Georgia Avenue–7th Street Line

When the Capital Traction Company and the Washington Railway & Electric Company merged, forming the Capital Transit Company in 1933, the Georgia Avenue and 7th Street Lines were merged into one route operated under route 70 between Silver Spring and Half and O Streets.[6] Routes 72 and 74 were not affected by the changes.

In 1956, DC Transit acquired the Capital Transit Company and routes 70, 72, and 74 were acquired by them. This also meant the end of streetcars beginning in 1958. Routes 70, 72 and 74 were converted into buses on January 3, 1960 when the Southern Division (Maine Avenue) Car Barn was closed.[11]

Routes 70, 72, and 74 were later acquired by WMATA to run under Metrobus when DC Transit was acquired by WMATA on January 4, 1973.[6][12]

Following the changes, route 72 was discontinued and replaced by routes 50, 52, and 54 while 74 was also discontinued and replaced by route 60.[6] A new route 71 was later introduced to operate alongside the 70 during the weekday peak hours between Silver Spring and Buzzard Point via the 70's routing except operating along 2nd Street, V Street, 1st Street, and T street. A new route 73 was also introduced as the Brightwood-Petworth Line to operate alongside the 70 and 71.

Route 71 at Silver Spring station.

In 1978, route 70 was rerouted to serve the newly opened Silver Spring station connecting riders to the Red Line.

On June 25, 2000, route 73 was eliminated and replaced by routes 70 and 71 as route 73 overlapped both routes.[13]

In 2010, WMATA proposed to shorten routes 70 and 71 to Archives station in order to improve reliability and improve on time performance. All route 70 and 71 service past Archives station to Half and O streets and Buzzard Point would be eliminated. Route P6 would be rerouted from M Street SW via Delaware Avenue, Canal Street, P Street, and 4th Street back to M Street to replace Route 70 and via Delaware Avenue, Canal Street, 2nd Street, V Street, Half Street, S Street, 1st Street, P Street, and 4th Street back to M Street to replace route 71.[14]

A year later, WMATA proposed to end route 70 at Archives station and eliminate all route 71 service. The length of these routes, and the congested traffic conditions under which they operate, are subject them to delays, bunching, and overall poor reliability according to WMATA. Service past Archives station to Half and O streets would be replaced by a new route 74 which will operate on weekdays between Chinatown and Buzzard Point during the weekday peak-hours and between Chinatown and Fort McNair during the off-peak hours. During the weekday evenings and all day weekends, route V8 would be extended to Gallery Place station via Fort McNair.

At the time of the proposals, route 70 operated daily between Silver Spring station and Half and O Street with late night trips ending at Archives station while route 71 only operated during the weekday peak hours while serving Buzzard Point.[15]

On September 25, 2011, route 71 was discontinued and all route 70 trips were shortened to Archives station terminating along Constitution Avenue. Service past Constitution Avenue to Half and O Street/Buzzard Point was discontinued on route 70 with a new route 74 operating between Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Half and O Street while running the Buzzard Point loop during the weekday peak hours.[16][17] The new 74 replaced the 70 and 71 to Half and O Street while also replacing the DC Circulator Convention Center-Southwest Waterfront route.[18][19]

When the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center at Silver Spring station opened, route 70 was rerouted from its terminus along Wayne Avenue to the new transit center. Route 70 were assigned to Bus Bay 220 on level 2.[20][21]