The Oxon Hill–Suitland Line, designated Routes D12 & D14, are daily bus routes operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Southern Avenue station and Suitland station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro. The D12 operates every 20 minutes between 7AM and 9PM and 60 minutes after 9PM while the D14 operates every 24–30 minutes during the peak hours and every 60 minutes all other times. Trips roughly take 60 minutes (D12) or 70–80 minutes (D14).
Background
Routes D12 and D14 operate between Southern Avenue station and Suitland station mainly connecting riders along Saint Barnabas Road for the D12, and Brinkley Road, Allentown Road, and Indian Head Highway for route D14. Routes D12 and D14 operate daily. Route D14 follows much of the D12 routing except skipping the D12 routing along Audrey Lane, Irvington Street, Glassmanor Drive, Kennebec Street, Deal Drive, Marcy Avenue and Livingston Terrace.
Routes D12 and D14 currently operate out of Andrews Federal Center garage full-time with select peak-hour trips operating out of Shepherd Parkway garage. The line formally operated out of Southern Avenue garage on weekdays and Shepherd Parkway on weekends.
D12 Stops
D14 Stops
History
Routes D12 and D14 was originally operated under the Washington Marlboro & Annapolis Motor Lines Inc. (WM&A) which operated between Eastover Shopping Center and Downtown Washington DC beginning in 1945 (D14) and 1948 (D12). The line was connected via South Capitol Street towards Downtown (11th and E Streets NW). Route D12 originally was named Route D while route D14 was originally named Route M. In 1953 WM&A adopted letter designations for its routes with new routes D12 and D14. In 1973, routes D12 and D14 were acquired by WMATA when they acquired the WM&A.
Later, route D14 would be eliminated, but a new route S12 would be introduced to operate alongside the D12. Route S12 would operate between Southview apartments and Federal Center station while route D12 operate between Marlow Heights and Federal Center station. At the time, the line was run as the Eastover–Marlow Heights Line.
On November 21, 1978, both routes D12 and S12 were shorten to operate between Eastover Shopping Center and Federal Center station. S12 service between Southview Apartments and Eastover was replaced by route P12.
On January 3, 2000, new boarding and alighting restrictions were implemented on route D12. During the AM rush, passengers can get on and off any southbound D12 bus going to Marlow Heights at any bus stop in Maryland and the District of Columbia with restrictions for northbound buses not changing. Passengers can get on and off the bus in Maryland but only get off the bus at stops in the District of Columbia.
During the PM rush, passengers can get on and off northbound buses going to Federal Center SW at any bus stop in Maryland and the District of Columbia with southbound restrictions not changing. Passengers can only get on the bus in the District of Columbia, and get on or off the bus at any stop in Maryland.
On January 13, 2001, when the Green Line extension to Branch Avenue station opened, route D12 was rerouted to operate between Suitland station and Southern Avenue station mainly operating along Saint Barnabas Road, Oxon Hill Road, Indian Head Highway, and Southern Avenue. Buses were also rerouted via 28th Avenue and Keith Street (behind Marlow Heights Shopping Center) and extended from the shopping center to the Suitland station via Branch Avenue and Saint Barnabas and Silver Hill roads.
Routes W11 and W12 from the Eastover–Indian Head Highway Line were also rerouted to operate alongside the D12 between Southern Avenue and Suitland stations and were renamed into routes D13 (W11) and D14 (W12). The line would mainly operate along Suitland Road, Allentown Road, Brinkley Road, Livingston Road, Indian Head Highway, and Southern Avenue. The line also operated via Andrews Air Force Base, as well as the Camp Springs, Temple Hills, and Glassmanor neighborhoods, which former Routes W11, W12, and W17 originally operated on between the Federal Center SW station and Acokeek.
All route S12 service was eliminated in the process being replaced by route D12, and P12.
In 2010 during WMATA's FY2011 budget, WMATA proposed to divert routes D13 and D14 into Oxon Hill Park & Ride Lot off Oxon Hill Road just west of Indian Head Highway in order to create a transfer connection between those routes and the NH1, which serves National Harbor. This would provide closer connections to National Harbor for passengers instead of having to take the Green Line to Branch Avenue station.