New Bus Service Coming to Lee Highway

Good news for bus riders along Lee Highway — more frequent service is heading your way.

Starting Sunday, Dec. 13 a new Arlington Transit (ART) route, ART 55, will replace part of the Metrobus 3A route and connect two Metrorail hubs—East Falls Church and Rosslyn, according to a county news release.

The new service will be more frequent midday and weekends, more reliable, and cost the County less to operate, because ART bus service is less expensive to operate than Metrobus.

“Replacing the 3A with lower-cost ART service allows us to reinvest the savings in expanded midday and weekend service along Lee Highway, which residents have been asking for,” said Director of Transportation Dennis Leach. “Converting the route to ART service also gives us the flexibility to adjust and improve service in the future to meet the needs of our community.”

ART 55 in Arlington will stop at all the same places as the 3A.

During weekday peak periods, ART 55 service will run every 12 minutes, the same level of service the 3A provides today. During middays and weekends, ART 55 will run more frequently than the 3A does now:

• Every 15 minutes midday (compared to every 30 minutes for the 3A)
• Every 20 minutes during the day on Saturday (compared to every 30 minutes for the 3A)
• Every 30 minutes nights and Sundays (compared to every hour on Sunday for the 3A)

Weekday service will run until 1:44 a.m. (compared to 12:57 a.m. for the 3A), and the hours of service on weekends will be the same as the 3A.

View the ART 55 schedule, which will go into effect on Sunday, Dec. 13, and read the county’s frequently asked questions to learn more.