Bladensburg Road–Anacostia Line

The Bladensburg Road-Anacostia Line, designated as Route B2, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Anacostia station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro & Mount Rainier Terminal in Mount Rainier. Route B2 operates every 10–15 minutes during peak hours, every 16–20 minutes at other times on weekdays, 30 minutes during late night service, 20 minutes on Saturday, and 24 minutes on Sunday. B2 trips are roughly 56 minutes to complete.

B2
Bladensburg Road–Anacostia Line
Overview
System	Metrobus
Operator	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Garage	Bladensburg (Full Time) Shepherd Parkway (Select Weekday Peak Hour trips)
Livery	Local
Status	In Service
Began service	1910
Route
Locale	Prince George's County, Northeast, Southeast
Communities served	Mount Rainier, Woodridge, Fort Lincoln, Langdon, Hill East, Barney Circle, Barry Farm, Anacostia
Landmarks served	Mount Rainier terminal, Hechinger Mall, Stadium–Armory station, Hill East/D.C. General Campus, 15th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. S.E., Potomac Avenue station, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Anacostia station
Start	Mount Rainier (Municipal Place & Rhode Island Avenue)
Via	Bladensburg Road NE, 14th Street NE (to Anacostia), 15th Street NE (to Mount Rainier), Minnesota Avenue SE, Martin Luther King Jr Avenue SE
End	Anacostia station
Length	60 minutes
Service
Level	Daily
Journey time	4:25 am – 3:15 am (Weekdays) 4:37 am – 2:35 am (Saturdays) 5:16 am – 1:18 am (Sundays)
Transfers	SmarTrip only
Timetable	Bladensburg Road–Anacostia Line
Route map ← A12  {{{system_nav}}}  B8 →

Background

Route B2 operates daily between Mount Rainier terminal and Anacostia station mostly operating along Bladensburg Road. Additional school trips from Eastern High School are also operated during school days. This route connects Mount Rainier and Anacostia residents by bus without having to take the train between the two points.

Route B2 currently operates out of Bladensburg division. Select weekday peak-hour trips are operated by Shepherd Parkway.

History

B2 initially started off as a streetcar line in 1910, operating between Mount Rainier, MD, Municipal Place & Rhode Island Avenue & the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington D.C.[1] The B2 streetcar line was later replaced by buses in 1923 and eventually became a Metrobus Route on February 4, 1973 when WMATA acquired four private bus companies that operated throughout the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area and merged them all together to form its own, "Metrobus" System. Route B2 kept operating on the same exact routing as its streetcar route after.[1]

1977 Service Changes

On July 15, 1977 when both Stadium Armory & Potomac Avenue stations opened, B2 began serving both Metrorail Stations in the middle of its route. There were no major changes on its routing however.[2]

1991 Service Changes

On December 28, 1991, when Anacostia station opened, B2 was extended from its original Anacostia terminus at the intersection of W Street SE & 16th Street SE, to operate to the new Anacostia station in the adjacent neighborhood of Barry Farm in Southeast Washington D.C.[3]

2001 Service Change

In 2001 when a roundabout was constructed at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue, 34th Street, & Perry Street in Mount Rainier, MD to replace the original traffic lights at the intersection, B2 was rerouted to enter the roundabout when operating to both Mount Rainier and the Anacostia Metro Station.[4] Since then, the B2 kept its current routing and has not went through any changes.

Incidents

• On July 10, 2010, a Maryland teenager posed as a Metrobus worker stole a bus from Bladensburg division and ran the B2 route picking up passengers before crashing the bus. After the riders got off the bus, the teen drove off before being stopped by police, fleeing the scene, and later getting arrested.[5]
• On December 9, 2012, 27-year-old Javon Foster shot and killed 20-year-old Selina Brown and injured Brown's 23-month-old daughter Kodi onboard a B2 bus along Minnesota Avenue SE around 5:40 pm. Foster later fled and went to the home of his other child's mother right after the shooting.[6][7] Then Foster later drove to Long Island, New York where he later committed suicide two days later.[8][9]
• On May 13, 2020, a Metropolitan Police Department officer was struck by a B2 Metrobus along Bladensburg Road. The officer suffered serious injuries.[10][11]

References

1. "WASHINGTON DC TRANSIT ROUTES". chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
2. "world.nycsubway.org: Washington, D.C." nycsubway.org. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
3. Fehr, Stephen C. (December 22, 1991). "AS METRORAIL MOVES TO ANACOSTIA, QUESTIONS REMAIN". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
4. "Grit and Granola". Washington City Paper. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
5. "19-year old steals DC Metrobus, picks up passengers and crashes". wmbfnews.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
6. Sarna, Shivan. "Man suspected of killing woman identified as child's father". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
7. Brown, Pamela; Donelan, Jennifer (December 9, 2012). "Selina Brown killed, child shot on Metrobus in SE". WJLA. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
8. "Suspect in Metrobus Shooting Commits Suicide in Long Island". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
9. "Bus shooting suspect found dead in New York". WTOP. December 9, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
10. Mwangi, Fonda (May 14, 2020). "DC officer in critical condition after being struck by Metrobus". WTOP. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
11. Pusatory, Matt. "MPD officer hit by Metrobus suffers significant injuries". wusa9.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.