District Debuts New Metro Map

Reagan Mills, Tower Staff
September 30, 2011
Filed under News

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), in partnership with map designer Lance Wyman, are redrawing the iconic map in order to incorporate additional trains that will begin running in June 2012. The WMATA is planning on adding three trains to both the Yellow and Orange line to help ease the rush of commuters for a faster and smoother ride during peak hours. However, due to the newly added trains on the Yellow and Orange line, fewer trains will be running on the Franconia-Springfield line, as well as Largo Town Center (Blue Line).

  In order to give voice to the public about what they would like to see added to the new metro map, the WMATA has a survey on their website (wmata.com). The poll asks questions that range from new parking symbols to the use of lines versus dashes that will designate highly concentrated rush hour stations.

 For students like Ryan MacDonald, a Junior Politics major, who are interning in the city the Metro is their main form of transportation. MacDonald relayed his thoughts, “They are always talking about improving the metro, and now it seems that they are actually the improving lines [such as the Yellow and Orange line] instead of talking about expanding current lines.

    The new map will also display the intended location of the Silver line. The WMATA plans for the Silver line to run parallel to the Orange line and will travel from Metro Center to Dulles Airport and Tysons Corner shopping center. This will be a great help for students looking for cheaper fares on flights home who are not looking to fly out of Reagan Airport or take a train, then a bus and then finally arrive at BWI. Unfortunately, a date has not been mentioned for when the construction of the new line will be completed.