Hyattsville, MD got its name from Christopher Clarke Hyatt. Christopher purchased his first parcel of land there in March 1845. Hyatt opened a store and began mail delivery, officially naming the community “Hyattsville” in his 1859 application to become postmaster. Fort Totten takes its name from the Civil War fort located at the top of the area's hill, maintained by the NPS. It was built in 1861 and completed in 1863 to provide protection to the capital during the civil war. The fort is named for Joseph Gilbert Totten, a general in the War of 1812. Totten was the tenth person to graduate from the US Military Academy, being one of three graduating members of the class of 1805. Besides serving in the War of 1812, he served as Chief of Engineers and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences.
Yup, College Park Airport is indeed the world's oldest continuously operated airport as it was established in 1909 by the United States Army Signal Corps to serve as a training location for Wilbur Wright to instruct two military officers to fly in the government's first airplane. The airport's first plane was a Wright Model A biplane, uncrated and assembled there in October of that year. Civilian operations began as early as December 1911. In 1909, Wilbur taught Lieutenant Frederic Humphreys, who became the first military pilot to solo in a government airplane, and in October that year, Mrs. Ralph Henry Van Deman became the first woman to fly in a powered aircraft in the US! The Camden Line is interesting in that it's one of the US's oldest rail routes still in operation as the B&O began running commuter service from Baltimore to Ellicott City (Ellicott City station closed but is the oldest remaining passenger railway station in the US) over part of the trackage in May 1830! Not to mention the B&O's Washington Branch Railway, now along the Camden Line, was the first railroad to serve DC! The Washington Branch roughly followed the route of the Washington and Baltimore Turnpike, now Baltimore Avenue. The Washington Branch had stations at Laurel (still a station) and Bladensburg (what's now Hyattsville; the Camden Line station closed in the 1980s) stations, there were stations built at Paint Branch (now College Park station), the cluster of turnpike inns that became Beltsville at Powder Mill Road, (no longer a station), and an iron furnace called Muirkirk (also in Beltsville; still a station).
The stained glass at Columbia Heights is called Sankofa by Akili Ron Anderson, and they depict Sankofa birds set in a background of Kente cloth-inspired designs. Sankofa is a word in the Twi variety of Akan that means "to retrieve" and in the Akan culture of Ghana, the Sankofa bird signifies looking to the past for guidance for the future! When it comes to architecture, the DC Metro is among my favorites for aesthetics with the Tashkent Metro, and your showcase of the Green Line's architecture shows the Metro has a variety that comes together, and more than just the iconic ones downtown! Having art by locals further gives each station an identity! L'Enfant Plaza really is chef's kiss design and the perfect place to show just how incredible the DC Metro can be! How the parking garage is built over Hyattsville Crossing station reminds me a bit of Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City and how the transportation center plaza and parking garage was built covering a cut through Bergen Hill, with each bus lane having their own subway-style entrance to the PATH concourse. Originally when the station first opened in 1912 as Summit Ave, it was all open! The district was renamed Journal Square in 1925, the open-spandrel concrete arch bridge carrying Kennedy Blvd and the station opened above it opened in 1926, and the transportation center opened in the 1970s with a Brutalist design.
11:07 The Passy metro station in Paris is built in the same way; on the east side it's elevated pretty high up off the ground but on the west side it's underground.
On the Tokyo Metro Ginza line, there’s a section where you think you’re underground, only to pop out of a building and travel across a high elevated viaduct.
I saw that sneaky Cherry Blossom train at the end Thom! Must be some quick editing lol. Thanks for showing us so much of the Green line. As a kid we parked at Greenbelt to visit DC and the convention center a few times and I never realized just how new the stations/line were at the time. I just kinda assumed more of the DC metro was older but some of these Green Line openings were more recent than I thought. Also, when the Purple line does open it'll be great having an outer loop for transfers instead of having to go Downtown like you mentioned. As a Marylander it's a shame we've fumbled it's construction so far. Thanks for the great video!!
I waited to export the video until I saw the cherry blossom train! And it’s unfortunate to hear how MD’s transit budget is under so much threat, thankfully they passed an extension this year so some key projects still get funded.
Did you know that the Green Line once boasted the world's largest ice cube? During construction the coffer dam at the Waterfront Station burst, flooding several stations along the Green, Blue and Orange lines. To plug the leak, Metro brought in a giant freezer and sealed the tube with a giant ice cube (or ice cylinder.) It was certified as the world's largest by the Guinness Book folks. Now THAT’S unique!
If I had to pick a favorite WMATA stop, I'd have to go with L'Enfant Plaza due to the architecture. Nothing screams "Welcome to the DC Metro" like standing on the top level and looking up to see those vaults intersect the way they do with the sounds and rush of trains on both levels.
MARTA's Peachtree Center Station in Atlanta is one of my faves. It is very deep underground -- with some of the longest escalators in the world -- and the station was carved out of the living rock, which is visible at platform level. It is so deep that the escalators run more slowly than normal to allow your ears to adjust to the pressure change, and pressurized caissons had to be used during construction. Really nifty!
My favorite Metrorail stations are Forest Glen, Friendship Heights and Metro Center. Forest Glen is the deepest station, has a beautiful twin tube architecture, two peaceful and unassuming entrances, and is the only station without any escalators (although Montgomery County is planning a third entrance that would add some). Friendship Heights has two mezzanines on each end, leaving a spacious train hall in between. I love the domed ceiling at the upper mezzanine (a feature common on the western Red Line and parts of the orange line, but not standard across the entire system) - the DC/Maryland line goes right through the center of this rotunda. And Metro Center is an absolute classic, worthy of being the literal posterchild for the system. The iconic waffle vaults intersect in almost a perfectly symmetrical cross, and it is arguably the most useful, having the most unique entrances, serving the four busiest lines, and routinely ranking among the top five for entries and exits.
I always enjoy riding the DC Metro whenever I am in town. I'm always amazed at how large some of the underground stations are. My one dislike about the Metro are the outdated fare machines.
@Thom-TRA yeah. It wasn't fun the first time trying to figure it out. It was at Gallary Place right after a Caps game. After watching TH-cam tutorials it seems straight forward.
I can't say I've been in nearly as many metro stations as Thom, but I do remember being in awe of the iconic waffle pattern ceilings of the Washington Metro when I visited as a kid. A far cry from anything we have in Cleveland, that's for sure.
HAHAHA West Hyattsville😂 this video is so great, fantastic incorporation of the GGW article. Your videos are packed with content, there’s always so much more in store then the thumbnail.
Oh @Thom-TRA no no your thumbnail was amazing, I just meant your videos never disappoint and have more in store then only what’s on the cover of the book!!!
Fascinating to know there is so much architectural diversity in the stations of the DC Metro! I had no idea. I've only ridden the DC Metro once, years ago. I rode the combined blue/orange line (that shows how long ago that was). The stations seemed futuristic and roomy, which was unusual in my limited experience for subway stations. Chicago subway stations were cramped by comparison--walking around an escalator when a train is coming is actually dangerous!
Great seeing the different type of stations on the Metro but unlike the Metro in Sydney Australia we have 2 stations (Town Hall and Wynyard) where the tracks are on 2 levels and running in the same direction and yes it's good listening to the trains on the other level coming and going. Enjoy your TH-cam channel a lot and keep up the good work as it's the only way I can travel now.
Never knew about the UMD bus system. I wish all universities could offer a program like that, it benefits everyone! Also yeah, super cool architecture for the metro. The big brutalist style used to scare me when I was younger, but I appreciate it now 😂
Would love to see a video of your exploring MARC's other two lines! Camden line has exponential potential if it were to be upgraded to all day service and electrified!
I'll say from a more unique position, the first thing I think of when I think of the metro is the sounds. The old escalator hum and the combined 2,000/3,000, 1,000, and 5,000 series metro car traction motors all together. This was back about 15 years ago when they'd have a 2,000 or 3,000 series on one end, a 1,000 series in the middle, and a 5,000 series on the other end. Another thing I think of is the brown. The metro is system is very brown but it used to be a lot more brown.
I enjoy your videos of the dc metro system. Thank you for sharing. A personal story about the system. Back when it was still a baby system, I invited my visiting parents to ride the system from New Carrollton to the old Woody's department store (they had their own store entrance right into the system) do a little shopping and them eat lunch in the Woody's dinning room (white table cloths, china, etc.). As we are leaving the subway car and going up the escalator, I see my dad turning around and looking back where we can. Fearing he left something on the car I asked if everything was okay. His classic line, "I don't know whose house we were in, but they have one hell of a train set in their basement". Fond memories.
Something I find unique is that parts of the Downtown transit tunnel in Seattle are very obviously inspired by the DC metro. The best 2 examples of this would be Pioneer Square and University Street stations. Pioneer Square in particular has this vault shape that’s definitely DC inspired. It also has a little cable car museum at the southern entrance 😊
Thom, Metrorail rocks, I like high speed heavy rail transit, my favorite station is Union Station on the Red Line transferring to and from Amtrak, MARC, and VRE!!!
What a coincidence that I just rode the Green Line today haha! Also, BTW, what's even more funny for the name 'Greenbelt' is that the station is literally by the Capital Beltway. And it even has its own designated exit/entry from the highway
Thanks for the great tour. My local SkyTrain station is Main Street-Science World and I love that the elevated tracks go though the VanCity credit union tower before entering into the glass cocoon station.
This is a great video, especially for me. I've lived in Chicago for 15 years, but I use to live in the Washington DC area. I lived about a 8 minute walk to College Park, and took the train all the time to the DCA airport, usually transferring at Mt Vernon Sq. I think the Yellow line was extended to Fort Totten during rush hours so I would transfer there sometimes. I really enjoyed exploring the Metro system while I lived there! Also, when I was there, the red line trains were lengthened to 8 car trains, which caused the ends of the trains to spill off the platforms, but all the doors could open!
Also thanks for including the door announcements so often! They're my favorite. Still trying to make "doo doo doo doo Step Back Doors Closing" my text notification.
My favorites still have to be NYC and Chicago’s door closing announcements. As for ringtones. If you have an iPhone, try using GarageBand! That’s how I made my custom ringtones.
@@Thom-TRA Thanks Thom! I tried once before but failed. This time I figured it out (thanks youtube) and now I've got my notifications set. Thanks for being so helpful.
I attended U of MD when the Green Line opened -- and we were informed that the Greenbelt station is actually also within the city limits of College Park! (At least the west entrance of it.) Great video!
Thank you so much for teaching and showing us so many interesting things we didn’t even realize or know!!! it’s really awesome!!! I also wish these was a connector line in Chicago so that riders would not have to go all the way to the Loop to get on another line of the L!!!
I don’t have any interesting facts but before covid I was a CP Metro to L’enfant plaza daily commuter for 17 years. I can hear that hum of the trains in my sleep. Kinda bummed they changed PG Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing. Wfh now but I always enjoy learning more. “Doors closing”. Great vid
@12:00 I grew up with DC's metro, particularly the eastern Red Line branch, so I definitely agree. Having the choice to take the Red all the way in or to get onto the Green Line earlier means that getting to a much wider swath of NE and NW DC is easier. Hub and spoke style radial lines are fine but having lines "crisscross" outside a downtown core (preferably at a busy area with good bus routes) is a good idea.
I have one more month until I’m finally traveling to Arlington, VA. I’m planning on riding the red line to Glenmont, MD because I want to ride it through Wheaton even though it’s not the one I lived in. I’m from that Chicago suburb that’s less than 30 miles away from there. I’ll probably have to take the orange or silver line and connect to the red line at the Metro Center stop.
The Green line is an awfully interesting line. I ride the green all the time especially the southern end. It is a short line but the areas it serves are great like University of MD, Capital One Arena and Nats park! From an architecture standpoint, Anacostia always stands out to me by its design and the reasoning behind it makes it even more standing out!
🤔 Did NOAA HQ move? Thought they were in Silver Spring or DC? However, directly opposite College Park's Metro site are offices for the FDA. USDA is also not too far, in Beltsville, MD.
The DC Metro stations are a real high point of brutalist architecture. I also think how Metro has updated the style for the new stations but still allude to the original brutalist style is quite impressive.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm old enough (90's kid) to remember when the Green Line was split in two sections between Greenbelt to Fort Totten and U-Street Cardozo to Anacostia. I know the station is now named Hyattsville Crossing but for nostalgia purposes, it will always be known as PG Plaza to me 😀 Georgia Ave-Petworth and Columbia Heights opened later in 1999. I went to a school in Camp Springs, MD and I remember seeing the Naylor Road and Suitland Stations being constructed from the Suitland Parkway. Needless to say, I was very happy when the extension to Branch Avenue finally opened in 2001 and you now have the current Green Line that is shown today.
I’m a very late 90s kid, born in the last few months of the decade. Obviously don’t remember any of it but you’ll pry my membership card out of my cold dead hands 😂
Ill be honest. I was upset that PG Plaza was renamed. It isn't because I am resistant of change liek some spokesperson said. I genuinely thought it was a good name since it is called Prince Georges County and the mall was called the Mall at Prince Georges and that area was in a plaza like environment so it made sense to me. Hyattsville does not make sense whatsoever to me and I wish they left it as PG plaza. The other 2-3 station renaming made sense so that proves I ain't just saying this cause of emotionally attachments or nostalgia or anything like that but this one with PG Plaza and Hyattsville Xing did not at all and if I were a board member or on the PGC council I would petition to change that particular one back..
@@ethanparker7900 I agree; the PG Plaza Mall was right there so it made sense. I can also understand Largo Town Center being changed to Downtown Largo as well.
yessirr absolutely. I mean I don't like the term "Downtown" that much for a suburban stop and I wish they had just said "Largo" only if "Largo Town Center" really wasn't relevant anymore. I didn;t see anything wrong with "Town Center" but if I were to change it i would do Largo only to be short and sweet and to match the PIDS screens and Dest signs but ill give them the benefit of the doubt on that one. The White Flint to North Bethesda one too was justified since the White Flint mall doesn't exist anymore and it is the northern portion of bethesda so I can agree on that 100%. As much as i love metro and always will, the PG Plaza to Hyattsville crossing one yes is the only one i was deeply upset about and prolly will for the foreseeable future cause it just doesn't seem right to me. I wonder what would've happened if they were to have kept it as PG Plaza? Or if they has refused any but I say Pg Plaza since thats the one that upset people the most? I wonder what would happen? Like would they get some sort of penalty from PGC council members or something? @@JerrellWoolford
I haven't spent nearly enough time on the Green. I rarely use the Red, but I've at least used much of its run at one time or other. The Green, however, I've rarely used for more than a stop or three going to ball games and whatnot. I would definitely like to hear about that shuttle bus program at the school. I'd never heard of it, and it sounds like a great idea. Yes, I'd also love to see a video about station art. I'm not loving the new naming scheme. I'd rather the name of the station be simple, and then put the important landmarks & locations under the sign as a guide, as opposed to trying to jam all the local sites into the name of the station. I've been noticing them changing and getting longer over the last couple years, and I'm just not a fan.
I thought the longest distance between stations would be Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield. Do you mean the longest distance is still between Greenbelt and College Park-University of Maryland? West Hyattsville is my second favorite aerial, sided platform station. My first favorite sided platform station would be Eisenhower Avenue.
@@Thom-TRA I have not visited the Silver Line yet. However, I have seen long distances between stations on the Silver Line. However, we may need to discover the longest distance on the whole Washington Metrorail system of lines. Your estimate of the longest distance that you discovered on the Silver Line may be correct. That is something for us to learn. Thank you for typing to me.
There were a preponderance of 6000 series trains on the green line this day, have they been intentionally keeping 6000 trains on the green line and using the other trains on other lines while the 7000s are coming back?
7000s mostly run on green during rush I’ve noticed. Until February 2024, they didn’t run any 6-car 7000 series trains so any 6-car train had to be an older model.
fort toten should one day get at least a commuter rail station if not an amtrack station some day as the green line is the only line that has no commuter rail connection station.
Visit Amtrak.com on the internet and the first thing that will show up is where you can book a trip! Just put in your destination, the date of travel, and how many people you’re traveling with.
I don’t think I could consciously say a station that has a giant park and ride above it as one of my favorite. Like that could have all been transit oriented development 😢
I guess that’s what happens when you watch too much urbanism TH-cam? You start judging people for their aesthetic preferences… lol. I’d rather have the parking lot taking up space above the tracks than using space next to the tracks.
WMATA stations are so cool and iconic. I love when you can identify a metro system just by the station architecture.
That’s called good branding!
Hyattsville, MD got its name from Christopher Clarke Hyatt. Christopher purchased his first parcel of land there in March 1845. Hyatt opened a store and began mail delivery, officially naming the community “Hyattsville” in his 1859 application to become postmaster. Fort Totten takes its name from the Civil War fort located at the top of the area's hill, maintained by the NPS. It was built in 1861 and completed in 1863 to provide protection to the capital during the civil war. The fort is named for Joseph Gilbert Totten, a general in the War of 1812. Totten was the tenth person to graduate from the US Military Academy, being one of three graduating members of the class of 1805. Besides serving in the War of 1812, he served as Chief of Engineers and was regent of the Smithsonian Institution and cofounder of the National Academy of Sciences.
Yup, College Park Airport is indeed the world's oldest continuously operated airport as it was established in 1909 by the United States Army Signal Corps to serve as a training location for Wilbur Wright to instruct two military officers to fly in the government's first airplane. The airport's first plane was a Wright Model A biplane, uncrated and assembled there in October of that year. Civilian operations began as early as December 1911. In 1909, Wilbur taught Lieutenant Frederic Humphreys, who became the first military pilot to solo in a government airplane, and in October that year, Mrs. Ralph Henry Van Deman became the first woman to fly in a powered aircraft in the US!
The Camden Line is interesting in that it's one of the US's oldest rail routes still in operation as the B&O began running commuter service from Baltimore to Ellicott City (Ellicott City station closed but is the oldest remaining passenger railway station in the US) over part of the trackage in May 1830! Not to mention the B&O's Washington Branch Railway, now along the Camden Line, was the first railroad to serve DC! The Washington Branch roughly followed the route of the Washington and Baltimore Turnpike, now Baltimore Avenue. The Washington Branch had stations at Laurel (still a station) and Bladensburg (what's now Hyattsville; the Camden Line station closed in the 1980s) stations, there were stations built at Paint Branch (now College Park station), the cluster of turnpike inns that became Beltsville at Powder Mill Road, (no longer a station), and an iron furnace called Muirkirk (also in Beltsville; still a station).
The stained glass at Columbia Heights is called Sankofa by Akili Ron Anderson, and they depict Sankofa birds set in a background of Kente cloth-inspired designs. Sankofa is a word in the Twi variety of Akan that means "to retrieve" and in the Akan culture of Ghana, the Sankofa bird signifies looking to the past for guidance for the future! When it comes to architecture, the DC Metro is among my favorites for aesthetics with the Tashkent Metro, and your showcase of the Green Line's architecture shows the Metro has a variety that comes together, and more than just the iconic ones downtown! Having art by locals further gives each station an identity!
L'Enfant Plaza really is chef's kiss design and the perfect place to show just how incredible the DC Metro can be! How the parking garage is built over Hyattsville Crossing station reminds me a bit of Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City and how the transportation center plaza and parking garage was built covering a cut through Bergen Hill, with each bus lane having their own subway-style entrance to the PATH concourse. Originally when the station first opened in 1912 as Summit Ave, it was all open! The district was renamed Journal Square in 1925, the open-spandrel concrete arch bridge carrying Kennedy Blvd and the station opened above it opened in 1926, and the transportation center opened in the 1970s with a Brutalist design.
I’ll have to check out journal square! I’ve only made it as far as Grove Street.
11:07 The Passy metro station in Paris is built in the same way; on the east side it's elevated pretty high up off the ground but on the west side it's underground.
On the Tokyo Metro Ginza line, there’s a section where you think you’re underground, only to pop out of a building and travel across a high elevated viaduct.
@@Thom-TRA Those wacky Asians!
I saw that sneaky Cherry Blossom train at the end Thom! Must be some quick editing lol. Thanks for showing us so much of the Green line. As a kid we parked at Greenbelt to visit DC and the convention center a few times and I never realized just how new the stations/line were at the time. I just kinda assumed more of the DC metro was older but some of these Green Line openings were more recent than I thought.
Also, when the Purple line does open it'll be great having an outer loop for transfers instead of having to go Downtown like you mentioned. As a Marylander it's a shame we've fumbled it's construction so far. Thanks for the great video!!
I waited to export the video until I saw the cherry blossom train! And it’s unfortunate to hear how MD’s transit budget is under so much threat, thankfully they passed an extension this year so some key projects still get funded.
Did you know that the Green Line once boasted the world's largest ice cube? During construction the coffer dam at the Waterfront Station burst, flooding several stations along the Green, Blue and Orange lines. To plug the leak, Metro brought in a giant freezer and sealed the tube with a giant ice cube (or ice cylinder.) It was certified as the world's largest by the Guinness Book folks.
Now THAT’S unique!
That’s so cool! What a clever way to solve the problem
If I had to pick a favorite WMATA stop, I'd have to go with L'Enfant Plaza due to the architecture. Nothing screams "Welcome to the DC Metro" like standing on the top level and looking up to see those vaults intersect the way they do with the sounds and rush of trains on both levels.
Wholeheartedly agree! It’s so impressive, and it’s the first station I ever remember visiting.
Used to work at Best Buy in Columbia heights definitely agree about Dave’s lol
Dave’s ftw
Omaha recently got our first Dave’s, and, even though I haven’t tried it yet, it’s one of the restaurants I pick up from the most for DoorDash
Never heard of an entire university ran bus network before, would definitely be interested to hear more about that
There’s many of them in the US! UC Davis even uses old London double deckers!
Yes that's will be cool to see the college bus service
MARTA's Peachtree Center Station in Atlanta is one of my faves. It is very deep underground -- with some of the longest escalators in the world -- and the station was carved out of the living rock, which is visible at platform level. It is so deep that the escalators run more slowly than normal to allow your ears to adjust to the pressure change, and pressurized caissons had to be used during construction. Really nifty!
I love Peachtree Center Station
My favorite Metrorail stations are Forest Glen, Friendship Heights and Metro Center. Forest Glen is the deepest station, has a beautiful twin tube architecture, two peaceful and unassuming entrances, and is the only station without any escalators (although Montgomery County is planning a third entrance that would add some). Friendship Heights has two mezzanines on each end, leaving a spacious train hall in between. I love the domed ceiling at the upper mezzanine (a feature common on the western Red Line and parts of the orange line, but not standard across the entire system) - the DC/Maryland line goes right through the center of this rotunda. And Metro Center is an absolute classic, worthy of being the literal posterchild for the system. The iconic waffle vaults intersect in almost a perfectly symmetrical cross, and it is arguably the most useful, having the most unique entrances, serving the four busiest lines, and routinely ranking among the top five for entries and exits.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say Friendship Heights was their favorite before!
I always enjoy riding the DC Metro whenever I am in town. I'm always amazed at how large some of the underground stations are. My one dislike about the Metro are the outdated fare machines.
At least they’re fairly easy to use, even if they’re clunky.
@Thom-TRA yeah. It wasn't fun the first time trying to figure it out. It was at Gallary Place right after a Caps game. After watching TH-cam tutorials it seems straight forward.
I bought a pass in less than 30 seconds, they're not perfect but they get the job done.
I hate the new faregates that they put in some stations
Why? Do you fare evade?
I can't say I've been in nearly as many metro stations as Thom, but I do remember being in awe of the iconic waffle pattern ceilings of the Washington Metro when I visited as a kid. A far cry from anything we have in Cleveland, that's for sure.
Whaaat? You mean to say you haven’t been to 76/98? lol
HAHAHA West Hyattsville😂 this video is so great, fantastic incorporation of the GGW article. Your videos are packed with content, there’s always so much more in store then the thumbnail.
Thumbnail will be updated tonight! Spent waaaaaay too much time at H&R Block today :(
Oh @Thom-TRA no no your thumbnail was amazing, I just meant your videos never disappoint and have more in store then only what’s on the cover of the book!!!
Fascinating to know there is so much architectural diversity in the stations of the DC Metro! I had no idea. I've only ridden the DC Metro once, years ago. I rode the combined blue/orange line (that shows how long ago that was). The stations seemed futuristic and roomy, which was unusual in my limited experience for subway stations. Chicago subway stations were cramped by comparison--walking around an escalator when a train is coming is actually dangerous!
Great seeing the different type of stations on the Metro but unlike the Metro in Sydney Australia we have 2 stations (Town Hall and Wynyard) where the tracks are on 2 levels and running in the same direction and yes it's good listening to the trains on the other level coming and going.
Enjoy your TH-cam channel a lot and keep up the good work as it's the only way I can travel now.
Glad to hear you enjoy :)
im down to ride the umd shuttles at some point.
Let’s do it!
Ohh you definitely should! I would love to see you guys on my university’s buses!
@@danschrute5646 we’ll have to ask you to show us around!
@@Thom-TRA haha i would love that! :D
I'm an ancient grad of UM. We had to walk to everything. From the gulch to the physics dept... and you had to do it in 10 minutes between classes.
Never knew about the UMD bus system. I wish all universities could offer a program like that, it benefits everyone! Also yeah, super cool architecture for the metro. The big brutalist style used to scare me when I was younger, but I appreciate it now 😂
There’s a lot of college towns with great transit systems!
Would love to see a video of your exploring MARC's other two lines! Camden line has exponential potential if it were to be upgraded to all day service and electrified!
I’m doing a Camden line video soon!
I'll say from a more unique position, the first thing I think of when I think of the metro is the sounds. The old escalator hum and the combined 2,000/3,000, 1,000, and 5,000 series metro car traction motors all together. This was back about 15 years ago when they'd have a 2,000 or 3,000 series on one end, a 1,000 series in the middle, and a 5,000 series on the other end. Another thing I think of is the brown. The metro is system is very brown but it used to be a lot more brown.
The escalator hum is definitely very characteristic. It’s so loud!
Thanks for showing us the unique architecture! Out of the stations you showed I like Anacostia the best.
It’s a cool station!
I would love to see a video about shuttle UM! It's very interesting to see small bus systems driven by college students.
Thanks for the feedback!
Editing my least used green line video today! Cool timing.
I enjoy your videos of the dc metro system. Thank you for sharing.
A personal story about the system. Back when it was still a baby system, I invited my visiting parents to ride the system from New Carrollton to the old Woody's department store (they had their own store entrance right into the system) do a little shopping and them eat lunch in the Woody's dinning room (white table cloths, china, etc.). As we are leaving the subway car and going up the escalator, I see my dad turning around and looking back where we can. Fearing he left something on the car I asked if everything was okay.
His classic line, "I don't know whose house we were in, but they have one hell of a train set in their basement".
Fond memories.
What an iconic line!
Something I find unique is that parts of the Downtown transit tunnel in Seattle are very obviously inspired by the DC metro. The best 2 examples of this would be Pioneer Square and University Street stations. Pioneer Square in particular has this vault shape that’s definitely DC inspired. It also has a little cable car museum at the southern entrance 😊
I loved riding the LINK!
Thom, Metrorail rocks, I like high speed heavy rail transit, my favorite station is Union Station on the Red Line transferring to and from Amtrak, MARC, and VRE!!!
Don’t forget the streetcar!
@@Thom-TRA Yessss!!!
The High Peak is used at the Franconia-Springfield station, the last station on the Blue line in Virginia
What a coincidence that I just rode the Green Line today haha!
Also, BTW, what's even more funny for the name 'Greenbelt' is that the station is literally by the Capital Beltway. And it even has its own designated exit/entry from the highway
Thanks for the great tour. My local SkyTrain station is Main Street-Science World and I love that the elevated tracks go though the VanCity credit union tower before entering into the glass cocoon station.
I love stuff like that
Wow I really need to check out the green line more. I only ever ride it from L’Enfant to ballpark
You know how the red line was able to go around to college Park was very cool, especially since it’s fully independent now
No, Green line trains actually ran onto the red line for a period of about two years.
L’Enfant Plaza - good memories. Beautiful station.
This is a great video, especially for me. I've lived in Chicago for 15 years, but I use to live in the Washington DC area. I lived about a 8 minute walk to College Park, and took the train all the time to the DCA airport, usually transferring at Mt Vernon Sq. I think the Yellow line was extended to Fort Totten during rush hours so I would transfer there sometimes. I really enjoyed exploring the Metro system while I lived there! Also, when I was there, the red line trains were lengthened to 8 car trains, which caused the ends of the trains to spill off the platforms, but all the doors could open!
I didn’t know you lived in the DMV!
@@Thom-TRA oops, I actually lived near Greenbelt, then end of the line! It’s been too long!
Also thanks for including the door announcements so often! They're my favorite. Still trying to make "doo doo doo doo Step Back Doors Closing" my text notification.
My favorites still have to be NYC and Chicago’s door closing announcements.
As for ringtones. If you have an iPhone, try using GarageBand! That’s how I made my custom ringtones.
@@Thom-TRA Thanks Thom! I tried once before but failed. This time I figured it out (thanks youtube) and now I've got my notifications set. Thanks for being so helpful.
I attended U of MD when the Green Line opened -- and we were informed that the Greenbelt station is actually also within the city limits of College Park! (At least the west entrance of it.) Great video!
There’s lots of cool stations around the world that are in jurisdictions other than the one they’re named after! Could be a good video idea
My home station of Huntington (whenever I’m in the DC area) happens to be my favorite & also one with unique architecture.
Huntington is a great station
Lived there for over 8 years and loved the Metro … thanks for the Adventure. Where’s Lindsey?
Lindsey will be in a video again soon!
Thank you so much for teaching and showing us so many interesting things we didn’t even realize or know!!! it’s really awesome!!! I also wish these was a connector line in Chicago so that riders would not have to go all the way to the Loop to get on another line of the L!!!
Maybe someday it’ll get built, long overdue
I don’t have any interesting facts but before covid I was a CP Metro to L’enfant plaza daily commuter for 17 years. I can hear that hum of the trains in my sleep. Kinda bummed they changed PG Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing. Wfh now but I always enjoy learning more. “Doors closing”. Great vid
Happy you commented even if you don’t think you have interesting facts!
@12:00 I grew up with DC's metro, particularly the eastern Red Line branch, so I definitely agree. Having the choice to take the Red all the way in or to get onto the Green Line earlier means that getting to a much wider swath of NE and NW DC is easier. Hub and spoke style radial lines are fine but having lines "crisscross" outside a downtown core (preferably at a busy area with good bus routes) is a good idea.
It was one of the best parts of the plan
I love the DC metro but the first thing that comes to mind is gate jumpers
I have one more month until I’m finally traveling to Arlington, VA. I’m planning on riding the red line to Glenmont, MD because I want to ride it through Wheaton even though it’s not the one I lived in. I’m from that Chicago suburb that’s less than 30 miles away from there. I’ll probably have to take the orange or silver line and connect to the red line at the Metro Center stop.
Wheaton station is cool! It has the longest escalator in the Americas.
@@Thom-TRA That I never knew. I just meant that I want to at least ride through it but I may have time to check it out the escalator too.
good points about the art work and the difference architectural touches, but IMHO, the whole system always gets me thinking about waffles and syrup.
I like thinking about waffles and syrup
@@Thom-TRA just a small joke, that was an excellent video
I lived near DC Rode the orange line many times I don’t remember riding the green line though
Orange line is great
Great! thanks for sharing
The Green line is an awfully interesting line. I ride the green all the time especially the southern end. It is a short line but the areas it serves are great like University of MD, Capital One Arena and Nats park! From an architecture standpoint, Anacostia always stands out to me by its design and the reasoning behind it makes it even more standing out!
Anacostia also has a longer platform because it was built under the freeway!
yes and the elevators and escalators too are on the very ends rather than close to the center@@Thom-TRA
Right across the street from the College Park station is the headquarters of NOAA, quite literally one of the most important buildings in the world
🤔 Did NOAA HQ move? Thought they were in Silver Spring or DC?
However, directly opposite College Park's Metro site are offices for the FDA.
USDA is also not too far, in Beltsville, MD.
I noticed the DC trains make the exact same sound that the NYC trains make when pulling into a station.
The DC Metro stations are a real high point of brutalist architecture. I also think how Metro has updated the style for the new stations but still allude to the original brutalist style is quite impressive.
I’m usually not a fan of brutalism but the metro is definitely an exception
Thanks!
Thank you for the gift!
Upon completion of the purple line the yellow line might be extended back to Greenbelt but this requires an expansion of the yard to handle more cars.
The current reasoning behind the short turn is just to save some operational costs
Great video, will you be doing a video on the baltimore subway, marc and vre?
I’ve done videos on MARC and VRE, there’s more MARC on the way. But I have not had a chance to take the subway in Baltimore yet.
I was trying to see if I could hear my self or on one of the trains lol I been on the greenline for years
I enjoyed that video👍👍
You could say they're "purp-paring" for the purple line
When making puns, practice clearly makes purpect!
It's also worth noting that Anacostia has no platform-level pylons - another rarity for the system - and that the platform itself is slightly curved.
Yes, lots of interesting facts
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm old enough (90's kid) to remember when the Green Line was split in two sections between Greenbelt to Fort Totten and U-Street Cardozo to Anacostia.
I know the station is now named Hyattsville Crossing but for nostalgia purposes, it will always be known as PG Plaza to me 😀
Georgia Ave-Petworth and Columbia Heights opened later in 1999.
I went to a school in Camp Springs, MD and I remember seeing the Naylor Road and Suitland Stations being constructed from the Suitland Parkway. Needless to say, I was very happy when the extension to Branch Avenue finally opened in 2001 and you now have the current Green Line that is shown today.
I’m a very late 90s kid, born in the last few months of the decade. Obviously don’t remember any of it but you’ll pry my membership card out of my cold dead hands 😂
Ill be honest. I was upset that PG Plaza was renamed. It isn't because I am resistant of change liek some spokesperson said. I genuinely thought it was a good name since it is called Prince Georges County and the mall was called the Mall at Prince Georges and that area was in a plaza like environment so it made sense to me. Hyattsville does not make sense whatsoever to me and I wish they left it as PG plaza. The other 2-3 station renaming made sense so that proves I ain't just saying this cause of emotionally attachments or nostalgia or anything like that but this one with PG Plaza and Hyattsville Xing did not at all and if I were a board member or on the PGC council I would petition to change that particular one back..
@@ethanparker7900 I agree; the PG Plaza Mall was right there so it made sense. I can also understand Largo Town Center being changed to Downtown Largo as well.
@@Thom-TRA Eh.....you get a pass for the sake of Trains Being Awesome😆
yessirr absolutely. I mean I don't like the term "Downtown" that much for a suburban stop and I wish they had just said "Largo" only if "Largo Town Center" really wasn't relevant anymore. I didn;t see anything wrong with "Town Center" but if I were to change it i would do Largo only to be short and sweet and to match the PIDS screens and Dest signs but ill give them the benefit of the doubt on that one. The White Flint to North Bethesda one too was justified since the White Flint mall doesn't exist anymore and it is the northern portion of bethesda so I can agree on that 100%. As much as i love metro and always will, the PG Plaza to Hyattsville crossing one yes is the only one i was deeply upset about and prolly will for the foreseeable future cause it just doesn't seem right to me. I wonder what would've happened if they were to have kept it as PG Plaza? Or if they has refused any but I say Pg Plaza since thats the one that upset people the most? I wonder what would happen? Like would they get some sort of penalty from PGC council members or something? @@JerrellWoolford
I would love to know more about Shuttle-UM!
Got it!
I haven't spent nearly enough time on the Green. I rarely use the Red, but I've at least used much of its run at one time or other. The Green, however, I've rarely used for more than a stop or three going to ball games and whatnot.
I would definitely like to hear about that shuttle bus program at the school. I'd never heard of it, and it sounds like a great idea.
Yes, I'd also love to see a video about station art.
I'm not loving the new naming scheme. I'd rather the name of the station be simple, and then put the important landmarks & locations under the sign as a guide, as opposed to trying to jam all the local sites into the name of the station. I've been noticing them changing and getting longer over the last couple years, and I'm just not a fan.
They also use 3rd track to train new train operators.
Maybe they could extend the Green Line's south end to near Andrews AFB, then change direction & continue due west to & over the I-495 bridge?
The blue will go over the Wilson bridge in the future
@@Thom-TRA
Is that the proposed "bloop line"?
i would like to see a vid about UMD bus por favor
Noted!
I thought the longest distance between stations would be Van Dorn Street and Franconia-Springfield. Do you mean the longest distance is still between Greenbelt and College Park-University of Maryland? West Hyattsville is my second favorite aerial, sided platform station. My first favorite sided platform station would be Eisenhower Avenue.
I don’t believe I ever said it’s the longest.
The longest distance between stops is on the Silver line.
@@Thom-TRA I have not visited the Silver Line yet. However, I have seen long distances between stations on the Silver Line. However, we may need to discover the longest distance on the whole Washington Metrorail system of lines. Your estimate of the longest distance that you discovered on the Silver Line may be correct. That is something for us to learn. Thank you for typing to me.
These stations look great!!!
Maar niet zo mooi als Rotterdam C!
I like it.
Nice
Can you check out the Atlanta Marta system one day and great video
I already have! Video coming soon
There were a preponderance of 6000 series trains on the green line this day, have they been intentionally keeping 6000 trains on the green line and using the other trains on other lines while the 7000s are coming back?
7000s mostly run on green during rush I’ve noticed. Until February 2024, they didn’t run any 6-car 7000 series trains so any 6-car train had to be an older model.
Have always loved the "waffle tube" stations.
They’re iconic
Thom, The West Hyattsville station is as impressive as a cardboard box. All other stations have some personality or charm.
Glad to have some consensus!
it is similar to Eisenhower Ave
At Fort totten i found the 2000 swries
Have you been on la metro subway let? Maybe next time you come back to Los Angeles one day
Yes! I’ve been on the B red, E expo, and K Crenshaw lines
@@Thom-TRA oh okay that's cool to hear that
fort toten should one day get at least a commuter rail station if not an amtrack station some day as the green line is the only line that has no commuter rail connection station.
The Green Line connects to commuter rail at Greenbelt, College Park, and L’Enfant
DC Metro trains look like BART trains.
They are similar for a reason
Interesting except for the occasional blinding white screen
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Hi need some help. I'm from St paul MN and would like to see Glacier national park and come back.
How do i even book it?
Visit Amtrak.com on the internet and the first thing that will show up is where you can book a trip! Just put in your destination, the date of travel, and how many people you’re traveling with.
SPY AGENTS CIA 007
I found it ironic how you said most stations look like this and the footage showed a station where only 2 stations are like it
Literally 30 out of 98 stations have the waffle tube design. What are you on about?
@@Thom-TRA you showed one where it’s not full waffle , the platforms were split I didn’t know if those 2 were classified differently
They’re not.
That escalator is dirty. DC Metro has the most escalators in the western hemisphere.
Series
Metro is currently in the process of retrofitting the fare gates with taller gates to reduce fare evasion
I don’t think I could consciously say a station that has a giant park and ride above it as one of my favorite. Like that could have all been transit oriented development 😢
I guess that’s what happens when you watch too much urbanism TH-cam? You start judging people for their aesthetic preferences… lol.
I’d rather have the parking lot taking up space above the tracks than using space next to the tracks.
@@Thom-TRA True it could have been worse, and it certainly does impressive in a brutalist manner. I just feel it could have been done better lol.