Public Transportation

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Metrorail is DC’s subway system.Check its website for information regarding fares, delays, outages and schedules. The closest Metrorail stations are in Union Station (red line) and on Pennsylvania Ave. on the other side of Eastern Market (blue, orange, and silver lines).

Buses. If you’re going somewhere Metrorail doesn’t service, such as Georgetown, you can take one of Metro’s 325 bus routes. Rides are $1.75 each whether you’re paying by SmarTrip or cash. If you use a SmarTrip card, you’ll get a 50-cent discount when transferring from rail to bus, as well as unlimited bus-to-bus transfers within a two-hour window. The GPS-based NextBus service will let you know when your bus is coming. Most bus stops have a clearly marked stop ID number. Call 202-637-7000 and, when prompted, enter your stop ID to get an idea of how long you’ll be waiting.The following bus lines may also be helpful.

The 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 buses run along Pennsylvania Ave. toward downtown and then head up Wisconsin Ave. NW to Friendship Heights.

The 90 and 92 buses run up 8^th St. NE, along Florida Ave. NE and NW to U St. NW.

The 96 and 97 buses run along Massachusetts Ave. past Union Station, up New Jersey Ave. NW to Florida Ave. NW, U St. NW, and beyond.

The D6 bus runs from Stanton Park, across E St. NW through downtown, up to Dupont Circle, over Q St. NW to Georgetown and then up to Sibley Hospital.

The Circulator buses follow several routes, including one that goes from Union Station to Georgetown and one that goes from the Metro Stop at Eastern Market to the Navy Yard and Nationals Park and on to L’Enfant Plaza. Since there is no Metrorail stop in Georgetown, this is a fairly painless way to get to there from Capitol Hill without paying for a cab. Buses on the DC Circulator’s five lines run between popular tourist spots such as Georgetown and Union Station, cost just $1 to ride, and arrive every ten minutes. The buses are spacious and relatively new, and with their bright-red paint and easy-to-spot signs, you can’t miss ’em.

Capital Bikeshare puts more than 4,500 bicycles at your fingertips. You can choose one at any of the 500+ stations across Washington, D.C., Arlington, VA, and Alexandria, VA, and return it to any station near your destination. There is a rack of their bikes on the corner of 7th St NE and Mass Ave in front of the 700 Constitution Avenue apartments.

You can join Capital Bikeshare for 24 hours, 3 days, 30 days, or a year, and have access to its fleet of bikes 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The first 30 minutes of each trip are free. Each additional 30 minutes incurs an additional fee. For more information, see the Capital Bikeshare website.

Scooters are all over the place and easily rentable. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) currently allows six companies to offer dockless vehicles in the city: Bird (1,300 electric scooters), Lime (2,500 electric scooters), Lyft (1,620 electric scooters), Skip (2,500 electric scooters), Spin (2,500 electric scooters), and Jump (2,500 electric bikes). There's typically a $1 fee to unlock the vehicle and then you pay from 25 to 39 cents a minute of use. Download the app for the service of your choice, register your credit card, and jump. But be sure to follow the rules.

Union Station is a nearby transportation and retail hub. Amtrak, MARC, VRE, Metrorail and intercity buses all service Union Station. For a list of all of Union Station’s services check out its website.