Commuters at Friendship Heights began boarding Red Line shuttle buses at a new location Thursday after Metro adjusted operations to address long lines that plagued the first week of its summer station closure.

Metro announced that local shuttle boarding at Friendship Heights moved to Bus Bay K on Wisconsin Avenue, displacing the C83 and D96 bus routes. Those two lines were relocated to a bus shelter on Western Avenue near Wisconsin Avenue. The agency also opened about 100 parking spaces at its Western Division Bus Garage, near the former Lord & Taylor site in Friendship Heights.

The changes came after riders reported extended waits at shuttle stops during the closure's opening days. The three shuttered stations, Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor-Strathmore, closed Monday, and will remain closed through September 6, while Metro builds a second mezzanine at Bethesda Station to connect with the future Purple Line light rail.

Express shuttle boarding was not affected. It continues at the 5300 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Northwest D.C.

First-day confusion

Bethesda blogger Robert Dyer reported that on Monday, commuters arriving at Bethesda Metro station found no WMATA staff on-site to direct them to shuttle buses and no signage pointing the way.

"Unlike previous station closures in Bethesda, a hodgepodge of privately-owned charter buses is being employed as shuttles, instead of Metrobuses," Dyer wrote. Many of those charter buses displayed the company's name on the windshield screen rather than the destination.

What riders need to know

Local shuttles run every five to eight minutes, stopping at all five stations between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights. Express shuttles also run every five to eight minutes, traveling nonstop between those two endpoints in about 26 minutes, according to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.

Free parking remains available at North Bethesda and Grosvenor-Strathmore stations. The new 100-space lot at the Western Division Bus Garage is available only during Metro operating hours. Vehicles left overnight could be towed.

Red Line trains continue running on two separate segments: Shady Grove to North Bethesda, and Friendship Heights to Glenmont. Daytime frequency is every six minutes; late-night service runs every 10 minutes, according to WMATA's project page.

Other options

Montgomery County is also offering zero-fare Ride On buses, MARC train discounts and Capital Bikeshare as alternatives during the closure.