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69-656: Virginia Square–GMU station is a Washington Metro station in the Virginia Square neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia , United States. The side platformed station opened on December 1, 1979, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The station serves the Orange and Silver Lines. The station serves the Virginia Square neighborhood as well as

138-457: A cost of $ 69,000. It was 64 by 30 by 17 feet (19.5 m × 9.1 m × 5.2 m) and meant to test construction techniques, lighting, and acoustics before full-scale construction efforts. Construction began after a groundbreaking ceremony on December 9, 1969, when Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe , District Mayor Walter Washington , and Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel tossed

207-408: A greater range, up to 2 meters (6 ft). Other contactless technologies like UHF (Ultra High Frequency) smart cards can reach up to 150 meters (500 ft) and are often used for applications where the card is read inside a vehicle, such as security gates which open when a vehicle with the access card inside approaches, or automated toll collection . The battery eventually runs down, however, and

276-564: A monthly ridership record with 19,729,641 trips, or 798,456 per weekday. Fares vary based on the distance traveled, the time of day, and the type of card used by the passenger. Riders enter and exit the system using a proximity card called SmarTrip . During the 1950s, plans were laid for a massive freeway system in Washington, D.C. Harland Bartholomew , who chaired the National Capital Planning Commission , thought that

345-463: A rail transit system would never be self-sufficient because of low-density land uses and general transit ridership decline. But the plan met fierce opposition , and was altered to include a Capital Beltway system plus rail line radials. The Beltway received full funding along with additional funding from the Inner Loop Freeway system project that was partially reallocated toward construction of

414-508: A range up to 10 cm (4 in). The related ISO/IEC 15693 ( vicinity card ) standard typically works up to a longer range of 100 centimetres (39 in). The reality is that ISO/IEC 14443 as well as ISO/IEC 15693 can only be fully implemented on microprocessor-based cards. The best way to check if a technology meets ISO standard is to ask the manufacturer if it can be emulated on other devices without any proprietary hardware. The card readers communicate in various protocols, for example

483-407: A reader to transmit their data. An active card contains a flat lithium cell in addition to the above components to power it. The integrated circuit contains a receiver which uses the battery's power to amplify the signal from the reader unit so it is stronger, allowing the card to detect the reader at a greater distance. The battery also powers a transmitter circuit in the chip which transmits

552-433: A similar appearance to the 7000-series, the 8000-series would include more features such as "smart doors" that detect obstruction, high-definition security cameras, more space between seats, wider aisles, and non-slip flooring. In September 2018, Metro issued a request for proposals from manufacturers for 256 railcars with options for a total of up to 800. The first order would replace the 2000 and 3000-series equipment, while

621-514: A single day was on the day of the first inauguration of Barack Obama , January 20, 2009, with 1.12 million riders. It broke the previous record, set the day before, of 866,681 riders. June 2008 set several ridership records: the single-month ridership record of 19,729,641 total riders, the record for highest average weekday ridership with 1,044,400 weekday trips, had five of the ten highest ridership days, and had 12 weekdays in which ridership exceed 800,000 trips. The Sunday record of 616,324 trips

690-589: A stronger return signal to cover the greater distance. Proximity cards are all proprietary. This is also the case of the memory-based first generation of contactless smartcards . This means that there is no compatibility between the readers of a specific brand and the cards of another brand. Contactless smartcards are covered by the ISO/IEC 14443 and/or the ISO/IEC 15693 OR ISO/IEC 18000 standards. These standards define two types of card ("A" and "B", each with different communications protocols ) which typically have

759-530: Is a list of opening dates for track segments and infill stations on the Washington Metro. The entries in the "from" and "to" columns correspond to the boundaries of the extension or station that opened on the specified date, not to the lines' terminals. On December 31, 2006, an 18-month pilot program began to extend service on the Yellow Line to Fort Totten over existing Green Line trackage. This extension

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828-460: Is not centered on any single station, but Metro Center is at the intersection of the Red, Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines. The station is also the location of WMATA's main sales office, which closed in 2022. Metro has designated five other "core stations" that have high passenger volume, including: Gallery Place , transfer station for the Red, Green, and Yellow Lines; L'Enfant Plaza , transfer station for

897-561: Is the main difference from the contactless smartcard with a range of 2 to 10 cm (1 to 4 in). The card can often be left in a wallet or purse, and read by simply holding the wallet or purse near the reader. These early proximity cards can't hold more data than a magnetic stripe card , and only cards with smart chips (ie, contactless smartcards ) can hold other types of data like electronic funds balance for contactless payment systems, history data for time and attendance or biometric templates. When used without encoding data, only with

966-538: The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear . Prior to 2010, the record had been set on June 8, 1991, at 786,358 trips during the Desert Storm rally. Many Metro stations were designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese and are examples of late 20th century modern architecture . With their heavy use of exposed concrete and repetitive design motifs, Metro stations display aspects of Brutalist design. The stations also reflect

1035-562: The Red Line 's western terminus being in Germantown instead of Shady Grove . WMATA approved plans for a 97.2-mile (156.4 km) regional system on March 1, 1968. The plan consisted of a core regional system, which included the original five Metro lines, as well as several future extensions, many of which were not constructed. The first experimental Metro station was built above ground in May 1968 for

1104-519: The Wiegand protocol that consists of a data 0 and a data 1 circuit (or binary or simple on/off (digital) type circuit). Other known protocols are mono directional Clock and Data or bidirectional OSDP (RS 485), RS 232 or UART. The earliest card formats were up to 64 bits long. As demand has increased, bit size has increased to continue to provide unique numbers. Often, the first several bits can be made identical; these are called facility or site codes. The idea

1173-452: The integrated circuit . The chip sends its ID number or other data to the antenna coil, which transmits it by radio frequency signals back to the reader unit. The reader checks whether the ID number from the card is correct, and then performs whatever function it has been programmed to do for that ID number. All the energy to power the card comes from the reader unit, so passive cards must be close to

1242-463: The 1000-series cars are unsafe and unable to protect passengers in a crash. As a result, on July 26, 2010, Metro voted to purchase 300 7000-series cars, which replaced the remaining 1000-series cars. An additional 128 7000-series cars were also ordered to serve the Silver Line to Dulles Airport (64 for each phase). In April 2013, Metro placed another order for 100 7000-series cars, which replaced all of

1311-408: The 4000-series cars. On July 13, 2015, WMATA used their final option and purchased an additional 220 7000-series railcars for fleet expansion and to replace the 5000-series railcars, bringing the total order number to 748 railcars. On February 26, 2020, WMATA accepted the delivery of the final 7000-series car. The 8000-series cars will be constructed by Hitachi Rail. While these railcars would have

1380-549: The Arlington campus of George Mason University (GMU). The station entrance is located at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and North Monroe Street. Originally to be called Ballston , the station was renamed Virginia Square by the Metro board in March 1977. Its name was changed due to its location at the since-demolished Virginia Square Shopping Center . After several years of construction,

1449-480: The Blue Line. The cars are different from previous models in that while still operating as married pairs, the cab in one car is eliminated, turning it into a B car. This design allows for increased passenger capacity, elimination of redundant equipment, greater energy efficiency, and lower maintenance costs. The National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the fatal June 22, 2009, accident led it to conclude that

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1518-646: The Blue and Yellow Lines between Braddock Road and National Airport , opened on May 19, 2023. Metro construction required billions of federal dollars, originally provided by Congress under the authority of the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969. The cost was paid with 67% federal money and 33% local money. This act was amended on January 3, 1980, by the National Capital Transportation Amendment of 1979 (also known as

1587-610: The City of Alexandria, and 3 in Loudoun County. The most recent station was opened on May 19, 2023, an infill station at Potomac Yard . At 196 feet (60 m) below the surface, the Forest Glen station on the Red Line is the deepest in the system. There are no escalators; high-speed elevators take 20 seconds to travel from the street to the station platform. The Wheaton station, one stop to

1656-471: The Green line, where they can go up to 65 mph (105 km/h)), all trains have a maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km/h), and average 33 mph (53 km/h), including stops. All cars operate as married pairs (consecutively numbered even-odd with a cab at each end of the pair except 7000-series railcars), with systems shared across the pair. In the "Active railcars" table, font in bold represents

1725-605: The Metro system. In 1960, the federal government created the National Capital Transportation Agency to develop a rapid rail system. In 1966, a bill creating WMATA was passed by the federal government, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, with planning power for the system being transferred to it from the NCTA. An early proposal map from 1967 was more extensive than what was ultimately approved, with

1794-517: The Old Town Trolley Tours and is seeking additional retail tenants. Metro relies extensively on passenger fares and appropriated financing from the Maryland , Virginia , and Washington D.C., governments , which are represented on Metro's board of directors. In 2018, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., agreed to contribute $ 500 million annually to Metro's capital budget. Until then,

1863-511: The Orange, Blue, Silver, Green, and Yellow Lines; Union Station , the busiest station by passenger boardings; Farragut North ; and Farragut West . To deal with the high number of passengers in transfer stations, Metro is studying the possibility of building pedestrian connections between nearby core transfer stations. For example, a 750-foot (230 m) passage between Metro Center and Gallery Place stations would allow passengers to transfer between

1932-465: The Orange/Blue/Silver and Yellow/Green Lines without going to one stop on the Red Line or taking a slight detour via L’Enfant Plaza. Another tunnel between Farragut West and Farragut North stations would allow transfers between the Red and Orange/Blue/Silver lines, decreasing transfer demand at Metro Center by an estimated 11%. The Farragut pedestrian tunnel has yet to be physically implemented, but

2001-490: The Red Line between Union Station and Rhode Island Avenue , opened on November 20, 2004. Construction began in March 2009 for an extension to Dulles Airport to be built in two phases. The first phase, five stations connecting East Falls Church to Tysons Corner and Wiehle Avenue in Reston, opened on July 26, 2014. The second phase to Ashburn opened November 15, 2022, after many delays. The second infill station, Potomac Yard on

2070-642: The Stark-Harris Act), which authorized additional funding of $ 1.7 billion to permit the completion of 89.5 miles (144.0 km) of the system as provided under the terms of a full funding grant agreement executed with WMATA in July 1986, which required 20% to be paid from local funds. On November 15, 1990, the National Capital Transportation Amendments of 1990 authorized an additional $ 1.3 billion in federal funds for construction of

2139-805: The Sunday closing time was pushed back to midnight. Metro started opening at 5:30 a.m., a half an hour earlier, on weekdays starting on July 1, 1988. On November 5, 1999, weekend service was extended to 1:00 a.m., and on June 30, 2000, it was expanded to 2:00 a.m. On July 5, 2003, weekend hours were extended again with the system opening an hour earlier, at 7:00 a.m. and closing an hour later at 3:00 a.m. On September 27, 2004, Metro again pushed weekday opening time half an hour earlier, this time to 5 a.m. In 2016, Metro began temporarily scaling back service hours to allow for more maintenance. On June 3, 2016, they ended late-night weekend service with Metrorail closing at midnight. Hours were adjusted again

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2208-698: The United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus service under the Metro name. Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of route . Metro serves Washington, D.C. , as well as several jurisdictions in the states of Maryland and Virginia . In Maryland, Metro provides service to Montgomery and Prince George's counties; in Virginia, to Arlington , Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and to

2277-618: The Western Hemisphere, spanning 230 feet (70 m), is located at Metro's deep-level Wheaton station. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 136,303,200, or about 450,600 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024, making it the second-busiest heavy rail rapid transit system in the United States, in number of passenger trips, after the New York City Subway , and the sixth-busiest in North America. In June 2008, Metro set

2346-547: The Yellow Line for seven to eight months to complete repairs and rebuilding work on its bridge over the Potomac River and its tunnel leading into the station at L'Enfant Plaza . Metro stated that this was the first significant work that the tunnel and bridge had undergone since they were first constructed over forty years prior. Service on the Yellow Line resumed on May 7, 2023, but with its northeastern terminus truncated from Greenbelt to Mount Vernon Square . The following

2415-516: The adjacent, Arlington campus of George Mason University . Arlington County paid the $ 50,000 required for the change. This station was closed from March 26, 2020, until June 28, 2020, due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic . Washington Metro The Washington Metro , often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail , is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of

2484-431: The card must be replaced after 2 to 7 years. The card and the reader unit communicate with each other through 125 kHz radio frequency fields (13.56 MHz for the contactless smartcard cards) by a process called resonant energy transfer . Passive cards have three components which are sealed inside the plastic: an antenna consisting of a coil of wire, a capacitor , and an integrated circuit (IC) which contains

2553-687: The card serial number, contactless smartcards have similar functionalities to proximity cards. Passive 125 kHz cards, the more widely used type which were described above, are powered by radio frequency signals from the reader device and so have a limited range and must be held close to the reader unit. They are used as keycards for access control doors in office buildings. A version with more memory, contactless smartcards , are used for other applications: library cards , contactless payment systems, and public transit fare cards. Active 125 kHz prox cards, sometimes called vicinity cards , are powered by an internal lithium battery. They can have

2622-569: The design of the Metro's vaulted-ceiling stations was voted number 106 on the " America's Favorite Architecture " list compiled by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and was the only Brutalist design to win a place among the 150 selected by this public survey. In January 2014, the AIA announced that it would present its Twenty-five Year Award to the Washington Metro system for "an architectural design of enduring significance" that "has stood

2691-892: The doors, make station announcements, and supervise their trains. The system was designed so that an operator could manually operate a train when necessary. Since June 2009, when two Red Line trains collided and killed nine people due in part to malfunctions in the ATC system, all Metro trains have been manually operated. The current state of manual operation has led to heavily degraded service, with new manual requirements such as absolute blocks, speed restrictions, and end-of-platform stopping leading to increased headways between trains, increased dwell time, and worse on-time performance. Metro originally planned to have all trains be automated again by 2017, but those plans were shelved in early 2017 in order to focus on more pressing safety and infrastructure issues. In March 2023, Metro announced plans to re-automate

2760-569: The first 40 years. Though it originally opened with weekday-only service from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m, financial paperwork assumed prior to opening that it would eventually operate from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week. It never operated exactly on that schedule but the hours did expand, sometimes beyond that. On September 25, 1978, Metro extended its weekday closing time from 8 p.m. to midnight and 5 days later it started Saturday service from 8 a.m. to Midnight. Metrorail kicked off Sunday service from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 2, 1979, and on June 29, 1986,

2829-527: The first spade of dirt at Judiciary Square. The first portion of the system opened March 27, 1976, with 4.6 miles (7.4 km) available on the Red Line with five stations from Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut North , all in Washington, D.C. All rides were free that day, with the first train departing the Rhode Island Avenue stop with Metro officials and special guests, and the second with members of

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2898-437: The following year starting on June 25, 2017, with weeknight service ending a half-hour earlier at 11:30 p.m.; Sunday service trimmed to start an hour later – at 8 a.m. – and end an hour early at 11 p.m.; and late-night service partially restored to 1 a.m. The service schedule was approved until June 2019. On January 29, 2020, Metro announced that it would be activating its pandemic response plans in preparation for

2967-468: The general public. Arlington County, Virginia was linked to the system on July 1, 1977; Montgomery County, Maryland , on February 6, 1978; Prince George's County, Maryland , on November 17, 1978; and Fairfax County, Virginia , and Alexandria, Virginia , on December 17, 1983. Metro reached Loudoun County on November 15, 2022. Underground stations were built with cathedral-like arches of concrete, highlighted by soft, indirect lighting. The name Metro

3036-445: The independent city of Alexandria . The system's most recent expansion , which is the construction of a new station (and altering the line), serving Potomac Yard , opened on May 19, 2023. It operates mostly as a deep-level subway in more densely populated parts of the D.C. metropolitan area (including most of the District itself), while most of the suburban tracks are at surface level or elevated . The longest single-tier escalator in

3105-524: The influence of Washington's neoclassical architecture in their overarching coffered ceiling vaults . Weese worked with Cambridge, Massachusetts -based lighting designer Bill Lam on the indirect lighting used throughout the system. All of Metro's original Brutalist stations are found in Downtown Washington, D.C. , and neighboring urban corridors of Arlington, Virginia , while newer stations incorporate simplified cost-efficient designs. In 2007,

3174-564: The last few in spring 2019. A sixth order of 184 cars from Alstom Transportation, are numbered 6000–6183 and were delivered between 2005 and 2007. The cars have body shells built in Barcelona , Spain with assembly completed in Hornell, New York. The 7000-series railcars, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company of Kobe, Japan, were delivered for on-site testing during winter 2013–2014, and first entered service on April 14, 2015, on

3243-554: The looming COVID-19 pandemic , which would be declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11. At that time, Metro announced that it would reduce its service hours from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekends beginning on March 16 to accommodate for train cleaning and additional track work. As of 2022, pre-COVID service hours have been restored with pre-2016 Sunday service hours. The highest ridership for

3312-424: The messages recorded by Sandy Carroll in 1996. The "Doors Closing" contest attracted 1,259 contestants from across the country. Over the years, a lack of investment in Metro caused it to break down, and there have been several fatal incidents on the Washington Metro due to mismanagement and broken-down infrastructure. By 2016, according to The Washington Post , on-time rates had dropped to 84%, and Metro service

3381-490: The mid-1990s. Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie (Breda), manufactured the second order of 76 cars delivered in 1983 and 1984. These cars, numbered 2000–2075, were rehabilitated in the early 2000s by Alstom in Hornell, New York . All 2000-series cars were retired by May 10, 2024. A third order of 290 cars, also from Breda, were delivered between 1984 and 1988. These cars are numbered 3000–3289 and were rehabilitated by Alstom in

3450-459: The mid-2000s. A fourth order of 100 cars from Breda, numbered 4000–4099, were delivered between 1991 and 1994. All 4000-series cars were retired by July 1, 2017. A fifth order of 192 cars was manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain. These cars are numbered 5000–5191 and were delivered from 2001 through 2004. Most 5000-series cars were retired in October 2018 and

3519-694: The north of the Forest Glen station, has the longest continuous escalator in the US and in the Western Hemisphere , at 230 feet (70 m). The Rosslyn station is the deepest station on the Orange/Blue/Silver Line, at 117 feet (36 m) below street level. The station features the second-longest continuous escalator in the Metro system at 194 feet (59 m); an escalator ride between the street and mezzanine levels takes nearly two minutes. The system

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3588-535: The options, if selected, would allow the agency to increase capacity and retire the 6000-series. During normal passenger operation on revenue tracks, trains are designed to be controlled by an integrated Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and Automatic Train Control (ATC) system that accelerates and brakes trains automatically without operator intervention. All trains are still staffed with train operators who open and close

3657-461: The railcars that are currently in service, while the regular font represents cars that are temporarily out of service Metro's rolling stock was acquired in seven phases, and each version of car is identified with a separate series number. The original order of 300 railcars (all of which have been retired as of July 1, 2017) was manufactured by Rohr Industries , with final delivery in 1978. These cars are numbered 1000–1299 and were rehabilitated in

3726-448: The remaining 13.5 miles (21.7 km) of the 103-mile (166 km) system, completed via the execution of full funding grant agreements, with a 63% federal/37% local matching ratio. In February 2006, Metro officials chose Randi Miller, a car dealership employee from Woodbridge, Virginia , to record new "doors opening", "doors closing", and "please stand clear of the doors, thank you" announcements after winning an open contest to replace

3795-511: The same track. There are six operating lines. The system's official map was designed by noted graphic designer Lance Wyman and Bill Cannan while they were partners in the design firm of Wyman & Cannan in New York City. About 50 miles (80 km) of Metro's track is underground, as are 47 of the 98 stations. Track runs underground mostly within the District and high-density suburbs. Surface track accounts for about 46 miles (74 km) of

3864-505: The station opened on December 1, 1979. Its opening coincided with the completion of approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) of rail west of the Rosslyn station and the opening of the Court House , Clarendon and Ballston–MU stations. Known originally as simply Virginia Square, in July 1985, the Metro board voted unanimously to rename the station Virginia Square–GMU , with the "GMU" standing for

3933-491: The system by December of that year, but announced in September that these plans would be delayed until 2024. Proximity card The term "proximity card" refers to the older 125 kHz devices as distinct from the newer 13.56 MHz contactless smartcards . Second generation prox cards are used for mass and distance reading applications. Proximity cards typically have a read range of up to 50 cm (20 in) which

4002-806: The system did not have a dedicated revenue stream as other cities' mass transit systems do. Critics allege that this has contributed to Metro's recent history of maintenance and safety problems. For Fiscal Year 2019, the estimated farebox recovery ratio (fare revenue divided by operating expenses) was 62 percent, based on the WMATA-approved budget. There are 40 stations in the District of Columbia, 15 in Prince George's County, 13 in Fairfax County, 11 in Montgomery County, 11 in Arlington County, 5 in

4071-558: The system, spanning all lines except the Silver Line. The Blue and Yellow Lines south of National Airport were closed from May 25 to September 9, 2019, in what would be the longest line closure in Metro's history. Additional stations would be repaired between 2020 and 2022, but the corresponding lines would not be closed completely. The project would cost $ 300 to $ 400 million and would be Metro's first major project since its construction. In March 2022, Metro announced that beginning on September 10, 2022, it would suspend all service on

4140-424: The test of time by embodying architectural excellence for 25 to 35 years". The announcement cited the key role of Weese, who conceived and implemented a "common design kit-of-parts", which continues to guide the construction of new Metro stations over a quarter-century later, albeit with designs modified slightly for cost reasons. Beginning in 2003, canopies were added to existing exits of underground stations due to

4209-452: The total, and aerial track makes up 9 miles (14 km). The system operates on a track gauge of 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 4  in ( 1,429 mm ), which is 1 ⁄ 4 inch (6.4 mm) narrower than 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge but within the tolerance of standard-gauge railways . Previously, the least time to travel through 97 stations using only mass transit

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4278-427: The user's ID number in specific formats and no other data. The reader has its own antenna, which continuously transmits a short range radio frequency field. When the card is placed within range of the reader, the antenna coil and capacitor, which form a tuned circuit , absorb and store energy from the field, resonating at the frequency emitted by the reader. This energy is rectified to direct current which powers

4347-426: The wear and tear seen on escalators due to exposure to the elements. Since opening in 1976, the Metro network has grown to include six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of route. The rail network is designed according to a spoke–hub distribution paradigm , with rail lines running between downtown Washington and its nearby suburbs. The system extensively uses interlining: running more than one service on

4416-603: Was 8 hours 54 minutes, a record set by travel blogger Lucas Wall on November 16, 2022, the first full day that Phase 2 of the Silver Line was in passenger operation. This record was broken by a student named Claire Aguayo, who did it in 8 hours and 36 minutes on January 23, 2023. Both of these runs were before the Potomac Yard station opened on May 19, 2023, making them no longer current. To gain revenues, WMATA has started to allow retail ventures in Metro stations. WMATA has authorized DVD-rental vending machines and ticket booths for

4485-528: Was added in virtual form effective October 28, 2011: the SmarTrip system now interprets an exit from one Farragut station and entrance to the other as part of a single trip, allowing cardholders to transfer on foot without having to pay a second full fare. Metro's fleet consists of 1,216 rail cars, each 75 feet (22.86 m) long, with 1,208 in active revenue service as of May 2024. Though operating rules currently limit trains to 59 mph (95 km/h) (except on

4554-598: Was frequently disrupted during rush hours because of a combination of equipment, rolling stock, track, and signal malfunctions. WMATA did not receive dedicated funding from the three jurisdictions it served, Maryland, Virginia, and D.C., until 2018. Seeking to address negative perceptions of its performance, in 2016, WMATA announced an initiative called "Back2Good," focusing on addressing a wide array of rider concerns, from improving safety to adding Internet access to stations and train tunnels. In May 2018, Metro announced an extensive renovation of platforms at 20 stations across

4623-452: Was later made permanent. Starting June 18, 2012, the Yellow Line was extended again along existing track as part of the Rush+ program, with an extension to Greenbelt on the northern end and with several trains diverted to Franconia–Springfield on the southern end. These Rush+ extensions were discontinued on June 25, 2017. In addition to expanding the system, Metro expanded the operating hours over

4692-567: Was set on January 18, 2009, during Obama's pre-inaugural events, the day the Obamas arrived in Washington and hosted a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It broke the record set on the 4th of July, 1999. On January 21, 2017, the 2017 Women's March , set an all-time record in Saturday ridership with 1,001,616 trips. The previous record was set on October 30, 2010, with 825,437 trips during

4761-605: Was suggested by Massimo Vignelli , who designed the signage for the system as well as for the New York City Subway . The 103-mile (166 km), 83-station system was completed with the opening of the Green Line segment to Branch Avenue on January 13, 2001. However, this did not mean the end of the system's growth. A 3.22-mile (5.18 km) extension of the Blue Line to Morgan Boulevard and Downtown Largo opened on December 18, 2004. The first infill station , New York Ave–Florida Ave–Gallaudet University (now NoMa–Gallaudet U ) on

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