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Yellow Line (Washington Metro)

Yellow Line (Washington Metro)

The Yellow Line of the Washington Metro consists of twelve subway stations from Huntington to Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center. It starts in Fairfax County, Virginia, quickly crosses the Capital Beltway, goes through Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia, crosses the Potomac River via the Fenwick Bridge, and continues north in the District of Columbia as far as M Street NW, at the entrance to the Washington Convention Center. It is the quick link between downtown Washington and National Airport, and shares nearly all of its track with the Green and Blue Lines. The Yellow Line has only two stations of its own at the southern end of the line, and only two sections of track of its own - the aforementioned section at the end of the line, and the section between the L'Enfant Plaza and Pentagon stations, including the Fenwick Bridge.

History

Service on the Yellow Line began on April 30, 1983, adding Archives-Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter to the system, and linking the two already-built stations of Gallery Pl-Chinatown and Pentagon with a bridge across the Potomac River. It was extended beyond National Airport by four stations to Huntington on December 17, 1983, the first station outside of the Capital Beltway. When the Green Line link to U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo opened on May 11, 1991, it acted as an extension of the Yellow Line until the southern Green Line branch was completed. When Green Line service began, the Yellow Line was truncated to Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center, where a pocket track exists to relay trains. The Yellow Line was originally planned to follow a slightly different route than it now follows. The original plan would have sent Yellow Line trains to Franconia-Springfield, with Blue Line trains serving Huntington. This was changed due to a shortage of rail cars at the time of the completion of the line to Huntington. As less rail cars were required to operate Yellow Line service than it would be to run Blue Line service out to Huntington, due to the Yellow Line's shorter route, the line designations were switched. Currently, the Yellow Line only operates to Franconia-Springfield on July 4, as part of Metro's special service pattern on that day.

List of stations, south to north

July 4
- Huntington
- Eisenhower Avenue
- King Street (Joins Blue Line on same track)
- Braddock Road
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- Crystal City
- Pentagon City
- Pentagon (Blue Line diverges)
- Crosses Potomac River via Fenwick Bridge
- L'Enfant Plaza (Transfer station for the Blue and Orange Lines, and joins Green Line on same track)
- Archives-Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter
- Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Transfer station for the Red Line)
- Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (Green Line diverges, and Yellow Line trains terminate on a pocket track north of the station) See also: List of Washington Metro stations Category:Washington Metro

Washington Metro

, hub of the system]] The Washington Metro is the public transportation system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. In Maryland service is provided in Prince George's County and Montgomery County; in Virginia in Fairfax County, Arlington County, and the City of Alexandria. The Metrorail (subway) system, as well as Metrobus (bus) services, 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 "Washington Metro" usually refers to Metrorail exclusively. Since opening in 1976, the subway network has grown to five lines, consisting of 86 stations and 106 miles (170.5 km) of track. The original plan of 83 stations on 103 miles (165.5 km) was completed on January 13, 2001. There were 190 million trips on Metrorail in 2004, meaning about 520,000 passengers use the system every day. The system is the second busiest in the nation – behind only the New York City Subway. Washington's Metrorail is well known for its design by Chicago architect Harry Weese. Weese's design is an exemplar of late-20th-century modern architecture. With its heavy use of concrete, and the repetitive nature of its design motifs, it demonstrates aspects of Brutalism, which, in Washington, is also exemplified by the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Building. Simultaneously, however, with its coffered groin and barrel vaults (seen here [http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?21102] in the Metro Center station), it reflects the neoclassical style of architecture that can arguably be described as the closest thing to an "official" federal style in Washington, D.C., as demonstrated in such buildings as the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the former U.S. Patent Office building (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum), by Robert Mills, the White House, by James Hoban, and the Beaux-Arts Lincoln Memorial, by Henry Bacon. The innovative design of Metro's stations additionally facilitates the cleanliness and safety which are are a hallmark of the system.

Metrorail network

Henry Bacon 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; a Purple Line has been occasionally proposed to remedy this (see below). 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 lines, described from the south or west towards the north or east:
- Red Line: Runs from Shady Grove in Montgomery County, through downtown Washington, and back into Montgomery County ending at Glenmont. This is the busiest line and the only one which does not share its track with another line.
- Orange Line: Runs from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU in Fairfax County, through Arlington County and central Washington, ending at New Carrollton in Prince George's County. Shares the same tracks as the Blue line from Rosslyn (Arlington County) through Stadium-Armory (Washington).
- Blue Line: Runs from Franconia-Springfield in Fairfax County through Alexandria, Arlington County, and Washington, ending at Largo Town Center in Prince George's County. Shares the same tracks as the Yellow line from King Street (Alexandria) to Pentagon (Arlington), then shares the same tracks as the Orange Line from Rosslyn (Arlington) through Stadium-Armory (Washington).
- Yellow Line: Runs from Huntington in Fairfax County through Alexandria and Arlington, ending in Washington at Mount Vernon Square/7th St-Convention Center. Shares the same tracks as the Blue Line from King Street (Alexandria) through Pentagon (Arlington), then it crosses the Potomac River into Washington where it shares the same tracks as the Green Line from L'Enfant Plaza through the end of the line at Mount Vernon Square/7th St-Convention Center.
- Green Line: Runs from Branch Avenue in Prince George's County through eastern Washington, where it crosses the Anacostia River, and back out into Prince George's County ending at Greenbelt. Shares the same tracks as the Yellow Line from L'Enfant Plaza through Mount Vernon Square/7th St-Convention Center. Half of the system, including most of the stations in the District of Columbia, are 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. However, the deepest stations in the system are not in Washington, but at the northeastern end of the Red Line, with Wheaton having the longest escalator in the western hemisphere at 230 feet (70 meters), and Forest Glen being even deeper than that; so deep, the only way to the surface is by elevator. Forest Glen 2000.]] The system is not centered on any single station, but Metro Center is considered the hub, as it is the busiest station, 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, which is located by the MCI Center; Stadium-Armory, which is located by RFK Stadium and has importance because the Washington Nationals and the DC United play there; and L'Enfant Plaza, the only station in the system with four lines, and supplies easy access between downtown Washington and Virginia. Smithsonian lies under the National Mall, and is the busiest station for tourists; however, it is closed down on July 4 every year since the September 11, 2001 attacks, due to its entrances being located within the security perimeter. Other stations of note for tourists are Capitol South, just three blocks from the United States Capitol, and McPherson Square is just two blocks from the White House. Even though Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan's name claims that it's the proper station to visit the National Zoo, Cleveland Park is not only a few feet closer, but uphill from the zoo, making it an easier walk. Several universities are accessible through the Metro, including the University of Maryland, College Park at College Park - U Md., Georgetown at Rosslyn, George Washington at Foggy Bottom, American University at Tenleytown, Howard University at Shaw-Howard, George Mason University at Vienna-Fairfax, and Catholic University at Brookland. Pentagon station offers direct access to the Pentagon; after the September 11, 2001 attacks, this entrance was closed and passengers must leave the station to get into the Pentagon. See also: List of Washington Metro stations.

History

List of Washington Metro stations] During the 1960s, there were plans for a massive freeway system in Washington. However, opposition to this freeway system grew and the funds to construct it were reallocated toward construction of the Metro system. Construction on the subway 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 Ave to Farragut North. The final 103 mile (166 km), 83 station system was completed with the opening of the Green Line segment to Branch Ave on January 13, 2001. This does 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 and Morgan Boulevard stations opened on December 18, 2004, the first in-fill station (New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U on the Red Line between Union Station and Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood) opened November 20, 2004, and plans are being discussed for an Orange Line extension to Dulles Airport. The system began in the District of Columbia, with Arlington, Virginia being 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. The highest ridership for a day was June 9, 2004, with 850,636 trips; thousands of people went to Washington to view the funeral procession of Ronald Reagan, and to the U.S. Capitol to view his body as it lay in state. Also, since many streets in Washington were closed that day, many people may have felt it wiser to use Metro just to get around. The previous recordholding days were January 20, 1993 (the first inauguration of Bill Clinton) and October 16, 1995 (the Million Man March).

Safety and Security

Rules and Regulations

Metro strictly forbids riders from eating or drinking while on board a Metrorail train or while in a station. On October 23, 2000, a 12-year old girl was arrested, searched, and handcuffed for eating a french fry while in the Tenleytown-AU Metro station. She was taken downtown where she was booked, fingerprinted, and detained until her mother arrived to pick her up. Another widely noted case occurred on July 16, 2004, when an EPA employee was entering the Metro Center station. Before passing through the faregates, she popped the last bite of a Payday candy bar into her mouth, continuing to chew the candy bar while in the station. She was subsequently arrested by Metro Transit Police. While sometimes seen as excessive, Metro's zero-tolerance policy when it comes to food, as well as trash and other forms of disorder, embodies the broken windows philosophy of crime reduction. Supporters argue that this, combined with how the station environments were designed with crime prevention in mind, has contributed to the fact that Washington Metro is among the safest and cleanest subway systems.

Accidents

crime prevention crime prevention There have been three collisions reported on the Metrorail system since its opening.
- On January 13, 1982, three people were killed and many more were injured when a train backed up and derailed at an interlocking near the Smithsonian Station. Coincidentally, this accident occurred on the same day as Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge during a major snowstorm, producing probably the worst transit situation in Washington history.
- On January 6, 1996, during the Blizzard of 1996, a train operator was killed when a train overran the Shady Grove station and crashed into a parked train. See 1996 Gaithersburg Metrorail Accident for more information.
- 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. 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. The system is not immune from passenger suicide. There have been a number of suicides over the years; one was 18-year-old Victor Zoubak, who lay on the trackbed of the Blue/Orange Line in Metro Center in 2004 until a train came, which struck and killed him. According to Zoubak's sister, the young man would lose consciousness and would be dazed and disoriented when he returned to his normal state of mind. Officials later determined that he did not know what he was doing at the time . There have also been deaths at Grosvenor-Strathmore, Forest Glen, Union Station, Brookland-CUA, and Minnesota Avenue, among other stations.

Accountability

Since the turn of the century, Metrorail has been plagued with deteriorating quality of service and excessive delays, caused in part by the system's aging infrastructure. In addition to the November 2004 accident, other serious incidents included an electrical fire on March 18, 2004 during morning rush hour. The fire occurred deep underground, on the Red Line between the Woodley Park-Zoo and Dupont Circle 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 Madrid train bombings, this incident highlighted Metro's shortcomings when it comes to emergency preparedness. On July 27, 2004, storms flooded a control room that is located at the Silver Spring station, damaging electronic equipment that is used for operating Red Line trains between the Takoma and Forest Glen stations. As a result, Red Line trains were manually operated for two weeks, with speed reductions through the affected area, which caused delays for passengers. With aging infrastructure, the Metrorail system has experienced numerous incidents of 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; Therefore, when an incident occurs (no matter how minor, such as a sick passenger), trains will be single-tracked, causing trains to back up behind the affected train, and become significantly delayed. Another cause for delays are the frequent mechanical break-down of Metrorail trains, while they are in service. This causes the entire train to be offloaded, with passengers attempting to reboard onto subsequent trains that are often packed during rush hour. 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, where customers are required to pay for parking with SmarTrip cards. These stored-value cards cost five dollars, available at Metro sales facilities, and are sold for ten dollars (five dollars for the card and five dollars in fare) at vending machines near the farecard machines. As the card is reloadable, customers can add additional money to the cards using SmarTrip-equipped farecard machines. As well, SmarTrip cards can be used to pay fares for Metrorail and Metrobus, saving time while entering stations and boarding buses. In 2005, WMATA CEO Richard A. White has led efforts to improve accountability and dialogue with customers. This has included independent audits, town hall meetings, online chats with the CEO and other management officials, and improved signage in stations.

Funding

While fares and advertising provide some revenue for Metrorail, the bulk of funding is contributed by each jurisdiction that is served by Metro, as well as by the states of Maryland and Virginia. Washington Metro is unique among major public transportation systems, in that it has 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 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 City of Falls Church (0.3%), and the City of Fairfax (0.3%) . 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 the fact that a substantial portion of the Federal workforce use Metro to commute from the suburbs. Tourists also comprise a significant portion of ridership, and Metro provides an instrumental role in transporting people during special events, such as inaugurations. As well, a substantial number of stations located in the District serve these purposes, rather than serving local residents. In 2005, a bill has been introduced in Congress that proposes $1.5 billion, over ten years, for WMATA. This offer is contingent upon WMATA implementing more accountability measures and providing the Federal government two seats on its board of directors.

Future expansion

board of directors board of directors, 2004.]]Rumors have abounded for years about transit service out to Dulles 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, Manassas, Leesburg, Columbia, and other points in the greater Washington area. 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 floated as a possibility within the District or Northern Virginia. Plans to extend Metrorail to Dulles have been in the works since the beginning of the system's construction. A test station was built at the airport around 1970 and was located some 28 feet below the parking lot area, but until recently, rail transport there was not a reality. Finally, in 2002, plans were formalized to bring a 23-mile extension to the Orange Line from the West Falls Church station to Route 772 in Loudoun County, Virginia. This would mean a mass transit connection from Washington proper to the important business centers of Reston and Tysons Corner, and most importantly, provide a link to Dulles Airport. On June 10, 2004, the Federal Transit Administration approved the first phase of the project to begin. See also: Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit Project. Controversy has attended proposals to build a Purple Line (now designated the Bi-County Transitway by state planners), linking Bethesda and Silver Spring, Maryland, thereby connecting the two branches of the Red Line to the north of the city by rail. It would later be possibly extended around the whole district, linking the Metro endpoints together, as seen in a 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, 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. 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) and six stations centered. Service is expected to begin in autumn 2006.

Rolling stock

2006 Metro's rail fleet consists of 952 75-foot rail cars, delivered in five shipments. The original order of 300 Metro cars was manufactured by Rohr Industries, with delivery in 1976. These cars are numbered 1000-1299, and were rehabilitated in the mid-1990's by Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie and WMATA at their Brentwood Shop in Washington, D.C. These cars originally used cam-controlled DC propulsion and contained rollsigns which have since been changed to flip-dot technology. The rehabilitation added exterior speakers in place of one rollsign on each side and also marked the first set of cars to have AC propulsion. The bulkhead windows on the ends of the cars are also distinguished by windows with aluminum frames that extend the full height of the train compared to other shipments. The interiors have a white grained appearance with orange and brown seats. Finally, the cars have 81 seats. Future orders would have seating reduced to 66 or 68 since seats next to the doors would be removed for additional standing areas. 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 cars as part of the rehabilitation project have received brand new AC propulsion systems with IGBT technology which replaced the original cam-controlled DC propulsion systems. Also included are new railcar monitoring systems, advanced ATC/ATS control systems, new exterior LED destination signs, new interior LED next stop signs, and improved emergency exit signage. They also received the new red, white, and blue interior found on the 5000-series cars. 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 cars as part of the rehabilitation project have received brand new AC propulsion systems with IGBT technology, which replaces the chopper-controlled DC propulsion system. Also included in the rehabilitation is the addition of new railcar monitoring systems, advanced ATC/ATS control systems, new exterior LED destination signs, new interior LED next stop signs, and improved emergency exit signage. They also received the new red, white, and blue interior found on the 5000-series cars. Hornell, New York The fourth order consisted of 100 cars from Breda, numbered 4000-4099. These cars were delivered in 1991. They use all the original systems that the 2000/3000-series cars had prior to their rehabilitation. The only difference between these and the pre-rehabilitated Breda cars is that the bulkhead windows are rounded compared to squared. They still have the original flip-dot exterior destination signs, chopper controlled DC propulsion systems, and the original cream, orange, and yellow interiors. Rehabilitation of these cars will occur around 2011 at the earliest. The fifth order consisted of 192 rail cars from Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain. These cars are numbered 5000-5191, with delivery in 2001. These cars were the first shipment to have all AC motors from the start. They were also the first to have LED destination signs on the exterior and LED next stop indication signs on the interiors. Along with these improvements, they were also the first to have intercar safety barriers (which have since been added to all other rolling stock) and railcar monitoring systems. The 5000-series cars premiered the new red, white, and blue interior which contrasts to the original designs on earlier cars. This new interior design has since been used on the 2000/3000-series rehabilitation project. Most recently, Metro has ordered 182 rail cars from Alstom, the same company that is rehabilitating the Breda cars. Delivery is expected to begin in late 2005 with initial service expected in early 2006. These cars are currently undergoing acceptance testing. They will look nearly identical to the 5000-series cars built by CAF, but seat 66 instead of 68, and have two additional interior LED next stop indicators at the center of the car. They will also use the same propulsion systems and advanced cab signaling systems used in the Breda 2000/3000-series rehabilitation, which is also being performed by Alstom. Finally, the 6000-series cars from Alstom will feature a return to a [http://www.castsolutions.com/archive/feature_article_1105.html] cast truck design which is similar to the Rohr 1000-series and CAF 5000-series cars. All other cars in the 2000-, 3000-, 4000-series used fabricated trucks. The new cars will have their body shells built in Barcelona, Spain and have assembly completed in Hornell, New York. More information about rolling stock is listed below.

1000-Series


- Car Builder: Rohr Industries, Winder, GA, USA
- Rehabilitated by: WMATA Brentwood Shop/Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie, Washington, DC, USA
- Dates Built: 1973-1976
- Rehabilitated: 1993-1996
- Car Body: Extruded Aluminum
- Car Numbers: 1000-1299
- Car Length: 75 feet (23 m)
- Car Width: 10 feet (3 m)
- Car Height: 11.8 feet (3.59 m)
- Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches (1.43 m)
- Maximum Operating Speed: ~65 MPH
- Propulsion System: General Electric AC Traction with solid-state controls
- Seating capacity: 81
- Total Capacity: 175
- Minimum Train Length: 2 cars
- Maximum Train Length: 8 cars

2000-Series


- Car Builder: [http://www.alstom.com/pr_corp/2005/corp/30167.EN.php?languageId=EN&dir=/pr_corp/2005/corp/&idRubriqueCourante=15445 Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie, Pistoia, Italy]
- Rehabilitated by: Alstom Transportation, Hornell, NY, USA
- Dates Built: 1981-1983
- Rehabilitated: 2003-2004
- Car Body: Extruded Aluminum
- Car Numbers: 2000-2075
- Car Length: 75 feet (23 m)
- Car Width: 10 feet (3 m)
- Car Height: 11.8 feet (3.59 m)
- Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches (1.43 m)
- Maximum Operating Speed: ~65 MPH
- Propulsion System: [http://www.transport.alstom.com/home/Products_and_Services/RAIL_VEHICLES/Subsystems/traction_systems/7647.EN.php?languageId=EN&dir=/home/Products_and_Services/RAIL_VEHICLES/Subsystems/traction_systems/ Alstom ONIX 2000 AC Traction with IGBT Inverters (post rehab)]
- Seating capacity: 68
- Total Capacity: 175
- Minimum Train Length: 2 cars
- Maximum Train Length: 8 cars

3000-Series


- Car Builder: Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie, Pistoia, Italy
- Rehabilitated by: Alstom Transportation, Hornell, NY, USA
- Dates built: 1984-1988
- Rehabilitated: 2004-2006
- Car Body: Extruded Aluminum
- Car Numbers: 3000-3289
- Car Length: 75 feet (23 m)
- Car Width: 10 feet (3 m)
- Car Height: 11.8 feet (3.59 m)
- Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches (1.43 m)
- Maximum Operating Speed: ~65 MPH
- Propulsion System: Alstom ONIX 2000 AC Traction with IGBT Inverters (post rehab)
- Seating capacity: 68
- Total Capacity: 175
- Minimum Train Length: 2 cars
- Maximum Train Length: 8 cars

4000-Series


- Car Builder: Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie, Pistoia, Italy
- Dates Built: 1991-1993
- Car Body: Extruded Aluminum
- Car Numbers: 4000-4099
- Car Length: 75 feet (23 m)
- Car Width: 10 feet (3 m)
- Car Height: 11.8 feet (3.59 m)
- Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches (1.43 m)
- Maximum Operating Speed: ~65 MPH
- Propulsion System: [http://www.swigercoil.com/tractionMotorTransitMotorRepair_experience.asp Westinghouse 1462 DC motors with chopper controls]
- Seating capacity: 68
- Total Capacity: 175
- Minimum Train Length: 2 cars
- Maximum Train Length: 8 cars Alstom

5000-Series


- Car Builder: CAF/AAI, Zaragosa/Bessain, Spain and Hunt Valley, MD, USA
- Dates Built: 2001-2004
- Car Body: Extruded Aluminum
- Car Numbers: 5000-5191
- Car Length: 75 feet (23 m)
- Car Width: 10 feet (3 m)
- Car Height: 11.8 feet (3.59 m)
- Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches (1.43 m)
- Maximum Operating Speed: ~65 MPH
- Propulsion System: [http://www.bombardier.com/index.jsp?id=1_0&lang=en&file=/en/1_0/1_0.jsp Bombardier Mitrac DR1000 AC Traction with IGBT Inverters]
- Seating capacity: 68
- Total Capacity: 175
- Minimum Train Length: 2 cars
- Maximum Train Length: 8 cars

6000-Series (On Order)


- Car Builder: Alstom Transportation, Barcelona, Spain and Hornell, NY, USA
- Dates Built: 2005-2008
- Car Body: Extruded Aluminum
- Car Numbers: 6000-6181
- Car Length: 75 feet (23 m)
- Car Width: 10 feet (3 m)
- Car Height: 11.8 feet (3.59 m)
- Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches (1.43 m)
- Maximum Operating Speed: ~65 MPH
- Propulsion System: Alstom ONIX 2000 AC Traction with IGBT Inverters
- Seating capacity: 66
- Total Capacity: 175
- Minimum Train Length: 2 cars
- Maximum Train Length: 8 cars

Signaling and Operation

During normal operation on revenue tracks, trains are controlled by an automatic train control system (ATC) which accelerates and brakes the train automatically without operator intervention. However, all trains are manned with train operators who operate doors, make station announcements, and supervise their train. The operator can switch a train into manual mode and drive by hand if necessary. Fixed signals are only present at interlockings. They show a red over red aspect for "Stop and Stay", a lunar (white) aspect for "proceed" and a flashing lunar aspect for "proceed on diverging route" (only present on newer interlockings; older interlockings are being updated with signals that show this aspect). Tracks are divided into block sections, which can only be occupied by one train at a time, a method to protect against collisions used by most railway systems worldwide, but there are no fixed signals to protect block sections. Virtual signal aspects are transmitted to the train by a cab signaling system and displayed to the operator in the cab, as well as transmitted to the ATC system. Entering of an occupied block is prevented by an automatic train protection system (ATP), which supervises both manual and ATC operation and stops the train well before it would enter an occupied block. Alstom Non-revenue tracks (storage tracks, yard tracks) are not equipped with ATC. Green signs with letters reading "START ATC" and "END ATC" mark the beginning and ending respectively of ATC (Automatic Train Control) territory. At switches entering into pocket tracks in a direction reverse to the normal operating direction, there is a "P Signal". The P Signal is a single lunar signal that displays the letter "P" and is found at the entrance to some but not all pocket tracks and other selected main line interlockings in the reverse direction of the normal flow of traffic. Below the P signal on the same post is a punch box to allow the train operator to manually set the switch to the diverting direction (reverse) when the P Signal is lit. The P signal is only lit when a train occupies the two track circuit approaching the P Signal and all possible routes into the interlocking are not occupied. Two trackside signs exist: The "S"-Sign is posted at revenue tracks and indicates to the operator that a station is ahead. It is located at a distance no greater than 1200 feet (365.75 m) before a station platform. The "TB"-Sign is posted to indicate to the operator that an eight-car train (the longest used in the system) is clear of an interlocking when the train front is flush with the sign, and that the train can turn back in the direction from which it came on the opposite track. Trains are usually four or six cars, usually six cars during rush hour and four cars during weekends and late evenings. Eight car trains are used on special event days or to help move more people past a major delay, while two car trains are sometimes used for very low ridership days like major holidays. Two car trains are only used in certain parts of the system, because each rail car has only one "shoe" or power coupler, connecting the train to the third rail carrying 700 volts of DC power, used to provide power to the trains. The third rail may be on one side of the track or the other depending on where the train is, but the rail will only be on one side; there are no places where there are overlapping third rail coverage. On a two-car train, both cars are placed so that the operator controls for each train face in the direction away from the other car; this allows the train to be driven forward in either direction depending on which way it has to go. However, this means that in some parts of the system, there are "gaps" in the third rail sufficient that the shoe from one car could leave connection with the third rail on its side before the other car reaches connection with the third rail on its side. This would result in the train being trapped "dead", between third rails and without power.

Intermodal transport

third rail 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. In December 2001 Metro initiated a relationship with Flexcar, a private company which operates car sharing networks in several North American cities. A competitor, Zipcar, began service in the region contemporaneously. With either service, cars are parked at major Metrorail stations and made available for rental on an hourly basis, with the goal of reducing car dependency and increasing transit ridership. Metrorail connects with both commuter rail and intercity rail systems.
- Connections to Amtrak are offered at Union Station in Washington, at New Carrollton Station in Prince George's County, at Rockville in Montgomery County, and at King Street Station in Alexandria.
- Virginia Railway Express trains terminate at Union Station in Washington. They also share stations with Metro at L'Enfant Plaza, Crystal City, King Street, and Franconia-Springfield.
- All three lines of Maryland's MARC train system begin at Union Station in Washington; service is also provided to New Carrollton, College Park — University of Maryland and Greenbelt stations in Prince George's County; and Silver Spring and Rockville stations in Montgomery County. Metrorail's Yellow and Blue Lines serve Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Express bus service from L'Enfant Plaza, West Falls Church and Rosslyn is provided to Washington Dulles International Airport. Baltimore-Washington International Airport is served by express bus from Greenbelt, and by rail from Union Station by MARC and Amtrak. Additionally, several Metrorail stations offer connections to HomeRide, a bus service which connects Virginia Tech, Radford University, James Madison University, and the University of Virginia to the northern Virginia area. Many students at these schools are originally from the northern Virginia area, and especially for freshmen and other students without cars, HomeRide offers an attractive method for getting home on weekends.

See also


- List of Washington Metro stations
- Congressional Subway
- SmarTrip
- Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit Project

References

# [http://www.wmata.com/about/metrofacts.pdf WMATA Facts] (PDF) # [http://www.wmata.com/about/history.pdf WMATA History] (PDF) # [http://www.clouse.org/metro.html#Dulles%20Airport%20Rail%20Tunnel Metrorail Track and Structures] at Clouse.org # [http://www.dullescorridorrail.com/default.htm Dulles Corridor] # [http://www.sierraclub.org/dc/sprawl/purple-line/ Purple Line proposal] from the Sierra Club # [http://www.gazette.net/200330/bethesda/news/169229-1.html Bickering over Purple Line could cause funding woe] — Gazette.net # [http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=569 WMATA press release — Metro and the District of Columbia break ground on the Anacostia light rail demonstration project] # [http://www.ntsb.gov/pressrel/1996/961029-2.htm Report of the 1996 crash] from the NTSB # [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17621-2004Dec21.html?sub=AR Man Killed by Train Identified as 18-Year-Old] — Washington Post # [http://transit.schuminweb.com/rail/washington/miscellaneous/miscellaneous.asp Information on the cars] from The Schumin Web Transit Center # [http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/wmata/track_schematic/wmata_track_schematic_nomenclature.htm Full System Track Schematic Legend and Nomenclature] # [http://www.wmata.com/about/MET_NEWS/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=466 WMATA press release — Entire Metrobus fleet now equipped with new SmarTrip fareboxes] # [http://www.wmata.com/about/metro_matters/subsidy_allocation.pdf WMATA Subsidy Allocation Methodology] (PDF)

External links


- [http://www.wmata.com/ Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
- [http://www.stationmasters.com/ Neighborhood Maps and Panoramic Views of each station]
- [http://www.metroriders.org/ Metro Customer Advocacy Group]
- [http://www.urbanrail.net/am/wash/washington.htm UrbanRail.net Washington Metro]
- [http://world.nycsubway.org/us/washdc/index.html world.nycsubway.org Washington Metro]
- [http://transit.schuminweb.com/rail/washington/index.asp The Schumin Web Transit Center (Washington Metro)]
- [http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/wmata/track_schematic/sys_schematic_ars.gif Technical map of the Washington Metro, showing rail yards, track types, and line designations]
- [http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/wmata/track_schematic/wmata_track_schematic_nomenclature.htm Document describing line nomenclature, operation and signaling]
- [http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/ Various Documents, Pictures and Maps of Washington Metro]
- [http://dcrails.com/ DCRails.com | Google Maps representation of Metrorail with address lookup.]
- [http://www.dcist.com/map/ An alternate Google Maps representation showing all lines drawn in]
- [http://www.swigercoil.com/tractionMotorTransitMotorRepair_experience.asp Swiger Coil Systems]
- [http://www.castsolutions.com/archive/feature_article_1105.html Cast Solutions, Inc.] ja:ワシントンメトロ

Huntington (Washington Metro)

Huntington is a Washington Metro station in Huntington, Virginia on the Yellow Line. It is the southern end of the Yellow Line. As the station is built into a hillside, the south mezzanine, along with escalator access, is accessible via a funicular elevator. The north mezzanine is home to Metro's only fully public restroom, an automatic self-cleaning toilet manufactured by [http://www.exeloo.com/ Exeloo], opened in October 2003. The automatic restroom was installed as part of a pilot project to determine customer acceptance and feasibility of the concept, as well as the impact on safety and cleanliness. [http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=216] According to Metro General Manager Richard White in the online Lunchtalk chat dated June 3, 2005, there are no plans to extend the program to any other stations. [http://new.forums-wmata.com/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=24&MessageID=977] The station serves the suburban area of Fairfax County, Virginia and is a popular commuter station, with over 3000 parking spaces. It is located between North Kings Highway (Virginia State Highway 241) and the intersection of Huntington Avenue and Fenwick Drive. Service began on December 17, 1983.

External links


- WMATA: [http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/Stations/station.cfm?station=50 Huntington Station]
- StationMasters Online: [http://www.stationmasters.com/System_Map/HUNTNGTN/huntngtn.html Huntington Station]
- world.nycsubway.org: [http://world.nycsubway.org/us/washdc/yellow/wmata-yellow-huntington.html Huntington Station]
- The Schumin Web Transit Center: [http://transit.schuminweb.com/rail/washington/stations/yellow/huntington.asp Huntington Station] Category:Washington Metro stations

Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (Washington Metro)

Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (formerly Mt Vernon Square-UDC) is a Washington Metro station in Washington, DC on the Green and Yellow Lines. Yellow Line trains terminate service here, and reverse direction using a pocket track just north of the station. The station is located in Northwest Washington at 7th and M Streets. It takes its name from the nearby Mount Vernon Square, its location along 7th Street, NW, and the fact that the station's entrance lies adjacent to the Washington Convention Center. It is also near some facilities of the University of the District of Columbia, giving it the former UDC portion of its name. The station's name was originally intended to be "Federal City College". Service began on May 11, 1991.

External links


- WMATA: [http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/Stations/station.cfm?station=70 Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Station]
- StationMasters Online: [http://www.stationmasters.com/System_Map/MTVERNON/mtvernon.html Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Station]
- world.nycsubway.org: [http://world.nycsubway.org/us/washdc/green/wmata-green-mtvernon.html Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Station]
- The Schumin Web Transit Center: [http://transit.schuminweb.com/rail/washington/stations/green/mt-vernon-square.asp Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Station] Category:Washington Metro stations

Capital Beltway

Interstate 495—widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply as the Beltway—is a freeway-class interstate highway which circles Washington, DC and its inner suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. It is the basis for the phrase "inside the Beltway", used when referring to issues dealing with American government and politics.

History

politics The federal government gave final approval for the construction of the Capital Beltway (also known as the Circumferential Highway in the planning stages) on September 28, 1955. The first section of the 64-mile long Beltway (including the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River) was opened on December 21, 1961; the highway was completed on August 17, 1964. Originally designated I-495, in 1977 the eastern portion of the Beltway was re-designated I-95 when a proposed alignment of I-95 from New York Avenue in Washington, DC, through Prince George's County, Maryland to I-495 was cancelled. Motorists never fully adjusted to the two halves of the Beltway having different numbers, so in 1989 the I-495 designation was restored to the eastern portion, making it a dual I-95/I-495. Traveling clockwise, the Beltway is designated as the Inner Loop; traveling counter-clockwise, it is designated as the Outer Loop. The Beltway crosses the Potomac River twice, on the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge and on the American Legion Memorial Bridge.

Traffic congestion

Traffic volume on the Beltway can be as high as 225,000 vehicles per day. Despite numerous widening projects during its history, heavy traffic on the Beltway is a continuing problem. Two intersections on the Capital Beltway are ranked in the top 20 on a study of the "worst bottlenecks in the nation." They are the I-495 at I-270 interchange in Montgomery County, Maryland, ranked third overall, which receives 243,425 cars daily, and the I-495 at I-95 interchange in Prince George's County, Maryland, ranked 11th, with 185,125 cars. The Springfield Interchange, where I-395, I-95, and I-495 meet, was previously ranked fifth worst in the nation, but recent improvements have taken it off the top 20. Local commuters refer to the Springfield Interchange as "The Mixing Bowl," although this designation is reserved by highway officials for the even more complicated interchange complex adjacent to the Pentagon on the original Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway (currently better-known as Interstate 395) at Virginia State Highway 27 in Arlington. In April 2005, the Virginia Department of Transportation signed an agreement with two private companies to build high-occupancy toll lanes on the stretch of the Beltway between Springfield and Georgetown Pike. Maryland officials are considering such lanes on their segment of the Beltway, as well as other major commuter highways in the state.

Capital Beltway trivia

Even most local travelers around the entire loop are probably unaware that the circumferential roadway not only is located in the states of Virginia and Maryland, but also crosses briefly through a small portion of the District of Columbia in the Potomac River at the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge. [http://www.wilsonbridge.com/schedule_graphics/BRRainPock_0204.pdf] The Capital Beltway also interchanges with a "secret" unsigned section of the Interstate Highway System, the long lost Interstate 595 in Maryland, completed in 1995. This roadway is still signed as U.S. Highway 50. [http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I595_MD.html] Originally, the exits in Virginia also were numbered starting with 1, which caused problems because there were some exits that had the same number in Maryland and Virginia. This was changed around 2000 by renumbering all of the low-numbered Virginia exits starting with the next highest number used by the Maryland portion, thus creating a consistent numbering system around the entire beltway, and making all exit numbers on the entire beltway unique to both states.

List of exits

Maryland


- 2 - Anacostia Freeway (I-295)
- 3 – Indian Head Highway (MD 210)
- 4 – St Barnabas Rd (MD 414)
- 7 – Branch Ave (MD 5)
- 9 – Andrews Air Force Base
- 11- Pennsylvania Avenue (MD 4)
- 13 – Ritchie Rd/Marlboro Rd
- 15 – Central Ave (MD 214)
- 16 – Arena Dr/FedEx Field
- 17 – Landover Rd (MD 202)
- 19 – John Hanson Highway (US 50)/New Carrollton Metro
- 20 – Annapolis Rd (MD 450)
- 22 – Baltimore-Washington Parkway
- 23 – Kenilworth Ave (MD 201)
- 24 – Greenbelt Metro
- 25 – Baltimore Ave (US 1)
- 27 – I-95
- 28 – New Hampshire Ave (MD 650)
- 29 – University Blvd (MD 193)
- 30 – Colesville Rd (US 29)
- 31 – Georgia Ave (MD 97)
- 33 – Connecticut Avenue (MD 185)
- 34 – Rockville Pike (MD 355)
- 35 – I-270
- 36 – Old Georgetown Rd (MD 187)
- 38 – I-270 Spur
- 39 – River Rd (MD 190)
- 40 – Cabin John Parkway
- 41 – Clara Barton Parkway

Virginia


- 43 – George Washington Memorial Parkway
- 44 – Georgetown Pike (VA 193)
- 45 – Dulles Access Rd / Dulles Toll Rd (VA 267)
- 46 – Chain Bridge Rd (VA 123)
- 47 – Leesburg Pike (VA 7)
- 49 – I-66 (Custis Memorial Parkway)
- 50 – Arlington Blvd (US 50)
- 51 – Gallows Rd (VA 650)
- 52 – Little River Turnpike (VA 236)
- 54 – Braddock Road (VA 620)
- 57 – I-95 / I-395 (Shirley Memorial Highway) - the Springfield Interchange
- 173 – Van Dorn St (VA 401/613)
- 174 – Eisenhower Ave
- 176 – Telegraph Rd (VA 611 / 241)
- 177 – Richmond Hwy / Patrick St (US 1)

External links


- [http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Capital_Beltway.html Capital Beltway page at roadsofthefuture.com]
- [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64110-2004Aug13?language=printer "Memory Lanes": 40th anniversary of the Beltway's opening (Washington Post)] 95-4 95-4 95-4 95-4 Capital Beltway Category:Orbital roads

Arlington, Virginia

Arlington County is an urban county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the U.S. , directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Originally part of the District of Columbia, by an act of Congress July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac was returned (retroceded) to Virginia effective in 1847. As of the year 2000, the population is 189,453. Its county seat is the census-designated place of Arlington. Strictly speaking, it is inaccurate to refer to a city or town of Arlington. All cities within the state are independent of counties, though normally towns may be incorporated within counties. However, Arlington has no existing incorporated towns, and Virginia law prevents the creation of any new municipality within a county that has a population density greater than 1,000 persons per square mile, which Arlington County (and its neighbor, Fairfax County) exceeds. Arlington CDP is co-extensive with Arlington County. Arlington is a partner city with Aachen in Germany, Reims in France, and Coyoacán in Mexico.

History

Alexandria County

Coyoacán Arlington County shares with a portion of the independent City of Alexandria, Virginia the distinction of being once in Virginia, then ceded to the US government to form the District of Columbia, and later retroceded to Virginia. Arlington was part of the original 10-mile square created as the District of Columbia in 1790 pursuant to Article I, Section 17, of the United States Constitution. The portion of the District created from territory ceded by Virginia was termed Alexandria County of the District of Columbia. It included the present Arlington County plus part of what is now the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia. Over time, a movement grew to separate Alexandria from the District of Columbia. As competition grew with the port of Georgetown, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal favored the north side of the Potomac, the city's economy stagnated. In addition, many in Alexandra hoped to benefit from land sales and increased business from the federal government, but it had no need for the land south of the river. In addition, its residents had lost representation and the right to vote at any level of government. Alexandria was also an important port and market in the slave trade there was increasing talk of abolition of slavery in the national capital, and the economy would suffer greatly if slavery was outlawed. At the same time, there was an active abolition movement in Virginia, and the state's General Assembly was closely divided on the question of slavery (resulting in the formation of West Virginia eighteen years later by the most anti-slavery counties) and Alexandria and Alexandria County would provide two new pro-slavery representatives. After a referendum, voters petitioned Congress and Virginia to return the area to Virginia. The area was retroceded to Virginia by on July 9, 1846.[http://www.citymuseumdc.org/gettoknow/faq.asp] In 1870, the City of Alexandria seceded from Alexandria County, and because of the confusion between the city and the county having the same name, a movement started to rename Alexandria County. In 1920, the name Arlington County was adopted, after Arlington House, the home of the American Civil War general Robert E. Lee, which stands on the grounds of what is now Arlington National Cemetery.

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington is an American military cemetery established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's home, Arlington House. It is situated directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., next to the present-day location of The Pentagon. With more than 260,000 people buried there, Arlington National Cemetery has the second-largest number of people buried of any national cemetery in the United States. Arlington House was named after the Custis family's homestead on Virginia's Eastern Shore. It is uniquely associated with the families of Washington, Custis, and Lee. Begun in 1802 and completed in 1817, it was built by George Washington Parke Custis. After his father died, young Custis was raised by his grandmother and her second husband, the first US President George Washington at Mount Vernon. Custis, a farsighted agricultural pioneer, painter, playwright, and orator, was interested in perpetuating the memory and principles of George Washington. His house became a "treasury" of Washington heirlooms. In 1804 Custis had married Mary Lee Fitzhugh. Their only child to survive infancy was Mary Anna Randolph Custis, born in 1808. Young Robert E. Lee, whose mother was a cousin of Mrs. Custis, frequently visited Arlington. Two years after graduating from West Point, Lieutenant Lee married Mary Custis at Arlington on June 30, 1831. For 30 years, Arlington House was home to the Lees. They spent much of their married life traveling between U.S. Army duty stations and Arlington, where six of their seven children were born. They shared this home with Mary's parents, the Custis family. When George Washington Parke Custis died in 1857, he left the Arlington estate to Mrs. Lee for her lifetime and afterwards to the Lees' eldest son, George Washington Custis Lee. The [http://www.nps.gov/arho/ Custis-Lee Mansion] and 200 acres (81 hectares) of ground immediately surrounding it were confiscated from Confederate General Robert E. Lee during the Civil War, and was designated officially as a military cemetery June 15, 1864, by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. In 1882, after many years in the lower courts, the matter of the ownership of Arlington National Cemetery was brought before the United States Supreme Court. The Court decided that the property rightfully belonged to the Lee Family. The United States Congress then appropriated the sum of $150,000 for the purchase of the property from the Lee Family. Veterans from all the nation's wars are buried in the cemetery, from the American Revolution through the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Pre-Civil War dead were re-interred after 1900. The Tomb of the Unknowns, also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stands atop a hill overlooking Washington, DC. Other frequently visited sites in the cemetery are the USMC War Memorial, commonly known as the "Iwo Jima Memorial"; the Netherlands Carillon; and the grave of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy is buried with his wife and some of their children. His grave is marked with an "Eternal Flame." His brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy is also buried nearby. Another President, William Howard Taft, who was also a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, is the only other President buried at Arlington. thumb

Town of Potomac

The Town of Potomac was formerly located in Arlington County adjacent to the massive Potomac Yard of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. A planned community, its proximity to Washington D.C. made it a popular place for employees of the U.S. government to live. Potomac was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Town was annexed by the independent city of Alexandria in 1930. Today, in Alexandria, the Town of Potomac Historic District designates this historic portion of the city, and includes 1,840 acres and 690 buildings. The Town of Potomac was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

The Pentagon

1992 The Pentagon in Arlington is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. It was dedicated on January 15, 1943 and it is the world's largest office building. Although physically located in Arlington, the Pentagon uses a Washington, D.C. address. The building is pentagon-shaped in plan and houses approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel. It has five floors and each floor has five ring corridors. Built during the early years of World War II, it is still thought of as one of the most efficient office buildings in the world. Despite 17.5 miles (28 km) of corridors it takes a maximum of seven minutes to walk between any two points in the building. It was built from 680,000 tons of sand and gravel dredged from the nearby Potomac River that were processed into 435,000 cubic yards (330,000 m³) of concrete and molded into the pentagon shape. Very little steel was used in its design due to the needs of the war effort. The central plaza in the Pentagon is the largest "no-salute, no-cover" area (where hats need not be worn and salutes are not required) in the world. The open space in the center is informally known as ground zero, a nickname originating during the Cold War when it was thought of as the most likely target of a nuclear missile. During World War II, the earliest portion of the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway was built in Arlington in conjunction with the parking and traffic plan for the Pentagon. This early freeway, opened in 1943, and completed to Woodbridge, Virginia in 1952, is now part of Interstate 395.

9/11 Attack hits Arlington

Interstate 395 Sixty years to the day after groundbreaking on the Pentagon, the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred. The Pentagon was one of the three major US buildings struck by airliners hijacked by terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda, a militant terrorist organization. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon at 9:37 AM EDT, killing all of its 58 passengers (including the hijackers) and 6 crew. The section of the Pentagon hit consisted mainly of new, unoccupied offices and was damaged by the crash and the ensuing violent fire. The crash and subsequent fire penetrated three outer ring sections of the western side. The outermost ring section was largely destroyed, and a large section collapsed. 125 people in the Pentagon died from the attack. For pictures and graphics showing the damage in the impact see this [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2001/g010915-D-6570C.html briefing]. It has been speculated that the hijackers of a fourth hijacked aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, intended to crash into either the U.S. Capitol or the White House in Washington, DC. Black box recordings revealed that the passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers and when rocking the plane failed to subdue the passengers, the hijackers crashed the aircraft in a field near Shanksville and Stonycreek Township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. During the September 11, 2001 attacks, the efforts of Arlington County Fire Department and EMS personnel (and others from neighboring jurisdictions), as well of those aboard United Airlines Flight 93 helped limit the loss of life and damages to the Washington DC area. thumb

Government

Arlington is governed by a 5 person County Board, whose members are elected to 4 year terms. Arlington also elects 4 Members of the 100 Member Virginia House of Delegates and 2 Members of the Virginia Senate. State Senators are elected to 4 year terms, while Delegates are elected to 2 year terms.
- PAST ARLINGTON ELECTION RESULTS
- 2005 Governor...Tim Kaine...(D)- 74%
- 2004 President..John Kerry..(D)- 68%
- 2004 House........Jim Moran...(D)- 60%
- 2001 Governor...Mark Warner.(D)- 68%
- 2000 President..Al Gore.....(D)- 60%
- 1997 Governor...Don Beyer...(D)- 62%
- 1996 President...Bill Clinton(D)- 60%

Transportation

Airports

Arlington is the home of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Public Transportation

Arlington is served by the Orange, Blue, and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro. Additionally, it is served by Virginia Railway Express (commuter rail), Metrobus (regional public bus), and a local public bus system [http://www.commuterpage.com/art/ Arlington Transit] (ART).

Roads in Arlington

thumb

Length of roads in county

According to a rough estimation provided to one of the editors of this article in a 2005 E-mail by an engineering office of Arlington County, there are approximately 559 miles of roads in the county.

Maintenance of roads

2005 at sunset]] Arlington County is one of only two counties in Virginia which maintain their own roads (with the exception of primary state highways, including U.S. Highways and Interstates), the other being Henrico County outside the State Capital of Richmond. This special status was due to the existence of county highway departments prior to the creation of the state agency which is now VDOT in 1927, and the assumption of local roads by that agency in 1932. The control of the roads system is considered a powerful advantage for community urban planners, who can require developers to contribute to funding needed for road needs serving their projects.

Addressing and street-naming conventions

Arlington is divided into two sections by the east-west US 50 (Arlington Boulevard), which divides streets into "north" and "south" designations. The streets are named in the following manner. East-west streets are numbered, radiating outwards from Route 50; most numbers have one "street" and one "road" on each side of Route 50. North-south streets are alphabetical from east to west, with streets beginning with the letters A through W (as X, Y, and Z are skipped). When the end of the alphabet is reached it starts over from the beginning, but each street name will now have one more syllable than in the previous set. Ball Street (one syllable 'B') is the easternmost street and Arizona Street is the westernmost (four syllable 'A'). The numbered and alphabetical streets described in the preceding paragraph are designated as though Arlington were laid out on a consistent grid plan, which for the most part it is not. Originally, the various communities in the county had independent street-naming conventions. However, when county officials asked the United States Postal Service to place the entire county in a single "Arlington, Virginia" postal area, the USPS refused to do so until the county had a unified addressing system, which the county developed in 1932. For that reason, and also because Arlington is hilly, it is common for streets to terminate and continue later on in another location.

Arterial routes

This does not apply to the main arteries (none of which are "streets"). The north-south arteries from east to west are US 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway), Walter Reed Drive, Glebe Road, George Mason Drive and Carlin Springs Road. The east-west arteries from north to south are Williamsburg Boulevard, Yorktown Boulevard, Lee Highway (US 29), Wilson Boulevard, US 50 (Arlington Boulevard), Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive. Another main artery, Washington Boulevard, used to be a cow path, and runs both east-west and north-south. Through most of Arlington it runs east-west between Wilson Boulevard and Lee Highway. When it gets to the east side of town, it turns south and crosses US-50 and becomes VA 27, a freeway, before crossing Columbia Pike and intersecting with I-395. It then turns back northeast and runs past the Pentagon to end at the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Bicycle paths

There are a number of bike paths through Arlington including the Mount Vernon Trail, which continues through Alexandria to George Washington's plantation home. Nearby the airport, Four Mile Run intersects the path and continues westward. In addition, the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail along Four Mile Run extends westward from Arlington out to Purcellville, 45 miles away, and provides a pleasant ride for bikers wishing to take a longer route. Other notable trails include the Custis Trail, which parallels Route 66, and a myriad of smaller trails and roads with bicycle access.

Geography

Arlington is one of the smallest counties in the continental United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 67 km² (26 mi²), of which about 12 km² (4.6 mi²) is federal property. Arlington is located at 38°52'49" North, 77°6'30" West (38.880344, -77.108260). It is bounded on the north by Fairfax County, on the west by the City of Falls Church, on the south by the City of Alexandria, and on the east by the Potomac River; across the river is the City of Washington, DC. A person standing on Memorial Bridge in Arlington is exactly as far from the Cumberland Gap, Virginia's western extreme point, as they are from downtown Boston, Massachusetts -- 394 miles (636 km).

Neighborhoods in Arlington

There are numerous unincorporated neighborhoods within Arlington that are commonly referred to by name as if they were distinct towns, and characterized by the county as "urban villages." These include:
- Ballston
- Clarendon
- Columbia Pike
- Courthouse
- Crystal City
- Lee Highway/North Arlington
- Pentagon City
- Rosslyn
- Shirlington
- Virginia Square
- Westover thumb There are also numerous neighborhoods which are largely residential, including:
- Alcova Heights
- Arlington Forest
- Arlington Heights
- Arlington Ridge
- Arlington View
- Arno
- Ashton Heights
- Aurora Hills
- Balls Crossing
- Barcroft
- Bluemont
- Boulevard Manor
- Buckingham Villiage
- Cherrydale
- Claremont
- Columbia Forest
- Columbia Heights
- Crescent Hills
- Dominion Hills
- Donaldson Run
- Douglas Park
- East Falls Church
- Fairlington
- Forest Hills
- Glencarlyn
- Long Branch
- Lyon Park
- Lyon Village
- Madison Manor
- Maywood
- New Dover
- Nauck (also known as Green Valley)
- Rivercrest
- Waverly Hills
- Woodlawn
- Williamsburg
- Yorktown Arlington includes a large selection of Sears Catalog Homes, which were offered between 1908 and 1940. Considered to be of exceptional quality, in modern times, these houses are sought after by many home buyers.

Famous Residents

Ian Mackaye (Rock Singer/Guitarist, b.1962)

Postal areas

The three-digit ZIP code prefix 222 uniquely identifies Arlington. Delivery areas north of Arlington Boulevard have odd-numbered ZIP codes (22201, 22203, 22205, 22207, 22209, and 22213), while delivery areas south of Arlington Boulevard have even-numbered ZIP codes (22202, 22204, and 22206). ZIP codes assigned to post office boxes, large mailers, and military facilities do not follow that rule.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 189,453 people, 86,352 households, and 39,290 families residing in Arlington. The population density is 2,828/km² (7,323/mi²), the highest of any county in Virginia. There are 90,426 housing units at an average density of 1,350/km² (3,495/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is:
- 60% White
- 19% Hispanic
- 9% Black
- 9% Asian
- 4% mixed race. 28% of Arlington residents are foreign-born. There are 86,352 households out of which 19.30% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.30% are married couples living together, 7.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 54.50% are non-families. 40.80% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.30% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.15 and the average family size is 2.96. In the county, the population is spread out with 16.50% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 42.40% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.40% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 101.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.70 males. The median income for a household in the county is $63,001, and the median income for a family is $78,877. Males have a median income of $51,011 versus $41,552 for females. The per capita income for the county is $37,706. 7.80% of the population and 5.00% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.10% of those under the age of 18 and 7.00% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. In 2004 the average single-family home sales price passed $600,000, approximately triple the price less than a decade before, and the median topped $550,000.

Arlington CDP Population History


- 1960.....163,401
- 1970.....174,284
- 1980.....152,299
- 1990.....170,936
- 2000.....189,453

Education

Arlington is served by the Arlington Public Schools system. The public high schools in Arlington are Yorktown High School, Washington-Lee High School, Wakefield High School, and the H-B Woodlawn program. The Middle Schools in Arlington include: Swanson Middle School, Williamsburg Middle School, H-B Woodlawn Program, Kenmore Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and Gunston Middle School. Arlington County spends about half of its revenue on education, making it one of the top ten per-pupil spenders in the nation (as of 2004, over $13,000, the second highest amount spent on education in the United States, behind New York City).

Notes


- Although Arlington CDP had a population of 135,449 in 1950, the Census did not treat Arlington as a CDP because in 1950 CDPs were assigned to rural areas only. They were first assigned to urban areas during the 1960 Census.

External links


- [http://www.arlingtonva.us/ Arlington County official website]
- [http://www.stayarlington.com/ Arlington Convention and Visitors Service official website]
- [http://arlingcc.wliinc3.com/index.asp Arlington Chamber of Commerce]
- [http://www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/ Arlington Economic Development Agency official website]
- [http://www.commuterpage.com/art/villages/ Arlington's Urban Villages]
- [http://www.arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org/ Arlington Historical Society]
- [http://photos.historical-markers.org/va-arlington/ Arlington County's Historical Markers]
- [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/?id=101487 Arlington Skyscrapers at Emporis]
- [http://www.nvar.com/ Northern Virginia Assn. of Realtors (market statistics)]
- [http://mxmonline.tripod.com/ Max X. Miller Online September 11, 2001 Audio and Video Archive and Memorial including Washington DC & Arlington, VA Fire Depts.]
- [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/index.html The Final 9/11 Commission Report]
- [http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=complete_911_timeline&day_of_911=aa77 AA Flight 77: Minute by Minute]
- http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/
- http://www.nps.gov/arho/ Arlington House (National Park Service webpage)
- [http://www.glencarlyn.org/ Glencarlyn neighborhood webpage]
- http://www.interment.net/data/us/va/arlington/arlington/index.htm Category:Virginia counties Category:Washington, D.C. suburbs Category:Census-designated places in Virginia Category:History of the District of Columbia Category:Potomac River counties

Potomac River

The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). The river is approximately 413 statute miles (665 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km²). In terms of area, this makes the Potomac River the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast of the USA and the 21st largest in the USA. Over 5 million people live within the Potomac watershed, where precipitation provides the equivalent of over 8 m³ (more than 2100 US gallons) of water per person per year.

Geography

The river forms part of the borders between Maryland and Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia) on the left bank and West Virginia and Virginia on the river's right bank. The entire lower Potomac River is considered part of Maryland, with the exception of a small tidal portion within the District of Columbia. The North Branch Potomac River is considered part of Maryland to the low water mark on the opposite bank. The South Branch Potomac River lies completely within the state of West Virginia except for its headwaters which lie in Virginia. headwaters The Potomac River runs 383 miles (616 km) from the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia to Point Lookout, Maryland and drains 14,679 sq. miles (38,018 sq. km.). The average flow is 4.86 million US gallons per minute (306.6 thousand liters per second). The largest flow ever recorded on the Potomac at Washington, D.C. was in March 1936 when it reached 275 billion US gallons per day (12 million L/s). The lowest flow ever recorded at the same location was 388 million gallons per day (17 thousand L/s) in September 1966. The river has two sources. The source of the North Branch is at the Fairfax Stone located at the junction of Garrett County, Maryland and Tucker and Preston Counties in West Virginia. The source of the South Branch is located near Hightown in northern Highland County, Virginia. The river's two branches converge just east of Green Spring in Hampshire County, West Virginia to form the Potomac. Once the Potomac drops from the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain, tides further influence the river as it passes through Washington, D.C. and beyond. Salinity in the Potomac River Estuary increases thereafter with distance downstream. The estuary also widens, reaching 11 statute miles (17 km) wide at its mouth, between Point Lookout, Maryland and Smith Point, Virginia before flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.

History

Smith Point]] The name Potomac is a European spelling of an Algonquin name which supposedly means "river of swans." Other accounts say the name means "place where people trade" or "the place to which tribute is brought" and that the name translated as "river of swans" was another word, Cohongorooton. The spelling of the name has been simplified over the years from Patawomeke to Patowmack in the 18th century and now Potomac. The river's name was officially decided upon as Potomac by the Board on Geographic Names in 1931. Being situated in an area rich in American history and American heritage has led to the Potomac being nicknamed "the Nation's River." George Washington, the first President of the United States, was born in, surveyed, and spent most of his life within the Potomac basin. All of Washington, D.C., the nation's capital city, also lies within the watershed. The 1859 siege of Harper's Ferry at the river's confluence with the Shenandoah was a precursor to numerous epic battles of the American Civil War in and around the Potomac and its tributaries. General Robert E. Lee crossed the river, thereby invading the North and threatening Washington, D.C. twice in campaigns climaxing in the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg. The Patowmack Canal was intended by George Washington to connect the Tidewater near Georgetown with Cumberland, Maryland. Started in 1785, it was not completed until 1802. Financial troubles closed the