Route U2 originally operated as the Benning-Kenilworth Line under the Washington Railway & Electric Company before being renamed into the V8. Route U2 originally operated into Maryland but was discontinued on December 3, 1978 and replaced by routes F14 and P12. Route U2 would operate as the Deanwood–Minnesota Avenue Line between the Deanwood station & Benning Heights, via the Minnesota Avenue Metro Station, and then via Minnesota Avenue NE, Eastern Avenue NE, Kenilworth Avenue NE, Deane Avenue NE, Minnesota Avenue NE/SE, Ridge Road SE, Anacostia Road SE, B Street SE, Texas Avenue SE, E Street SE, Alabama Avenue SE, H Street SE, Benning Road SE, Hanna Place SE, and H Street SE.
1991 Service Changes
On December 28, 1991, when Anacostia station opened, U2 was rerouted to operate between the Minnesota Avenue station and Anacostia station via Minnesota Avenue NE/SE, Good Hope Road SE, 16th Street SE, W Street SE, Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, and Howard Road SE, instead of operating between Deanwood station & Benning Heights. Route U2's routing between the Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue stations, was replaced by the brand new Minnesota Avenue–M Street Line, or V7, V8, and V9. U2's routing between the intersection of Anacostia Road SE & Minnesota Avenue SE and Hanna Place SE & Benning Road SE, via Minnesota Avenue SE, Ridge Road SE, Anacostia Road SE, B Street SE, Texas Avenue SE, E Street SE, Alabama Avenue SE, H Street SE, Benning Road SE, Hanna Place SE, and H Street SE to its Benning Heights terminus at the intersection of Hanna Place SE & Benning Road SE, was replaced by route V9.
2011 Service Changes
On December 18, 2011, new Saturday service was added to the U2 running every 30 minutes between 6:45 AM to 9:45 PM.
2014 Proposed Changes
During WMATA's Fiscal Year of 2015, they announced a series of proposals of simplification affecting the current routes U2, U4, U5, U6, U8, V7, V8, and V9. At the time of the proposals, the routes were suffering from on-time performances, and several bus bunching on the routes. Route U2 will have daily service at all times between Capitol Heights station and Anacostia station via the current U8 route between Capitol Heights station and Minnesota Avenue station via Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, then via the current U2 route to Anacostia station. The reason for the changes was for enhance connectivity between points of regional demand, create a better balance of capacity and demand lines serving the Minnesota Avenue, and reduce or eliminate service with low productivityon the line.
Discontinuation of Route
On June 21, 2015, route U2 was discontinued and replaced by new routes V2 and V4, which operate between the Anacostia station/Navy Yard–Ballpark station & Minnesota Avenue station, via U2's routing and also operate beyond Minnesota Avenue, all the way up to Capitol Heights station, to also replace U8's routing between the Minnesota Avenue & Capitol Heights stations as well.
