Metrorail - Washington, DC's Rapid Transit System

Getting around the Nation's Capital is easy as can be when you take Washington DC's subway jewel, the Metrorail, its very own, squeaky clean and super efficient rapid transit system. Yes, indeed, Metrorail cars wind their way through four city quadrants each day, these Red, Orange, Blue, Green and Yellow lines of fun, and into suburbia with a flourish. For sure, Metrorail is an underground marvel, moving people to and fro, and across the National Capital region. But, what you may not know is how the Metrorail came to be and how it evolved to become the world-class transit system it is today.

History of Metrorail, DC's Subway System

In 1965, US President Lyndon B. Johnson advocated for and signed legislation to authorize a $431 million rapid transit system in the Nation's Capital. Then, it was envisioned that the system would include 25 miles of track, capable of expanding as needed. A year later, President Johnson signed a related bill that established the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

WMATA, a tri-government entity, is responsible for transportation and transit planning throughout the Washington, DC metro area, bringing together officials and consumers from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. WMATA had a tall order for the region from the beginning: to develop a modern transit system for Washington, DC, including Metrorail service akin to London's Underground, Paris' Metro, Tokyo Metro, New York City's MTA, Philadelphia's SEPTA, Boston's MBTA ("T") and Chicago's CTA ("L"). Given the fact that this public transit system would be established in the Nation's Capital, the pressure was on to make it safe, efficient and pristine. WMATA continues to advance this mission to this day.

When Metrorail Opened, Everything Changed

On a cold day in March 1976, six years, three months and 23 days after the initial groundbreaking, according to WMATA, Metrorail has its sparkling, opening day. More than 51,000 persons rode for free over the 4.2 miles of Metro's Phase 1 project. Five stations opened for business on Red Line, spanning Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut North in the downtown section of Northwest Washington, DC.

A few month's after Metro's opening, I came to live in Washington, DC as a college student. I interned summers on Capitol Hill like everyone else and so enjoyed the long, leisurely bus ride across the city. It was a great trip for reading books and newspapers, people watching or just sightseeing. The G-2 took its time along the wonderful, historic streets of Georgetown's West and East Villages on its way to Capitol Hill. On the way home, the D-2 or D-4 buses would carry its passengers back to the halls of academia and student life. Over time, public transit officials changed all the bus routes and before we knew it, Georgetown buses were rerouted to drop passengers at the Dupont Circle Metro Station. Life as we knew it would never be the same. But, we adjusted and came to love Metrorail just as much as the buses that used to deliver us from one DC neighborhood to the next.

Getting Acquainted with DC Metrorail

In the old days, DC public transit riders threw coins into a bucket to access Metrorail. Later, the DC Metrorail Farecard system was developed to facilitate the growing crowds of commuters who were routed to Metro station stops all over the city. Farecards hold anywhere from $1.60 to $45, according to WMATA, and can be bought at the stations or online. Farecards are easy to use and keep in your pocket. When the need arises, you can add more value to them before departing a Metro station.

More and more computers are purchasing SmarTrip® cards which can save regular transit customers time and money. Metrorail also has $9 one-day passes for sale which can be quite handy on weekends and holidays when friends and family visit and want to check out the latest Washington, DC attractions.

DC Metrorail Today

No longer 25 miles or 5 transit station stops long, Metrorail has joined the likes of other transit systems around the world carrying residents and visitors all over the Nation's Capital for business and pleasure. Over Inauguration Weekend in 2009, WMATA reports that Metrorail operated 60 hours of passenger service as riders took about 2.6 million trips on DC's underground marvel. On Sunday of that same weekend, riders to 616,324 trips on Metrorail, making it the busiest Sunday in Metro history. On Tuesday, Inauguration Day 2009, Metro ridership 1.12 million trips.

Today, Metrorail is a $782.8 million transit system, carrying more than 800,000 passengers, on average, each and everyday. Nearly 35,000 people get on and off the trains at Union Station, its busiest, each day. With more than 588 escalators, 236 elevators, 850 railcars during peak service, and thousands of passengers, Washington DC metro region's Metrorail is a world-class transit system intent on making transportation in and around the Nation's Capital a little bit easier each day.

RESOURCES

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
www.wmata.com

DC Rails Station Finder
http://dcrails.com

Washington, DC in Urban Rail Net
www.urbanrail.net/am/wash/washington.htm

Union Station
www.unionstationdc.com