Metro Center station

Metro Center is the central hub station of the Washington Metro rapid transit system in Washington, D.C. Metro Center was one of the original Metro stations, and has been in service since March 27, 1976.

Metro Center
rapid transit station
Metro Center from Shady Grove side with train
Location607 13th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38.898303°N 77.028099°W / 38.898303; -77.028099
Owned byWMATA
Platforms2 side platforms (upper level)
1 island platform (lower level)
Tracks4 (2 upper level, 2 lower level)
Connections Metrobus: 16C, 42, 54, 59, 63, 64, 80, A9, D6, G8, P6, S2, S4, X2, X9
MTA Maryland Bus: 901, 902, 904, 905
Loudoun County Transit
PRTC OmniRide
Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley
Construction
Structure typeunderground
Depth44 feet (13 m) Upper Level 64 feet (20 m) Lower Level
Platform levels7
Bicycle facilities8 racks
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeA01 (upper level)
C01 (lower level)
History
OpenedMarch 27, 1976 (March 27, 1976)
Traffic
Passengers (2016)24,160 daily[1]  10.71%
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Farragut North
toward Shady Grove
 Red Line Gallery Place–Chinatown
toward Glenmont
McPherson Square
toward Vienna
 Orange Line Federal Triangle
toward New Carrollton
McPherson Square
toward Franconia–Springfield
 Blue Line Federal Triangle
toward Largo Town Center
McPherson Square
toward Wiehle–Reston East
 Silver Line
Location

Metro Center is on the Blue, Orange, Red, and Silver Lines, and is a transfer station between the Red Line and the already-joined Blue, Orange and Silver Lines.

Location
Entrance pylon prior to the addition of the Silver Line

Metro Center is located in downtown Washington, under an area roughly extending east–west from 11th to 13th Streets Northwest, and north–south from F to H Streets Northwest. Its entrances are on G Street at 11th, 12th, and 13th Streets, and at the corner of 12th and F Streets. The station's only street elevator is on the east side of 12th Street north of G Street. It is the second busiest station in the Metrorail system after Union Station, averaging 30,500 passengers per weekday as of May 2006.[2]

A mural, "Scenes of Washington" by G. Byron Peck, is displayed at the 12th and G Street mezzanine.

The mezzanine (upper) level of the station contains side platforms for Red Line trains traveling towards Glenmont and towards Shady Grove. Orange Line, Silver Line, and Blue Line trains traveling in both directions share a center platform on the station's lower level.

The Grand Hyatt Washington is connected to Metro Center, as is downtown's only remaining department store, Macy's. During the mid-20th century, the area was the commercial heart of Washington, housing many department stores, theaters, offices, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Due to a combination of the racial disturbances associated with the 1968 riots, the opening of new suburban malls, and concentration of new commercial buildings near K Street–Farragut Square, the Metro Center area declined. It has been successfully redeveloped since. The Shops at National Place is an adjacent two-level dining/shopping complex.

Improvements

The station is located so close to the Gallery Place station (which connects to the Yellow and Green Lines) that the lights of each station are visible to the other through the tunnel. Plans have long been in the works to add a pedestrian tunnel to connect Gallery Place–Chinatown with Metro Center and provide pedestrian access to all six Metro lines. The most recent major development was the completion of a "Gallery Place/Chinatown - Metro Center Pedestrian Passageway Tunnel Study" in July 2005.[3]

Station layout
G Street level Exit/entrance, buses
B1 Mezzanine Fare control, ticket machines, station agent
B2 Side platform
Westbound ← toward Grosvenor–Strathmore or Shady Grove (Farragut North)
Eastbound → toward Silver Spring or Glenmont (Gallery Place–Chinatown) →
Side platform
B3 Westbound ← toward Franconia–Springfield (McPherson Square)
← toward Vienna (McPherson Square)
← toward Wiehle–Reston East (McPherson Square)
Island platform
Eastbound → toward Largo Town Center (Federal Triangle) →
→ toward New Carrollton (Federal Triangle) →

Notable places nearby

References
  1. "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  2. "Request for Expressions of Interest for Operation of Retail Services in Metrorail Stations" (PDF). WMATA. February 16, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007.
  3. Parsons; KPG Design Studio; Basile Baumann Prost & Associates (July 2005). "Gallery Place/Chinatown - Metro Center Pedestrian Passageway Tunnel Study" (PDF). WMATA Office of Planning and Project Development. Retrieved March 6, 2009.
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