# Wisconsin Avenue Line

The Wisconsin Avenue Line, designated as Routes 31 or 33, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Its main purpose is to provide service to the upper Northwest side via Wisconsin Avenue NW.
Routes 31 and 33 operate between the Friendship Heights station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro and Potomac Park (31) or Washington Union Station (33), running every 10 to 12 minutes between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays. In addition, Route 33 operates on weekends every 10 minutes during the day and 15 - 20 minutes after 9 p.m. daily. Route 31 trips are roughly 45 minutes long, while Route 33 trips are 60 minutes long.
The routes operate out of WMATA's Western division, which uses New Flyer XD40 and XDE40 buses.

## Route 31 stops

| Bus stop | Direction | Connections |
| Montgomery County, Maryland |||
| Friendship Heights Bus Bay C | Southbound stop, Northbound terminal | Metrobus: 33, E4, L8, N2, N4, N6, T2 Ride On: 1, 11, 23, 29, 34, L8, T2 Friendship Heights Village Bus Washington Metro: |
| Washington, D.C. |||
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Jenifer Street NW Friendship Heights | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, N2 Washington Metro: |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Harrison Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Fessenden Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Chesapeake Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / River Road NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 33, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Brandywine Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 33, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Albemarle Street NW Tenleytown–AU | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 96, D32, H2, H4, M4, N2, W45, W47 AU Shuttle Washington Metro: |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Tenley Circle NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 96, D32, H2, H4, W47 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Van Ness Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 33, 96, D32, H2, H4, W47 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Veazey Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 33, 96, H2, H4 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Upton Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 96, D32 (Eastbound only), H4, W47 (Eastbound only) |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Rodman Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 96, D32 (Eastbound only), H4, W47 (Eastbound only) |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Porter Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 96, H4 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Newark Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 96 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Macomb Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 33, 96 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Woodley Road NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 96 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Cathedral Avenue NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, N2, N4, N6 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Garfield Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Edmunds Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Calvert Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Hall Place NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / 35th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / 34th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / R Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Q Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, D2, D6 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / P Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, G2 (Westbound only) DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Dumbarton Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 33, G2 (Eastbound only) DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / N Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 33 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| M Street NW / Wisconsin Avenue NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont Circle |
| M Street NW / 31st Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont |
| M Street NW / Thomas Jefferson Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont |
| M Street NW / 30th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 28th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station (Eastbound only) Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont (Eastbound only) |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / L Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 26th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station (Eastbound only) |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 24th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 33, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station (Eastbound only) |
| 23rd Street NW / I Street NW Foggy Bottom-GWU | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 32, 36 Washington Metro: |
| 23rd Street NW / G Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 32, 36, 42, 43 |
| F Street NW / 22nd Street NW | Westbound | Metrobus: 32, 36, 42, 43 |
| F Street NW / 21st Street NW | Westbound | Metrobus: 32, 36, 42, 43 |
| Virginia Avenue NW / E Street NW Potomac Park | Northbound stop, Southbound terminal | Metrobus: 11Y, 32, 36 |

## Route 33 stops

| Bus stop | Direction | Connections |
| Montgomery County, Maryland |||
| Friendship Heights Bus Bay C | Southbound stop, Northbound terminal | Metrobus: 31, E4, L8, N2, N4, N6, T2 Ride On: 1, 11, 23, 29, 34, L8, T2 Friendship Heights Village Bus Washington Metro: |
| Washington, D.C. |||
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Jenifer Street NW Friendship Heights | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, N2 Washington Metro: |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Harrison Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Fessenden Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Chesapeake Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / River Road NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 31, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Brandywine Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 31, N2 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Albemarle Street NW Tenleytown–AU | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 96, D32, H2, H4, M4, N2, W45, W47 AU Shuttle Washington Metro: |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Tenley Circle NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 96, D32, H2, H4, W47 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Van Ness Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 31, 96, D32, H2, H4, W47 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Veazey Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 31, 96, H2, H4 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Upton Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 96, D32 (Eastbound only), H4, W47 (Eastbound only) |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Rodman Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 96, D32 (Eastbound only), H4, W47 (Eastbound only) |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Porter Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 96, H4 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Newark Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 96 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Macomb Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 31, 96 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Woodley Road NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 96 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Cathedral Avenue NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, N2, N4, N6 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Garfield Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Edmunds Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Calvert Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Hall Place NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / 35th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus 31 |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / 34th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / R Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Q Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, D2, D6 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / P Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, G2 (Westbound only) DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / Dumbarton Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 31, G2 (Eastbound only) DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Wisconsin Avenue NW / N Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 31 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| M Street NW / Wisconsin Avenue NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont Circle |
| M Street NW / 31st Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont |
| M Street NW / Thomas Jefferson Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont |
| M Street NW / 30th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 28th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station (Eastbound only) Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont (Eastbound only) |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / L Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 26th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station (Eastbound only) |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 24th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 31, 38B DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station (Eastbound only) |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 22nd Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 32, 36, 38B, 80, X2 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| Pennsylvania Avenue NW / 21st Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 32, 36, 80, X2 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station |
| I Street NW / 20th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 32, 36, 38B, 80, X2 |
| I Street NW / 19th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 3Y, 16Y, 32, 36, 38B, 80, D6, X2 |
| H Street NW / 18th Street NW Farragut West Farragut North | Southbound | Metrobus: 3Y, 16Y, 32, 36, 38B, 42, 43, 80, D6, G8, L2, N2, N4, N6, X2 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station MTA Maryland Bus: 901, 902, 904, 905, 909, 950, 995 Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide MTA Maryland Bus: 305, 325 PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: |
| I Street NW / 18th Street NW Farragut West | Northbound | Metrobus: 3Y, 16Y, 32, 36, 38B, 80, X2 PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: |
| I Street NW / 17th Street NW Farragut Square | Northbound | Metrobus: 3Y, 11Y, 16Y, 32, 36, 38B, 42, 43, 80, D6, G8, L2, N2, N4, N6, X2 DC Circulator: Georgetown – Union Station MTA Maryland Bus: 901, 902, 904, 905, 909, 950, 995 Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: (at Farragut West) (at Farragut North) |
| H Street NW / Madison Place NW McPherson Square | Southbound | Metrobus: 3Y, 11Y, 16Y, 32, 36, 80, G8, D6, S2, S9, X2 Washington Metro: |
| I Street NW / 15th Street NW McPherson Square | Northbound | Metrobus: 3Y, 11Y, 16Y, 32, 36, 80, G8, D6, S2, S9, X2 Washington Metro: |
| H Street NW / 14th Street NW | Southbound | Metrobus: 3F, 3Y, 16E, 16Y, 52, 54, 59, 80, D4, D6, G8, S2, X2 DC Circulator: Woodley Park – Adams Morgan – McPherson Square Metro DC Circulator: Georgetown–Union Station Washington Metro: at McPherson Square station |
| I Street NW / 14th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: 3F, 3Y, 16E, 16Y, 52, 54, 59, 80, D4, D6, G8, S2, X2 DC Circulator: Woodley Park – Adams Morgan – McPherson Square Metro DC Circulator: Georgetown–Union Station Washington Metro: at McPherson Square station |
| I Street NW / 12th Street NW | Northbound | Metrobus: D4, S2 |
| New York Avenue NW / 9th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 63, 64, D4, G8, S2 |
| Massachusetts Avenue NW / 7th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 70, 74, D4 |
| Massachusetts Avenue NW / 5th Street NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: D4, P6 |
| Massachusetts Avenue NW / New Jersey Avenue NW | Bidirectional | Metrobus: 80, X2 |
| E Street NE / Columbus Circle NE | Northbound stop, Southbound terminal | Amtrak, VRE, MARC at Union Station DC Streetcar at Union Station Metrobus: 80, D6, D8, X2, X8, X9 DC Circulator: Georgetown–Union Station Congress Heights – Union Station National Mall MTA Maryland Bus: 903, 922 Loudoun County Transit PRTC OmniRide Washington Metro: at Union Station |

## History

The 30 series line is one of the oldest transit routes in the city, tracing its origin to streetcar lines and the Washington and Georgetown Railroad in the 1860s. Buses began to operate on the line in 1936. Today, it is one of the most-ridden bus lines in D.C., serving more than 20,000 passengers a day in 2008.
The five routes, 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36, begin their journey at Friendship Heights station and end at Potomac Avenue station (30), Southern Avenue station (32), or Naylor Road station (34, 35, and 36).
In 2008, WMATA launched a study on the Pennsylvania Avenue line to improve services and to reduce delays and bus bunchings.

### Route 31

Route 31 was introduced on June 29, 2008, dubbed as a "neighborhood connector" as part of an overhaul of the busy Pennsylvania Avenue Line. Route 31 connects Friendship Heights station to Potomac Park to provide help to routes 32 and 36 along Wisconsin Avenue and replace routes 30, 34, and 35.

### Route 33

As part of proposals from 2013 to simplify the Wisconsin Avenue Line again, route 33 was introduced on August 24, 2014 to replace the 32 and 36 portion along Wisconsin Avenue and to provide extra service to the 31, and the newly introduced Friendship Heights–Southeast Line or routes 30N and 30S. Route 33 provides more service between Friendship Heights station and Federal Triangle to help out the 30N, 30S, and 31. Routes 32 and 36 were shorten to Potomac Park being replaced by routes 30N, 30S, 31, and 33.

### Changes

In 2019, as a part of WMATA's Blue/Orange/Silver Line Corridor Capacity & Reliability Study (BOS Study), the transit agency suggested, as one of six potential options, realigning Metrorail's Blue Line along Wisconsin Avenue, terminating at Friendship Heights or Bethesda station, after crossing over the Potomac River from Georgetown from Rosslyn. The proposal was ultimately not included among WMATA's list of four finalists in 2023.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, routes 31 and 33 operated on their Saturday supplemental schedule during the weekdays beginning on March 16, 2020. On March 18, 2020, the line was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule. Weekend service was later suspended on March 21, 2020 being replaced by Routes 30N and 30S. On August 23, 2020, routes 31 and 33 restored its regular schedule but Route 31 weekend service was suspended being replaced by Route 33.
On September 26, 2020, WMATA proposed to eliminate all route 31 weekend service and add route 33 trips due to low federal funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Weekday service will not change.
On September 5, 2021, the line was increased to operate every 12 minutes daily.
On May 29, 2022, all late-night route 33 service was extended to terminate at L'Enfant Plaza station via 7th Street.
On December 15, 2024, Route 31 was changed to operate during weekday peak hours only and Route 33 was extended to Washington Union Station via H Street/I Street and Massachusetts Avenue at all times. This was in response to DC Circulator being discontinued on January 1, 2024. Service to Federal Triangle and L'Enfant Plaza station was eliminated.

## Incidents

* On June 3, 2022, a man was stabbed aboard a 33 bus along Wisconsin Avenue near Newark Street NW. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition. The suspect fled the scene.