WMATA Bus Network Redesign

Foursquare ITP is leading the network analysis and service planning, as well as the extensive engagement components, of this wide-reaching effort to redesign Metrobus—and other local bus services—throughout the DC region. Travel trends and transit usage throughout the Washington, DC region have changed significantly since the last major rethink of the Metrobus network more than 50 years ago. Amidst constant change coming out of the pandemic, a looming fiscal cliff, and a complex region with seven local bus providers in addition to Metrobus, this project aims to refocus bus service around underserved, untapped, and even successful markets, as well as changing travel trends.

The Foursquare ITP team developed a detailed market and existing service assessment and collaboratively—with Metrobus planners, bus operators, and the local jurisdictions—developed a draft visionary plan, as well as a short-term network, for the region that will improve accessibility, transit competitiveness, and equity of bus service. After sharing the visionary plan with the public and stakeholders for input in spring 2023, we developed a resource constrained network for planned implementation in 2025.

Foursquare ITP and our partners, across three phases and nearly six months of public engagement, received more than 33,000 customer comments that informed the final Better Bus plan. The final Better Bus network implemented in June 2025 provides seven percent more service to customers with the same resources, additional access to key destinations, and is expected to generate 13,000 more passenger trips daily. Foursquare ITP worked with WMATA to implement the bus network redesign. In recognition of our work, we were awarded by APTA “Outstanding Partnership in Public Transportation” in 2025.