Greenbelt station

Greenbelt is a Washington Metro and MARC station in Prince George's County, Maryland on the Green and Yellow lines, being the northeastern terminus of both. MARC commuter rail trains on the Camden Line also stop at Greenbelt on a set of tracks parallel to the Metro tracks.

Greenbelt
Location5600-5717 Greenbelt Metro Drive, Greenbelt, Maryland[1]
Owned byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Line(s)Capital Subdivision
Platforms1 island platform (Washington Metro)
2 side platforms (MARC)
Tracks2 (Washington Metro)
4 (MARC/CSX)
Connections Metrobus: B30, 87, 89, 89M, C2, G12, G14, R12
RTA: 302/G
TheBus: 11, 15 ,16
Shuttle-UM: 129
BoltBus
Construction
Structure typeat-grade
Parking3,399 spaces
Bicycle facilities60 racks, 52 lockers
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeE10
History
OpenedDecember 1993 (1993-12)[2]
Traffic
Passengers (2016)5,802 daily [3]  8.12%
Services
Preceding station MARC Following station
College Park
towards Union Station
 Camden Line Muirkirk
towards Camden Station
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
College Park–University of Maryland
toward Branch Avenue
 Green Line Terminus
College Park–University of Maryland
toward Huntington
 Yellow Line

The station is located in the city of Greenbelt, at its northwestern border (near Berwyn Heights, Beltsville, and the northern part of College Park), off of Cherrywood Lane, near the Capital Beltway. It has a parking lot that contains more than 3,300 spaces,[4] with convenient access both to the outer loop of the Beltway (Interstate 95 North) and from the inner loop of the Beltway (Interstate 95 South). It serves as a commuter station for both local residents and commuters who arrive from elsewhere — such as those who travel on the inner loop of the Beltway or south on I-95 from Baltimore. Also available at the station is a weekday express Metrobus service, the B30 route to Baltimore–Washington International Airport (BWI), allowing for connections to Baltimore's regional transit services. The Greenbelt Metro is the most accessible station for employees and visitors of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, who can connect to TheBus's route 15X[5][6].

In-between Metro's Greenbelt and College Park stations, trains pass Lake Artemesia, which was created as part of the construction of the two stations. Sand and gravel excavated from what is now Lake Artemesia were used to construct the track bed and parking facilities at these stations.

History
Greenbelt station mezzanine

Metro service at Greenbelt began on December 11, 1993, coinciding with the opening of three other stations in northern Prince George's County, Maryland — the completion of 7.96 miles of Green Line rail north of the Fort Totten station in Washington, D.C.. In 1979, before opening, the name was changed from "Greenbelt Road" to just "Greenbelt".[7]

On June 25, 2017, Metro's Yellow Line trains stopped serving the station due to the elimination of Rush+, which was part of major changes to the Metrorail system.[8]

In May 2018, Metro announced an extensive renovation of platforms at twenty stations across the system. The platforms at the Greenbelt station would be rebuilt starting in mid-2020.[9]

On May 20, 2019, Metro announced that Yellow Line trains will be re-extended from Mount Vernon Square and Fort Totten to Greenbelt at all service hours beginning May 25, 2019.[10]

Usage on the first inauguration day of Barack Obama

The Greenbelt station played a role during the January 20, 2009 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Prior to this date, a decision was made by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) officials not to allow private cars to park at this station in order to allow more than 1100 charter buses to use the parking. However, only 35 such requests were made by private bus companies, and WMATA then reversed its decision, opening up 3,400 spaces to private vehicles.[11]

Station layout
MARC train platforms at Greenbelt station (facing south)

Metro trains stop at an island platform, while MARC trains utilize two high-level side platforms. All platforms are accessible to riders with disabilities, but the MARC station is unstaffed and lacking facilities.

P
Platform level
Side platform
Track 3 ←      Camden Line toward Union Station (College Park)
Track 1 → No service
Track 2 → No service
Track 4 ←      Camden Line toward Camden Station (Muirkirk) →
Side platform
Southbound ← toward Branch Avenue (College Park–University of Maryland)
← toward Huntington (College Park–University of Maryland)
Island platform
Northbound ←   termination track →
G Street level Exit/entrance, buses, parking, fare control, ticket machines, station agent

References
  1. "MARC Station Information". MTA Maryland. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  2. Meyer, Eugene L. (December 10, 1993). "Lukewarm Thrill at End of Line". The Washington Post.
  3. "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  4. "Parking: Greenbelt". WMATA. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  5. "Route 15X". Prince George's County Official Website. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  6. "Bus Service from Greenbelt" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  7. Eisen, Jack (August 7, 1979). "Zoological Park Subway Stop Name, 9 Others Changed by Metro Board". The Washington Post.
  8. "June 25 Fare Service Changes Printable Brochure" (PDF). 2017.
  9. "Metro wants to rebuild 20 station platforms over three years, creating SafeTrack-like disruptions". Washington Post. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  10. "Metro to extend Yellow Line service to Greenbelt beginning May 25" (Press release). WMATA. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  11. "Metro opens up more automobile parking, scales back charter bus access for Inauguration" (Press release). WMATA. January 6, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
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