Queens Chapel Road Line

The Queens Chapel Road Line, designated Route R4, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between the Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, Maryland and Brookland–CUA station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 20–35 minutes during peak hours, 70 minutes during midday service and 65–70 minutes on the weekends. R4 trips are roughly 30 minutes.

R4
Queens Chapel Road Line
Route R4 at Prince George’s Plaza
Overview
SystemMetrobus
OperatorWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
GarageBladensburg
LiveryLocal
StatusIn Service
Began service1978
Ended serviceR6, R7: December 11, 1993
PredecessorsG7, G9, R2, R6, R7
Route
LocalePrince George's County, Northeast
Communities servedBrookland, University Heights, Michigan Park, Avondale, Mount Rainier, Hyattsville
Landmarks servedHighview, Prince George's Plaza station, West Hyattsville station, Brookland–CUA station
StartHighview Apartments
ViaQueens Chapel Road, Michigan Avenue NE
EndBrookland–CUA station
Service
LevelDaily
FrequencyPeak Hour: 20-35 minutes
Midday: 70 minutes
Weekend frequency60-70 minutes
Operates5:00 AM – 10:56 PM
TransfersSmarTrip only
TimetableQueens Chapel Road Line
 R2  {{{system_nav}}}  R12 

Background

Route R4 operates daily between Brookland–CUA station and Highview Apartment Complex mainly operating along Michigan Avenue, Queens Chapel Road, Belcrest Road, Toledo Terrence, Northwest Drive, and Dean Drive.

During light or moderate snowfall detours, route R4 would terminate at Prince George's Plaza station with no service operating to Highview.[1] The route would be suspended if heavy snowfall occurs.

Route R4 currently gets its buses out of Bladensburg division.

Route R4 stops

History

The R4 running to Brookland-CUA Station in 2014

The Queens Chapel Road Line consisted of routes R2, R4, R6, and R7 during its inception on December 6, 1978 replacing routes G7 and G9. The G7 and G9 operated between Hyattsville (G7)/Highview (G9) and Downtown DC. All routes ran between Brookland–CUA station and a variety of destinations in Prince Georges County.[3]

Routes G7 & G9 operated from the Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, MD, all the way up to Downtown DC until being replaced by routes R2, R4, R6, and R7. All routes mostly operated along Bunker Hill Road, 10th Street, Perry Street, Michigan Avenue, Queens Chapel Road, Ager Road, Hamilton Street, Gallatin Street, 42nd Avenue, and Farragut Street running parallel between Brookland-CUA station and the intersection of Ager Road & Hamilton Street.[4]

Route R2 originally operated between Brookland–CUA station and Centerpark Office Park in Calverton running to Prince George's Plaza and along Belcrest Road, East-West Highway, Baltimore Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, and Powder Mill Road.

Route R4 originally operated between Brookland–CUA station and Hyattsville running along parts of the G4 streetcar line mostly operating parallel with route F8 mostly operating in the historical area of Hyattsville. The route terminated along the former Queens Chapel Municipal Airport,[5][6] and Hyattsville division where West Hyattsville station now stands.

Route R6 would operated between Brookland–CUA station & the Lewisdale Neighborhood (Lewisdale Drive & 23rd Avenue) remaining on Ager Road, turning onto 23rd Avenue, and then turning onto Lewisdale Drive, to reach its Lewisdale terminus at the intersection of Lewisdale Drive & 23rd Avenue. The R6 would then turn back and operate in the direction of the Brookland-CUA station by running along Fordham Street and 23rd Avenue.

Route R7, would operate between Brookland-CUA station and the Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, Maryland during the weekdays only. Route R7 will follow route R2's routing all the way up to The Mall at Prince Georges then operate along Toledo Road, Belcrest Road, Northwest Drive, Dean Drive, and Highview Terrace to reach the apartments.

At one point, route R2 would operate between Calverton and Kennedy Center but was later shortened to Brookland–CUA station. Around the same time, route R4 and R8 would operate between Calverton and Crystal City station but would be later shorten to Brookland–CUA station and Fort Totten station.

On December 11, 1993, route R2 was rerouted to operate to Fort Totten station via Riggs Road and East West Highway replacing routes R8 and R9 to become a part of the "Riggs Road Line". Route R7 will also join route R2 operating the same R2 routing but diverting into the United States Army Research Laboratory along Floral Drive.[7] Route R6 was discontinued in the process with all routes being replaced by extended route R4.[3] Lewisdale service was completely replaced by newly created route R3 from Prince George's Plaza station.

The R4 was extended to Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, which is a combination of the R4 and R7, with the exception that it would divert into the newly opened Prince George's Plaza station, and West Hyattsville station and operate at all times. The former routing on Hamilton Street (from the intersection of Ager Road all the way up to 38th Avenue), 38th Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Baltimore Avenue, was replaced by Route F8.[3] Parts of routes R4's former routing on along Gallatin Street, 42nd Avenue, Farragut Street, Baltimore Avenue, was replaced by TheBus Route 13 in 1996.

On May 15, 2003, the original bus bays inside Prince Georges Plaza mall, were demolished in order to build a new Target store. Route R4 along with routes 86, C4, F4, F6, F8, R3, R2 and TheBus 13, 14, 18 have stopped entering and looping inside around the mall.[8]

When the site of where the new Mosaic Apartments next to Prince George's Plaza station, were being built, route R4 was rerouted to operate along East West Highway and turning onto Belcrest Road going to Highview from Prince George's Plaza station due to the construction. Southbound service to Brookland station was unaffected by the change.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Route R4 was reduced to operate on its Saturday supplemental schedule beginning on March 16, 2020.[9] However on March 18, 2020, the route was further reduced to operate on its Sunday schedule and weekend service later suspended on March 21, 2020.[10] A modified schedule and all weekend service resumed on August 23, 2020.[11]

References

  1. "Moderate Snow Routes | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. "CUA Shuttle Bus Schedule" (PDF). CUA Department of Public Safety. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  3. Pierre, Robert. "METRO SHUFFLING ITS BUS SCHEDULE". Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  4. "R4 – Queens Chapel Road Line". Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  5. http://www.airfields-freeman.com/MD/Airfields_MD_PG_C.htm
  6. Freeman, Paul. "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Maryland: Central Prince George's County area". Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  7. "Technical Memorandum #1: Transit Service Assessment" (PDF). Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  8. "Metrobus service suspended at Prince Georges Plaza". www.gazette.net. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  9. "Metro announces additional COVID-19 changes, including reduced service beginning Monday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. "METRO SERVICE LEVELS & HOURS FURTHER REDUCED TO SUPPORT ESSENTIAL TRIPS ONLY, STARTING WEDNESDAY | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  11. "Metrobus Service Changes beginning August 23 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.