History UsefulNotes / WashingtonMetro

Unlike many of the older subway and mass-transit networks in the U.S., the Washington Metro was centrally planned and government-run from the very beginning, rather than developing out of a number of private lines (as did what became the NYC subway, the Chicago 'L', Boston MBTA, Philadelphia SEPTA, San Francisco Muni, and others). In TheSixties, the federal Department of Transportation was working on a plan for transportation in the nation's capital, and, in keeping with the concrete-slapping times, planned to build two rings of freeway, one mostly outside the district limits in Maryland and Virginia, and an "Inner Loop" running inside it. Although the Outer Loop was built without incident (as the notorious Capitol Beltway), the Inner Loop faced serious opposition from locals, and in the face of freeway revolt, the DOT and regional authorities opted for [[TimeForPlanB Plan B]]: a mass-transit system to draw people out of their cars in the city.

* The '''Silver Line''', [[DevelopmentHell ALMOST completed as of this writing]], will run from Loudoun County, VA to Largo Town Center, running by Washington Dulles International Airport on the way. It will mostly be concurrent with the Orange Line, diverging at East Falls Church, and share the Blue Line up to Largo Town Center.

* AwesomeButPractical: The arched concrete vaults of the stations is not only beautiful, but is also a very practical engineering design that lessens the need for external reinforcement.

* The '''Green Line''', which runs in a general C-shape from Branch Avenue in Suitland, MD, to Greenbelt, MD. Helpful tip: Best way to get to the University of Maryland.

* The '''Red Line''' runs in a U-shape from Glenmont, MD, to Shady Grove, MD, looping through Downtown at Union Station (where you can connect to Amtrak, MARC and VRE commuter rail, and intercity bus services) and Metro Center. It is one of only two lines not to cross into Virginia.

* The '''Red Line''' runs in a U-shape from Glenmont, MD, to Shady Grove, MD, looping through Downtown at Union Station (where you can connect to Amtrak, MARC and VRE commuter rail, and intercity bus services) and Metro Center.
* The '''Blue Line''' runs in an L-shape from Franconia-Springfield in Virginia to Largo Town Center to the east of the city in Maryland.
* The '''Orange Line''' runs in a generally straight line from Vienna, VA to New Carrolton, MD. It runs concurrently with the Blue Line for most of its route in the District.

* The '''Silver Line''', [[DevelopmentHell not yet completed as of this writing]], will run from Loudoun County, VA to Largo Town Center, running by Dulles International Airport on the way. It will mostly be concurrent with the Orange Line, diverging at East Falls Church.

* Despite the previous two grouses, you really can take the Metro pretty much everywhere in DC. You're well-advised not to drive; the Metro is generally faster, easier, and less stressful, and driving in Washington is a pain in the rear end.

* AccidentalInnuendo: There is a station called "Ballston."

** The "Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport" station, whose name was actually mandated by Congress (it was previously "National Airport"). While it is never referred to by that actual name in conversation, whether it is called "Reagan Airport" or "National Airport" [[AllIssuesArePoliticalIssues can give a clue to the person's political leanings.]]

** Also, Huntington, built into the middle of a hillside.

* The Metro appears several times in the American version of ''[[Series/HouseOfCardsUS HouseOfCards]]''; this includes the opening credits, as well as two of Zoe Barnes' meetings with Frank Underwood, including [[spoiler:the one in which Underwood kills her]].[[note]]The former scene was very clearly shot at a real Metro station; the latter was just as clearly ''not'', what with its low ceiling, high dinginess, and generally out-of-place design. It was shot instead at a Baltimore Metro Subway station; WMATA forbids scenes of violence from being shot at real Metro stations, but Baltimore has no such qualms.[[/note]]

* The '''Silver Line''', not yet completed as of this writing, will run from Loudoun County, VA to Largo Town Center, running by Dulles International Airport on the way. It will mostly be concurrent with the Orange Line, diverging at East Falls Church.

* Large sections of VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}} involve you trekking through broken-down Metro stations. Some parts (the map, the turnstiles, the trains themselves) are clearly not based on reality, while others (the vaulted concrete ceilings, the orange hexagonal floor tiles, the shape of the platforms) are almost creepily accurate.

Unlike many of the older subway and mass-transit networks in the US, the Washington Metro was centrally planned and government-run from the very beginning, rather than developing out of a number of private lines (as did what became the NYC Subway, the Chicago 'L', Boston MBTA, Philadelphia SEPTA, San Francisco Muni, and others). In TheSixties, the federal Department of Transportation was working on a plan for transportation in the nation's capital, and, in keeping with the concrete-slapping times, planned to build two rings of freeway, one mostly outside the district limits in Maryland and Virginia, and an "Inner Loop" running inside it. Although the Outer Loop was built without incident (as the notorious Capitol Beltway), the Inner Loop faced serious opposition from locals, and in the face of freeway revolt, the DOT and regional authorities opted for [[TimeForPlanB Plan B]]: a mass-transit system to draw people out of their cars in the city.

* Large sections of VideoGame/{{Fallout3}} involve you trekking through broken-down Metro stations. Some parts (the map, the turnstiles, the trains themselves) are clearly not based on reality, while others (the vaulted concrete ceilings, the orange hexagonal floor tiles, the shape of the platforms) are almost creepily accurate.

The result is that the Metro is supremely modern, efficient, and consistent. This even shows up in the architecture, with sober, simple, and hauntingly beautiful Mid-century Modern coffered concrete arches defining all the stations (almost as a direct challenge to the palatial stations of the UsefulNotes/MoscowMetro). The trains were designed from the start for driver-assisted automatic operation (albeit this has been nixed since the Fort Totten disaster on the Red Line in 2009). Although schedules are somewhat unreliable, the times posted for trains on the electronic boards in each station are almost always exactly right; this makes riding the rails in DC a remarkably low-stress experience.

* BerserkButton: '''Stand on the right side on the escalators'''. Failure to do so may earn you a trampling.

* BerserkButton: '''Stand on the right side on the escalators'''.

* BerserkButton: ''Stand on the right side on the escalators''.

* Large sections of VideoGame//Fallout3 involve you trekking through broken-down Metro stations. Some parts (the map, the turnstiles, the trains themselves) are clearly not based on reality, while others (the vaulted concrete ceilings, the orange hexagonal floor tiles, the shape of the platforms) are almost creepily accurate.

* The Metro is one of the ''deepest'' subway systems in America and indeed in the world. The Forest Glen station on the Red Line is so deep that it has no escalators; you take a high-speed elevator to get to the surface. The Wheaton, Woodley Park, Columbia Heights, and Rosslyn stations are also very deep and have extremely long escalators--Wheaton's are the longest in the US, taking a good 2 minutes 45 seconds to go up standing.

* The '''Red Line''' runs in a U-shape from Glenmont, MD, to Shady Grove, MD, looping through Downtown at Union Station and Metro Center.

* The '''Blue Line''' runs in an inverted L-shape from Franconia-Springfield in Virginia to Largo Town Center to the east of the city in Maryland.