Mount Vernon Square station

Mount Vernon Square 7th Street–Convention Center
Station platform from the mezzanine in August 2022
General information
Location	700 M Street NW Washington, D.C.
Owned by	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Metrobus: 70, 79 Loudoun County Commuter Bus
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Bicycle facilities	Capital Bikeshare, 6  racks
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	E01
History
Opened	May 11, 1991;33 years ago (May 11, 1991)
Previous names	Mt Vernon Square-UDC (1991–2001) Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (2001–2011)
Passengers
2023	2,708 daily [1]
Rank	37 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Gallery Place toward Branch Avenue Green Line Shaw–Howard University toward Greenbelt Gallery Place toward Huntington Yellow Line Terminus
Location

Mount Vernon Square station is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Green and Yellow Lines. It is the northeastern terminus of the Yellow Line.

Location

Mount Vernon Square station is located at the border of the neighborhoods of Downtown and Shaw in the northwestern quadrant of Washington. Its namesake, Mount Vernon Square, is located two blocks to the south at the convergence of New York Avenue and Massachusetts Avenues and 7th, 9th, and K Streets. The station's subtitle is derived from the station's location along 7th Street NW and its proximity to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. However, the station is only one of five Metro stations underneath 7th Street NW.

Transit-oriented development

Like many other Metro stations in the Washington Metropolitan Area, Mount Vernon Square station has spurred development in its proximity. Most prominent is the Washington Convention Center, although a number of smaller residential and commercial projects have been completed within the surrounding blocks. To the southeast of the station is the Mount Vernon Triangle, a business improvement district (BID) seeing rapid mixed-use growth. To the southwest of the station is the mixed-use CityCenterDC development project, which is home to luxury condominiums and luxury retail franchises such as Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Tesla, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Fig & Olive and other upscale dining and shopping destinations. ^[2]

History

Service began on May 11, 1991. The station mezzanine was renovated in 2003 to coincide with the opening of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The renovation included additional faregates and a new street entrance.

In 2003, two redundant elevators near the entrance with escalators were opened and the station is the first station to get redundant elevators.

On January 7, 2007, the fifth car of a six-car train derailed in the tunnel at the interlocking south of the station, sending twenty people to the hospital for minor injuries and significantly damaging a rail car. ^{[3] [4]} Service resumed the next day at 5 AM. ^[5]

Since May 25, 2019, Yellow Line trains no longer terminated at this station during rush hours and extended to Greenbelt at all times. ^[6]

From March 26, 2020 until June 28, 2020, this station was closed due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

From October 12, 2021 to October 14, 2021 Blue Line Trains temporarily served this station due to a derailment near the Arlington Cemetery Station.

Since May 7, 2023, the northeastern terminus of the Yellow Line was truncated from Greenbelt to this station, following its reopening after a nearly eight-month-long major rehabilitation project on its bridge over the Potomac River and its tunnel leading into L'Enfant Plaza. ^[10]

Name changes

Originally to be named "Federal City College", the station was named Mount Vernon Square–UDC at the time of its 1991 opening, reflecting the establishment of the University of the District of Columbia. The station was renamed Mt Vernon Sq/7th Street–Convention Center in 2001; the "7th Street" helped distinguish that the stop served the new Walter E. Washington Convention Center as opposed to the old Washington Convention Center at 9th Street NW. On November 3, 2011, the station was again renamed, taking "Mount Vernon Square" as the main name, with "7th Street–Convention Center" as a subtitle. ^[11]

Station layout

The station) has a single island platform accessed from the southwest corner of Seventh and M Streets, NW. There is a pocket track just beyond the station going north, which is currently used to turn Yellow Line trains for service back to Huntington. It is also one of only two underground terminus stations in the Washington Metro, the other being Glenmont.

References

1. "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
2. "CityCenterDC" . Retrieved January 19, 2018.
3. Karush, Sarah (January 7, 2007). "20 Hurt After D.C. Subway Train Derails". The Washington Post . Retrieved January 8, 2007.
4. "Train passenger: 'I felt a very violent impact'". CNN. January 7, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
5. Monday Metrorail service back to normal after Sunday derailment WMATA Retrieved September 10, 2008
6. "Metro to extend Yellow Line service to Greenbelt beginning May 25" (Press release). WMATA. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
7. "Special Covid-19 System Map" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Retrieved May 24, 2020.
8. "Metrorail stations closed due to COVID-19 pandemic". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. March 23, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
9. "Metro to reopen 15 stations, reallocate bus service to address crowding, starting Sunday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
10. "Metro's Yellow Line reopens Sunday with controversial turnback". WJLA-TV . Sinclair Broadcast Group. May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
11. "Station names updated for new map" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. November 3, 2011. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.

External links

• WMATA Mount Vernon Square station page

• The Schumin Web Transit Center: Mt. Vernon Square Station
• M Street entrance from Google Maps Street View

38°54′20″N77°01′19″W / 38.905645°N 77.021928°W / 38.905645; -77.021928