Calverton–Westfarm Line
The Calverton–Westfarm Line, designated Route Z6, is a Monday-Saturday only bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Silver Spring station, which is served by the Red Line of the Washington Metro, and Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride lot via Calverton, Westfarm, and White Oak, Maryland. The line operates every 30 minutes at all times with trips roughly taking 60 minutes.
Current Route
Route Z6 operates from Monday through Saturday with no Sunday service, running between Silver Spring station and Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride. The route operates via Calverton, Westfarm, and White Oak, Maryland. Route Z6 currently operates out of Montgomery division.History
Route Z6 was created on January 27, 1985 which operated between Silver Spring station and Calverton mostly operating along Calverton Boulevard, Old Columbia Pike, Columbia Pike, Lockwood Drive, Colesville Road. In the 1990s, route Z6 was discontinued and replaced by route Z7 which took over the Calverton routing which Z6 operated on.Reincarnation
After a series of proposals in early 2004, route Z6 was reincarnated in service as the Tanglewood–Westfarm Line to operate between Silver Spring station and Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride lot via Calverton, Westfarm, and White Oak, Maryland on September 26, 2004. The new Z6 replaced the Glenmont–Silver Spring Line, Colesville–Fairland Express Line, the Calverton Express Line, and route Z8's routing between Greencastle Park & Ride Lot and Burtonsville Park & Ride. Route Z6 replaced route Z4 routing between Lockwood Drive, Stewart Lane, and Old Columbia Pike through the White Oak Shopping Center and White Oak Apartments, Z1, Z4, Z5, Z7, & Z17's routing on Columbia Pike, Industrial Parkway, Tech Road, and Broadbirch Drive in Westfarm, and a portion of Z7 & Z17's routing on Calverton Boulevard in Calverton. Routes Z1, Z3, Z4, Z5, Z7, and Z17 were all discontinued and route Z8 was shorten to Greencastle Park & Ride Lot with all the discontinued routings combined into the new route Z6.Route Z6 will operate along Lockwood Drive to White Oak, then operate to Calverton via Broadbirch Drive, Calverton Boulevard, Galway Drive, and Fairland Road. Route Z6 will then operate along Briggs Chaney Road serving Briggs Chaney Park & Ride and #14000 Castle Boulevard. It will then operate along Old Columbia Pike to Burtonsville Crossing Park & Ride lot. The service would only operate on weekdays however.
2007 Changes
On June 24, 2007, service to Tanglewood was discontinued and replaced by a new Ride On route 21. The line was also changed from the Tanglewood–Westfarm Line to the Calverton–Westfarm Line.2015 Changes
When the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center at Silver Spring station opened, route Z6 was rerouted from its bus stop along Dixon Avenue to Bus Bay 106 at the transit center on the first level sharing the stop with route Z2.2015 Proposed Changes
During WMATA's Fiscal Year of 2016, WMATA proposed for to add Saturday service to route Z6 between Silver Spring, Calverton and Fairlandwith buses arriving every 30 minutes and to reduce the number of trips between Castle Boulevard and Burtonsville. WMATA reasons that the current route Z6 schedule does not provide enough time for buses to get from one end to the other, ridership is high for route Z6 on the weekdays, and there are very few riders using the Z6 between Castle Boulevard and Burtonsville.
2016 Changes
On March 27, 2016, Saturday service was added for route Z6 which will operate between Silver Spring station and #14000 Castle Boulevard only. Saturday service will operate every 30 minutes, the same as weekday frequency.2019 Proposed Changes
During WMATA's 2021 Fiscal Year, WMATA proposed to eliminate the Z6 route segment from Castle Boulevard to Burtonsville Park-and-Ride and replace it with the Ride On Flash BRT U.S. Route 29 route when it opens. However, route Z6 will be extended to Greencastle Park and Ride replacing routes Z8 and Z11 and adding additional frequency to the Z6. The reasons all come down due to the upcoming Ride On Flash BRT service along U.S. Route 29.Controversy
Montgomery County expressed concerns over the proposed Z6 and Z8 changes. According to Council Vice President Tom Hucker, residents impact 65,000 residents of the Maryland county.At least 30 Montgomery County leaders called on WMATA not to cut Metrobus routes in the region, saying it will "disproportionately affect" students, seniors, and service workers with no other source of transportation. The letter's signatories include state senators Craig Zucker, Susan Lee, and Cheryl Kagan, Maryland State Delegates Marc Korman, Sara Love, and Julie Palakovich Carr and all nine members of the county council. In a letter to Metro Chairman Paul Smedberg, members of the Montgomery County Council and state delegation said they opposed the cuts, which are part of WMATA's proposed FY 2021 operating budget, and urged the agency to prioritize "maintaining frequent and reliable service." They also quote;
The Metrobus routes currently recommended for service reductions, including the Q, J, L and Z bus lines, provide transportation for many of our most transit-dependent residents," the lawmakers wrote. "Service reductions will disproportionately affect students commuting to Montgomery College, seniors running daily errands and service workers accessing jobs. Roughly 65,000 Montgomery riders use Metrobus on a daily basis, and for many these bus routes are their only source of transportation.
The 35 lawmakers ended the letter by saying cuts to Metrobus service for Montgomery County would counter their "regional goals of reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions."
On April 2, 2020, the FY2021 budget was released and WMATA. In about 251 votes from customer feedback, 59% of votes were against the changes for Z6 with 18% of votes in favor with the remaining 33% uncertain. For route Z8, out of 286 votes from customer feedback, 70% of voters were against the changes while 13% were in favor of the changes with 17% uncertain.