Routes 32 and 36 begin at the Potomac Park apartments near the Foggy Bottom–GWU station and follow H and I Streets to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Prior to being moved to Andrews, the line operated both out of Bladensburg, Shepherd Parkway, and Western division at some points.

Because the White House and Capitol lie directly in the line of Pennsylvania Avenue, diversions were made around the White House to the north and east via 15th Street Northwest and around the south edge of the Capitol Grounds.

The line continued along Pennsylvania Avenue to Eighth Street Southeast, turning south to end at the Navy Yard.

[1] Connections could also be made to the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station at Sixth Street once it opened in 1872.

On March 3, 1875, the Washington and Georgetown and Metropolitan Railroad were "directed to take up such portions of their tracks as may come in way of the improvement of the Capitol Grounds".

[citation needed] A loop off the line through the West End of Washington was authorized on June 4, 1900[7] and opened on March 24, 1901.

Route 54 buses still serve a small part of Pennsylvania Avenue, used by the 50 streetcar line.

The East Washington Heights Traction Company's streetcars, which ran from Barney Circle to Randle Highlands via the Sousa Bridge, were replaced by buses on December 1, 1923, originally numbered Route C2 in 1936, before eventually being renamed as routes, "32 & 34".

[12] On July 15, 1977, Metro opened its Potomac Avenue, Eastern Market, Federal Triangle, McPherson Square, Farragut West, and Foggy Bottom–GWU stations.

These stations were variously served by the 32, 34, 35, and 36 Metrobus lines, which added stops but otherwise did not alter their routes.

The discontinued 30 streetcar line was reincarnated as a bus route between Archives and Friendship Heights.

On August 25, 1984 when Friendship Heights station opened, the 30, 32, 34, 35, and 36 were extended; their Friendship Heights terminus was moved from the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue NW and Western Avenue NW, to the new Metro station.

[15] WMATA created Route 39 under the Pennsylvania Avenue Limited Line to provide limited-stop Metrobus service between the Naylor Road station and Foggy Bottom during weekday peak-hours, like the 37.

[15] to To ease crowding on the 32 and 36, WMATA created Route 31 under the Wisconsin Avenue Line to provide extra service between Foggy Bottom–GWU station & Friendship Heights.

According to WMATA, it proposes the following:[18] This was in order to improve service frequency, reliability and efficiency of 30s Line routes and provide transfer-free bus service between Southeast DC and Upper Northwest that bypasses downtown traffic congestion.

[28] During WMATA's 2021 fiscal year budget, it was proposed for the 34 to be fully eliminated as it overlaps both routes 32 and 36 in order to simplify the 30s line.