Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation on Friday announced a new proposed route for the Ward 7 D.C. Circulator bus.

Set for launch in 2023, the route will extend for 14.56 miles, covering the Deanwood, Benning Road, Stadium Armory, and Union Station Metro stations. Currently, the Circulator does not run in wards 3, 4, 5, and 7.

In Ward 7, transportation options are limited. The area has been without a Circulator route since DDOT eliminated the Potomac Avenue-Skyland route in 2018, citing low ridership. There is an existing WMATA bus route in service – the 97 line — but it only operates during peak hours.

After Bowser budgeted $13 million for a new Ward 7 Circulator, DDOT distributed a survey in September to ask residents to share their opinions and feedback about six potential routes. The agency says they received more than 1,700 responses, about 70% of which were from Ward 7 residents.

After several years of back-and-forth, it’s likely the new Circulator route will cost a buck to ride. In early 2019, Bowser declared the Circulator free to ride, suggesting that it would create transportation equity. The D.C. Council pushed back, claiming Bowser had provided no clear evidence that it would help low-income riders. By October 2019, riders were paying $1 to ride again. But now because of the pandemic, the Circulator is currently free.

DDOT says it is accepting feedback about the route proposal until May 28. Residents can share feedback by contacting the DDOT project team and leaving comments or questions on the form on their website. During the summer, DDOT will host a public hearing about the final proposal.