The 96 Metrobus, which runs between Capitol Heights and Tenleytown, may receive a new route under a proposal by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
The plan would include splitting the line so the 96 bus would continue until the Duke Ellington Bridgeand the 98 bus would then run from U Street to the Tenleytown-AU Metrorail station, according to a post on PlanItMetro, WMATA’s blog.
No changes have been announced or approved yet for the 96 line, according to Dan Stessel, a public relations manager for WMATA.
The 96 and 98 buses would run every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends, according to the blog post.
The current route for the 96 Metrobus is the longest line WMATA covers, which can cause delays, Stessel said.
Stessel said the Metrobus split would benefit riders because the bus would not be delayed by traffic from the eastern part of the route.
Red Line undergoes construction
WMATA began a major construction project on the Red Line in September that has caused delays for students using the Metro.
The Red Line will run less frequently during selected weekends due to major rail and track work.
“Major track work is coming over the weekend of Oct. 4-6 that will affect several downtown stations,” according to a WMATA press release issued on Sept. 24.
The Red Line trains will arrive 10-20 minutes apart from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. between Shady Grove and Dupont Circle and between Glenmont and NoMa-Galluadet this weekend.
WMATA will provide free shuttles between the Dupont Circle and NoMa-Galluadet stations due to construction, but these buses will only stop at Metro Center and Gallery Place, according to the press release.
Other Metro line have also experienced major repairs and construction. Last weekend, the Orange Line was closed for the entirety of the weekend.
The Metro has gathered about 30 years worth of needed repairs, but they were not addressed because the system was still relatively new. However, as the system ages, new repairs are required, Stessel said.
“In retrospect, repairs should have been done earlier,” Stessel said.
Construction may last up to a year and a half to two years, but afterwards construction intensity on the Red Line and the rest of system will decrease, according to Stessel.
Caroline Salant, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, was frustrated with the construction delays on the Red Line last weekend.
“I was stuck in the [Gallery Place-]Chinatown Metro station for 20 minutes,” she said. “Construction definitely slows down the commute.”
