Red Line shuttles begin using bus lanes in Bethesda as Metro stations close for summer

Bus-only lanes along MD 355 were activated early this morning between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights. The Bethesda, Medical Center, and Grosvenor Metro stations will be closed for major construction from today until September 6, 2026. Monday morning commuters at the Bethesda Metro station found no personnel from transit agency WMATA on-site to assist customers in locating the free shuttle buses that will be running between the shuttered stations for the next eight weeks. There was also a lack of signage. 

Adding to the confusion is that, unlike previous station closures in Bethesda, a hodgepodge of privately-owned charter buses is being employed as shuttles, instead of Metrobuses. And many of those buses had the name of the charter company displayed on the screen above the windshield, instead of the destination.

WMATA using Greyhound, Bolt Bus as shuttles during Metro station closure

The Bethesda and Medical Center Metro stations will be closed through Friday this week for scheduled maintenance. Yesterday, I noticed that WMATA was using Greyhound and Bolt Bus buses for the free shuttle service they are running between Grosvenor and Friendship Heights. Perhaps it is easier to social distance aboard these buses, but they are certainly more comfortable than Metrobuses. Bring in a Trailways to complete the trifecta!

SCENES FROM A SHUTDOWN: MONDAY'S METRO RED LINE DETOUR (PHOTOS) #WMATA

Heading from Bethesda to downtown DC was extremely inconvenient yesterday, as Metro did not run trains between Woodley Park and Metro Center on the Red Line. Despite it being a federal holiday, others still had to work. And the shuttle buses used for the surface-level detour were crowded - standing room only, as you can see in these photos. Rush hour weekday station closures? There's got to be a better way.

DUPONT CIRCLE, FARRAGUT N. STATIONS CLOSED ON RED LINE; WMATA STILL FIXING BETHESDA ESCALATOR (PHOTO)

Yet another deadline came and went last Friday at Bethesda Metro Center. The escalator between the plaza and bus bays remained out of service this weekend, as WMATA failed to deliver its Valentine's Day promise. The escalator has been offline for weeks, and Metro continues to set, and then defy, dates upon which it should be operational again. Now WMATA says this Friday, February 21.

This is what happens when there is no accountability. Today, two Red Line stations (Dupont Circle and Farragut North) are closed, forcing riders to exit the Woodley Park station, and take a shuttle bus to Metro Center. All told, probably a 20-minute process amidst already poor service. And they want higher fares for less service.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post "Dr. Gridlock" page yesterday did not even mention about the closure. Just because many people have the day off doesn't mean those who don't are irrelevant. What the Gridlock page did feature, was a full page of Metro puff pieces. On the top, the good doctor had another "stop whining" essay, explaining why you aren't going to get express trains. So there. On the bottom, a rah-rah piece about the really sharp, heroic politicians of Fairfax County, who have masterfully prepared their local bus service for the opening of the Silver Line. And when the Silver Line opens, thanks to WMATA and those Fairfax officials, the whole region will be moved forward, we will achieve utopia, and have world peace to boot.

Why not mention today's Red Line debacle? Because it's embarrassing, when other cities maintain their systems while offering 24-hour subway service. Kind of like a tiny escalator being out of service weeks after it was supposed to be fixed...

AVOID WEEKEND METRO FAILS WITH NEW BETHESDA TO DC NIGHTLIFE SHUTTLE

DC HOPPER JOINS

UBER - WILL PRIVATE

TRANSPORTATION

REPLACE

PUBLIC TRANSIT?

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Are you sick and tired of using the Metro Red Line on weekend nights?  Delays, single-tracking, breakdowns, and - my personal favorite - total closure of the Bethesda Metro station - even on a holiday weekend?

There's a new option.

The DC Hopper, a "nightlife shuttle," launched in Bethesda this past weekend.

You can board the Hopper at the corner of Norfolk and St. Elmo Avenues, across from Hanaro.  Just check the schedule, go to the Hopper stop, pay by credit card (or even with your phone - they accept Square payments!), and even while they're processing your credit card, you're already on your way into DC.

The Hopper will take you to - and bring you back from - Georgetown (1218 Wisconsin Avenue NW) and Dupont Circle (18th Street and Connecticut Avenue NW).

But wait, there's more!

You'll also get a wristband that entitles you to VIP line access and discounted drinks, among other perks.  Participating clubs include Modern, Dirty Bar and Third Edition.

This service is being specifically marketed as an alternative to the poor-performing Metro system, just as private car service Uber has offered a high-quality alternative to taxis.

We know Metro is a public system.  But taxis are so over-regulated by local governments, that they have essentially become public transportation, as well.  What Uber has started, is a textbook demonstration of the power of free markets and competition.

You provide a terrible service?  Well, guess what?  I don't have to use your service!  This other guy is going to provide a better product, and that's who is going to get my money.

Is there any surprise that some on the DC Council want to stop Uber?

It makes you wonder about the future of transportation.  I think Metro was great, and could be great again with the right leadership at WMATA and regionally.

But to keep making the public pay more for service and quality that consistently gets worse - we can't go on like this.

Services like DC Hopper and Uber suggest that, unless public agencies and elected officials clean up their act soon, we might witness a revolution in private transportation.   Paper card?  Smart card?  Who needs a card, when your smartphone summons and pays for the whole thing!

This is a positive development, and ultimately, government will have to compete or give up in the transportation marketplace.

BETHESDA AND MEDICAL CENTER METRO STATIONS CLOSED THIS WEEKEND

Driving is the best option this weekend for anyone living in Bethesda or beyond on the Red Line.

Metro is closing the Bethesda and Medical Center stations for "track work," etc.

You know the drill:  Closures and delays for "repairs" that have yet to produce any tangible improvement in service or safety.

Gluttons for punishment will be able to board shuttle buses between Grosvenor and Friendship Heights.  Personally, I would just drive.

Metro got their fare increase.  Pepco got their rate increase.  We're paying for it all, yet our customer experience has not improved.  Yet politicians' bank accounts grow fatter by the day, and they heartily approved all of the above.

The "new" Metro "repairs" and "work" are the Emperor's New Clothes almost as much as Bus Rapid Transit.

No one can show any tangible improvement in Metro performance, yet closures and inconvenient weekend schedules persist.