Metrorail
opened in 1976. Since then, the network has grown to
include five lines, 86 stations, and 106.3 miles of track.
It started in 1968, when WMATA approved the construction of a 98
mile rapid transit system. Construction started on
December 9th, 1969, and opened on March 27nd, 1976. There
were 5 stations on the 4.6 mile Red Line, Rhode Island to
Farragut North. The system now comprises of:
The Red Line, which has 27 stations.
The Blue Line, which opened in 1977 and has 27
stations.
The Orange Line, which opened in 1978 and has 26
stations.
The Yellow Line, which opened in 1983 and has 17
stations.
The Green Line, which opened in 1991, has 21 stations.
The Silver Line is expected to open in 2013 and will
have 11 stations when completed in 2016.
About 50 miles of the system is underground, as are 47 of the 86 stations.
There are 50 stations in DC, 15 in Prince Georges Co MD, 11 in Montgomery Co MD, 11 in Arlington Co VA, 6 in Fairfax Co VA, and 3 in Alexandria VA.
The Forest Glen station on the Red Line is the deepest on the system at 196 feet, but doesn't use escalators, they use high speed elevators instead.
Metro is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States in number of passenger trips, after the New York City Subway System.
Fares vary based on the distance traveled and the time of day, which really makes commuting more complicated than it has to be, and sucks for those of us who don't ride the system every day. Riders enter and exit the system using a stored-value card in the form of a paper magnetic stripe farecard or a proximity card known as SmarTrip.
Parking is pretty convenient at most above ground stations, BUT BEWARE of the posted signs, for they DO ticket almost immediately (speaking from personal experience). Most lots have general parking until the rush hours, then certain spaces need to be vacated.
For more info, check these resources out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Metro
http://chnm.gmu.edu/metro/
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/wash/washington.htm
http://www.clouse.org/metro.html
More to come, please check back.......
