Maryland bus riders are adjusting once again as Metrobus rolled out fresh changes to several routes in Prince George’s County. The latest adjustments, effective Sunday, follow the sweeping Better Bus program that was launched in June. Officials from the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) say these changes are based on both customer and employee feedback and are designed to boost service reliability, expand coverage, and improve overall on-time performance.
For many commuters, Metrobus is an essential lifeline, and changes to schedules or routes often mean the difference between a smooth trip and extended wait times. WMATA described this as just the first round of updates since the Better Bus program began. Nine routes beginning with the letter “P” are directly impacted, all of which serve neighborhoods across Prince George’s County.
Among the most notable changes is the adjustment to route P14 Kenilworth Avenue. Southbound weekday trips will now begin earlier, with the first bus leaving Greenbelt at 5 a.m. instead of 5:15 a.m. Weekend schedules have also been revised to reflect updated travel times that WMATA hopes will make the line more consistent. Riders using route P32 between Greenbelt and Fort Totten will see similar improvements, including a new schedule designed to better align with P35 for those traveling toward Fort Totten. Both weekday and weekend riders are expected to notice improvements in timing and frequency.
On P33 Queens Chapel Road, weekend evening riders will now benefit from revised trip times aimed at reducing delays. Meanwhile, P35, which also connects New Carrollton and Fort Totten, will mirror the same reliability upgrades as P32, allowing better coordination between the two lines.
P40 Annapolis Road riders will see earlier morning options introduced in response to rider demand. On weekdays, a new westbound trip will depart New Carrollton at 4:45 a.m., while Saturday service will include a 6:20 a.m. westbound departure. Along with these additions, weekend and weekday schedules have been tweaked to smooth operations and cut down on wait times.
P61 Glenarden-Suitland is among the routes most affected by earlier scheduling. New early morning trips will run as soon as 4:30 a.m. on weekdays, with additional early runs added on weekends and Sundays. WMATA says these adjustments were made after listening to customer requests and monitoring ridership needs. For many shift workers and early commuters, these extra buses could ease pressure during the morning rush.
Other routes such as P60 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway-Suitland and P62 Deanwood-Branch Avenue also have revised schedules across all days of the week, primarily focusing on timing adjustments to ensure greater reliability. Riders on P72 Central Avenue-Bowie will see a small but important change, as buses will now serve a new stop west of the Health Center Drive traffic circle at Bowie Health Center, creating easier access for those visiting medical services.
For many passengers, the concern is not just schedule tweaks but whether buses will reliably show up on time. One rider at Greenbelt station expressed skepticism, explaining that wait times in the past have stretched for more than an hour despite posted schedules. WMATA insists that this round of adjustments is specifically designed to address such issues, though riders will likely measure success in the coming weeks based on whether buses arrive more consistently.
This ongoing reshaping of Maryland bus routes reflects the evolving needs of the communities they serve. WMATA officials have called the Better Bus rollout a work in progress and stress that continued feedback will shape additional changes. With Metrobus serving thousands daily in Prince George’s County, the stakes remain high for reliable, efficient, and timely service.
As the adjustments settle in, riders across Greenbelt, New Carrollton, Suitland, Deanwood, Bowie, and surrounding neighborhoods will experience earlier options and more structured schedules. Whether these changes will finally ease long-standing commuter frustrations is yet to be seen, but for now, WMATA says this is only the beginning of improvements meant to better connect the region’s riders to where they need to go.
