National Harbor Line

The National Harbor Line, designated as Route NH1, was a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Southern Avenue station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro and National Harbor. The line operated every 30 minutes at rush hour and 40 minutes all other times. NH1 trips were roughly 30–35 minutes. This line provided service to National Harbor and MGM National Harbor from Southern Avenue station. Service to Alexandria, Virginia was provided by the NH2.

Route description

The NH1 operated beginning at 5:45 AM with the last bus leaving at 12:00 AM connecting Southern Avenue station to National Harbor via Southview Apartments and Oxon Hill Parking Lot. The NH1 operated buses out of Andrews Federal Center division. Prior to 2012, the NH1 would get its buses out of Southern Avenue division, and prior to 2021, the NH1 would get its buses out of Shepherd Parkway division.

NH1 Stops

History

Introduction of the NH1

National Harbor opened on April 1, 2008 with the opening of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and has since got more attractions like Tanger Outlets and the Capital Wheel through the years.^[2][3] Under the request of Gaylord and National Harbor, WMATA announced new service connecting Southern Avenue station to National Harbor with the new route NH1 beginning on March 23, 2008.^[4] The new route will operate 7 days a week between 6 AM and 10 PM every 20 minutes during rush hours and 30 minutes during other times. The state of Maryland pays $312,000 annually for the NH1 operations. In June 2008, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center have asked Maryland to fund for additional transit service since employees found it difficult to reach National Harbor.^[5][6]

Reroute to Branch Ave

In August 2009 under the request of National Harbor, WMATA rerouted the NH1 to Branch Avenue station travelling along the Capital Beltway.^[7][8]

The changes caused controversy among workers as they will now have to travel out further on the Green Line to catch the NH1. Service was also deducted in the morning with buses now arriving past 8:00 AM on the weekends. Gaylord requested for WMATA to restore the original routing back to Southern Avenue station.^[9][10]

In response to the changes, Prince George's County created TheBus Route 35 to restore the connection between Southern Ave station and National Harbor.

Route NH3

In December 2013, WMATA announced a new route to operate along the former NH1 service between Southern Avenue station and National Harbor during early mornings and late nights with new stops being added of the grand opening of Tanger Outlets Mall. It was also announced that both the NH1 and will operate via Harborview Avenue instead of National Avenue.^[11]

Changes

In 2014, WMATA announced a proposal to restore the NH1 routing to Southern Ave and to discontinue the completely being replaced by the NH1.^[12]

Another proposal was to reroute the NH1 along the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to serve King Street–Old Town station.^[13] This routing would later become route NH2 in 2016.^[14][15][16]

In June 2015, WMATA announced that the will be discontinued and replaced by the NH1. The NH1 would restore service to Southern Avenue station and will serve Southview Apartments. Service to Branch Avenue station would be discontinued.^[17]

Beginning on September 9, 2018, the St George Blvd & Waterfront St bus stop in National Harbor was discontinued and the NH1 along with the NH2 were rerouted to follow straight on National Harbor Blvd, turn right on Waterfront Street, and make a right turn onto St. George Blvd where it'll serve its current stop at Waterfront St & Potomac Passage. The reason WMATA made the reroute was since of traffic congestion along Downtown National Harbor (Waterfront St) and wanted to offer customers a more efficient trip. However it meant that both the NH1 & NH2 only served one stop at National Harbor.^[18]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the line was reduced to operate on its weekend schedule beginning on March 16, 2020.^[19][20] Also beginning on March 21, 2020, all weekend service was suspended.^[21] Full service resumed on August 23, 2020.^[22]

Better Bus Redesign

In 2022, WMATA launched its Better Bus Redesign project, which aimed to redesign the entire Metrobus Network and is the first full redesign of the agency's bus network in its history.

In April 2023, WMATA launched its Draft Visionary Network. As part of the drafts, WMATA proposed to partially merge the NH1 with the P12. The new line would be named Route MD265 and would follow the P12 routing between Southern Avenue station and Eastover Shopping Center via Southern Avenue SE, Southview Drive, Iverson Street, Owens Road, Kennebec Street, Deal Drive, and Audrey Lane, but the route would turn onto Indian Head Highway, then operate on Livingston Road before serving Route D12's Birchwood City loop via Birchwood Drive, Galloway Drive, and Helmont Drive. Following the loop, the proposed route would continue to National Harbor via Livingston Road, Oxon Hill Park & Ride, Monument Avenue, National Harbor Boulevard, MGM National Harbor, MGM National Avenue (to Southern Avenue), and St. George Boulevard (to National Harbor). The current NH1 routing between Southern Avenue station and the intersection of St. Barnabas Road & Brinkley Road would be reworked into a TheBus route.

During WMATA's Revised Draft Visionary Network, WMATA merged the proposed Route MD265 with the proposed Route MD148 (the current P12 routing between Suitland station and Eastover Shopping Center) and renamed the route to the P93. The proposed P93 was to operate between Suitland station and National Harbor via the proposed Route MD148 routing (and current P12 routing) between Suitland station and Eastover Shopping Center, and the proposed Route MD265 routing between Southern Avenue station and National Harbor. The route would serve the Eastover Shopping Center, but would skip the Birchwood City loo,p with the proposed Route P96 taking it over instead.^[23] All changes were then proposed during WMATA's 2025 Proposed Network.^[24][25]

During the proposals, the Route P93 number would be changed to Route P94 and would operate the same routing as the original P93. The P93 was instead to operate up to Birchwood City via Birchwood Drive, Galloway Drive, and Helmont Drive.^[26] Both routes would operate 24 minutes daily between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM with a combined frequency of every 12 minutes.

On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved its Better Bus Redesign Network, with service on the College Park Line being simplified.^[27]

Beginning on June 29, 2025, Route NH1 was merged with the P12 and was renamed to the P94. The P94 operates along the former P12 routing between Suitland station and Eastover Shopping Center, then runs along Livingston Road before turning onto Saint Barnabas Road and operating on the NH1 routing to National Harbor. Service between Southern Avenue station and the intersection of St. Barnabas Road & Owens Road was replaced by TheBus Route P88.^[28]

References

1. ^ "Metrobus FY2024 Annual Line Performance Report". wmata.com. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
2. ^ "Opening day of Tanger Outlets at National Harbor lures shoppers before dawn". Washington Post. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
3. ^ Cooper, Rachel (April 20, 2016). "National Harbor: Shop, Dine and Play Along the Potomac". About Travel. About. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
4. ^ "New Metrobus Route NH1 to National Harbor begins March 23". Retrieved 18 June 2019.
5. ^ Wiggins, Ovetta (2008-06-04). "Gaylord Resort Asks for More Transit Service". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
6. ^ Roberts, Jay. "NH2: New Metro Bus Service to and From National Harbor and Alexandria". Jaybird's Jottings. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
7. ^ Alpert, David. "National Harbor bus reroute deepens inequality". Retrieved 18 June 2019.
8. ^ Krouse, Sarah. "WMATA approves $2.1B budget". Bitz Journals. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
9. ^ Alpert, David. "Gaylord agrees to restore original NH1 route". Retrieved 18 June 2019.
10. ^ Alpert, David. "Gaylord workers decry NH-1 reroute". Retrieved 18 June 2019.
11. ^ "December 29, 2013 Service Changes". www.wmata.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
12. ^ "MARYLAND PROPOSED BUS SERVICE CHANGES". Retrieved 12 April 2020.
13. ^ Johnson, Matt. "Metro proposes new Wilson Bridge bus service". Retrieved 18 June 2019.
14. ^ "New Metrobus line from Alexandria to National Harbor starts Sunday". The Washington Post. 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
15. ^ "NH2 officially begins National Harbor service | Alexandria Times | Alexandria, VA". 28 October 2016.
16. ^ "New Metrobus Service: NH2 National Harbor Alexandria Line". WMATA. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
17. ^ "Metrobus Service Changes Beginning June 21". June 21, 2015. Archived from the original on June 13, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
18. ^ "Permanent Reroute: NH1 and NH2 to Begin New Route through Downtown National Harbor, September 9". Retrieved 18 June 2019.
19. ^ "Metro announces additional COVID-19 changes, including reduced service beginning Monday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
20. ^ "METRO SERVICE LEVELS & HOURS FURTHER REDUCED TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL TRIPS ONLY, STARTING WEDNESDAY | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
21. ^ "Weekend: Metro service limited to 26 bus routes, reduced rail service; expect wait times of 30 minutes; customers urged to travel only if essential | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
22. ^ "Metrobus Service Changes beginning August 23 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
23. ^ "Revised Visionary Network Route Summary". Retrieved 29 July 2025.
24. ^ "Proposed 2025 Network Maryland Routes". Retrieved 29 July 2025.
25. ^ "Revised Visionary Network Route Summary"
26. ^ "Maryland Better Bus Routes"
27. ^ "Metro Board of Directors approves Better Bus Network Redesign, new bus routes to start next summer". WMATA. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
28. ^ "Maryland Route Profiles". Retrieved 29 July 2025.