The Washington Metro, since opening in 1976, has grown to include six lines, 91 stations, and 117 miles (188 km) of route. The Red Line opened in 1976, the Blue Line in 1977, the Orange Line in 1978, the Yellow Line in 1983, the Green Line in 1991, and the Silver Line in 2014.
In urban areas, Metro is one of the most convenient and fastest types of transport. There are about 800,000 trips per weekday. The Washington Metro is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States in number of passenger trips, only after the New York City Subway.
But the Washington Metro also has shortcomings. Today, I’d like to discuss station names.
I am selling the newspaper Street Sense at a corner of the Farragut Square Metro. Many people asked me: “Where is the station for Farragut North?” Although the entrance to the station is across the street, people cannot see the name of the Metro station Farragut North. The names of stations are written in a vertical view; that is, letters are arranged from top down.
In the U.S. and in the majority of the countries of the world, words are written horizontally. It is best for the station name to be written horizontally above the entrance to the Metro. It is better to write the name of the station in an illuminated look that would shine at night time.
What benefits will there be?
Horizontally presenting the station names will create better usability for Americans and guests of Washington, D.C.
Illuminated names would help advertise the Metro and the quantity of passengers would increase significantly. This will be beneficial to Metro management and the city authorities. After all, the Washington Metro is financed 57.6% by payment from passengers and 42.4% at the expense of local government subsidies.
Additionally, Washington, D.C. and other areas near the Metro will become lighter and more beautiful in a night-time setting.
Metro stations are underground palaces of our epoch. More than 800,000 Americans and guests of the capital come daily to these palaces. Therefore, it is necessary to write beautifully the name before an entrance to the underground palace.
To be continued.
