Metro will tweak its free shuttle bus service on Monday to speed up travel and reduce congestion in downtown Silver Spring during summer Red Line construction.
The existing Limited 2 service will be replaced by two new express shuttle loops: the Forest Glen Express will operate between Forest Glen and Fort Totten, and the Silver Spring Express will run between Silver Spring and Fort Totten.
The transit agency also updated the estimated travel times for all shuttle bus routes, attributing the increased travel times to traffic and construction associated with the Metropolitan Branch Trail on Blair Road.
Metro said in a press release issued Friday that travel times for the Red Line Limited 2 shuttle loop, which runs from Forest Glen to Silver Spring to Fort Totten, have been longer than originally expected.
“The implementation of the new express loops will allow shuttle operation and normal bus service to operate more efficiently, allowing customers to reach their destination faster,” Metro said.
The shuttle buses are replacing Red Line service as five stations — Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, and Takoma — closed earlier this month for Purple Line construction and Red Line maintenance until the end of August, which consolidates eight months of weekend disruptions into the summer months as part of the agency’s three-year capital construction plan announced last February.
The Takoma station reopened on Friday morning, two days earlier than the original June 30 schedule, coinciding with a 12.5 percent fare increase that took effect today.
The new shuttle service schedule from Monday, July 1, to Saturday, August 31, is as follows:
- Local: Runs approximately every 8-12 minutes between Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Takoma, and Fort Totten. Estimated travel time: Around 65 minutes.
- Limited: Limited-stop service every 8-12 minutes between Glenmont, Wheaton, and Fort Totten. Estimated travel time: 45 minutes.
- Forest Glen Express: Express service every 8-12 minutes between Forest Glen and Fort Totten. Estimated travel time: 50 minutes.
- Silver Spring Express: Express service every 8-12 minutes between Silver Spring and Fort Totten. Estimated travel time: 40 minutes.
- Downtown Express (weekdays only): Express service every 8-12 minutes between Silver Spring and Metro Center (12th & G St NW entrance). Estimated travel time: 45 minutes.
For further details on the summer Red Line construction and shuttle services, visit wmata.com/majorconstruction.
Photo: © Lawr – stock.adobe.com / Graphic Courtesy of WMATA