Federal Triangle (WMATA station)

Federal Triangle
Station statistics
Address 302 12th Street, Northwest
Washington, D.C. 20004
Lines
  Silver Line (planned)
Connections Metrobus
DC Circulator
MTA Maryland Commuter Bus
OmniRide Commuter
Structure Underground
Platforms 1 island platform
Tracks 2
Bicycle facilities 20 racks
Other information
Opened July 1, 1977
Accessible
Code D01
Owned by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Traffic
Passengers (2006) 3.972 million  3%
Services
Preceding station   Washington Metro   Following station
Blue Line
toward Vienna
Orange Line
toward Route 772
Silver Line (planned)

Federal Triangle is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Downtown Washington, D.C., United States. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for both the Blue and Orange Lines, the station's entrance is beneath the Ariel Rios Building. It is also scheduled to be on the Silver Line route, which is expected to start operations in 2013.[1] On January 13, 1982, an eastbound Metro train on the Orange Line derailed just east of the station resulting in three fatalities, the first fatalities in the system's history.[2]

The station opened on July 1, 1977.[3] Its opening coincided with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km)[4] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium and the opening of the Arlington Cemetery, Capitol South, Crystal City, Eastern Market, Farragut West, Federal Center SW, Foggy Bottom–GWU, L'Enfant Plaza, McPherson Square, National Airport, Pentagon, Pentagon City, Potomac Avenue, Rosslyn, Smithsonian and Stadium–Armory stations.[5] Orange Line service to the station began upon the line's opening on November 20, 1978.[6]

Contents

Location

The station serves an area of Washington crowded with federal buildings, on 12th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Constitution Avenue NW, including the triangular area formed by 15th Street, Constitution, and Pennsylvania known as Federal Triangle, from which the station takes its name. The triangle includes such federal buildings as the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, the Herbert C. Hoover Building (Department of Commerce), and the buildings of the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Station layout

Federal Triangle utilizes the simple island platform layout. There are two tracks: track D1 is used for trains bound for New Carrollton and Largo Town Center, and track D2 is used for trains going to Vienna-Fairfax/GMU and Franconia-Springfield.[7] As with all stations on the Metro, there are platform edge lights to warn passengers of incoming trains. In 2008, WMATA installed red-colored LED lights at Federal Triangle and centrally-located stations after a successful pilot at Gallery Place-Chinatown.[8] There is a coffered barrel-vault ceiling at Federal Triangle, as is typical of other Washington Metro stations built at that time.

There is only one entrance to the platform level, located slightly south of the center of the platform.[9] Escalators from this mezzanine level lead to the plaza of the Ariel Rios Building. A flat square on the ceiling of the station denotes a possible second entrance to the station; this has yet to be used. Similar walls can be found at stations such as Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter.

Notable places nearby

References

  1. ^ Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (2010). "Dulles Metrorail Project Overview". http://www.dullesmetro.com/about/overview.cfm. Retrieved July 25, 2010. 
  2. ^ Stephen J. Lynton (January 14, 1982). "Metro Train -Derails; 3 Die". The Washington Post. 
  3. ^ Feaver, Douglas B. (July 1, 1977), "Today, Metro could be U.S. model", The Washington Post: A1 
  4. ^ Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (July 2009). "Sequence of Metrorail openings". http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/docs/metrofacts.pdf. Retrieved July 25, 2010. 
  5. ^ Staff Reporters (June 24, 1977), "Metro's newest stations: Where they are, what's nearby", The Washington Post 
  6. ^ Eisen, Jack; John Feinstein (November 18, 1978), "City-County fanfare opens Orange Line; Ceremonies open new Orange Line", The Washington Post: D1 
  7. ^ John R Cambron track maps John R Cambron Retrieved 2008-09-11
  8. ^ Metro installing more red platform edge lights WMATA Retrieved 2008-09-11
  9. ^ Blue line NYCSubway Retrieved 2008-09-11

External links