Want to know more about your daily bus ride? Have you ever noticed how many different Metrobus models there are out there, and need help distinguishing between buses that look quite similar? Become an expert at identifying Metrobus with this handy guide!

All images by the author.

Our region has one of the most diverse transit networks in the country, and even within only the Metrobus system, there’s a level of variety that you may not have noticed.

Using some of the info I collected when I started making posters of transit projects from around the country, I put together this guide to each vehicle of the Metrobus fleet.

In total, the bus fleet consists of 1525 buses of these various different types. Some of these service different purposes (i.e. articulated vs. short buses), and others are meant to expand the fleet or replace aging equipment.

According to Metro, the Metrobus fleet transported over 130 million passengers in 2015.

The buses service over 11,100 bus stops and another 2,500 bus shelters, from 288 routes and 174 lines.

The Metrobus fleet is ever-changing, as WMATA replaces about 100 buses a year to keep the fleet operating smoothly. New buses arrive every week, as part of the current five-year order with New Flyer (previously NABI).