The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (simply called Metro by locals) serves the District of Columbia as well as the suburbs in Prince George's County and Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia. Founded in 1967 with plans to expand Washington D.C's Transit network the various transit companies in DC were consolidated into one entity.

Quick Facts:

Type: Public. Tri-Jurisdictional with funding from the Federal Government, State of Maryland and State of Virginia.

Fleet Size: 1,505 Low-Floor Single Deck buses

Routes: 320 with 440.000 riders a day

Manufacturer and Powerplant: WMATA's fleet consists of domestically manufactured buses built by NABI (North American Bus Industries) New Flyer of Canada and Orion Bus Industries. As per federal government regulations WMATA must give priority consideration to American companies when aquiring new vehicles to add to its fleet. New Flyer of Canada is exempt from this rule as New Flyer maintains a manufacturing facility in Alabama. The only foreign buses in WMATA's fleet were Neoplan/Ikarus articulated and were removed from primary service due to their age and high-floor arrangement. Almost all WMATA's fleet is is Hybrid Diesel-Electric as part of a clean air low emission order. The oldest buses in WMATA's fleet are solely Diesel powered and will be retired by the end of 2014.

Fare Collection: The contactless card payment system in Washington DC is called Smartrip. Smartrip cards are valid on WMATA's Bus and Rail service and can be reloaded at Giant grocery stores when not near a station. They cost $10 and come with $5 preloaded. Bus to Bus transfer is free and bus to rail transfer is reduced with the use of Smartrip. WMATA still equips their buses with cash boxes to accept cash fare payment.

Livery: WMATA rebranded its Metrobus fleet in late 2006 expelling the older White, Red and Blue Livery for a new Silver and Red livery on local routes and Silver and Blue for express routes. WMATA does sell the sides and rear of their buses for advertising space.

Innovations: WMATA's primary service area being Washington DC security is always a major concern. WMATA operates its own police service which places plainclothed officers on board trains and buses at random as well as uniformed patrol. Ridership declined after the 9/11 attacks and the London Underground bombing as passengers did not feel safe. Metro countered by stepping up uniformed patrols of the subway network and bus service. If in the event of a bus hijacking or robbery the fleet is equipped with a killswitch that will simulate and engine failure and notify the police of an incident. WMATA buses are also equipped with as many as 10 cameras including G-force activated cameras in the event of an accident.

Driving Dynamics: The Washington DC Suburban Area is one of the most congested areas in the country. However being a bus driver in this area isn't always difficult as traffic is highly regulated by the time of day. Most traffic in the morning in DC is caused by the work rush. Many people who live in DC use the Bus and Train to get to work. However DC is home to the Government and many people who live in Maryland and Virginia commute to work via car. The middle of the day is the calmest up until the lunch rush. Afternoon rush hour is the busiest. The majority of people working for the Government or the Military are encouraged to ride the bus with lower fares and discounts. The biggest issue for drivers however continues to be violence. Bus Drivers are frequent targets of harassment and abuse. WMATA has considered putting a plexiglass shield inbetween the driver and passengers for driver safety but a design has yet to be approved by the drivers union.