The Queens Chapel Road Line was originally served by routes G7 and G9 until 1978, when routes R2, R4, R6, and R7 replaced both routes. On December 11, 1993, the route was simplified with the R2 being rerouted to serve as the Riggs Road Line as a replacement for the R8 & R9 while the R6 & R7 were replaced by the R4. Route G9 would later be reincarnated as the Rhode Island Avenue Limited Line in 2017. Route R4 currently gets its buses out of Bladensburg division.
History
The Queens Chapel Road Line consisted of routes R2, R4, R6, and R7 during its inception on December 6, 1978 replacing routes G7 and G9. All routes ran between Brookland–CUA station and a variety of destinations in Prince Georges County. Routes G7 & G9 operated from the Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, MD, all the way up to Downtown DC until being replaced by routes R2, R4, R6, and R7. All routes mostly operated along Bunker Hill Road, 10th Street, Perry Street, Michigan Avenue, Queens Chapel Road, Ager Road, Hamilton Street, Gallatin Street, 42nd Avenue, and Farragut Street running parallel between Brookland-CUA station and the intersection of Ager Road & Hamilton Street. Route R2 originally operated between Brookland–CUA station and Centerpark Office Park in Calverton running to Prince George's Plaza and along Belcrest Road, East-West Highway, Baltimore Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, and Powder Mill Road. Route R4 originally operated between Brookland–CUA station and Hyattsville running along parts of the G4 streetcar line mostly operating parallel with route F8 mostly operating in the historical area of Hyattsville. The route terminated along the former Queens Chapel Municipal Airport, and Hyattsville division where West Hyattsville station now stands. Route R6 would operated between Brookland–CUA station & the Lewisdale Neighborhood remaining on Ager Road, turning onto 23rd Avenue, and then turning onto Lewisdale Drive, to reach its Lewisdale terminus at the intersection of Lewisdale Drive & 23rd Avenue. The R6 would then turn back and operate in the direction of the Brookland-CUA station by running along Fordham Street and 23rd Avenue. Route R7, would operate between Brookland-CUA station and the Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, Maryland during the weekdays only. Route R7 will follow route R2's routing all the way up to The Mall at Prince Georges then operate along Toledo Road, Belcrest Road, Northwest Drive, Dean Drive, and Highview Terrace to reach the apartments. At one point, route R2 would operate between Calverton and Kennedy Center but was later shortened to Brookland–CUA station. Around the same time, route R4 and R8 would operate between Calverton and Crystal City station but would be later shorten to Brookland–CUA station and Fort Totten station.
Simplification of the Line
On December 11, 1993, changes were made as an attempt to simplify the line. Routes R2 was rerouted to operate to Fort Totten station via Riggs Road and East West Highway replacing routes R8 and R9 to become a part of the "Riggs Road Line". Route R7 will also join route R2 operating the same R2 routing but diverting into the United States Army Research Laboratory along Floral Drive. Route R6 was discontinued in the process with all routes being replaced by extended route R4. Lewisdale service was completely replaced by newly created route R3 from Prince George's Plaza station. The R4 was extended to Highview Apartment Complex in Hyattsville, which is a combination of the R4 and R7, with the exception that it would divert into the newly opened Prince George's Plaza station, and West Hyattsville station. The former routing on Hamilton Street, 38th Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Baltimore Avenue, was replaced by Route F8. Parts of routes R4's former routing on along Gallatin Street, 42nd Avenue, Farragut Street, Baltimore Avenue, was replaced by TheBus Route 13 in 1996.
Service Changes (2003 & 2007)
On May 15, 2003, the original bus bays inside Prince Georges Plaza mall, were demolished in order to build a new Target store. Route R4 along with routes 86, C4, F4, F6, F8, R3, R2 and TheBus 13, 14, 18 have stopped entering and looping inside around the mall. When the site of where the new Mosaic Apartments next to Prince George's Plaza station, were being built, route R4 was rerouted to operate along East West Highway and turning onto Belcrest Road going to Highview from Prince George's Plaza station due to the construction. Southbound service to Brookland station was unaffected by the change.
