Sibley Hospital–Stadium Armory Line
The Sibley Hospital–Stadium Armory Line, designated Route D6, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Stadium–Armory station of the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines of the Washington Metro and Sibley Hospital in the Palisades neighborhood. The line operates every 8-20 minutes during the weekday peak hours, 30-35 minutes during the off-peak hours, and 45-60 minutes during the late nights. Route D6 trips are roughly 65-90 minutes long.
| D6 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sibley Hospital–Stadium Armory Line | |||
 | |||
 Route D6 | |||
| Overview | |||
| System | Metrobus | ||
| Operator | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | ||
| Garage | Bladensburg (Off-Peak hours) Shepherd Parkway (Weekday Peak Hours) Southern Avenue (Select Peak Hour Trips) Western (Select Peak Hour Trips) | ||
| Livery | Local | ||
| Status | In Service | ||
| Began service | 1890s | ||
| Route | |||
| Locale | Southeast, Northeast, Northwest | ||
| Communities served | Palisades, Foxhall, Burleith, Georgetown, Downtown, Kingman Park | ||
| Landmarks served | Sibley Hospital, Palisades, Foxhall Village, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Georgetown, Dupont Circle station, Farragut North station, Farragut West station, Farragut Square, Metro Center station, Washington Union Station, Capitol Hill, Stadium–Armory station | ||
| Start | Sibley Hospital | ||
| Via | MacArthur Boulevard NW, Q Street NW, K Street NW, E Street NW, C Street NE (to Sibley Hospital), D Street NE (to Stadium-Armory) | ||
| End | Stadium–Armory station | ||
| Length | 65-90 minutes | ||
| Other routes | D5 | ||
| Service | |||
| Level | Daily | ||
| Frequency | 8-20 minutes (Weekday peak hours) 30-35 minutes (Off Peak Hours) 45-60 minutes (Late Nights) | ||
| Transfers | SmarTrip only | ||
| Timetable | Sibley Hospital–Stadium Armory Line | ||
| |||
Background
Route D6 operates daily between Stadium–Armory station and Sibley Hospital connecting Palisades, Foxhall, Burleith, Georgetown, and Kingman Park residents to Downtown without having to take the train.[1] Route D6 operates out of Bladensburg division during the off-peak hours and out of Shepherd Parkway, Southern Avenue, and Western divisions during the weekday peak-hours.
History
The Sibley Hospital Line was originally operated under the Washington Railway & Electric Company prior to it merging with the Capital Traction Company in 1933.[2] Route D6 originally began operating between Glover Park and Downtown under the Capital Street Company. The line at first were operated by streetcars, but then formed into buses on April 12, 1926. The line was later operated until DC Transit in 1956 and then acquired by WMATA on February 4, 1973.[3]
Service along Loughboro Road was replaced by route M4 and F Street/D Street was replaced by route 42 through the years.
1976 changes
On March 27, 1976, route D6 was extended from Downtown DC to Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station via Washington Union Station in order to provide newly opened Metrorail service.
1977 changes
On June 15, 1977, route D6 was extended from Rhode Island Avenue to Washington Hospital Center. A new route D8 was also introduced to operate between Washington Hospital Center and Sibley Hospital via the Hospital Complex, Trinity University, Glenwood Cemetery, the Edgewood Terrace Apartments, the Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center, the Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station, Washington Union Station, Judiciary Square, Metro Center, and Dupont Circle stations.[4]
1995 changes
In 1995, the line was split into two routes in order to simplify the line.
Route D6 was split to operate between Sibley Hospital and Stadium–Armory station, via Washington Union Station, instead of operating to Washington Hospital Center and up to Glover Park in order to replace the segment of the former routes 40, 42, and 44 between Union Station and Stadium–Armory station when both 40 and 44 were discontinued and 42 was shortened to operate between Mount Pleasant and Metro Center station. Route D6 also replaced the potion of route D2 between Dupont Circle station and Stadium–Armory station and route D4 portion between Washington Union Station and Stadium–Armory station.[5]
New routes D1 and D3 were introduced to operate alongside the D6. D1 would operate between Glover Park and Washington Union Station while route D3 operated between Sibley Hospital and Union Station.
Route D8 was also split to only operate between Washington Hospital Center and Washington Union Station. The segment of D8's routing west of Union Station was replaced by routes D1, D3, and D6. At the same time, the D8 replaced the segment of D6's former routing between Union Station and Washington Hospital Center, via Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station.[5]
As a result, as route D6 became a part of the Sibley Hospital–Stadium Armory Line, which operated alongside routes D1 and D3 while route D8 became a part of the Hospital Center Line.[5]
2009 changes
On December 27, 2009, short trips were added to route D6 during the weekday peak hours. According to WMATA it goes as follows:[6][7]
The weekday schedule will change. Buses servicing the route between Sibley Hospital and Stadium-Armory Metrorail station will be scheduled every 22 to 25 minutes with shorter route buses servicing in between during the afternoon peak period. Eastbound short trip buses to Stadium Armory will leave Farragut Square (on 17th Street) at 3:14, 3:39, 4:02, 4:25, 4:45, 5:09, 5:32, 5:54, and 6:13 p.m. Westbound short trips to Sibley Hospital will leave Farragut Square at 4:47, 5:11, 5:37, 5:59, 6:23, and 6:47 p.m.
It means is that there will continue to be buses operating the full route every 22 to 25 minutes with two shorter routes added during peak hours. One will go from Farragut Square to Stadium–Armory station and the other will go from Farragut Square to Sibley Hospital.
2012 changes
On June 17, 2012, route D6 short trips to Dupont Circle will end at 20th Street & New Hampshire Avenue, NW instead of at P & 22nd streets, NW. Short trips starting at Farragut Square will leave from 17th & I streets, NW on the east side of the park rather than from the west side of the park.[8][9]
References
- "D6 – Sibley Hospital–Stadium-Armory Line". Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- "WASHINGTON DC TRANSIT ROUTES". www.chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- "History". Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- "Metrobus to Change Routes for Dupont Circle/New Hospital". Washington Post. June 4, 1977. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- Harris, Hamil (February 2, 1995). "Proposed Cuts in Bus Routes". Washington Post. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- "WMATA Announces Dramatic Changes to Metrobus Routes". The Georgetown Metropolitan. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- "Metrobus Route Changes". WMATA. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- "Metro News Release". wmata.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- Courtney, Shaun (15 June 2012). "Metro Bus Route Changes Impact D3, D6". Georgetown, DC Patch. Retrieved 1 June 2020.