The Central Avenue Line, designated Route C21, C22, C26, C27, C29, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Addison Road station (C21, C22, C27, C29) or Downtown Largo station (C26) of the Blue and Silver lines of the Washington Metro, and Bowie Park & Ride Lot (C26), Pointer Ridge (C27, C29 Sunday trips), Collington Center (C21, C22), or Bowie State University (C29 Saturday trips). The line operates every 30–35 minutes during the weekday peak-hours only and 60 minutes at all other times at a combined frequency of 15–30 minutes. Trips roughly take 30 minutes (C27), 50 - 55 minutes (C21, C22, C26, Sunday C29 trips) or 85 minutes (Saturday C29 trips).
Route Description and Service
Routes C21, C22, C26, C27 and C29 operate in central Prince George's County, Maryland connecting riders between Bowie, Kettering, Six Flags America, and Pointer Ridge to the Washington Metro. Route C21 operates during the weekday peak hours in the peak direction, routes C22 and C26 operate weekdays only, route C27 only operates between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend yearly, and route C29 operates during the weekends only. Route C29 is a combination of routes C22 and C26, and is extended to Bowie State University on Saturdays only while operating up to Pointer Ridge on Sundays.
Routes C21, C22, C27, and C29 begin at Addison Road station and follow Central Avenue before turning onto Brightseat Road, Arena Drive, Lottsford Road, Apollo Drive, and Largo Center Drive serving Downtown Largo station, where it meets with route C26. The line then runs along Largo Drive South before turning onto Harry S Truman Drive. Routes C21, C22, and C29 turn along Prince Place with route C21 turning left on Campus Way South and route C22 turning right. Route C21 then turns right onto Largo Road, then left onto Kettering Drive. Routes C22 and C29 turn back onto Harry S Truman Drive before turning onto Mount Lubentia Way, then Largo Road before following the C21 onto Kettering Drive.
Routes C26 and C27 do not turn onto Prince Place and instead turn directly onto Campus Way South. Route C27 then turns back onto Central Avenue while route C26 continues along Campus Way North until turning onto Lake Arbor Way, then onto Kettering Drive. All five routes then meet up along the intersection of Central Avenue and Kettering Drive operating parallel to each other. Routes C26 and C29 then turn onto Watkins Park Drive and operate a loop along Cambleton Drive, Whiteholm Drive, and Keverton Drive before resuming their route along Watkins Park Drive. From here route C26 follows the Saturday route C29 routing to Bowie Park & Ride Lot via Pointer Ridge, Bowie Health Center, Bowie Town Center and Bowie Gateway Center, partially replacing the suspended B29 and C28 routes.
Routes C21, C22, C26, C27, and C29 continue along Central Avenue passing Six Flags America; C27 and Sunday C29 trips terminate at Pointer Ridge along Hall Road and Central Avenue before running along Hall Road and Devonwood Drive, going back to Addison Road station. Routes C21 and C22 continue along Central Avenue before turning onto Crain Highway and serving Collington Center via Prince George's Boulevard, Commerce Drive, and Trade Zone Avenue. The two routes then operate vice versa back to Addison Road.
Saturday C29 trips run along Pointer Ridge Drive, Pittsfield Lane, Mitchellville Road, Peach Walker Drive, Mount Oak Drive, Nottinghill Drive, and Northview Drive, then turn and loop along Health Center Drive serving Bowie Health Center. The route then continues along Collington Road and Laurel Bowie Road before reaching Bowie State University. The route then operates vice versa back to Addison Road station.
Routes C21, C22, C26, C27, and C29 currently operate out of Landover division.
History
Service in Central Prince George's County, Maryland was originally operated by various Metrobus lines until the 1990s under the "T" lines. These lines connected Capitol Heights, Maryland to Downtown DC and Central Prince Georges County. But the routes were slowly eliminated or terminated at New Carrollton or Addison Road and replaced by Metrorail after 1978. Eventually, the Central Ave-Belair Line (T10, T11), and Bowie-Belair Line (T12, T14) were the main lines operating along Central Avenue.