Bethesda station

Last updated

Bethesda
WMATA Red.svg
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Passenger Information Display System at Bethesda station
General information
Location7450 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland
Coordinates 38°59′05″N77°05′41″W / 38.984605°N 77.094586°W / 38.984605; -77.094586
Owned by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Bicycle facilities Capital Bikeshare, 48  racks and 44  lockers
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeA09
History
OpenedAugust 25, 1984;39 years ago (1984-08-25)
Passengers
20233,794 daily [1]
Rank23 out of 98
Services
Preceding station WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Washington Metro Following station
Medical Center
toward Shady Grove
Red Line Friendship Heights
toward Glenmont
Future services
Preceding station MDOT-MTA Logo.svg Maryland Transit Administration Following station
Terminus Purple Line Connecticut Avenue
Location
Bethesda station

Bethesda station is a rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro system in Bethesda, Maryland. It is one of the busiest suburban Metro stations, serving on average 9,142 passengers each weekday in 2017. [2] The Purple Line, a light rail system currently under construction, will terminate at Bethesda, providing rail service to other inner Maryland suburbs such as Silver Spring and College Park, each of which has additional north-south connections by Washington Metro, and New Carrollton, which has Amtrak and MARC connections to both Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

Contents

Location

Located at the center of the area's central business district, Bethesda station lies underneath Wisconsin Avenue at its intersection with Montgomery Avenue. In the direction of Shady Grove, it is the first station wholly within Montgomery County, as Friendship Heights straddles the border between Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Nearby landmarks

History

The exterior of the station Bethesda station.jpg
The exterior of the station

The station opened on August 25, 1984. [3] [4] Its opening coincided with the completion of 6.8 miles (10.9 km) of rail northwest of the Van Ness–UDC station and the opening of the Friendship Heights, Grosvenor, Medical Center and Tenleytown stations. [3] [4] [5] In October 2013, a new staircase appeared between the mezzanine and platform. In October 2014, the replacement of the first of three entrance escalators at the station began. The escalator site preparation, demolition, construction, installation and testing was projected to take approximately 42 weeks to complete. The $8.4 million project was completed on March 22, 2017. [6] [7]

The station's construction has been a major boon to the area, with several office buildings being built on (in the Bethesda Metro Center complex) and around it.

The Purple Line system is under construction as of 2022 and is scheduled to open in 2027. [8]

Station layout

Construction of a deep elevator shaft for the new southern entrance Purple Line - Bethesda shaft construction - 2022a.jpg
Construction of a deep elevator shaft for the new southern entrance

Like the other 10 stations in the system constructed with rock tunneling, Bethesda station is deep underground. [9] Its platform is more than 120 feet (37 m) below the street level. [10] Prior to the opening of the Wheaton station, the Bethesda station had the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere, at 212 feet (65 m), with a rise of 106 feet (32 m). [11] [12] [13]

The main escalators descending to the station are located on the west side of Wisconsin Avenue, adjacent to the station's underground bus bays. A Metro-style tunnel connects passengers to the southeast corner of Wisconsin and Old Georgetown Road. A mezzanine provides fare control and access to the station's island platform within the station.

Between January 17 and December 24, 2022, the Bethesda Plaza entrance escalator was replaced with stairs that lead from the bus station to street level. The escalator was replaced because a canopy could not be accommodated that would provide protection from the elements for a new escalator. [14]

A new southern entrance will allow for connections to the Purple Line, which will be located in a tunnel running above the Red Line tunnel. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenleytown–AU station</span> Washington Metro station

Tenleytown–AU station is a subway station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro in Washington, D.C. Located in the Upper Northwest neighborhood, it is the last station on the Red Line heading outbound wholly within the District of Columbia; the next stop, Friendship Heights, lies within both the District and the state of Maryland. The station serves American University (AU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foggy Bottom–GWU station</span> Washington Metro station

Foggy Bottom–GWU station is an Washington Metro station in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. The island-platformed station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines, the station is located on I Street on the George Washington University (GWU) campus. It is the last westbound station in the District of Columbia on these lines before they dive under the Potomac River to Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Red Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is a primary line through downtown Washington and the oldest and busiest line in the system. It forms a long, narrow "U," capped by its terminal stations at Shady Grove and Glenmont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farragut North station</span> Washington Metro station

Farragut North station is an underground Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., located on the Red Line. The station serves Downtown Washington and is immediately northwest of Farragut Square. With an average of 7,615 daily riders in 2023, Farragut North was the sixth-busiest stop in the system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dupont Circle station</span> Washington Metro station

Dupont Circle station is an underground rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro in Washington, D.C. Located below the traffic circle, it is one of the busiest stations in the Metro system, with an average of 16,948 entries each weekday. The station parallels Connecticut Avenue NW between the southern edge of the circle to the south and Q Street NW to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodley Park station</span> Washington Metro station

Woodley Park station is an underground station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro. Located at 24th Street and Connecticut Avenue Northwest, it serves the neighborhoods of Woodley Park and Adams Morgan in Northwest Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Park station</span> Washington Metro station

Cleveland Park station is an underground rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro. Located in the neighborhood of the same name in Washington D.C., it opened on December 5, 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Ness–UDC station</span> Washington Metro station

Van Ness–UDC station is a Washington Metro station serving the Forest Hills and North Cleveland Park neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., United States. The island platformed station was opened on December 5, 1981, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Red Line, the station is on the 4200 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, with exits on either side of the street. The station is also close to the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), as well as to both Howard University School of Law and the Edmund Burke School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friendship Heights station</span> Washington Metro station

Friendship Heights station is a Washington Metro station on the Red Line straddling the border of Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on August 25, 1984, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical Center station (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro station

Medical Center station is a Washington Metro station in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. The island-platformed station was opened on August 25, 1984, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Red Line, the station serves the National Institutes of Health campus and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and is located at Rockville Pike and South Drive. Since there is little retail in the area and no commuter parking lot, this station is used almost exclusively by employees and visitors to those two institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bethesda station</span> Washington Metro station

North Bethesda station is a rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro in North Bethesda, Maryland. The North Bethesda station was opened on December 15, 1984, as White Flint and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Red Line, the station serves residential and commercial areas of North Bethesda and Rockville and is located near the former White Flint Mall and the new Pike & Rose mixed-use development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Spring station (Maryland)</span> Washington Metro and MARC Train station

Silver Spring station is a train station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro and the Brunswick Line of the MARC Train commuter rail system. The Metro station averaged 4,536 daily riders in 2023, making it the 19th-busiest stop in the network and the busiest in the state of Maryland. Trains travelling south from the station quickly cross the border into Washington, D.C., while northbound trains head underground and make their way further into Montgomery County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grosvenor–Strathmore station</span> Washington Metro station

Grosvenor–Strathmore station is a rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro in North Bethesda, Maryland. Grosvenor–Strathmore is the last above-ground station for Glenmont-bound Red Line trains until NoMa-Gallaudet U; south of the station, trains cross over the Capital Beltway before descending underground. It is one of a number of stations on the Rockville Pike corridor in Montgomery County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Glen station</span> Washington Metro station

Forest Glen station is a side platformed Washington Metro station in Forest Glen, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on September 22, 1990, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Its opening coincided with the completion of 3.2 miles (5.1 km) of rail north of the Silver Spring station and the opening of Wheaton station. Providing service for the Red Line, the station is located at Georgia Avenue and Forest Glen Road. The station is the deepest in the system and the state of Maryland at 196 feet (60 m) deep, so high-speed elevators, rather than escalators, are used for access to the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheaton station (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro station

Wheaton station is a Washington Metro station in Montgomery County, Maryland on the Red Line. The station serves the suburb of Wheaton, and is located at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Reedie Drive. The station contains 230-foot-long (70 m) escalators, which are the longest set of single-span escalators in the Western Hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal City station (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro station

Crystal City station is an underground Washington Metro station in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, United States. The station opened on July 1, 1977, and serves the Blue Line and Yellow Line services, with a Metroway bus rapid transit stop on the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Court House station</span> Washington Metro station

Court House station is an island platformed Washington Metro station in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, United States. The station was opened on December 1, 1979, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Weekday ridership is approximately 7,000 passengers per day. The station serves the Orange and Silver Lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosslyn station</span> Washington Metro station

Rosslyn station is the westernmost station on the shared segment of the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines of the Washington Metro. It is located in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, United States. Rosslyn is the first station in Virginia heading westward from the District on the Orange and Silver Lines and southward on the Blue Line. It is one of four interchange points on the Metrorail system west of the Potomac River and located in a growing business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Street–Old Town station</span> Washington Metro station

King Street–Old Town station is a Washington Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The station opened on December 17, 1983, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for both the Blue and Yellow Lines, this is the southernmost transfer station for the Blue and Yellow lines, as the two lines diverge just south of the station. During inclement weather, Crystal City is commonly used as an unofficial transfer point, being the southernmost underground station common to both lines. King Street was originally served only by the Yellow Line, until the Blue Line was extended from National Airport to Van Dorn Street in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentagon City station</span> Washington Metro station

Pentagon City station is an underground Washington Metro station in the Pentagon City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, United States. It serves the Blue and Yellow Lines.

References

  1. "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). May 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Staff Reporters (August 25, 1984). "Red Line adds 6.8 miles; Opening ceremony for new segment set for today at Friendship Heights". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  4. 1 2 Brisbane, Arthur S. (August 26, 1984), "All aboard; Metro festivities welcome latest Red Line extension", The Washington Post, p. A1
  5. "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). WMATA. 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  6. Massimo, Rick (March 22, 2017). "Metro unveils new escalators in Bethesda". WTOP News. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  7. "Metro completes major escalator replacement project at Bethesda station" (Press release). WMATA. March 22, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  8. Shaver, Katherine (January 26, 2022). "Md. board approves $3.4 billion contract to complete Purple Line". The Washington Post.
  9. Rivero, Cristina (June 7, 2016). "See some of the reasons why Metrorail is hard to maintain". The Washington Post.
  10. "Bethesda Metro Station South Entrance". Montgomery County, MD Capital Budget. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  11. Johnson, Matt (July 8, 2014). "What are the 10 longest Metro escalators?". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  12. Dooley, Erin (August 3, 2015). "Second Longest Escalator in the Western Hemisphere Makes Its Debut". ABC News. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  13. Lynton, Steven J. (July 26, 1984). "Metro Shows Off 5 New Stops: Montgomery Slated to Get Red Line Service in Month". The Washington Post. ProQuest   138270532 . Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  14. "New Bethesda Plaza Entrance Stairs". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. January 2022.
  15. Shaver, Katherine (December 10, 2021). "Cost of new Bethesda Metro entrance near Purple Line increases by $22.6 million". The Washington Post.
Purple Line
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