WASHINGTON — The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has released its plans to phase out the DC Circulator beginning Oct. 1. On Monday, DDOT issued a statement saying the program will begin downsizing in October and shut down completely on Dec. 31.
The decision was made as part of the District Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Financial Plan.
“We greatly appreciate the valuable service DC Circulator provided to the District over the past 18 years,” said Acting DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum. “We are grateful for the employees who supported the program and the riders who chose Circulator as part of their commute.”
As services begin to slow down, DDOT is partnering with WMATA to fill in service gaps to reduce the impact the shutdown will have on the public. Currently, the Circulator is being operated by RAPTP Dev USA. The company says they have sent written notification to all current employees informing them of the planned service closures.
Starting Oct. 1 the following routes will be adjusted:
- Termination of Rosslyn-Dupont Circle (RS-DP)
- Elimination of late-night service on Woodley Park-Adams Morgan (WP-AM) and Georgetown- Union Station (GT-US)
- The remaining routes will operate on 20-minute headways, a 10-minute increase from current arrival times.
- Woodley Park-Adams Morgan (WP-AM), Georgetown-Union Station (GT-US), Congress Heights-Union Station (CH-US), and Eastern Market – L'Enfant Plaza (EM-LP) routes will end service at 9 p.m. daily, rather than midnight.
- The National Mall route will continue to operate until 7 p.m. daily.
Riders who currently rely on the Circulator are being encouraged to visit wmata.com and use the "Trip Planner" feature to navigate the alternative travel options.