusetts Avenue between East Capitol Street and 1st Street NE and directly serving Station Park in order to improve reliability of service. Route 97 was unaffected from the changes. During 2017, WMATA proposed to eliminate 96's segment between McLean Gardens and Tenleytown-AU station as it operates parallel with the 30N, 30S, 31, 33, 37, and H3, H4. The line would terminate back at Cathedral Commons which was its pre-2012 extension. Under the proposal, the turnaround would include one of the following: *Option 1: From northbound Wisconsin Avenue, left on Newark Street to terminal stand on the north side of Newark Street, midblock between Wisconsin and Idaho Avenues NW. Departing the terminal, buses would proceed west on Newark Street, right on Idaho Avenue, right on Wisconsin Avenue NW and resume the current eastbound route. *Option 2: From northbound Wisconsin Avenue, left on Newark Street, left on Idaho Avenue NW to terminal stand midblock on the west side of Idaho Avenue, between Newark and Macomb Streets NW. Departing the terminal, buses would proceed south on Idaho Avenue, left on Macomb Street, right on Wisconsin Avenue NW and resume the current eastbound route. *Option 3: From northbound Wisconsin Avenue, left on Porter Street, left on 38th Street, left on Newark Street NW to terminal stand at Idaho Avenue. Departing the terminal, buses would continue east on Newark Street, right on Wisconsin Avenue NW and resume the current eastbound route. This routing was similar prior to the 2012 extension. Performance measures for route 96 goes as follows according to WMATA: During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, route 96 was reduced to operate on its Saturday schedule and all route 97 service was suspended beginning on March 16, 2020. However on March 18, 2020, the line was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule. All 96 weekend service was also suspended beginning on March 21, 2020. Additional service was added on route 96 on August 23, 2020 however route 97 remained suspended. On September 26, 2020, WMATA proposed to eliminate all route 97 service and replace them with route 96 trips that will operate the full route between Tenleytown station and Capitol Heights station. This was due to low federal funding. On November 13, 2020, eastbound route 96 trips was changed to operate along New Jersey Avenue NW between 3rd Street and Massachusetts Avenue upon completion of construction on New Jersey Avenue. Service along New York Avenue NW, M Street NW and North Capitol Street NW was discontinued. In February 2021 due to low federal funding, WMATA proposed to modify the 96 by operating between

Union Station A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...

and Deanwood station combining portions of the U5, U6, V1, V7, V8, and W4. The line would operate its current routing between Union Station and East Capitol Street & Minnesota Avenue, then it will operate along Ridge Road, Texas Avenue, E Street, Alabama Avenue, H Street/Hanna Place, Benning Road, G Street, Fitch Place, 53rd Street (northbound)/51st Street (southbound), Central Avenue, East Capitol Street, Division Avenue, Eastern Avenue and Minnesota Avenue to Deanwood station serving the

Benning Heights Benning Heights is a residential neighborhood located in northeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by East Capitol Street to the south, Brooks Street NE to the north, 44th Street NE and Benning Road NE to the west, and Division Avenue NE to the e ...

neighborhood. Route 97, route 96 service past Union station and service to

would be eliminated. By September 5, 2021, all suspended routes, including Route 97 were no longer listed on WMATA's website. As part of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign beginning on June 29, 2025, Route 96 was changed to serve

Anacostia station Anacostia station is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Green Line. The station is located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington, with entrances at Shannon Place and Howard Road near Martin Luther King ...

instead of

via Martin Luther King Avenue SE, partially combining the route with Route 90. The line was also renamed into the C51.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:East Capitol Street-Cardozo Line 96 East Capitol Street