The Washington Metro (commonly called Metro, and branded Metrorail) is a rapid transit system serving Washington, D.C. and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. With an average weekday ridership of 764,300, the Washington Metro is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States, behind the New York City Subway.[1] As of 2015[update], the system has 91 active stations spread out on six lines with 117 miles (188 km) of tracks. Six more stations are planned in 2021 as part of the Phase II of the Silver Line[2] and an infill station at Potomac Yard is planned to open in 2022 on the Yellow and Blue lines.[3]
The Washington Metro system was conceived as an alternative to the construction of a large freeway system throughout the Washington, D.C. area and was partially financed with funds originally dedicated to highway construction.[4] Construction began in 1969, and in 1976 the first section of the Metro system opened along the Red Line between the Rhode Island Avenue and Farragut North stations in Washington, D.C. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, more stations were opened in the city and the suburban communities of Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, and Fairfax County in Virginia as well as Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland. By 1991, five rail lines were open: the Red, Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow Lines. The system as originally planned was completed in 2001 with the extension of the Green Line to Branch Avenue. In 2004, three stations were opened: an extension of the Blue Line to the Largo Town Center and Morgan Boulevard stations and the first infill station, NoMa–Gallaudet U.[5] In 2014, the Silver Line opened with five new stations: Greensboro, McLean, Spring Hill, Tysons Corner, and Wiehle–Reston East.[6]
Nine Metrorail stations are officially designated transfer stations, although other intermediate stations also allow passengers to transfer between lines. Four of those stations have separate, perpendicular upper and lower levels which opened at different times. Two other transfer stations, Rosslyn and Pentagon, have parallel stacked platforms. Ten stations are termini (stations at the end of lines); several other non-terminus stations are used to short turn trains in regular service.[7]
As of May 2016[update], Union Station was the busiest station in the system, with an average of 28,864 passenger boardings per weekday. Nine of the top ten busiest stations are in the District of Columbia. Metro Center, a transfer point for the Blue, Orange, Silver, and Red Lines, is the busiest transfer station, with 24,160 boardings. Shady Grove in suburban Montgomery County, Maryland was the busiest terminus with 11,696 passenger boardings per weekday.[8]
Lines
There are six Washington Metro lines as of 2017[update]. Each is named for a different color.[7] All lines except the Red Line share tracks.
The Silver Line currently runs to Wiehle–Reston East via Tysons Corner as part of Phase I of its construction. Phase II, which is expected to open in April 2021, will extend the Silver Line from Wiehle–Reston East to Ashburn via Dulles International Airport.
| Line | Ridership (May 2010)[9] | Stations[7] | Termini[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
277,741 (37%) | 27 | Glenmont | Shady Grove |
|
187,663 (25%) | 26 | New Carrollton | Vienna |
|
120,104 (16%) | 27 | Franconia–Springfield | Largo Town Center |
|
105,091 (14%) | 21 | Branch Avenue | Greenbelt |
|
59,781 (8%) | 21 | Huntington | Greenbelt |
|
— | 28 (34 after Phase II) |
Wiehle–Reston East (Current) Ashburn (2021) |
Largo Town Center |
Stations
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| * | Official transfer stations |
| † | Terminals |
| *† | Transfer station and terminal |
Future stations
Potomac Yard, planned to open in Fall 2022, is to be an infill station between Braddock Road and National Airport on the Yellow and Blue lines.[3] Phase 2 of the Silver Line is tentatively planned to open in February 2022 with six new stations. When finished, the line's western terminus will be Ashburn.[2]
| Station | Lines | Jurisdiction | Projected Opening | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburn† |
|
Loudoun County, Virginia | February 2022 | [2] |
Dulles International Airport 
|
|
Loudoun County, Virginia | February 2022 | [2] |
| Herndon |
|
Fairfax County, Virginia | February 2022 | [2] |
| Innovation Center |
|
Fairfax County, Virginia | February 2022 | [2] |
| Loudoun Gateway |
|
Loudoun County, Virginia | February 2022 | [2] |
| Potomac Yard |
|
Alexandria, Virginia | Fall 2022 | [3] |
| Reston Town Center |
|
Fairfax County, Virginia | February 2022 | [2] |
| Wolf Trap |
|
Fairfax County, Virginia | planned |
Notes
- a Stations noted in this list twice with upper and lower levels are considered by WMATA to be a single station. The levels are noted separately here because they opened on different dates.
References
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report: First Quarter 2015" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Airports Authority Updates Status of Silver Line Metrorail Construction Project" (Press release). Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ a b c Lazo, Luz (August 31, 2017), "Potomac Yard Metro station delayed again, now likely to open in 2021", The Washington Post, retrieved August 31, 2017
- ^ Schrag, Zachary (2006). The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-8246-X.
- ^ "WMATA History" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan area Transit Authority. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ a b c "Metro Facts" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan area Transit Authority. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Stations". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ a b "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. May 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Metro Media Guide" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2011.