Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Washington Metro shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Washington Metro offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Washington Metro at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Washington Metro? Wrong! If the Washington Metro is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Washington Metro then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Washington Metro? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Washington Metro and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Washington Metro wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Washington Metro then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Washington Metro site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Washington Metro, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Washington Metro, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

Metrorail, or simply Metro, is the rapid transit system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway, and is the List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership in the United States behind the New York City Subway. In Maryland, service is provided in Prince George's County, Maryland and Montgomery County, Maryland; in Virginia, service extends to Fairfax County, Virginia, Arlington County, Virginia, and the city of Alexandria, Virginia.{{Infobox Public transit|name = Metrorail|image = WMATA Metro Logo.svg|imagesize = 100px|locale = Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA|transit_type = Rapid transit, [1976 (171 [Kilometre)|lines = 5|stations = 86|ridership = 702,171 (avg. weekday, FY 2007)])|operator = Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)--> Overview train services Metro Center (Washington Metro), the hub of the system.The Metrorail (subway) system and the Metrobus (Washington, D.C.) (bus) network are owned and operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) — a multijurisdictional, quasi-governmental agency. WMATA also operates a paratransit service for the disabled called MetroAccess. However, the expression "Metro" usually refers to Metrorail exclusively.

Unlike the subway systems in cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston, Metrorail fare is zoned. This means it is not fixed, but varies based on the distance traveled and the time of day. Riders enter and exit the system using a stored-value card in the form of a paper magnetic stripe card farecard or a proximity card known as SmarTrip. Both methods track the balance paid to Metro, as well as the rider's entry and exit points.

Since opening in 1976, the subway network has grown to five lines, consisting of 86 stations and 106.3 miles (171 km) of track. The original plan of 83 stations on 103 miles (165.5 km) was completed on January 13, 2001. There were 207.9 million trips, or 702,121 trips per weekday, on Metrorail in fiscal year 2007. {{cite press release| title = More than 200 million ride Metrorail for the second consecutive year | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-07-05 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1706 --> In July 2007, Metrorail set a new monthly ridership record with 19,281,809 trips, or 772,826 per weekday.{{cite press release| title = Metrorail Breaks the All-time Ridership Record by Carrying 19.2 Million People in July | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-08-06 | URL = http://wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1742 -->

Metrorail was designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese, and is an exemplar of late-20th century modern architecture. With its heavy use of concrete and the repetitive nature of its design motifs, it displays aspects of Brutalist architecture, which, in Washington, is also illustrated by the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Building. Simultaneously, with its coffered groin vault and barrel vaults, it evokes Neoclassical architecture, arguably the closest thing to an "official" architectural style in Washington. Historic examples of Neoclassicism in Washington consist of the United States Department of the Treasury, by Robert Mills (architect) and others; the former U.S. Patent Office building (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum), also by Robert Mills and others; the White House, by James Hoban; and the Beaux-Arts architecture Lincoln Memorial, by Henry Bacon.

In underground stations, light is provided via banks of fluorescent lights next to the station walls. Additional light is provided in center platform stations by lights in the crowns of the platform pylons. In side-platform stations, additional light is provided by a bank of fluorescent light bulbs between the tracks.

Metrorail network The network was designed with a spoke-hub distribution paradigm, which makes the subway ideal for getting from a suburb to any part of the city, or vice versa, but unattractive for suburb-to-suburb travel; groups have proposed a Purple Line (Washington Metro) to remedy this. The system is also noteworthy as a system with a limited number of lines that nevertheless makes extensive use of interlining (running more than one line on the same track).

There are five operating lines and one planned line:

There are currently stations in the District of Columbia, Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland, and Fairfax County, Arlington County, and city of Alexandria in Virginia. The Silver Line (Washington Metro) would add stations in Loudoun County, Virginia, Virginia, once completed.

Half of the system, including most of the stations in the District of Columbia, is underground, but most suburban stations are on elevated rails or at grade. In the case of the western Orange Line, the tracks run in the median of Interstate 66. The deepest stations in the system are at the northeastern end of the Red Line, with Wheaton (Washington Metro) having the longest escalator in the western hemisphere at 230 feet (70 m) long, and Forest Glen (Washington Metro) being even deeper than that.{{cite web| title = WMATA Facts| format = PDF| publisher = WMATA is considered the hub; it is the busiest station, it is located at the intersection of the three busiest lines, and the Metro Information Center and Gift Shop are located there. Other notable transfer stations include [Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Washington Metro) (located near the Verizon Center)), Stadium-Armory (Washington Metro) (located near RFK Stadium), and L'Enfant Plaza (Washington Metro), the only station in the system with service to four lines.

Various colleges and universities are accessible through the Metro, including:

Since 1999, Metro has run a special service pattern on July 4 to accommodate movements into and out of the city for Independence Day (United States) activities on the National Mall. This generally involves switching the southern terminals for the Blue and Yellow Lines (Blue Line trains terminate at Huntington (Washington Metro), while Yellow Line trains terminate at Franconia-Springfield (Washington Metro)), terminating the Blue Line at the Rosslyn (Washington Metro) upper level, and sending Orange Line trains to both Largo Town Center (Washington Metro) and New Carrollton (Washington Metro). Since 2002, Smithsonian station has been closed all day on July 4 because its entrances are located within the secured perimeter established around the Mall. MetroRail 4th of July Service Patterns from Oren's Transit Page

WMATA has a stated goal of integration of its rail and bus networks. In 2004, SmarTrip readers were installed on all buses, enabling paperless transfers between lines and with the rail system.{{cite press release| title = Entire Metrobus fleet now equipped with new SmarTrip fareboxes | publisher = [WMATA | date = 9 Aug. 2004 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=466 --> Metro also offers numerous connections to other transit systems and modes of transportation in Washington, D.C..

Yellow Line extension Beginning December 31, 2006, Metro extended its Yellow Line service past Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (Washington Metro) to Fort Totten during off-peak hours as part of an 18-month pilot program. This adds five stations to the existing Yellow Line route and increases off-peak service (non-rush hour) from one train every 12 minutes, to one train every six minutes. Metro installed over 5,000 signs throughout the system to reflect the extension. The $5.75 millioncost of the expansion will be covered by the District of Columbia.{{cite press release| title = New Signs announce January Yellow Line Extension to Fort Totten | publisher = [WMATA | date = 4 Dec. 2006 | url = http://wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1454 -->

History .

During the 1960s, there were plans for a massive freeway system in Washington. However, opposition to this freeway system grew. Harland Bartholomew who chaired the National Capital Planning Commission thought that a rail transit system would never be self-sufficient because of low density land uses and general transit ridership decline.{{cite web]| accessdate = 2006-11-22--> Finally, a mixed concept of a Capital Beltway system along with rail line radials was agreed upon. The Beltway received full funding; monies for the ambitious Inner Loop Freeway system were partially reallocated toward construction of the Metro system.

In 1960, the federal government created the National Capital Transportation Agency to develop a rapid rail system. Then in 1966, a bill creating WMATA was passed by the federal government, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland,{{cite web]| accessdate = 2006-08-18-->with planning power for the system being transferred to it from the NCTA.{{cite web| url = http://chnm.gmu.edu/metro/plan2.html| title = Planning: The Adopted Regional System, 1966-1968| accessdate = 2006-08-17| last = Schrag| first = Zachary M.-->WMATA approved plans for a 98-mile (158 km) regional system in 1968, and construction on the metro began in 1969, with groundbreaking on December 9. 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 the District of Columbia. Arlington, Virginia, was linked to the system on July 1, 1976; Montgomery County, Maryland, on February 6, 1978; Prince George's County, Maryland, on November 20, 1978; and Fairfax County, Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, on December 17, 1983. WMATA History (PDF)

The final 103 mile (166 km), 83 station system was completed with the opening of the Green Line segment to Branch Avenue on January 13, 2001. This did not mean the end of the growth of the system, however: a 3.22 mile (5.18 km) extension of the Blue Line to Largo Town Center (Washington Metro) and Morgan Boulevard (Washington Metro) stations opened on December 18, 2004. The first in-fill station (New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U (Washington Metro) on the Red Line between Union Station (Washington Metro) and Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood (Washington Metro)) opened November 20, 2004, and planning is underway for an extension to Dulles Airport.

The highest ridership for a single day was June 9, 2004, with 850,636 trips, as thousands of people went to Washington to view the funeral procession of Ronald Reagan, and to the United States Capitol to view his body as it lay in state. The previous recordholding day was January 20, 1993, President Bill Clinton's first Inauguration Day. June and July 2007 set ridership records, with four of the ten highest ridership days occurring in these months.{{cite press release| title = Metrorail Records Eighth Highest Weekday Ridership In its 31-Year History | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-07-19 | url = http://wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1724 --> July 2007 also holds the single-month ridership record with 19,281,809 total riders{{cite press release| title = Metrorail Breaks the All-time Ridership Record by Carrying 19.2 Million People in July | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-08-06 | url = http://wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1742 --> while June 2007 holds the record for highest average weekday ridership with 772,826 weekday trips.In February 2006, Metro officials chose Randi Miller, a car dealership employee from Woodbridge, Virginia, Virginia, to record new announcements after winning an open contest to replace the "doors opening," "doors closing," and "please stand clear of the doors, thank you" messages recorded by Sandy Carroll in 1996.{{cite news| first=Lyndsey | last=Layton | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/01/AR2006020101626.html | title=Metro Chooses New 'Doors' Voice | publisher=[The Washington Post | page=B01 | date=2 Feb. 2006 -->

Rolling stock station.Metro's rail fleet consists of 952 75-foot (23 m) rail cars, delivered in five shipments. All rail cars in the Metrorail system operate in married pairs (consecutively numbered even-odd), with systems shared across the pair.

The original order of 300 rail cars was manufactured by Rohr, Inc., with delivery in 1976. These cars are numbered 1000-1299 and were rehabilitated in the mid-1990s by Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie and Metro at the Brentwood Shop in Washington. The second order, of 76 cars, was through Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie (Breda), with delivery in 1982. These cars are numbered 2000-2075, and were rehabilitated in 2003 and 2004 by Alstom in Hornell, New York. The third order consisted of 290 cars, also from Breda, with delivery in 1987. These cars are numbered 3000-3289 as originally delivered, and are currently undergoing rehabilitation by Alstom in Hornell, New York. The fourth order consisted of 100 cars from Breda, numbered 4000-4099. These cars were delivered in 1991. The fifth order consisted of 192 rail cars from a joint venture of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain and AAI Corporation of Hunt Valley, Maryland. These cars are numbered 5000-5191, with delivery from 2001 through 2004. Most recently, Metro has ordered 184 rail cars from Alstom. Delivery began in late 2005, with initial service starting in October 2006. The new cars have their body shells built in Barcelona, and assembly is completed in Hornell, New York. Information on the cars from The Schumin Web Transit Center

Metrorail signaling and operation During normal operation on revenue tracks (used for passenger services), trains are controlled by an automatic train operation system (ATO) which accelerates and brakes the train automatically without operator intervention. However, all trains are manned with train operators who close the doors (they can optionally be set to open automatically), make station announcements, and supervise their trains. The operator can switch a train into manual mode and operate the train manually as needed.

Safety and security Design considerations Metro planners designed the system with customer safety and order maintenance as primary considerations. The open vaulted ceiling design of Metro stations and the limited obstructions on platforms allow few opportunities to conceal criminal activity. Station platforms are also built away from station walls, to limit vandalism and provide for diffused lighting of the station from recessed lights. Metro's attempts to reduce crime, combined with how the station environments were designed with Crime prevention through environmental design in mind, has contributed to the fact that Metrorail is among the safest and cleanest subway systems in the United States.

Metro Transit Police Metro is patrolled by its own police force, which is charged with ensuring the safety of Metro customers and employees. Transit Police officers patrol the Metrorail system and Metrobus (Washington, D.C.), and they have jurisdiction and arrest powers throughout the 1,500-square-mile (3,885 km²) Metro service area for crimes that occur on or against transit authority facilities, or within 150 feet (45 m) of a Metrobus stop.{{cite web| url = http://www.wmata.com/about/board_gm/compact.cfm#Police| title = Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact| publisher = [WMATA| accessdate = 2006-08-19-->

Zero-tolerance policy Each city and county in the Metro service area has similar ordinances that regulate or prohibit vending on Metro-owned property, and which prohibit riders from eating, drinking, or smoking in Metro trains, buses, and stations, and the Transit Police have a reputation for enforcing these laws rigorously. One widely publicized incident occurred in 2000 when police arrested a 12-year-old girl for eating french fries in the Tenleytown-AU (Washington Metro) station. In a 2004 opinion by John Roberts – now the Chief Justice of the United States – the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the girl's arrest. By then, however, WMATA had answered negative publicity by adopting a policy of first issuing warnings to Minor (law), and arresting them only after three violations within a year. Hedgepeth v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 386 Federal Reporter 1148 (United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit 2004) (*.pdf)

Metro's zero-tolerance policy on food, trash and other sources of disorder embodies the "Fixing Broken Windows" philosophy of crime reduction. This philosophy also extends to the use of station restroom facilities. Under a longstanding policy, Metro allowed only employees to use its restrooms in order to curb unlawful and unwanted activity. Station managers could make exceptions for customers with small children, the elderly, or the disabled. Today, Metro allows the use of restrooms by customers who gain a station manager's permission, except during periods of heightened Homeland Security Advisory System.{{cite press release| title = Metro steps up security as a precaution after foiled London terror plot | publisher = [WMATA | date = 10 Aug. 2006 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1343 -->

Accidents On January 13, 1982, a train backed up and derailed at a malfunctioning interlocking between the Federal Triangle (Washington Metro) and Smithsonian (Washington Metro) stations. In attempting to restore the train to the rails, the supervisors backed it up, but they did not notice that another car had also derailed. In attempting to reverse the train, the other rail car slid off the track and slammed into a tunnel support, killing three people and injuring many others, becoming the worst accident that has ever occurred on the Metrorail system in over 30 years of operation. Coincidentally, this accident occurred at the same time as Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge during a major snowstorm, producing probably the worst transit situation in Washington history. The train accident was compounded by lack of availability of ambulances, which at the time were all trying to reach the 14th Street Bridge disaster.



On January 6, 1996, during the Blizzard of 1996, a train operator was killed when a train overran the Shady Grove (Washington Metro) station and struck a parked train. It was later determined that because operators tended to overuse braking systems and wear them down, only computer-controlled braking was allowed to be used by operators. This operator had asked to be permitted manual control over braking and was refused permission only a few minutes before the computer-controlled braking system failed to stop his train in time. An NTSB investigation found the following factors that contributed to the accident:

station.

On November 3, 2004, an out-of-service train lost its brakes, rolled backwards into the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Station, and hit a revenue train servicing the station.{{cite news| first = Lyndsey and Ginsberg, Steven | last = Layton | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22466-2004Nov3.html | title=20 Injured in Crash of 2 Red Line Trains | publisher=[The Washington Post | page=A01 | date=4 Nov. 2004 --> No one was killed, but 20 people were injured. The 2004 accident reinforced the finding from the 1996 accident of the tendency of Metro rail cars built or rehabilitated prior to 2001 to telescope when involved in a head-on collision. A 14-month investigation on the accident concluded that the train operator was most likely not alert as the train rolled backwards into the station, on the grounds that the train had rolled backwards for over 78 seconds and that the train operator was at the end of an overtime shift that had been preceded by a night of interrupted sleep. Safety officials estimated that had the train been full, at least 79 would have died. Since the findings of the investigation, the train operator was dismissed from Metro, and Metro officials plan to add rollback protection to 300 cars.{{cite news| first = Lena H. | last = Sun | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/23/AR2006032300974.html | title=Dozing Operator Blamed in Rail Accident | publisher=[The Washington Post | page=A01 | date=23 Mar. 2006 -->

On November 30, 2006, two Metro employees were struck from behind and killed on the Yellow Line near the Eisenhower Avenue Station while performing routine track maintenance. The operator of the train was found to be at fault in a preliminary investigation for not following appropriate emergency braking procedures. The accident was the third fatal accident involving a Metro employee in a little over a year. An investigation is currently being conducted by the NTSB, and WMATA has announced new maintenance procedures, including limiting track inspections between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. as well as lowering train speed to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) when within 600 feet (180 m) of inspectors.

On January 7, 2007, a Green Line train derailed near downtown Washington, sending 16 people to the hospital and prompting the rescue of 60 people from a tunnel. The accident happened at about 3:45 p.m. near the underground Mount Vernon Square station. There were about 150 people on the train. At least one person had a serious but not life-threatening injury. The other injuries were mostly "bumps and bruises," and one of those with minor injuries was pregnant. Part of the six-car train, consisting of Washington Metro rolling stock#5000-Series cars, had pulled into the station when the fifth car left the track and hit the tunnel wall. About 60 people in the last two cars had to wait about 45 minutes for firefighters to reach them and escort them through the tunnel on a catwalk. Passengers in the first four cars were able to exit on their own through the front two cars, which were already at the station platform. There was no fire, and the cause of the derailment is being investigated. Inbound and outbound trains were sharing a single-track at the time while workers were installing communications cables. It appears that the switch used to route trains between the two tracks may have contributed to the accident. Witnesses said people started to panic when the six-car train began shaking, and some passengers began running to the back of the train. Service on the Green and Yellow lines was halted in both directions around the station, and a shuttle bus took passengers around the accident scene.

There have been several less-serious derailments of Metrorail trains, such as the January 20, 2003, derailment of a Blue Line train near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Washington Metro).

Accountability and controversy Other serious incidents included an electrical fire on March 18, 2004, during morning rush hour.{{cite news|first = Fred |last = Barbash |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/articles/metrored31804.html |title = Electrical Fire Shuts Down Metro's Red Line |work = [The Washington Post |date = 18 Mar. 2004 --> The fire occurred deep underground, on the Red Line between the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Washington Metro) and Dupont Circle (Washington Metro) stations. This caused a major disruption in service that sent thousands of stranded passengers onto Connecticut Avenue, with no good plan by authorities to deal with the situation. Occurring just days after the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings, this incident highlighted Metro's shortcomings when it comes to emergency preparedness.

On July 27, 2004, rainstorms flooded a control room located at the Silver Spring (Washington Metro) station, damaging electronic equipment used for operating Red Line trains between the Takoma (Washington Metro) and Forest Glen (Washington Metro) stations. As a result, Red Line trains were manually operated for two weeks, reducing the speed of the trains through the affected area, causing significant delays for passengers.{{cite news|first = Lyndsey |last = Layton |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40990-2004Aug4.html |title = Slow Service On Red Line Angers Riders |work = [The Washington Post |page = B01 |date = 5 Aug. 2004 -->

With aging infrastructure and rail cars, the Metrorail system has experienced numerous rail cracks that have required single-tracking (trains in both directions sharing the same track) during rush hour. Unlike the New York City Subway and other systems, the original design of the rail system provides just two rail tracks (one in each direction) throughout the entire system; the Metrorail system has no "sidings" for disabled trains to switch onto. Therefore, when an incident occurs, no matter how minor (such as a sick passenger), there is no way for subsequent trains to go around the affected train, causing trains to back up behind the affected train, resulting in quite significant delays. When this happens, trains are "single-tracked" (trains going in both directions sharing the track on the same side), which, again, results in significant delays. Another cause for delays is the frequent mechanical break-down of Metrorail trains while they are in service (because of the age of some of the rail cars and lack of repairs). This causes the entire train to be offloaded, with passengers attempting to reboard onto subsequent trains, which often become packed with the extra passengers.

Further controversy surfaced in 2004, when it became known that employees of Penn Parking, the company contracted by Metro to collect parking fees at Metrorail stations, had stolen substantial amounts of cash. Metro terminated the contract with Penn Parking, and on June 28, 2004, implemented a cashless parking system, in which customers are required to pay for parking with SmarTrip cards.{{cite news|first = Lyndsey |last = Layton |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46413-2004May21.html |title = Metro Hires New Management for Parking Lots |work = [The Washington Post |page = B03 |date = 22 May 2004 -->

The parking lots typically fill up quickly on weekdays because of the appeal both for tourists and for commuters from outer suburbs to drive their cars to the outlying stations and take the train in. The cashless parking system created a problem because full, unmanned parking lots trapped drivers who were unable to park and leave without paying $10.00 - the minimum initial cost of a SmarTrip card via the SmarTrip vending machine ($5.00 for the card, and $5.00 initial value). The burden on tourists and single time parkers is highest, because the cost of the card itself is non-refundable and a single time user would be left with an unused balance of $1.50. If drivers plan to purchase the SmarTrip cards in the station, as the signs warn, they may not be able to park legally in order to do so. On January 2, 2006, Metro implemented a change in parking lot revenue hours, so that on weekday mornings, the exit gates from the parking lot would remain open until 10:30 AM.{{cite press release| title = Metro's new system-wide time change for paying to exit Metrorail parking facilities takes effect Monday, January 2 | publisher = [WMATA | date = 29 Dec. 2005 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1059 -->

In 2005, General Manager Richard A. White led efforts to improve accountability and dialogue with customers. This included independent audits, town hall meetings, online chats with White and other management officials, and improved signage in stations. Despite these efforts, however, the Board of Directors announced White's dismissal on January 11, 2006. Dan Tangherlini replaced White as interim General Manager, effective February 16, 2006.{{cite news|first = Lyndsey |last = Layton |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/11/AR2006011101542.html |title = Metro Drops Longtime Manager |work = [The Washington Post |page = A01 |date = 12 Jan. 2006 --> Tangherlini was considered a leading candidate for Metro's top job on a permanent basis before he resigned to work as City Administrator under Mayor Adrian Fenty. Tangherlini was replaced as interim general manager by Jack Requa, Metro's chief bus manager. On November 14, 2006, it was announced in The Washington Post that John B. Catoe Jr., the deputy chief executive of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and a Washington, D.C. native, had been selected as Metro's new permanent general manager.{{cite news| first = Lena H. | last = Sun | title = Metro Picks L.A. Official, D.C. Native As Manager | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111301413.html | work = [The Washington Post | page = A01 | date = November 14, [ | accessdate = 2006-11-15 | language = English -->

Fare structure Metrorail fare is not fixed, but varies based on the distance traveled and the time of day. During regular hours (weekdays from opening until 9:30 am, 3-7 pm, and 2 a.m. to closing), fares can be anywhere from $1.35 to $3.90. During reduced fare hours (all other times), fares can be up to $2.35.{{cite web| url = http://www.wmata.com/riding/hours_fares.cfm| title = Fares and Passes| publisher = [WMATA-->

Farecards Farecards, unlike the payment systems of many subway systems, must be used twice per trip; once upon entry and once per exit, which is used to compute the variable fare (a similar farecard system is used on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in San Francisco, California and on the Oyster card system in the London Underground). Farecards and SmarTrip cards can be used for multiple trips; farecards can hold up to $45 in value, although riders are prevented from entering the system if their farecard contains less than the minimum trip value.{{cite web]-->

The value remaining on the farecard must meet or exceed the assessed fare, or the outgoing faregate will not allow the rider to exit. If the remaining value on a farecard is insufficient, "Exitfare" machines must be used to add to the farecard's value before the passenger can exit.

Passes There are three types of passes available to most riders: the "One Day Pass," the "7-Day Short Trip Pass," and the "7-Day Fast Pass." Seniors and the disabled may obtain "Senior-Disabled" farecards. Also, schoolchildren may use the "SmartStudent Pass." Passes are always issued in the form of paper farecards; a SmarTrip card cannot serve as a pass. These passes are sold in stations by the blue farecard vending machines, or at Metrorail sales facilities (such as at Metro Center).

The One Day Pass allows for unlimited travel on Metro from 9:30 a.m. to closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and federal holidays. It may not be used during the morning rush period.

The 7-Day Short Trip Pass is valid for a week from first usage. The pass may be used during rush periods for rides that would normally cost $2.20 or less. Exitfare machines must be used to pay fare exceeding $2.20. Outside of rush periods, the pass may be used for any rail trip.

The 7-Day Fast Pass is also valid for a week from first usage but carries no fare restrictions; it may be used for unlimited Metrorail rides.

The SmartStudent Pass is available for use by students in Washington, D.C., elementary and secondary schools for unlimited travel on Metrorail and Metrobus for school-related purposes. It is not available in farecard machines but is available at Metro sales facilities and some schools within the District of Columbia.

Senior/Disabled farecards and passes may also be purchased at Metrorail sales locations. They function identically to normal passes and farecards, but cost one-half of the standard price; a Medicare card and photo ID must be presented to purchase them. WMATA issues one-month temporary ID cards for those without a Medicare card, obtained in person at WMATA headquarters.



Transfers Passengers who enter the Metrorail system may transfer between trains for free, so long as they do not exit through the faregates.

Metro offers a discounted rate to passengers transferring from Metrorail to Metrobus of 35¢ on regular routes and $2.10 on express routes. Rail passengers with SmarTrip are automatically charged the reduced transfer fare. Riders paying with farecards must obtain a transfer ticket from dedicated machines inside their origin Metrorail station to obtain the discounted fare.{{cite press release| title = WMATA - General Metrobus information (Transfers) | publisher = [WMATA | url = http://www.wmata.com/metrobus/riding_metrobus.cfm#transfers -->

SmarTrip Riders can use SmarTrip—a rechargeable, contactless stored-value smart card issued by WMATA—for electronic payment of fares on Metrorail, Metrobus, and the DC Circulator bus system. SmarTrip cards are required to park at a Metro-operated parking garage, as of June 28, 2004. To use the card, riders touch it to "SmarTrip targets" placed on faregates and fare machines. Up to $300 in value can be stored on a SmarTrip card at any given time.

The SmarTrip card costs five dollars. Riders can buy empty SmarTrip cards at Metrorail sales facilities. Vending machine at some Metrorail stations (major transfer stations; stations with parking facilities) also dispense SmarTrip cards for $10, which includes a $5 initial fare value.{{cite web]-->

Metrorail's "Exitfare" machines predate the introduction of the SmarTrip system; rather than upgrade all Exitfare machines, Metro allows riders bearing a SmarTrip card to leave the system if their card's balance is insufficient to cover the assessed fare. However, the card must be brought back to a positive balance before it can be used to enter again. This does not apply to Metro parking garages; the card must contain sufficient positive value to pay the full fee in order to exit.{{cite web| url = http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/daily-parking.cfm| title = Daily parking at Metro stations| publisher = WMATA| accessdate = 2006-08-19-->

Funding While fares and advertising provide some revenue for Metro, significant funding is contributed by each jurisdiction that it serves, as well as by the states of Maryland and Virginia. Fares and other revenue fund 57.6% of daily operations while state and local governments fund the remaining 42.4%. Metrorail is unusual among major public transportation systems in having no dedicated source of funding. Instead, each year WMATA must ask each local jurisdiction to contribute funding, which is determined by a formula that equally considers three factors: (1) population density, as of the United States 2000 Census; (2) average weekday ridership; (3) number of stations in each jurisdiction. Under this formula, the District of Columbia contributes the greatest amount (34%), followed by Montgomery County (18.7%), Prince George's County (17.9%), Fairfax County (14.3%), Arlington County (9.9%), the City of Alexandria (4.7%), the Falls Church, Virginia (0.3%), and the Fairfax, Virginia (0.3%). WMATA Subsidy Allocation Methodology (PDF)

It is often argued that this formula places disproportionate burden on District of Columbia taxpayers. WMATA and District officials have pleaded that the Federal government should contribute more funding, reflecting that a substantial portion of the Federal government of the United States workforce use Metro to commute from the suburbs. tourism also comprise a significant portion of ridership, and Metro provides an instrumental role in transporting people during special events, such as Inauguration Day. Several stations located in the District serve these purposes rather than serving local residents.

In 2005, United States House of Representatives Thomas M. Davis of Virginia introduced bill (proposed law) H.R. 3496, which offered WMATA a ten-year federal funding infusion worth $1.5 billion. The offer was contingent upon WMATA implementing more accountability measures, providing the federal government two seats on its board of directors, and on enactment of legislation by the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and Virginia to permanently provide WMATA with dedicated sources of revenue worth $150 million per year. The bill passed in the House of Representatives 242-120, but died in the Senate after being referred to a committee until its expiration at the end of the congressional session.{{cite news|first = Lena H. |last = Sun |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701315.html |title = House Backs $1.5 Billion For Metro -- With a Hitch |publisher = [The Washington Post |page = A01 |date = 18 Jul. 2006--> THOMAS Library of Congress website; search for H.R. 3496 (109th Congress) It is unclear whether the bill will be reintroduced in the 110th Congress.

Future expansion station, which opened December 18, 2004.

Silver Line Rumors have abounded for years about transit service to Dulles International Airport and points west, either by Metro or other systems. There was even a study in the early 1990s that proposed a series of civil tiltrotor stations as a possible commuting option from places such as Reston, Virginia, Manassas, Virginia, Leesburg, Virginia, Columbia, Maryland, and other points in the greater Washington area. Civil Tiltrotor Feasibility Study for the New York and Washington Terminal Areas (PDF) Like many other plans, this stopped at the initial assessment stage for fiscal and political reasons. Light rail systems and express bus lines have also been suggested as a possibility within the District or Northern Virginia. A test station was built at the airport around 1970 and was located some 28 feet (8.5 m) below the parking lot area. Metrorail Track and Structures at Clouse.org

In 2002, plans were formalized to bring a 23-mile (37 km) extension to the Orange Line from near the West Falls Church station to Route 772 in Loudoun County, Virginia. This would mean a mass transit connection from Washington proper to the business centers of Herndon, Virginia, Reston, Virginia, and Tysons Corner, Virginia, and provide a link to Dulles Airport. On June 10, 2004, the Federal Transit Administration approved the first phase of the project to begin. It is scheduled to reach Wiehle Avenue in Reston in 2011 and Virginia Route 772, beyond Dulles Airport, in 2015.

Purple Line Controversy has attended proposals to build a Purple Line, linking Bethesda, Maryland and Silver Spring, Maryland, thereby connecting the two branches of the Red Line to the north of Washington by rail. It would later be possibly extended to New Carrollton, Maryland, thus also connecting branches of the Green and Orange lines, and eventually around the entire Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway), linking all the Metro endpoints together, as seen in a proposal from the Sierra Club. Purple Line proposal from the Sierra Club This line has been conceived as a light rail line traveling along a private right-of-way for at least some portion of its length, as an elevated monorail, and also as a rapid bus line. The proposal has met fierce opposition from some of the residents along the certain areas of the line. Others have noted difficulties in obtaining the funds to build it. Bickering over Purple Line could cause funding woe — Gazette.net

Blue Line extension An extension to Fort Belvoir had been studied in 1999, either as a light rail extension or Metrorail. With the ongoing Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 realignment expected to move 18,000 jobs to Ft. Belvoir by 2012, new interest has been placed on this possible extension. In 2005, it was estimated to cost $700 million to $800 million.{{cite news| first = Leef | last = Smith | title = Metro Studies Ft. Belvoir Extension | publisher = [The Washington Post | date = 20 May 2005 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/19/AR2005051901618.html | page = B01 -->

Columbia Pike streetcar In conjunction with Arlington and Fairfax counties, Metro has proposed to build a streetcar line on Columbia Pike (Virginia) in Arlington.

Corridor Cities Transitway ]A proposed rail] or bus rapid transit line that would run from the Shady Grove (Washington Metro) in Gaithersburg, Maryland northwest to Clarksburg, Maryland.

District streetcars Metro broke ground on a light rail line in the Anacostia area on November 13, 2004. The project is a demonstration to examine the usefulness of building a light rail line that would help people who live too far away from subway stations by ferrying them to the main Metro network. The line consists of 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of track and six stations. Service was expected to begin in autumn 2006.{{cite press release| title = Metro and the District of Columbia break ground on the Anacostia light rail demonstration project | publisher = [WMATA | date = 15 Nov. 2004 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=569--> However, in April 2005, District transportation officials put the project on hold to negotiate with CSX Transportation, the owners of the 2.7 mile railroad right-of-way they had originally planned to run the light rail on. District officials had agreed to pay CSX $16 million for the right of way, but city officials discovered that CSX does not own all of the right of way - in fact, the District is among the property owners - raising concerns about what the city was paying for and what it was getting. As a result of this incident, the District has begun to plan an alternate 2.2 mile (3.5 km) route to run on city streets. No work has been done since, and no operations start date has been defined.{{cite news| first = Steven | last = Ginsberg | title = D.C. Shifts Light-Rail Plan From Waterfront to Streets in SE | publisher = [The Washington Post | date = 28 Apr. 2005 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/27/AR2005042702078.html | page = B02 -->The new plan has been met with neighborhood opposition.{{cite news| first = David | last = Nakamura | title = Light-Rail Plan Irks Anacostia Residents | publisher = [The Washington Post | date = 1 May. 2005 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043001293.html | page = C01 -->Additionally, the District is planning to expand its network with additional streetcar lines th Metrorail, or simply Metro, is the rapid transit system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway, and is the List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership in the United States behind the New York City Subway. In Maryland, service is provided in Prince George's County, Maryland and Montgomery County, Maryland; in Virginia, service extends to Fairfax County, Virginia, Arlington County, Virginia, and the city of Alexandria, Virginia.{{Infobox Public transit|name = Metrorail|image = WMATA Metro Logo.svg|imagesize = 100px|locale = Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA|transit_type = Rapid transit, [1976 (171 [Kilometre)|lines = 5|stations = 86|ridership = 702,171 (avg. weekday, FY 2007)])|operator = Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)--> Overview train services Metro Center (Washington Metro), the hub of the system.The Metrorail (subway) system and the Metrobus (Washington, D.C.) (bus) network are owned and operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) — a multijurisdictional, quasi-governmental agency. WMATA also operates a paratransit service for the disabled called MetroAccess. However, the expression "Metro" usually refers to Metrorail exclusively.

Unlike the subway systems in cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston, Metrorail fare is zoned. This means it is not fixed, but varies based on the distance traveled and the time of day. Riders enter and exit the system using a stored-value card in the form of a paper magnetic stripe card farecard or a proximity card known as SmarTrip. Both methods track the balance paid to Metro, as well as the rider's entry and exit points.

Since opening in 1976, the subway network has grown to five lines, consisting of 86 stations and 106.3 miles (171 km) of track. The original plan of 83 stations on 103 miles (165.5 km) was completed on January 13, 2001. There were 207.9 million trips, or 702,121 trips per weekday, on Metrorail in fiscal year 2007. {{cite press release| title = More than 200 million ride Metrorail for the second consecutive year | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-07-05 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1706 --> In July 2007, Metrorail set a new monthly ridership record with 19,281,809 trips, or 772,826 per weekday.{{cite press release| title = Metrorail Breaks the All-time Ridership Record by Carrying 19.2 Million People in July | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-08-06 | URL = http://wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1742 -->

Metrorail was designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese, and is an exemplar of late-20th century modern architecture. With its heavy use of concrete and the repetitive nature of its design motifs, it displays aspects of Brutalist architecture, which, in Washington, is also illustrated by the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Building. Simultaneously, with its coffered groin vault and barrel vaults, it evokes Neoclassical architecture, arguably the closest thing to an "official" architectural style in Washington. Historic examples of Neoclassicism in Washington consist of the United States Department of the Treasury, by Robert Mills (architect) and others; the former U.S. Patent Office building (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum), also by Robert Mills and others; the White House, by James Hoban; and the Beaux-Arts architecture Lincoln Memorial, by Henry Bacon.

In underground stations, light is provided via banks of fluorescent lights next to the station walls. Additional light is provided in center platform stations by lights in the crowns of the platform pylons. In side-platform stations, additional light is provided by a bank of fluorescent light bulbs between the tracks.

Metrorail network The network was designed with a spoke-hub distribution paradigm, which makes the subway ideal for getting from a suburb to any part of the city, or vice versa, but unattractive for suburb-to-suburb travel; groups have proposed a Purple Line (Washington Metro) to remedy this. The system is also noteworthy as a system with a limited number of lines that nevertheless makes extensive use of interlining (running more than one line on the same track).

There are five operating lines and one planned line:

There are currently stations in the District of Columbia, Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland, and Fairfax County, Arlington County, and city of Alexandria in Virginia. The Silver Line (Washington Metro) would add stations in Loudoun County, Virginia, Virginia, once completed.

Half of the system, including most of the stations in the District of Columbia, is underground, but most suburban stations are on elevated rails or at grade. In the case of the western Orange Line, the tracks run in the median of Interstate 66. The deepest stations in the system are at the northeastern end of the Red Line, with Wheaton (Washington Metro) having the longest escalator in the western hemisphere at 230 feet (70 m) long, and Forest Glen (Washington Metro) being even deeper than that.{{cite web| title = WMATA Facts| format = PDF| publisher = WMATA is considered the hub; it is the busiest station, it is located at the intersection of the three busiest lines, and the Metro Information Center and Gift Shop are located there. Other notable transfer stations include [Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Washington Metro) (located near the Verizon Center)), Stadium-Armory (Washington Metro) (located near RFK Stadium), and L'Enfant Plaza (Washington Metro), the only station in the system with service to four lines.

Various colleges and universities are accessible through the Metro, including:

Since 1999, Metro has run a special service pattern on July 4 to accommodate movements into and out of the city for Independence Day (United States) activities on the National Mall. This generally involves switching the southern terminals for the Blue and Yellow Lines (Blue Line trains terminate at Huntington (Washington Metro), while Yellow Line trains terminate at Franconia-Springfield (Washington Metro)), terminating the Blue Line at the Rosslyn (Washington Metro) upper level, and sending Orange Line trains to both Largo Town Center (Washington Metro) and New Carrollton (Washington Metro). Since 2002, Smithsonian station has been closed all day on July 4 because its entrances are located within the secured perimeter established around the Mall. MetroRail 4th of July Service Patterns from Oren's Transit Page

WMATA has a stated goal of integration of its rail and bus networks. In 2004, SmarTrip readers were installed on all buses, enabling paperless transfers between lines and with the rail system.{{cite press release| title = Entire Metrobus fleet now equipped with new SmarTrip fareboxes | publisher = [WMATA | date = 9 Aug. 2004 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=466 --> Metro also offers numerous connections to other transit systems and modes of transportation in Washington, D.C..

Yellow Line extension Beginning December 31, 2006, Metro extended its Yellow Line service past Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (Washington Metro) to Fort Totten during off-peak hours as part of an 18-month pilot program. This adds five stations to the existing Yellow Line route and increases off-peak service (non-rush hour) from one train every 12 minutes, to one train every six minutes. Metro installed over 5,000 signs throughout the system to reflect the extension. The $5.75 millioncost of the expansion will be covered by the District of Columbia.{{cite press release| title = New Signs announce January Yellow Line Extension to Fort Totten | publisher = [WMATA | date = 4 Dec. 2006 | url = http://wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1454 -->

History .

During the 1960s, there were plans for a massive freeway system in Washington. However, opposition to this freeway system grew. Harland Bartholomew who chaired the National Capital Planning Commission thought that a rail transit system would never be self-sufficient because of low density land uses and general transit ridership decline.{{cite web]| accessdate = 2006-11-22--> Finally, a mixed concept of a Capital Beltway system along with rail line radials was agreed upon. The Beltway received full funding; monies for the ambitious Inner Loop Freeway system were partially reallocated toward construction of the Metro system.

In 1960, the federal government created the National Capital Transportation Agency to develop a rapid rail system. Then in 1966, a bill creating WMATA was passed by the federal government, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland,{{cite web]| accessdate = 2006-08-18-->with planning power for the system being transferred to it from the NCTA.{{cite web| url = http://chnm.gmu.edu/metro/plan2.html| title = Planning: The Adopted Regional System, 1966-1968| accessdate = 2006-08-17| last = Schrag| first = Zachary M.-->WMATA approved plans for a 98-mile (158 km) regional system in 1968, and construction on the metro began in 1969, with groundbreaking on December 9. 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 the District of Columbia. Arlington, Virginia, was linked to the system on July 1, 1976; Montgomery County, Maryland, on February 6, 1978; Prince George's County, Maryland, on November 20, 1978; and Fairfax County, Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia, on December 17, 1983. WMATA History (PDF)

The final 103 mile (166 km), 83 station system was completed with the opening of the Green Line segment to Branch Avenue on January 13, 2001. This did not mean the end of the growth of the system, however: a 3.22 mile (5.18 km) extension of the Blue Line to Largo Town Center (Washington Metro) and Morgan Boulevard (Washington Metro) stations opened on December 18, 2004. The first in-fill station (New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U (Washington Metro) on the Red Line between Union Station (Washington Metro) and Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood (Washington Metro)) opened November 20, 2004, and planning is underway for an extension to Dulles Airport.

The highest ridership for a single day was June 9, 2004, with 850,636 trips, as thousands of people went to Washington to view the funeral procession of Ronald Reagan, and to the United States Capitol to view his body as it lay in state. The previous recordholding day was January 20, 1993, President Bill Clinton's first Inauguration Day. June and July 2007 set ridership records, with four of the ten highest ridership days occurring in these months.{{cite press release| title = Metrorail Records Eighth Highest Weekday Ridership In its 31-Year History | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-07-19 | url = http://wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1724 --> July 2007 also holds the single-month ridership record with 19,281,809 total riders{{cite press release| title = Metrorail Breaks the All-time Ridership Record by Carrying 19.2 Million People in July | publisher = [WMATA | date = [2007-08-06 | url = http://wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1742 --> while June 2007 holds the record for highest average weekday ridership with 772,826 weekday trips.In February 2006, Metro officials chose Randi Miller, a car dealership employee from Woodbridge, Virginia, Virginia, to record new announcements after winning an open contest to replace the "doors opening," "doors closing," and "please stand clear of the doors, thank you" messages recorded by Sandy Carroll in 1996.{{cite news| first=Lyndsey | last=Layton | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/01/AR2006020101626.html | title=Metro Chooses New 'Doors' Voice | publisher=[The Washington Post | page=B01 | date=2 Feb. 2006 -->

Rolling stock station.Metro's rail fleet consists of 952 75-foot (23 m) rail cars, delivered in five shipments. All rail cars in the Metrorail system operate in married pairs (consecutively numbered even-odd), with systems shared across the pair.

The original order of 300 rail cars was manufactured by Rohr, Inc., with delivery in 1976. These cars are numbered 1000-1299 and were rehabilitated in the mid-1990s by Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie and Metro at the Brentwood Shop in Washington. The second order, of 76 cars, was through Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie (Breda), with delivery in 1982. These cars are numbered 2000-2075, and were rehabilitated in 2003 and 2004 by Alstom in Hornell, New York. The third order consisted of 290 cars, also from Breda, with delivery in 1987. These cars are numbered 3000-3289 as originally delivered, and are currently undergoing rehabilitation by Alstom in Hornell, New York. The fourth order consisted of 100 cars from Breda, numbered 4000-4099. These cars were delivered in 1991. The fifth order consisted of 192 rail cars from a joint venture of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain and AAI Corporation of Hunt Valley, Maryland. These cars are numbered 5000-5191, with delivery from 2001 through 2004. Most recently, Metro has ordered 184 rail cars from Alstom. Delivery began in late 2005, with initial service starting in October 2006. The new cars have their body shells built in Barcelona, and assembly is completed in Hornell, New York. Information on the cars from The Schumin Web Transit Center

Metrorail signaling and operation During normal operation on revenue tracks (used for passenger services), trains are controlled by an automatic train operation system (ATO) which accelerates and brakes the train automatically without operator intervention. However, all trains are manned with train operators who close the doors (they can optionally be set to open automatically), make station announcements, and supervise their trains. The operator can switch a train into manual mode and operate the train manually as needed.

Safety and security Design considerations Metro planners designed the system with customer safety and order maintenance as primary considerations. The open vaulted ceiling design of Metro stations and the limited obstructions on platforms allow few opportunities to conceal criminal activity. Station platforms are also built away from station walls, to limit vandalism and provide for diffused lighting of the station from recessed lights. Metro's attempts to reduce crime, combined with how the station environments were designed with Crime prevention through environmental design in mind, has contributed to the fact that Metrorail is among the safest and cleanest subway systems in the United States.

Metro Transit Police Metro is patrolled by its own police force, which is charged with ensuring the safety of Metro customers and employees. Transit Police officers patrol the Metrorail system and Metrobus (Washington, D.C.), and they have jurisdiction and arrest powers throughout the 1,500-square-mile (3,885 km²) Metro service area for crimes that occur on or against transit authority facilities, or within 150 feet (45 m) of a Metrobus stop.{{cite web| url = http://www.wmata.com/about/board_gm/compact.cfm#Police| title = Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact| publisher = [WMATA| accessdate = 2006-08-19-->

Zero-tolerance policy Each city and county in the Metro service area has similar ordinances that regulate or prohibit vending on Metro-owned property, and which prohibit riders from eating, drinking, or smoking in Metro trains, buses, and stations, and the Transit Police have a reputation for enforcing these laws rigorously. One widely publicized incident occurred in 2000 when police arrested a 12-year-old girl for eating french fries in the Tenleytown-AU (Washington Metro) station. In a 2004 opinion by John Roberts – now the Chief Justice of the United States – the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the girl's arrest. By then, however, WMATA had answered negative publicity by adopting a policy of first issuing warnings to Minor (law), and arresting them only after three violations within a year. Hedgepeth v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 386 Federal Reporter 1148 (United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit 2004) (*.pdf)

Metro's zero-tolerance policy on food, trash and other sources of disorder embodies the "Fixing Broken Windows" philosophy of crime reduction. This philosophy also extends to the use of station restroom facilities. Under a longstanding policy, Metro allowed only employees to use its restrooms in order to curb unlawful and unwanted activity. Station managers could make exceptions for customers with small children, the elderly, or the disabled. Today, Metro allows the use of restrooms by customers who gain a station manager's permission, except during periods of heightened Homeland Security Advisory System.{{cite press release| title = Metro steps up security as a precaution after foiled London terror plot | publisher = [WMATA | date = 10 Aug. 2006 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1343 -->

Accidents On January 13, 1982, a train backed up and derailed at a malfunctioning interlocking between the Federal Triangle (Washington Metro) and Smithsonian (Washington Metro) stations. In attempting to restore the train to the rails, the supervisors backed it up, but they did not notice that another car had also derailed. In attempting to reverse the train, the other rail car slid off the track and slammed into a tunnel support, killing three people and injuring many others, becoming the worst accident that has ever occurred on the Metrorail system in over 30 years of operation. Coincidentally, this accident occurred at the same time as Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge during a major snowstorm, producing probably the worst transit situation in Washington history. The train accident was compounded by lack of availability of ambulances, which at the time were all trying to reach the 14th Street Bridge disaster.



On January 6, 1996, during the Blizzard of 1996, a train operator was killed when a train overran the Shady Grove (Washington Metro) station and struck a parked train. It was later determined that because operators tended to overuse braking systems and wear them down, only computer-controlled braking was allowed to be used by operators. This operator had asked to be permitted manual control over braking and was refused permission only a few minutes before the computer-controlled braking system failed to stop his train in time. An NTSB investigation found the following factors that contributed to the accident:

station.

On November 3, 2004, an out-of-service train lost its brakes, rolled backwards into the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Station, and hit a revenue train servicing the station.{{cite news| first = Lyndsey and Ginsberg, Steven | last = Layton | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22466-2004Nov3.html | title=20 Injured in Crash of 2 Red Line Trains | publisher=[The Washington Post | page=A01 | date=4 Nov. 2004 --> No one was killed, but 20 people were injured. The 2004 accident reinforced the finding from the 1996 accident of the tendency of Metro rail cars built or rehabilitated prior to 2001 to telescope when involved in a head-on collision. A 14-month investigation on the accident concluded that the train operator was most likely not alert as the train rolled backwards into the station, on the grounds that the train had rolled backwards for over 78 seconds and that the train operator was at the end of an overtime shift that had been preceded by a night of interrupted sleep. Safety officials estimated that had the train been full, at least 79 would have died. Since the findings of the investigation, the train operator was dismissed from Metro, and Metro officials plan to add rollback protection to 300 cars.{{cite news| first = Lena H. | last = Sun | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/23/AR2006032300974.html | title=Dozing Operator Blamed in Rail Accident | publisher=[The Washington Post | page=A01 | date=23 Mar. 2006 -->

On November 30, 2006, two Metro employees were struck from behind and killed on the Yellow Line near the Eisenhower Avenue Station while performing routine track maintenance. The operator of the train was found to be at fault in a preliminary investigation for not following appropriate emergency braking procedures. The accident was the third fatal accident involving a Metro employee in a little over a year. An investigation is currently being conducted by the NTSB, and WMATA has announced new maintenance procedures, including limiting track inspections between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. as well as lowering train speed to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) when within 600 feet (180 m) of inspectors.

On January 7, 2007, a Green Line train derailed near downtown Washington, sending 16 people to the hospital and prompting the rescue of 60 people from a tunnel. The accident happened at about 3:45 p.m. near the underground Mount Vernon Square station. There were about 150 people on the train. At least one person had a serious but not life-threatening injury. The other injuries were mostly "bumps and bruises," and one of those with minor injuries was pregnant. Part of the six-car train, consisting of Washington Metro rolling stock#5000-Series cars, had pulled into the station when the fifth car left the track and hit the tunnel wall. About 60 people in the last two cars had to wait about 45 minutes for firefighters to reach them and escort them through the tunnel on a catwalk. Passengers in the first four cars were able to exit on their own through the front two cars, which were already at the station platform. There was no fire, and the cause of the derailment is being investigated. Inbound and outbound trains were sharing a single-track at the time while workers were installing communications cables. It appears that the switch used to route trains between the two tracks may have contributed to the accident. Witnesses said people started to panic when the six-car train began shaking, and some passengers began running to the back of the train. Service on the Green and Yellow lines was halted in both directions around the station, and a shuttle bus took passengers around the accident scene.

There have been several less-serious derailments of Metrorail trains, such as the January 20, 2003, derailment of a Blue Line train near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Washington Metro).

Accountability and controversy Other serious incidents included an electrical fire on March 18, 2004, during morning rush hour.{{cite news|first = Fred |last = Barbash |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/articles/metrored31804.html |title = Electrical Fire Shuts Down Metro's Red Line |work = [The Washington Post |date = 18 Mar. 2004 --> The fire occurred deep underground, on the Red Line between the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Washington Metro) and Dupont Circle (Washington Metro) stations. This caused a major disruption in service that sent thousands of stranded passengers onto Connecticut Avenue, with no good plan by authorities to deal with the situation. Occurring just days after the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings, this incident highlighted Metro's shortcomings when it comes to emergency preparedness.

On July 27, 2004, rainstorms flooded a control room located at the Silver Spring (Washington Metro) station, damaging electronic equipment used for operating Red Line trains between the Takoma (Washington Metro) and Forest Glen (Washington Metro) stations. As a result, Red Line trains were manually operated for two weeks, reducing the speed of the trains through the affected area, causing significant delays for passengers.{{cite news|first = Lyndsey |last = Layton |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40990-2004Aug4.html |title = Slow Service On Red Line Angers Riders |work = [The Washington Post |page = B01 |date = 5 Aug. 2004 -->

With aging infrastructure and rail cars, the Metrorail system has experienced numerous rail cracks that have required single-tracking (trains in both directions sharing the same track) during rush hour. Unlike the New York City Subway and other systems, the original design of the rail system provides just two rail tracks (one in each direction) throughout the entire system; the Metrorail system has no "sidings" for disabled trains to switch onto. Therefore, when an incident occurs, no matter how minor (such as a sick passenger), there is no way for subsequent trains to go around the affected train, causing trains to back up behind the affected train, resulting in quite significant delays. When this happens, trains are "single-tracked" (trains going in both directions sharing the track on the same side), which, again, results in significant delays. Another cause for delays is the frequent mechanical break-down of Metrorail trains while they are in service (because of the age of some of the rail cars and lack of repairs). This causes the entire train to be offloaded, with passengers attempting to reboard onto subsequent trains, which often become packed with the extra passengers.

Further controversy surfaced in 2004, when it became known that employees of Penn Parking, the company contracted by Metro to collect parking fees at Metrorail stations, had stolen substantial amounts of cash. Metro terminated the contract with Penn Parking, and on June 28, 2004, implemented a cashless parking system, in which customers are required to pay for parking with SmarTrip cards.{{cite news|first = Lyndsey |last = Layton |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46413-2004May21.html |title = Metro Hires New Management for Parking Lots |work = [The Washington Post |page = B03 |date = 22 May 2004 -->

The parking lots typically fill up quickly on weekdays because of the appeal both for tourists and for commuters from outer suburbs to drive their cars to the outlying stations and take the train in. The cashless parking system created a problem because full, unmanned parking lots trapped drivers who were unable to park and leave without paying $10.00 - the minimum initial cost of a SmarTrip card via the SmarTrip vending machine ($5.00 for the card, and $5.00 initial value). The burden on tourists and single time parkers is highest, because the cost of the card itself is non-refundable and a single time user would be left with an unused balance of $1.50. If drivers plan to purchase the SmarTrip cards in the station, as the signs warn, they may not be able to park legally in order to do so. On January 2, 2006, Metro implemented a change in parking lot revenue hours, so that on weekday mornings, the exit gates from the parking lot would remain open until 10:30 AM.{{cite press release| title = Metro's new system-wide time change for paying to exit Metrorail parking facilities takes effect Monday, January 2 | publisher = [WMATA | date = 29 Dec. 2005 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1059 -->

In 2005, General Manager Richard A. White led efforts to improve accountability and dialogue with customers. This included independent audits, town hall meetings, online chats with White and other management officials, and improved signage in stations. Despite these efforts, however, the Board of Directors announced White's dismissal on January 11, 2006. Dan Tangherlini replaced White as interim General Manager, effective February 16, 2006.{{cite news|first = Lyndsey |last = Layton |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/11/AR2006011101542.html |title = Metro Drops Longtime Manager |work = [The Washington Post |page = A01 |date = 12 Jan. 2006 --> Tangherlini was considered a leading candidate for Metro's top job on a permanent basis before he resigned to work as City Administrator under Mayor Adrian Fenty. Tangherlini was replaced as interim general manager by Jack Requa, Metro's chief bus manager. On November 14, 2006, it was announced in The Washington Post that John B. Catoe Jr., the deputy chief executive of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and a Washington, D.C. native, had been selected as Metro's new permanent general manager.{{cite news| first = Lena H. | last = Sun | title = Metro Picks L.A. Official, D.C. Native As Manager | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111301413.html | work = [The Washington Post | page = A01 | date = November 14, [ | accessdate = 2006-11-15 | language = English -->

Fare structure Metrorail fare is not fixed, but varies based on the distance traveled and the time of day. During regular hours (weekdays from opening until 9:30 am, 3-7 pm, and 2 a.m. to closing), fares can be anywhere from $1.35 to $3.90. During reduced fare hours (all other times), fares can be up to $2.35.{{cite web| url = http://www.wmata.com/riding/hours_fares.cfm| title = Fares and Passes| publisher = [WMATA-->

Farecards Farecards, unlike the payment systems of many subway systems, must be used twice per trip; once upon entry and once per exit, which is used to compute the variable fare (a similar farecard system is used on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in San Francisco, California and on the Oyster card system in the London Underground). Farecards and SmarTrip cards can be used for multiple trips; farecards can hold up to $45 in value, although riders are prevented from entering the system if their farecard contains less than the minimum trip value.{{cite web]-->

The value remaining on the farecard must meet or exceed the assessed fare, or the outgoing faregate will not allow the rider to exit. If the remaining value on a farecard is insufficient, "Exitfare" machines must be used to add to the farecard's value before the passenger can exit.

Passes There are three types of passes available to most riders: the "One Day Pass," the "7-Day Short Trip Pass," and the "7-Day Fast Pass." Seniors and the disabled may obtain "Senior-Disabled" farecards. Also, schoolchildren may use the "SmartStudent Pass." Passes are always issued in the form of paper farecards; a SmarTrip card cannot serve as a pass. These passes are sold in stations by the blue farecard vending machines, or at Metrorail sales facilities (such as at Metro Center).

The One Day Pass allows for unlimited travel on Metro from 9:30 a.m. to closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and federal holidays. It may not be used during the morning rush period.

The 7-Day Short Trip Pass is valid for a week from first usage. The pass may be used during rush periods for rides that would normally cost $2.20 or less. Exitfare machines must be used to pay fare exceeding $2.20. Outside of rush periods, the pass may be used for any rail trip.

The 7-Day Fast Pass is also valid for a week from first usage but carries no fare restrictions; it may be used for unlimited Metrorail rides.

The SmartStudent Pass is available for use by students in Washington, D.C., elementary and secondary schools for unlimited travel on Metrorail and Metrobus for school-related purposes. It is not available in farecard machines but is available at Metro sales facilities and some schools within the District of Columbia.

Senior/Disabled farecards and passes may also be purchased at Metrorail sales locations. They function identically to normal passes and farecards, but cost one-half of the standard price; a Medicare card and photo ID must be presented to purchase them. WMATA issues one-month temporary ID cards for those without a Medicare card, obtained in person at WMATA headquarters.



Transfers Passengers who enter the Metrorail system may transfer between trains for free, so long as they do not exit through the faregates.

Metro offers a discounted rate to passengers transferring from Metrorail to Metrobus of 35¢ on regular routes and $2.10 on express routes. Rail passengers with SmarTrip are automatically charged the reduced transfer fare. Riders paying with farecards must obtain a transfer ticket from dedicated machines inside their origin Metrorail station to obtain the discounted fare.{{cite press release| title = WMATA - General Metrobus information (Transfers) | publisher = [WMATA | url = http://www.wmata.com/metrobus/riding_metrobus.cfm#transfers -->

SmarTrip Riders can use SmarTrip—a rechargeable, contactless stored-value smart card issued by WMATA—for electronic payment of fares on Metrorail, Metrobus, and the DC Circulator bus system. SmarTrip cards are required to park at a Metro-operated parking garage, as of June 28, 2004. To use the card, riders touch it to "SmarTrip targets" placed on faregates and fare machines. Up to $300 in value can be stored on a SmarTrip card at any given time.

The SmarTrip card costs five dollars. Riders can buy empty SmarTrip cards at Metrorail sales facilities. Vending machine at some Metrorail stations (major transfer stations; stations with parking facilities) also dispense SmarTrip cards for $10, which includes a $5 initial fare value.{{cite web]-->

Metrorail's "Exitfare" machines predate the introduction of the SmarTrip system; rather than upgrade all Exitfare machines, Metro allows riders bearing a SmarTrip card to leave the system if their card's balance is insufficient to cover the assessed fare. However, the card must be brought back to a positive balance before it can be used to enter again. This does not apply to Metro parking garages; the card must contain sufficient positive value to pay the full fee in order to exit.{{cite web| url = http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/daily-parking.cfm| title = Daily parking at Metro stations| publisher = WMATA| accessdate = 2006-08-19-->

Funding While fares and advertising provide some revenue for Metro, significant funding is contributed by each jurisdiction that it serves, as well as by the states of Maryland and Virginia. Fares and other revenue fund 57.6% of daily operations while state and local governments fund the remaining 42.4%. Metrorail is unusual among major public transportation systems in having no dedicated source of funding. Instead, each year WMATA must ask each local jurisdiction to contribute funding, which is determined by a formula that equally considers three factors: (1) population density, as of the United States 2000 Census; (2) average weekday ridership; (3) number of stations in each jurisdiction. Under this formula, the District of Columbia contributes the greatest amount (34%), followed by Montgomery County (18.7%), Prince George's County (17.9%), Fairfax County (14.3%), Arlington County (9.9%), the City of Alexandria (4.7%), the Falls Church, Virginia (0.3%), and the Fairfax, Virginia (0.3%). WMATA Subsidy Allocation Methodology (PDF)

It is often argued that this formula places disproportionate burden on District of Columbia taxpayers. WMATA and District officials have pleaded that the Federal government should contribute more funding, reflecting that a substantial portion of the Federal government of the United States workforce use Metro to commute from the suburbs. tourism also comprise a significant portion of ridership, and Metro provides an instrumental role in transporting people during special events, such as Inauguration Day. Several stations located in the District serve these purposes rather than serving local residents.

In 2005, United States House of Representatives Thomas M. Davis of Virginia introduced bill (proposed law) H.R. 3496, which offered WMATA a ten-year federal funding infusion worth $1.5 billion. The offer was contingent upon WMATA implementing more accountability measures, providing the federal government two seats on its board of directors, and on enactment of legislation by the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and Virginia to permanently provide WMATA with dedicated sources of revenue worth $150 million per year. The bill passed in the House of Representatives 242-120, but died in the Senate after being referred to a committee until its expiration at the end of the congressional session.{{cite news|first = Lena H. |last = Sun |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701315.html |title = House Backs $1.5 Billion For Metro -- With a Hitch |publisher = [The Washington Post |page = A01 |date = 18 Jul. 2006--> THOMAS Library of Congress website; search for H.R. 3496 (109th Congress) It is unclear whether the bill will be reintroduced in the 110th Congress.

Future expansion station, which opened December 18, 2004.

Silver Line Rumors have abounded for years about transit service to Dulles International Airport and points west, either by Metro or other systems. There was even a study in the early 1990s that proposed a series of civil tiltrotor stations as a possible commuting option from places such as Reston, Virginia, Manassas, Virginia, Leesburg, Virginia, Columbia, Maryland, and other points in the greater Washington area. Civil Tiltrotor Feasibility Study for the New York and Washington Terminal Areas (PDF) Like many other plans, this stopped at the initial assessment stage for fiscal and political reasons. Light rail systems and express bus lines have also been suggested as a possibility within the District or Northern Virginia. A test station was built at the airport around 1970 and was located some 28 feet (8.5 m) below the parking lot area. Metrorail Track and Structures at Clouse.org

In 2002, plans were formalized to bring a 23-mile (37 km) extension to the Orange Line from near the West Falls Church station to Route 772 in Loudoun County, Virginia. This would mean a mass transit connection from Washington proper to the business centers of Herndon, Virginia, Reston, Virginia, and Tysons Corner, Virginia, and provide a link to Dulles Airport. On June 10, 2004, the Federal Transit Administration approved the first phase of the project to begin. It is scheduled to reach Wiehle Avenue in Reston in 2011 and Virginia Route 772, beyond Dulles Airport, in 2015.

Purple Line Controversy has attended proposals to build a Purple Line, linking Bethesda, Maryland and Silver Spring, Maryland, thereby connecting the two branches of the Red Line to the north of Washington by rail. It would later be possibly extended to New Carrollton, Maryland, thus also connecting branches of the Green and Orange lines, and eventually around the entire Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway), linking all the Metro endpoints together, as seen in a proposal from the Sierra Club. Purple Line proposal from the Sierra Club This line has been conceived as a light rail line traveling along a private right-of-way for at least some portion of its length, as an elevated monorail, and also as a rapid bus line. The proposal has met fierce opposition from some of the residents along the certain areas of the line. Others have noted difficulties in obtaining the funds to build it. Bickering over Purple Line could cause funding woe — Gazette.net

Blue Line extension An extension to Fort Belvoir had been studied in 1999, either as a light rail extension or Metrorail. With the ongoing Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 realignment expected to move 18,000 jobs to Ft. Belvoir by 2012, new interest has been placed on this possible extension. In 2005, it was estimated to cost $700 million to $800 million.{{cite news| first = Leef | last = Smith | title = Metro Studies Ft. Belvoir Extension | publisher = [The Washington Post | date = 20 May 2005 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/19/AR2005051901618.html | page = B01 -->

Columbia Pike streetcar In conjunction with Arlington and Fairfax counties, Metro has proposed to build a streetcar line on Columbia Pike (Virginia) in Arlington.

Corridor Cities Transitway ]A proposed rail] or bus rapid transit line that would run from the Shady Grove (Washington Metro) in Gaithersburg, Maryland northwest to Clarksburg, Maryland.

District streetcars Metro broke ground on a light rail line in the Anacostia area on November 13, 2004. The project is a demonstration to examine the usefulness of building a light rail line that would help people who live too far away from subway stations by ferrying them to the main Metro network. The line consists of 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of track and six stations. Service was expected to begin in autumn 2006.{{cite press release| title = Metro and the District of Columbia break ground on the Anacostia light rail demonstration project | publisher = [WMATA | date = 15 Nov. 2004 | url = http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=569--> However, in April 2005, District transportation officials put the project on hold to negotiate with CSX Transportation, the owners of the 2.7 mile railroad right-of-way they had originally planned to run the light rail on. District officials had agreed to pay CSX $16 million for the right of way, but city officials discovered that CSX does not own all of the right of way - in fact, the District is among the property owners - raising concerns about what the city was paying for and what it was getting. As a result of this incident, the District has begun to plan an alternate 2.2 mile (3.5 km) route to run on city streets. No work has been done since, and no operations start date has been defined.{{cite news| first = Steven | last = Ginsberg | title = D.C. Shifts Light-Rail Plan From Waterfront to Streets in SE | publisher = [The Washington Post | date = 28 Apr. 2005 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/27/AR2005042702078.html | page = B02 -->The new plan has been met with neighborhood opposition.{{cite news| first = David | last = Nakamura | title = Light-Rail Plan Irks Anacostia Residents | publisher = [The Washington Post | date = 1 May. 2005 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043001293.html | page = C01 -->Additionally, the District is planning to expand its network with additional streetcar lines th

Washington Dc Metro System Map
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