Metro today placed in service the first five new 40-foot compressed natural gas buses under a large order of nearly 300 buses to replace Metro's oldest vehicles and improve customer convenience for the 450,000 riders who take Metrobus each weekday.

The new buses will run on routes that originate out of Metro's Bladensburg Division, which primarily serves Northeast D.C. and parts of Prince George’s County. The CNG buses being replaced have been in service for 15 years and are at the end of their useful life.

“Our new fleet of buses is another step in our ongoing commitment to improve service and reliability for the half a million customers who use Metrobus each weekday," said Paul J. Wiedefeld, Metro GM/CEO. “As these new buses enter service, the average Metrobus age will drop to less than seven years old — an all-time low — resulting in more reliable service and fewer mechanical delays."

Metro is replacing 295 buses this year: 274 "standard" buses that are 40 feet in length, plus an additional 21 60-foot "articulated" buses that began service last month along 16th Street, 14th Street and Georgia Ave NW.

Benefits of the new buses include:

• More comfortable: The new buses feature improved lighting, a more comfortable passenger cabin with high quality seats and modern seating configuration.

• Improved communication:  The new buses will use automated announcements to provide clear up to date information about upcoming stops coordinated with LED signage on board.

• Improved safety features: The new buses meet or exceed the latest safety design standards and feature protective Plexiglass shields for bus operators, the latest CCTV technology on board and GPS location monitoring.

The new buses will operate on a variety of routes, including Bladensburg Road - Anacostia (B2 route), Glover Park – Federal Triangle (D1 route), North Capitol Street (80 route) and College Park (81, 82, 83, 86 routes).