“Dear PoPville,
It’s bad enough we are all in 5 days a week, but now our commute times have increased drastically. Below is what I sent to WMATA. Anyone else impacted is encouraged to reuse the content to advocate for more efficient shuttle services!
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I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction and concern regarding the current shuttle bus plan for the Green Line shutdown, which is scheduled from August 2nd to August 31st. As a federal employee who relies on the Green Line to commute to the Suitland Federal Center, the designated shuttle service is inadequate and has created a significant and unnecessary hardship for hundreds, if not thousands, of employees.
Your current plan for a “Local Shuttle” that services Branch Avenue, Suitland, Naylor Road, and Southern Avenue is an unacceptable solution for a vast majority of riders. The inclusion of a Naylor Road stop on a route that primarily serves those of us commuting to the Suitland Federal Center creates significant and unnecessary delays. This morning August 4th, 2025, the shuttle I boarded at Southern Avenue nearly reached its 56-person capacity. Upon arrival at Naylor Road, three passengers exited the shuttle, and no additional passengers boarded. Once we reached the Suitland stop, the shuttle virtually emptied as we all arrived at our place of employment. The demand for a direct, efficient route from Southern Avenue to the Suitland Federal Center is therefore exponentially higher than your current shuttle plan accounts for.
The Suitland Federal Center is a major employment hub for the federal government. By failing to provide a direct shuttle, WMATA is demonstrating a severe lack of understanding of the commuting patterns of a massive portion of its ridership. The current plan is not only inefficient but also undermines the public trust in WMATA’s ability to provide a reliable and useful transportation alternative during service disruptions.
At a minimum, the shuttle to the Suitland Federal Center should provide a direct drop-off in front of the building. The current system forces riders to walk a significant distance from the metro station, even though the shuttle route passes directly in front of the campus via the Suitland Roadway & Suitland Federal Center bus stop. This simple change would save a considerable amount of time and effort for hundreds of commuters who are already inconvenienced by the current disruptions.
While shuttle service at Naylor Road is also imperative to the individuals who utilize that station, I strongly urge you to implement a direct, express shuttle service from Southern Avenue to the Suitland Federal Center. This is a necessity to ensure that federal employees and contractors can continue to fulfill their duties without undue burden.”