Transit
WMATA proposes new map; recommends renaming King Street, Waterfront, and Navy Yard
On Thursday, the WMATA Board will review a revised Metro map and proposed name changes. The interim map shows the new "Orange and Yellow Line Service Increase" and the Silver Line under construction. Jurisdictions made formal requests to change the names of 6 stations; WMATA staff recommend accepting 2 of those.
Image from WMATA. Click to enlarge.
For the map, based on survey results, WMATA staff and designer Lance Wyman decided to color the Dulles line Silver, use dashed yellow and orange lines at the ends to denote rush hour-only service, and add hours of operation to the map. Different symbols for short turn stations confused riders and are gone from this version.
The recommendation would add Old Town as a subtitle to King Street, and Ballpark to Navy Yard once DC commits funding. Further, they recommend changing Waterfront-SEU to just Waterfront, not adding Arena Stage as requested. Suggested changes to Smithsonian, New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U, and Forest Glen are also on the table, but staff are not endorsing those changes.
Instead of adding Holy Cross Hospital to Forest Glen, as Montgomery County requested, staff and Wyman devised a clever solution. Just as all stations with parking will have a P in a square next to their names, stations with hospitals will get an H in a square. That includes Forest Glen as well as Foggy Bottom, Shaw, and Medical Center.
The Board will also review the recommendation to use subtitles for 12 long station names. Staff dropped Grosvenor-Strathmore from their recommended list at the request of Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett; the board could still use a subtitle for this or even all stations with points of interest like universities.
What do you think? Below are more details about all the proposed changes. As you read, you can click the radio buttons to indicate which suggestions you agree with. At the end, you can submit your recommendations to the WMATA Board.
Station renaming proposals
Metro stations can be renamed if a local jurisdiction requests a change, agrees to pay for the cost of changing signs, and the WMATA Board approves the change.
The station naming policy, adopted earlier this year, says that station names should:
- Convey a sense of place
- Use up to 19 characters, or 13 for transfer stations
- Potentially contain subtitles, but count the subtitle against the station name length
- Only mention landmarks within a short walk, if any
- Not be sold to commercial entities
Update: WMATA sent over a slightly revised version this morning that moves the 2 Farragut stations closer together, adds the parking icon to Forest Glen, and moves the U Street label. I've passed on the comments people made about other errors, such as "No Litering," "Ronald Regan," missing railroad icons and the dots on the Largo branch which should go between Orange and Blue.
 | David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.   |
Comments
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by anon on Oct 11, 2011 10:11 am • link • report
by Ryan Hall on Oct 11, 2011 10:11 am • link • report
Keep it simple, stupid
by Jesse Hightower on Oct 11, 2011 10:12 am • link • report
Station bullets on section of Blue/Orange Lines from Benning Road to Largo Town Center need to be centered to lie in between Blue and Orange Lines.
by Yonah Freemark on Oct 11, 2011 10:16 am • link • report
by Jamie Scott on Oct 11, 2011 10:16 am • link • report
I feel very strongly that the history of Navy Yard - now with a beautiful boardwalk and park - not be erased from memory. Please keep Navy Yard and make "Ballpark" a subtitle.
by Michael Coffey on Oct 11, 2011 10:17 am • link • report
by Michael on Oct 11, 2011 10:18 am • link • report
by Erik W on Oct 11, 2011 10:18 am • link • report
by Jamie Scott on Oct 11, 2011 10:18 am • link • report
Also, shouldn't union station have the Amtrak/MARC/VRE on the map. I know it should be obvious, but there's always someone who doesn't realize that without it being spelled out
by arlucbo on Oct 11, 2011 10:19 am • link • report
by Tom Dallas McSorley on Oct 11, 2011 10:19 am • link • report
People who work there. People visiting patients. People going in for outpatient care. People going in for non emergency treatments. Doctors-in-training. People scoping out potential care facilities. The list goes on and on...
by wmataplusside on Oct 11, 2011 10:21 am • link • report
by Andrew on Oct 11, 2011 10:21 am • link • report
by Froggie on Oct 11, 2011 10:22 am • link • report
I wonder if the staff should have added the rediculous proposed Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project station names; four with "Tysons" in the name, to drum up public opposition.
by Transport on Oct 11, 2011 10:22 am • link • report
by Gregory Oshel on Oct 11, 2011 10:23 am • link • report
Shorter names are better, but subtitles are somewhat acceptable especially if they eventually get faded out in favor of keeping the short name.
by Eliot on Oct 11, 2011 10:23 am • link • report
by Moose on Oct 11, 2011 10:23 am • link • report
by Froggie on Oct 11, 2011 10:24 am • link • report
by Alan Wehler on Oct 11, 2011 10:25 am • link • report
- Either just "Ballpark" -or- "Navy Yard" and add sports logos in the icon listing.
- NoMa; nothing more. My 2 cents is universities don't need to be on the system maps (though I'm fine w/ in-station signing and MAYBE as subtitles). At the least drop the NY Ave part.
- Either leave it as Smithsonian or rename it to "National Mall" -- specifically dropping the "The". Even then neither really is spot-on... perhaps "Smithsonian Castle" considering that's what the Institution Bldg is popularly known as, especially among tourists.
- I like the hospital symbols; I actually added those into my own map a couple months ago & am pretty sure I'd included it in my suggestions to WMATA :)
- Is the subtitling right on Gallery Pl / Chinatown? I always thought Gallery Pl was the private development above the station; Chinatown was the neighborhood- meaning they should be switched.
- Take off "7th St" from Mt V Sq. If anyone is looking for how to get to 7th St, they're most likely destined for Chinatown or Archives.
- Ditch Cardozo entirely. I'm not a fan of the lengthy memorial name, either, lest we want to add every memorial onto their respective station names/subtitles.
- Can it be UMD instead of U of Md? Or at least U of MD? Just a pet peeve of mine; not particularly critical.
by Bossi on Oct 11, 2011 10:27 am • link • report
by Joel Church on Oct 11, 2011 10:28 am • link • report
by Paul Sieczkowski on Oct 11, 2011 10:28 am • link • report
by Michael Solomon on Oct 11, 2011 10:33 am • link • report
by tom veil on Oct 11, 2011 10:34 am • link • report
by Cameron Cook on Oct 11, 2011 10:35 am • link • report
Station names should convey a sense of community identity, not just location; NoMa is preferable to New York Avenue. The names should be as short as possible, and shift as much semantically separate content to the subtitles, away from the primary name; Foggy Bottom (with GWU or even GWU-Kennedy Center as a subtitle) is preferable to Foggy Bottom - GWU. Finally, given the availability of the subtitles, providing notice of major institutions to travellers within reason enhances wayfinding.
by Rahul MereandSinha on Oct 11, 2011 10:37 am • link • report
Subtitles Rock!
So does the 'H!'
by David on Oct 11, 2011 10:37 am • link • report
by Matt Dickens on Oct 11, 2011 10:44 am • link • report
by Mario Vittes on Oct 11, 2011 10:45 am • link • report
When actually using the map, it doesn't matter that much, but stack them all up and the inconsistencies become maddening.
by Distantantennas on Oct 11, 2011 10:48 am • link • report
by Joey Katzen on Oct 11, 2011 10:48 am • link • report
by Geoffrey Hatchard on Oct 11, 2011 10:51 am • link • report
Station titles should be clear, compact and memorable. Adding attractions only adds clutter to the scheme, rarely adding useful detail on which station to use.
by Shawn Shafer on Oct 11, 2011 10:52 am • link • report
Please keep "Navy Yard" as the main name on that station. Although the current Washington Navy Yard is a 10-minute walk from the station, the name "Navy Yard" reflects the historical character of the neighborhood, as many of the buildings were once ship- and weapons-building facilities.
Also, please take a step back and consider what Metro station names SHOULD be. They should be short names that are easy for people to remember. They should not be used as wayfinding tools for lazy tourists or as ways to promote whatever BID or private business venture happens to be near the station. Great transit systems like the London Underground don't have station names like "U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo." Simple is almost always better.
by Rebecca on Oct 11, 2011 10:52 am • link • report
by Paul S on Oct 11, 2011 10:55 am • link • report
Subtitles should be used everywhere. Say no to hyphenates!
The proposal to add an "H" for hospitals is the stupid and unnecessary. If these are the kinds of proposals that are floating out of Mr. Wyman's head, it's high time he retire.
by Adam L on Oct 11, 2011 10:56 am • link • report
What's the rationale for not including station names for the Silver Line? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time there were stations under construction (the two at the MD end of the Blue Line and the NY Ave. infill station), their names were on the map while the line was dashed to indicate under construction.
by Edward Hoover on Oct 11, 2011 11:01 am • link • report
shorter is better --
by John Kelliher on Oct 11, 2011 11:04 am • link • report
by Adam L on Oct 11, 2011 11:06 am • link • report
by James on Oct 11, 2011 11:09 am • link • report
I greatly prefer short, distinctive names. "Navy Yard" is perfect as is, a striking, unusual name conveying (and contributing to) a sense of the place where the station is located. If such names absolutely must be encumbered, I would greatly prefer that it be done in subtitles (or, in the case of National Airport, a surtitle).
by David James on Oct 11, 2011 11:09 am • link • report
by Nick on Oct 11, 2011 11:13 am • link • report
by Gavin on Oct 11, 2011 11:13 am • link • report
by John Mitchell on Oct 11, 2011 11:13 am • link • report
by Rukasu on Oct 11, 2011 11:14 am • link • report
Station names should reflect neighborhoods over tourist landmarks whenever possible. I'd like to see "Archives/Navy Mem'l/Penn Quarter" become "Penn Quarter/Archives-Navy Mem'l."
by Miles Grant on Oct 11, 2011 11:14 am • link • report
As an DC school alumni, I admit I have a bias for not making university names into subtitles, however I feel that many of these stops (In my opinion, Brookland, College Park, Shaw, Tenleytown and Van Ness) are primarily used for access to the university or residences of their students/professors. Many of the full names (I think Van Ness-UDC especially) have become how people share the name of the station in conversation. This is compared to making subtitles out of nearby attractions, which are longer and may not the primary reason for coming to the station.
I do feel that using the National's "W" would be the best way to name the station just to increase awareness and cultural identity with the team that could certainly use it. Ballpark sounds much more serious and lacks the sort of charm that often comes with metro. To me, the arguments in the GGW post on the subject were pretty weak. No one is going to get upset because they can't speak part of the station's name.
I would echo the comments made in a GGW article about the National Mall subtitle being added to Smithsonian. This would only increase the number of tourists, and even locals, who view the stop as the only way to get to the Mall, which is far from true.
NoMa sounds like it really should be a decision left up to the neighborhood's residents, do they prefer to identify with that or with New York Ave, however, I personally think that having neighborhood names adds a lot more culture and identity to a metro stop than a street name. I think this is true for the RI Ave, Georgia Ave and King St Stops as well.
by BD on Oct 11, 2011 11:18 am • link • report
by Omar on Oct 11, 2011 11:21 am • link • report
by Nikolas Marosfalvy on Oct 11, 2011 11:23 am • link • report
I would also note that the proposed interim map does not show rail connections, unlike stations such as Rockville, Greenbelt, King Street, and so on.
by Dane Yocco on Oct 11, 2011 11:24 am • link • report
by dand on Oct 11, 2011 11:24 am • link • report
There should be a way to denote Grosvenor and Silver Spring as short-turn stations.
by Eric Garment on Oct 11, 2011 11:25 am • link • report
Keeping the station name uniform makes the most sense to me. Use subtitles for all extraneous information, including universities and landmarks.
by Vicki on Oct 11, 2011 11:25 am • link • report
by Ken Buja on Oct 11, 2011 11:25 am • link • report
by Michael Wittie on Oct 11, 2011 11:26 am • link • report
by Michael Perkins on Oct 11, 2011 11:27 am • link • report
2) I don't recall seeing Hospital options in their survey. Where did this come from?
3) Why is Amtrak/MARC/VRE listed at New Carrollton and King Street (etc), but nothing is at Union Station and L'Enfant Plaza?
4) How are they denoting trains terminating at Grosvenor, Silver Spring, Fort Totten, Stadium/Armory, W Falls Church and Mt. Vern Sq?
by Matt Glazewski on Oct 11, 2011 11:29 am • link • report
by Nick on Oct 11, 2011 11:30 am • link • report
by Nestor Cerami on Oct 11, 2011 11:30 am • link • report
by Chris Barnes on Oct 11, 2011 11:31 am • link • report
by Matt Glazewski on Oct 11, 2011 11:32 am • link • report
I like Arena Stage but they should not get their name in a Metro station name. In general, shorter is better. I like "National Airport" with the "Washington" and "Reagan" parts in a subtitle.
by Kevin Rooney on Oct 11, 2011 11:32 am • link • report
by Spelling Chicken Hawk on Oct 11, 2011 11:38 am • link • report
by Bryce on Oct 11, 2011 11:39 am • link • report
Just a heads up, WMATA. . .
by BW on Oct 11, 2011 11:41 am • link • report
by Matt Glazewski on Oct 11, 2011 11:41 am • link • report
Hyphens sometimes have a space on either side, sometimes not.
The sign at the bottom warns us against "litering" - really??!!
Why are some station addresses given with an "@" symbol between streets and others with an "&"?
Why are "Road" and "Boulevard" spelled out, but "Avenue" isn't?
Why are the "H" and "P" symbols the same color, making them almost impossible to distinguish from each other? Make one a circle, or reverse the text out of a gray square for one, or use color to differentiate them (blue for parking, red for hospital).
If I - one lonely little designer working on my version of the map in my spare time - can pay attention to these details, then so should Mr. Wyman's studio.
by Cameron Booth on Oct 11, 2011 11:41 am • link • report
The shorter the name, the better. Not only to long names crowd the map, they are difficult to understand when drivers announce them on the train. Short names also ensure that all users use the same name.
by Colleen on Oct 11, 2011 11:42 am • link • report
I want to see short names and the subtitles are a decent way to tame names that are already too long. But I don't think subtitles need to be added. The only name I'm really conflicted about is NoMa, because I'm still uncomfortable with the invented NYC-aping marketroid-driven term. But none of the substitutes are any better.
by Tom Metcalf on Oct 11, 2011 11:42 am • link • report
by Brett Bearce on Oct 11, 2011 11:42 am • link • report
Would like a sign explaining to tourist to STAND TO THE RIGHT!! Thank you. :-)
by LaToya Parnell on Oct 11, 2011 11:44 am • link • report
by Will Dean on Oct 11, 2011 11:44 am • link • report
New York Ave station should be renamed, but NOT to NoMa. At the very least it should be Florida Ave and hopefully something more unique than that.
by Nicholas on Oct 11, 2011 11:45 am • link • report
by Max on Oct 11, 2011 11:47 am • link • report
by freely on Oct 11, 2011 11:49 am • link • report
1. Spelling mistakes are lame even on a draft version. Why aren't they catching those?
2. Hospital and Parking symbols are too alike.
I don't see where there are spaces between some hyphen-word combos though.
by MLD on Oct 11, 2011 11:49 am • link • report
by Chris Slatt on Oct 11, 2011 11:52 am • link • report
by Matt Glazewski on Oct 11, 2011 11:55 am • link • report
Although I voted for subtitles with universities, I think it should remain Foggy Bottom-GWU, in part because the station is actually on university property and is therefore geographically accurate.
by Phil on Oct 11, 2011 11:58 am • link • report
If Virginia Sq is going to be the name, it should be spelled out: Virginia Square.
by David Edmondson on Oct 11, 2011 11:58 am • link • report
by Amanda Lynn Holmes on Oct 11, 2011 12:01 pm • link • report
Make the universities all subtitles, but expand the names and make them consistent with each other. Example: Marymount U, Catholic U, U of Maryland, etc.
by Adam Schloss on Oct 11, 2011 12:02 pm • link • report
by Cameron Booth on Oct 11, 2011 12:05 pm • link • report
Any changes should be fully reflected in rail car driver announcements, along with CORRECT pronunciation. Listening to Metro train operator announcements must be a nightmare for non-English speaking tourists!
by Anthony S Jennings on Oct 11, 2011 12:05 pm • link • report
KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid! (not you guys, of course, but you know what I mean!! :-) )
In all seriousness thought, short and simple is clean and clear; keep out the clutter and help keep out confusion.
by Sam Shipley on Oct 11, 2011 12:06 pm • link • report
by Lewis on Oct 11, 2011 12:06 pm • link • report
by SE on Oct 11, 2011 12:07 pm • link • report
by Richie Sheehan on Oct 11, 2011 12:08 pm • link • report
-Hospital symbols are too similar to parking symbols
-I think the way the short turn symbols were displayed in the survey were confusing. Once I looked at the map as a whole, it became clear. Consider putting a small break in the line around the stations where trains are short turned (example: Grosvenor station would have a white semi-circle on the north side of the station).
-The circles indicating the lines are intrusive. I liked the boxes that were the same width as the lines.
-Remove the silver line designation until the line opens.
-Foggy Bottom title looks like it belongs to the Rosslyn station.
-Don't designate East Falls Church as a transfer station until the new line opens.
-I like the bus to airport symbols, but make them bold. The one at L'enfant Plaza is hard to read.
by Nolan on Oct 11, 2011 12:08 pm • link • report
Ahh, missed that. "7th St - Convention Center" is the same way.
by MLD on Oct 11, 2011 12:10 pm • link • report
I think the subtitles are a good option and will reduce clutter on the map as the Silver Line is added.
Also move Foggy Bottom, Farragut West, and McPherson Square titles, they look bad crossing thru the lines like that (have them like the original, it looks cleaner)
The symbols on the draft map all look great and aren't too obtrusive - heading in the right direction
by Jackie on Oct 11, 2011 12:10 pm • link • report
by Timothy Shea on Oct 11, 2011 12:11 pm • link • report
I'm generally in favor of identifying stations as a single place, with nearby attractions or institutions denoted in a subtitle, so things like the zoo, universities, etc. I concur with the suggestion of denoting hospitals with an "H" symbol
by Will Handsfield on Oct 11, 2011 12:11 pm • link • report
Over the years station names have gotten far too long and wordy. It is time to simplify. The subtitles are are good idea.
by Scott on Oct 11, 2011 12:15 pm • link • report
by Joseph Henchman on Oct 11, 2011 12:16 pm • link • report
In my six years living here, I have never once hears anyone refer to Chinatown as "Gallery Place". If no one wants to get WOD of it, at the VERY least, you should consider swapping the title and subtitle to CHINATOWN: (Gallery Place).
Old Town and King Street should be swapped as well, but that's not as glaring a disconnect from the way people actually refer to these places.
by Erik Bergmann on Oct 11, 2011 12:22 pm • link • report
by Trent Bauserman on Oct 11, 2011 12:25 pm • link • report
by Jenny on Oct 11, 2011 12:25 pm • link • report
Standardize university names. Standardize uses of dashes and slashes.
by Distantantennas on Oct 11, 2011 12:26 pm • link • report
This map is terrible. How much are these /consultants/ being paid?
by Matt Glazewski on Oct 11, 2011 12:28 pm • link • report
by xtr657 on Oct 11, 2011 12:29 pm • link • report
by xtr657 on Oct 11, 2011 12:33 pm • link • report
by Mario on Oct 11, 2011 12:35 pm • link • report
by Dave on Oct 11, 2011 12:35 pm • link • report
I like the "subtitle" proposals except for the setup for the Reagan Airport stop. Unfortunately, there's no option to vote on a stop-by-stop basis. Putting the first part of the airport's name as a "subtitle" located above another part of the name (especially a part that isn't the airport's correct name) looks odd in juxtaposition when every other subtitle goes below the name. There are also plenty of tourists and newcomers who never knew the airport by the old and incorrect "National Airport" designation and are looking for "Reagan National Airport." Quite frankly, it's apparent that this proposal as to this particular stop is an obvious case of sour grapes by the WMATA board about being forced to use the airport's correct name in the first place.
Other thoughts: I have mixed feelings about "Ballpark" because it's unspecific given that the system serves at least two other outdoor stadiums (three if you count College Park). I wonder if a more specific term could be appropriate, perhaps even just "Nationals" (following the example of New York naming a stop "Mets-Willets Point" when Citibank declined to pay to put the new ballpark's corporate name on the subway stop). On the other hand, "ballpark" is normally used only in reference to baseball venues, so there ought not be as much confusion in that respect. Using "Nationals" might also set a precedent that would suggest adding "Redskins" to the Morgan Boulevard stop, and I know that would lead to a massive controversy that is best avoided. So "Ballpark" is probably best. Using the "curly W" logo isn't a great idea because there's nothing to prevent the team from changing the logo in the future (witness the redesign of the Caps' and Bullets' uniforms within the last couple of years). BTW, in general I'm not big on the suffixed or hyphenated names, but the ballpark is an important enough destination to make an exception, especially as it's one that is frequented by people who don't ride the trains as often.
"NoMa" sounds to me like either the stereotypical Boston pronunciation of a former baseball player (Mr. Garciaparra) or a joke. I'd wager that a very large number of DC-area residents have never heard that term used to refer to a neighborhood.
Finally, regarding Smithsonian and the Mall, I don't favor adding "National Mall," whether as a subtitle or as a suffix, simply because there are several stops within easy walking distance of the Mall. True, Smithsonian is the only one that has an exit ON the Mall, but that's hardly a valid criterion given some of WMATA's other station names (adding Fairfax and GMU to Vienna being the most obvious, I think). Also, if you add "the National Mall" to Smithsonian, you ought to add "Zoo" to Cleveland Park, given that it's closer than the Woodley Park stop is. (Most people I know who ride the subway to the Zoo go to Cleveland Park on the way there to avoid the long uphill slog from Woodley Park, then use Woodley Park on the way home to take advantage of the downhill walk.)
by Richard B Rogers on Oct 11, 2011 12:39 pm • link • report
In general I think the subtitles are an excellent idea and should be implemented across the board. Most of the station names are cumbersome and this will make it simpler for tourists.
The Board should be cautious about the implementation of hospital designations - how close does the hospital have to be? For example, PG Hospital is a very short bus ride from Cheverly station - should that get a designation? Or only when it's directly adjacent as with Foggy Bottom?
Lastly I want to urge the Board to consider renaming the NY Ave station as NoMa. The station itself isn't even located on NY Avenue - it's on Florida. And naming after street locations when those streets are very long seems ridiculous. Stations are generally named for neighborhoods, and that should continue. Keep that in mind when it's time to finalize the Silver Line stations.
by Jason Lott on Oct 11, 2011 12:40 pm • link • report
by Malav Patel on Oct 11, 2011 12:43 pm • link • report
by xtr657 on Oct 11, 2011 12:43 pm • link • report
by Transport. on Oct 11, 2011 12:44 pm • link • report
by Neil Flanagan on Oct 11, 2011 12:51 pm • link • report
I think those particular abbreviations, at least in the station names (as opposed to in the location info), reflect the stops' official names. I took a look at WMATA.com and I note that they're all spelled the same way there. I'd understand abbreviating on a map, where space is tight, and then not abbreviating on a website or station pylon or whatever, but maybe they're seeking consistency. (Has anyone boarded at Judiciary Square recently? Does the name on the wall over the escalator say "Judiciary Sq Station"? I haven't boarded there since January and my mind was not on this issue at the time.)
BTW, I meant to add to my prior comment that I agree with the folks who suggest making the hospital "H" a blue square, consistent with the style used on road signs. It's a well-known symbol and it would reduce the chances that someone would misread it as a parking "P."
by Richard B. Rogers on Oct 11, 2011 12:51 pm • link • report
by William McKelvey on Oct 11, 2011 12:51 pm • link • report
Why are the Amtrak, VRE, MARC logos missing from Union Station? Is that an error?
Vote for some station names:
U Street [Cardozo]
Waterfront
Navy Yard [Ballpark]
New York Ave - NoMa [Florida Ave - Gallaudet U] (still the worse name in the system)
Smithsonian [National Mall]
King Street [Old Town]
Vienna [Fairfax] (drop GMU entirely as the campus is no where close to the station)
In general, drop all university names unless the university is in easy walking distance from the station. Period.
by AlanF on Oct 11, 2011 12:52 pm • link • report
I really dislike having hospital H's.
by marshall on Oct 11, 2011 12:55 pm • link • report
by grumpy on Oct 11, 2011 12:58 pm • link • report
by Eric Oberdorfer on Oct 11, 2011 1:04 pm • link • report
I kind of like that. My wife works near the Kennedy Center and she and her colleagues all call Washington Harbour "the Waterfront." I'm sure if they do it, others do as well. On the other hand, the location subtitle underneath the stop name pretty clear states that it's in Southwest. The person reading the map ought to have SOME level of responsibility in figuring things out!
by Richard B. Rogers on Oct 11, 2011 1:10 pm • link • report
by Ryan Hand on Oct 11, 2011 1:14 pm • link • report
Still don't like the name NoMa
by MikeH on Oct 11, 2011 1:14 pm • link • report
by Marko on Oct 11, 2011 1:15 pm • link • report
by Will Drake on Oct 11, 2011 1:16 pm • link • report
Spending time and resources on this issue just contributes to the perception that DC is mismanaged. It's a recession! Don't waste money (even if others are willing to foot the bill) on frivolous name changes.
by Rachel on Oct 11, 2011 1:19 pm • link • report
I like the subtitles with the station names...good idea
by Tamika on Oct 11, 2011 1:21 pm • link • report
Errors:
There are also plenty of inconsistencies, especially with regard to station location information.
Hospital Logo:
I think the [H] logo for hospitals is a mistake. It's almost indistinguishable from the parking logo. It also does not provide relevant information for transit users. Most troubling, it will likely lead to a "slippery slope" where other organizations call for logos of their own to adorn the map. It adds unnecessary clutter and complexity.
Terminals:
I agree that Wyman's first attempt at showing the mid-line terminals fell flat. But that doesn't mean the map should not find some way of showing them.
The eye needs to be drawn to the stations on the map which will likely appear on the train's destination sign. That could simply be bold text or perhaps a colored dot. Or something else. But it needs to be there. Otherwise, WMATA will probably shoehorn a callout box onto the map in a few years, and it won't look very good.
Conclusions:
I expect more from a design professional like Lance Wyman. Especially since Metro is paying for the service.
And I also expected some inventiveness and improvement to a map that's been used since the mid-1970s. Instead, this revision does it's best to avoid any design changes.
It also dodges the biggest bullet: fitting in the Silver Line. Instead of dealing with that now, Wyman is putting it off until 2013. Perhaps he hopes to get another design contract then.
It would be better if we went ahead and made the crucial changes now. This map will only reinforce the popular misconception that riders to/from Tysons will have to change trains at East Falls Church. In actuality, they'll be able to stay on the same train all the way through northern Arlington and Downtown DC.
by Matt Johnson on Oct 11, 2011 1:26 pm • link • report
I'm suspicious of sub-titling because I'm afraid in the long run it won't curb long name creep. I'm not sure about King St (Old Town) because I think it is deceptive, and that end of King is the fringe of Old Town IMO.
by Bill Cook on Oct 11, 2011 1:27 pm • link • report
The current names are a typographic nightmare - over-extending the names will just make the map look even more cluttered.
by Garvin Grullon on Oct 11, 2011 1:36 pm • link • report
This is actually a post I've decided to forego on reading ... 'cause frankly I have little or no interest in its subject matter. I guess though the large response shows the demographic makeup of GGW's followers by and large. Which of course leads to the question, 'What will happen as this readership ages and also no longer has in interest in all things Metro?' .... I mean it's inevitable that as they age (and hopefully) prosper, Metro will be that occasional ride they take on that (used to be) shiny vehicle that goes underground ...
by Lance on Oct 11, 2011 1:38 pm • link • report
by Greg on Oct 11, 2011 1:39 pm • link • report
Regarding the list of people who use Metro to get to a hospital:
Fair enough. Who in that list needs to know what stop to use for the hospital? Presumably they already know how to get there. The "H" sign on roads is meant to direct people where to go in the event of an emergency. If I cut my hand and need some stitches I'm not going to walk to Columbia Heights, wait God knows how long to get a train, transfer at Gallery Place and then again at Metro Center for an Orange Line to Foggy Bottom. If I didn't have a car, I'd cab it. Tourists also wouldn't take a train in the event of an emergency.
The map is trying to be all things to all people and I too can see it being a slippery slope. Why not put an icon for every police and fire station?
by Michael on Oct 11, 2011 1:52 pm • link • report
As to the matter calling attention to the destination stations, how about reverse text in a rounded black rectangle to appear somewhat similar to a destination sign's light letters on a dark background?
by Adam on Oct 11, 2011 1:53 pm • link • report
Once the name changes are in place, how about considering the following:
1) Fix the visual, (on board train) next station signs that display the next/approaching station.
2) Replace having the train operator announcing the next station with an automated announcement (“next station will be Dupont Circle Station” then “Approaching Dupont Circle Station”) The Atlanta MARTA system has this and it much more intelligible than the WMATA train operators. Wouldn’t this allow the train operator to focus more on conducting the train efficiently (especially in Manual mode)?
Thank you.
by gnoll on Oct 11, 2011 1:56 pm • link • report
The Atlanta MARTA system has this and it much more intelligible than the WMATA train operators. Wouldn’t this allow the train operator to focus more on conducting the train efficiently (especially in Manual mode)?
Thank you.
by gnoll on Oct 11, 2011 2:00 pm • link • report
Seeing as a good chunk of GGW's readers work in the industry: I'd say quite a few of us will be around at least until retirement. And looking at the sizes of the upcoming classes in engineering & planning: there's no shortage of younger folk on the way.
...Not to mention those *not* working in the industry who develop an interest; or virtually every other person affected by infrastructure each and every day whether they notice it or not.
by Bossi on Oct 11, 2011 2:03 pm • link • report
by Terry Moore on Oct 11, 2011 2:05 pm • link • report
Definitely get the universities into subtitles, at least to make the style consistent! And why is it "New York Ave" and "Rhode Island Ave", but "Georgia Av"? Otherwise, I'm a big fan of the changes.
by Patrick on Oct 11, 2011 2:07 pm • link • report
I applaud WMATA for its efforts to improve the Metro map. In particular, I feel that the subtitle recommendations would be a huge improvement to the system. Keeping primary station names as simple as possible to read, speak, and recognize will help improve navigation within the system and streamline maps, signage, and station announcements.
by Adam Hall on Oct 11, 2011 2:09 pm • link • report
I propose "Smithsonian" become "SmithsonianNat'l Mall" with subtitle.
by Peter Nuar on Oct 11, 2011 2:09 pm • link • report
I don't like the NoMa name at all, but it's the best option of a poor lot. I'm also ambivalent about adding Old Town to King Street; it doesn't really add anything for locals, but as a subtitle it's unobtrusive enough to let it go if it makes the city of Alexandria happy.
by Paul on Oct 11, 2011 2:12 pm • link • report
by Adam H on Oct 11, 2011 2:18 pm • link • report
by Matt Glazewski on Oct 11, 2011 2:37 pm • link • report
Subtitles work - they should be considered.
by Steven Pruitt on Oct 11, 2011 2:40 pm • link • report
by Stephanie on Oct 11, 2011 2:42 pm • link • report
- The |H| for hospital is too similar to the |P| for parking. They need to distinguish them somehow (different colors? a red cross instead of an H?). Also, Medical Center shouldn't have an |H| unless civilians can get emergency treatment there (or NIH re-opens pedestrian access to Surburban)
- Smithsonian and National Mall are both wrong, since many stations serve the mall and the different museums. I'd suggest naming the stop "Smithsonian Castle" (or "Carousel" ;) ).
- Virginia Sq's subtitle should be "GMU Law" When I lived near there, I'd constantly get naive kids asking me where the Patriot Center was and getting upset that they were going to miss the concert.
- The perpendicular striping on the rush hour service is still confusing -- looks like it's under construction. They should use parallel striping instead.
by Novanglus on Oct 11, 2011 2:57 pm • link • report
by Jennifer Ibrahim on Oct 11, 2011 3:01 pm • link • report
I like the addition of the Hospital symbol. I think GWU as a subtitle would be too long to fit where the current station name is on the map.
by Aliza on Oct 11, 2011 3:05 pm • link • report
Why don't they finally move Zoo to Cleveland Park rather than Woodley Park? It's shorter and once tourists get off the Metro, they'll walk downhill rather than up.
by Bill on Oct 11, 2011 3:07 pm • link • report
Shorter names are generally best, but it's important to keep college names in stations because of the number of out-of-area visitors they attract on a regular basis.
As for other stations (with the exception of NoMa/NY Ave), keep them the same as much as possible. It's very easy to bow to local demands, but remember they will ALWAYS know which stop to take, but visitors might not know about changes.
by John Marzabadi on Oct 11, 2011 3:11 pm • link • report
Republicans in Congress will have conniptions though once they catch wind of this.
by Zack S. on Oct 11, 2011 3:12 pm • link • report
Short names! Boston uses *one-word* station names in many places.
by Phil LaCombe on Oct 11, 2011 3:14 pm • link • report
by King Terrapin on Oct 11, 2011 3:15 pm • link • report
by Paul Catterson on Oct 11, 2011 3:16 pm • link • report
by Marissa Valeri on Oct 11, 2011 3:21 pm • link • report
by Paul Weinstein on Oct 11, 2011 3:22 pm • link • report
by Rich A on Oct 11, 2011 3:27 pm • link • report
by robin Smith on Oct 11, 2011 3:27 pm • link • report
by Daniel Howlader on Oct 11, 2011 3:55 pm • link • report
Thanks! You've enlightened me. NOW I understand why the readership of GGW tends to hold non-majority views on any post concerning planning or transportation. You're 'in the industry' and apparently, all reading off the same text book 'Bible' (i.e., whatever was fashionable in planning and transportation school in the last 10 years.) Lots of questions answered about how so many people could be so opposed to what the average person wants ... AND be unified in what they wanted.
by Lance on Oct 11, 2011 3:56 pm • link • report
Alarm!
Alarm!
by Geoffrey Hatchard on Oct 11, 2011 3:59 pm • link • report
I still think Mt. Pleasant should be added as a subtitle to Columbia Heights' station name. After all, Mt. Pleasant is closer to Columbia Heights than Adams Morgan is to Woodley Park station.
by Paul Witzkoske on Oct 11, 2011 4:01 pm • link • report
by Bossi on Oct 11, 2011 4:06 pm • link • report
Keep the map relevant- use subtitles. If the destination is a University or College, chances are it is a student who already knows which station to get off on. And if not, then the subtitle is conveniently under the proposed station name. One disastrous addition to the draft WMATA map is Shaw-Howard U (H). It is so long, it extends out to the rail line, giving a feeling of discontinuity and ruining the feel of the map. If Howard were a subtitle, and the Hospital sign were moved entirely (I'm fairly sure Metro wasn't designed for the loading and unloading of passengers who need intensive care), then the map would fix itself.
by Jason L on Oct 11, 2011 4:11 pm • link • report
by Daniel Howlader on Oct 11, 2011 4:12 pm • link • report
by Paul Witzkoske on Oct 11, 2011 4:13 pm • link • report
by Robin Knight on Oct 11, 2011 4:16 pm • link • report
by Justin..... on Oct 11, 2011 4:22 pm • link • report
Any blog on a particular subject will naturally attract those who work it it everyday... that's just natural for those with a passion for what they do; so it's no surprise that planners & engineers tend to frequent GGW. Few people are going to stick around any group if they are indifferent or apathetic toward the issues it discusses.
But the great thing about GGW is that it's open for everyone. Dissenting opinions are certainly welcome here as long as they remain civil. I actually disagree (or rather: don't agree 100%) with a very large portion of what is written on GGW, but I attempt to acknowledge the valid points made by others and hope that others will likewise see how my own mindset is also formed.
by Bossi on Oct 11, 2011 4:26 pm • link • report
Single Names. Keep the names minimal. Or screw this whole system and convert to a Tokyo Metro type. R = Red Line. 1 for stop 1. R1 = Shady Grove, R2 = Rockville etc. If it is too many characters to tweet, it's too many characters!
by Alvin Chen on Oct 11, 2011 4:26 pm • link • report
by Paul Witzkoske on Oct 11, 2011 4:27 pm • link • report
I recommend using a simple title that readily identifies a station's location. The title should identify the city (or unincorporated area), neighborhood, or park where the station is located. A prominent road by a station should only be used as a title when the above placemarks do not – and cannot – apply to the station's location. Roads do not possess the defined borders that landmarks usually have. Such an example would be U Street, where no prominent neighborhood exists. In the case of the New York Ave station, NoMa should become the station’s title, and consideration should be made to switch Addison Road with Seat Pleasant.
The title should be followed by a subtitle that identifies the most notable destinations at the station's location. Any destinations stated should most readily apply to the station from a pedestrian’s perspective. For example, the National Mall should probably not be included as a subtitle for the Smithsonian station, because it can be as readily accessed from other stations by pedestrians. For the sake of simple and effective communication, such destinations should be consistently excluded from the title. The destination should be used as the title only when it overwhelmingly defines the station’s location and causes a large percentage of the station’s traffic every day. This should apply only to the most obvious of locations, such as an airport.
The labeling system I've described would allow for a clear and an uncluttered Metro map. It would remove any ambiguous hyphens and slashes appearing in the station’s name, while promoting a stronger sense of place throughout the greater Washington area.
by Daniel Kessler on Oct 11, 2011 4:31 pm • link • report
But honestly, we should invest in finishing up the new train cars before spending on anything else!!
by Dani on Oct 11, 2011 4:34 pm • link • report
Why doesn't Stadium-Armory get an H? DC General is closed as a hospital, but still provides a ton of public medical services. Maybe an MC for medical center? Is St. Elizabeth's no longer a hospital? John Hinckley and the other patients there would probably disagree.
The largest medical complex in the entire city is missing from the map. Why not an H, or maybe an "H-Shuttle Bus" at Brookland for Hospital Center, VA, Childrens, National Rehab, etc.
Also, should there be mention of FedEx field at Morgan Boulevard, since it is within walking distance?
by seaster on Oct 11, 2011 4:46 pm • link • report
KISS, Keep It Simple, Stupid.
by Samuel Moore on Oct 11, 2011 4:48 pm • link • report
by Charles Carson on Oct 11, 2011 5:00 pm • link • report
by Roger on Oct 11, 2011 5:03 pm • link • report
Keep station names short and memorable and keep the map easy to read!
by Payton Chung on Oct 11, 2011 5:07 pm • link • report
Regarding "Navy Yard" and the Nats Curly W... no logos, no logos ever.
Regarding subtitles, I worry this is just going to become a way of cramming more info into the station names. Are the subtitle texts part of the official station names? It's been "Van Ness-UDC" since forever but will it just become officially "Van Ness?"
"Archives /Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter" and "U Street
African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo" (my home, sadly) ... worst station names ever.
by Jack Love on Oct 11, 2011 5:13 pm • link • report
U Street *IS* is neighborhood. Although there is plenty of U Street to go around, when you drop the name "U Street" you generally mean the area from 18th to 7th NW, and the Metro stop is smack in the middle of that.
I will agree with you on NY Ave, and Addison Road, and will raise you a Minnesota Avenue.
by Jack Love on Oct 11, 2011 5:18 pm • link • report
I also agree with Geoffrey Hatchard that the "H" symbols for hospitals should be blue - it accords with the accepted sign standards and makes it more distinct on this map. Otherwise, at a glance, it looks just like the "P" for parking symbol.
by Nick on Oct 11, 2011 5:23 pm • link • report
by Paul on Oct 11, 2011 5:30 pm • link • report
Keep it simple, yet functional.
by Marc on Oct 11, 2011 5:32 pm • link • report
Love the subtitles. I assume train conductors will be taught to speak again so we can easily hear the new names. :-)
by Bruce B Cox on Oct 11, 2011 5:41 pm • link • report
Station names should be very short in order to be more memorable. Subtitles are fantastic and will help the tourists who slow down our daily commute figure out where they are going. Shorter names will also make the map more readable. All of the hyphens make the words run together.
Why on earth do yellow line trains stop at Mt. Vernon during rush hour?! Also, why is this not noted on the map?
Think the station name should be Chinatown, with Gallery Place as a subtitle.
U Street's dot should be moved higher to be above Dupont Circle.
"Litering" is misspelled. It needs another "t."
"Regan" should be spelled "Reagan."
I like adding the hours of operation.
What about moving Farragut North and West closer to each other on the map since they are so close?
I really appreciate WMATA considering shorter names to make the system run better!
by Maggie on Oct 11, 2011 5:43 pm • link • report
Subtitle all universities.
by dcseain on Oct 11, 2011 5:56 pm • link • report
Random comments:
National Airport "Regan" typo: how about fixing the typo to read Donald Regan who was Reagan's chief of staff in his 2nd term. See how many people figure it out. 8-/
L'Enfant Plaza: it is not a regular Amtrak stop. I think one of NE Regional trains that run to Richmond stopped there as an experiment for a while. No need for an Amtrak logo there even if a NE Regional does stop there because the stop could go away at any time.
New York Ave - NoMa - Florida Ave - Gallaudet Univ is obviously the most difficult station to come up with a good consensus name for. Perhaps they should follow a Washington tradition and come up with a new name based on an acronym for it. NoMa is too short and sounds jarring. Any suggestions?
by AlanF on Oct 11, 2011 5:58 pm • link • report
I don't care much for the subtitles. I'd rather keep the hyphenated formatting.
by Chris on Oct 11, 2011 6:11 pm • link • report
by Derek Jansante on Oct 11, 2011 6:16 pm • link • report
1) Please fix spelling errors, and the address of the NY Ave Station (it's off by several blocks!).
2) If you wiggle the northwest Red Line around a bit, the labels for Tenleytown and Van Ness can fit on the same plane as the rest of the labels from Farragut North to Shady Grove, which would greatly improve the visual appearance of the map. There's enough room at the top of the map to make this leg of the Red Line stretch a but further, and it even makes sense to do so, as Shady Grove is several miles north of Glenmont.
3) Forest Glen has parking.
4) Does it make sense to list East Falls Church as a transfer station before the Silver Line opens? I don't think it does, but I guess that's a matter of opinion.
5) The leading isn't set correctly or consistently for many of the subtitles and/or station addresses, leading to spots where some letters collide. This is particularly noticeable at Georgia Ave - Petworth.
6) The H and the P look a bit too similar, and is particularly jarring at the Shaw station, because it appears to be sitting on top of the Red Line. Also, these icons are a tiny bit too big. They should be no taller than the text that they accompany (ie. the Station name + Address).
7) The MARC symbol is barely legible; and there are no connecting rail icons at Union Station.
8) There are a few places where the labels are placed a bit too closely to the lines (and have no real reason needing to be). In particular, the labels for King Street, Braddock Road, Arlington Cemetery, Waterfront, Navy Yard, Stadium-Armory, Minnesota Ave, Federal Center, Judiciary Sq, Vienna, and several others could be given a bit more "breathing room." Yes, this is a nitpick, but it does affect the legibility of the map.
9) There are also a few cases where the station label is not clearly aligned with its dot on the map. This is most noticeable on the Green/Yellow Line from Fort Totten to Greenbelt, and at Vienna. Again, a nitpick, and only a minor one at that, but also an easy fix.
9a) A lot of text in the legend also doesn't appear to be correctly or consistently aligned.
10) Is it necessary to show the triangular "notch" in the Arlington-Alexandria border? That geographic curiosity is irrelevant to Metrorail, and adds clutter to the map's otherwise smooth lines, and also obscures the label for the Crystal City station.
11) I like including the beltway on the map. It provides a convenient geographic reference point. However, you should also label it.
12) Love the line names at the terminals, and the airport bus icons! I also love the clearly labeled list of operating times (especially the typography used)
13) Remove the parentheses from the list of rules at the bottom of the map. They're redundant, as is the big "LEGEND" label.
14) "Metro is Accessible" is a nice tagline, but it may be more instructive to reword this to make it clear that all stations within the system are accessible (which is very unusual for a subway system), and also add a bit of text beneath it explaining to call the 800 number for elevator status information.
15) The way that the Yellow Line is displayed in the legend is odd and could imply that the whole Yellow Line is a Rush Only service.
Gosh, I've overthought this.... That said, this draft is already a nice improvement over the current map! Let's make it perfect.
I highly recommend inviting in a typographer to examine and correct some of the leading and alignment issues that the draft has. The Metro map is one of the most recognizable symbols of our city, and it's important to get the details -- both big and small -- right.
by Andrew Schmadel on Oct 11, 2011 6:20 pm • link • report
The one subtitle suggestion that I'd like to see altered is "Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams-Morgan". I think "Adams Morgan" could be a subtitle, but "Zoo" really should remain prominent.
by Corey Reid on Oct 11, 2011 6:22 pm • link • report
As a native New Yorker, I lean towards the simplicity options and the consistency of subtitles for points of interest.
While I am a theater fan, I am opposed to the station getting the subtitle. What makes Arena that much better than all other theaters? If Arena wants to pay for it, however, that would be fair.
by Jeff Poretsky on Oct 11, 2011 6:27 pm • link • report
by petrograd on Oct 11, 2011 6:32 pm • link • report
Most people who ride Metro refer to the stations by the first part of their names already. The only exception to this I can think of is "Gallery Place-Chinatown," which many people refer to as "Chinatown." The subtitles would help make the map less crowded and less confusing.
by Sarah Sparks on Oct 11, 2011 6:35 pm • link • report
I agree that Minnesota Avenue is another station that could use a name change. And Georgia Avenue – Petworth could probably be renamed Petworth, with Georgia Avenue as a subtitle.
There seems to be a lot of stations on the southern and eastern end of Metro that could use a name change. A fundamental problem I see here is that many of the Metro stations with street names tend to be in locations with no sense of place. There's a reason the station by Western Avenue on the red line is called Friendship Heights, while the station by Southern Avenue on the green line is called Southern Avenue.
by Daniel Kessler on Oct 11, 2011 6:36 pm • link • report
Aesthetically I don't like the circles w/ letters that identify the lines, but I understand that they might be necessary for colorblind people.
Agree with the subtitles for the most part, except Gallery Place- Chinatown. I think many (most?) people use the Chinatown name more when referring to the neighborhood.
The centerpiece of the area (IMO), the Verizon Center, is usually said to be located in "Chinatown" not "Gallery Place"
Move the National Airport symbol to the west side of the Potomac, to avoid confusion.
by Zack S on Oct 11, 2011 6:36 pm • link • report
Most people who ride Metro refer to the stations by the first part of their names already. The only exception to this I can think of is "Gallery Place-Chinatown," which many people refer to as "Chinatown." The subtitles would help make the map less crowded and less confusing.
by Sarah Sparks on Oct 11, 2011 6:49 pm • link • report
by Kate Flaherty on Oct 11, 2011 6:53 pm • link • report
Please, keep the "bold" names as short as possible and limit the subnames.
by Matthew A Thompson on Oct 11, 2011 7:16 pm • link • report
I like the new map overall. I have four main suggestions in no particular order.
(1) Make the jagged rush hour lines half-width to further distinguish this service from normal service. To accommodate this, place "station in service" circles only where there is full-time service, similar to how they appear on the blue line from Benning Road to Large Town Center.
(2) Since you can only transfer at EFC in the future, mark it as a regular (not transfer) station for the time being.
(3) Most importantly, adopt a naming convention of putting neighborhood names first when naming stations, to give DC stations a sense of place first, leaving street names and points of interest second or in subtitles.
(4) Create a boxed U convention for universities (similar to H for hospitals) in place of having them enumerated in the station names.
Comments on my suggestions are quite welcome!
Marc
by Marc Elliott Levy on Oct 11, 2011 7:20 pm • link • report
by Joshua Davis on Oct 11, 2011 7:26 pm • link • report
The university names should probably be spelled out in the subtitles; using "U." instead of "University" could cut down a bit on the length there, but that might look bad with UMD and UDC. U of Md is sort of an ugly abbreviation, and few people at George Washington actually refer to it as GWU and of course never "gee-double-you-you," as the acronym would imply. I believe GW's the official abbreviation, although people tend to refer to the Metro station as simply Foggy Bottom.
The hospital icons are wholly unnecessary and should absolutely not be on the final version of the map.
by jakeod on Oct 11, 2011 7:29 pm • link • report
by Shelly on Oct 11, 2011 8:37 pm • link • report
by Marta on Oct 11, 2011 9:35 pm • link • report
I'dd have preferred individual choices on the 'long names' -- most are okay without subtitling; it's just once you get above 7 syllables it starts getting cumbersome.
by marcia on Oct 11, 2011 9:40 pm • link • report
by Wesley Schonborn on Oct 11, 2011 10:01 pm • link • report
Keep it simple. One or two words, no subtitles.
All of the proposed names with subtitles could and should be changed to just the main name. The subtitles are confusing, unnecessary, and contribute to a sense of three-minute-long station names when called out by train operators. We don't need to know every single school, monument, or memorial within a mile of a station. And commercial names like "Arena Stage" and "NoMa" (I have *never* heard anyone, even residents near that Metro stop, call the neighborhood NoMa, unless they were realtors or NoMa BID staffers) clearly need to be cut.
Anything requiring a bus ride to get there (like Old Town and several of those university names out in Virginia) has no business being in the stop names, even as subtitles.
Make Georgia Avenue-Petworth "Petworth" instead of "Georgia Avenue".
Simplicity. Please!
by Mark Wright on Oct 11, 2011 10:29 pm • link • report
Every printing of the metro map from day one showed future transfer stations as transfer stations.
On the first map published in 1976 Metro Center, Gallery Place, L'Enfant Plaza, Fort Totten, Stadium-Armory, Rosslyn, Pentagon and King Street were identified as transfer stations even though service only operated between Rhode Island Avenue and Farragut North.
However what make that transfer station look odd or incorrect is the fact that the Silver line is not shown operating in the future through any of the stations to the east.
by Sand Box John on Oct 11, 2011 11:47 pm • link • report
I'm generally in favor of being consistent across the board. Some of the questions above didn't allow me to stay consistent. e.g., dropping points of interest in favor of street or neighborhood names standing alone. Finally, I don't think I like the NoMa name, but naming it after the neighborhood is better than NY ave, since there's no exit there. Is Trinidad the name of a nearby neighborhood, or how about the bigger of whichever streets the exits are on.
by Rob Maccubbin on Oct 12, 2011 12:39 am • link • report
by Peter Schmidt on Oct 12, 2011 12:44 am • link • report
In general, I think main station names should be short and sweet. That's what people will call the stations anyway.
In general, I think subtitles are a good idea.
For Smithsonian, I would prefer that the subtitle read "National Mall" rather than "The National Mall." To my linguistic mind, the article is out of place there.
by Tim Kynerd on Oct 12, 2011 1:00 am • link • report
by Tom Hier on Oct 12, 2011 5:14 am • link • report
I would like to be able to vote on individual subtitle recommendations. While I agree with most of them, I have always liked the name Dunn Loring-Merrifield. (Don't ask me why; I just think it sounds nice.)
Also, clearly there's still some confusion over whether separate elements in subtitles should use dashes or slashes; for example, there's Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter, but also Zoo/Adams Morgan. My vote would be for slashes. (Otherwise at U Street, technically speaking, it makes it look like there's a nearby landmark called African and another called American Civil War Memorial.)
by Dustin on Oct 12, 2011 6:35 am • link • report
by James Mauro on Oct 12, 2011 6:45 am • link • report
by Robert Cotten on Oct 12, 2011 7:48 am • link • report
by jason leebakke on Oct 12, 2011 9:12 am • link • report
Main station names should be short and sweet. Subtitles all you want. Any points of interest, from universities to memorials to hospitals to whatever, should be in the subtitles.
One thing, however, that will impact the discussion, though, is whether the subtitles will be on the station signage as well, or just the maps. Big factor there.
by Ben Schumin on Oct 12, 2011 10:16 am • link • report
by Ben Schumin on Oct 12, 2011 10:22 am • link • report
For Alexandria, the subtitle should read "Old Town Alexandria," not just old town. Another alternative: "Historic Alexandria"
by Osman on Oct 12, 2011 10:40 am • link • report
For the New York Ave stop, why not use New York Ave as the main name and use NoMa/Gallaudet U as the subtitle? This was not offered as a suggestion, but NoMa is more encompassing than Florida Ave.
Also, why doesn't Union Station have designations for VRE and MARC like the other stops?
Otherwise, I think it's a good revision.
by Tim Kauffman on Oct 12, 2011 10:48 am • link • report
I can't help but feel that NoMa is a superficial, essentially made up "neighborhood", and really doesn't convey any "sense of place". It only conveys the NoMa BID's endless self-promotion.
by Scott Smith on Oct 12, 2011 11:13 am • link • report
Also, Gallaudet students have collected 573 signatures so far on a petition to keep the "Gallaudet U" as part of the main station name: https://www.change.org/petitions/district-department-of-transportation-keep-noma-gallaudet-u-in-the-primary-station-name/
by Meredith on Oct 12, 2011 12:31 pm • link • report
I like NoMa-Gallaudet U. better because the university is closed to the Metro along the M Street and also the Florida Avenue, NE (local streets). New York Avenue is a local highway in Washington and also outside of DC area, too. Thank you.
by Rob on Oct 12, 2011 12:48 pm • link • report
by Brady on Oct 12, 2011 1:13 pm • link • report
I don't think the GWU people's usage should guide WMATA, though, because "GW" by itself doesn't really tell anyone anything unless the person reading the map knows that (a) there is a local university called "George Washington University," (b) its name is often abbreviated to "GW," and (c) the "GW" on the map refers to that particular abbreviation and not to something else called "GW" or "George Washington." "GWU" is clearer as an abbreviation because there's no other context to show what "GW" means if you omit the "U" from the end.
If you use the "people at the school say 'GW'" argument, then references to GMU would arguably have to be changed to "Mason" because for some reason a lot of GMU people insist on using that name even though it's longer (maybe they fear confusion with JMU?). But "Mason" would be meaningless to a lot of riders.
by Richard B. Rogers on Oct 12, 2011 1:51 pm • link • report
I feel one issue with the map is the overall denseness resulting from trying to squeeze in as many graphical elements as possible, while still maintaining legibility.
Any chance we will see some review of that?
Would also like to see reconsideration of swapping Yellow Line (Pentagon--Ft Totten/Greenbelt) and Blue Line (Pentagon--Largo). Yeah I know, just dream on...
by Jack Love on Oct 12, 2011 3:12 pm • link • report
Why aren't the station "dots" centered on the Blue and Orange Lines between Benning Rd and Largo Town Center? They are at the other "Rush Only" line extensions on the Yellow and Green Lines and Yellow and Blue Lines.
by Brady on Oct 12, 2011 4:02 pm • link • report
I think if the university names are moved to subtitles, they should be a) made consistent (e.g. UDC vs. U of Md, Howard U vs. MU), and b) fully spelled out, or at least mostly ("University" could be shortened to "U")
by Tonei on Oct 12, 2011 4:25 pm • link • report
I ride Metro fairly often
by Peggy Darlington on Oct 12, 2011 5:56 pm • link • report
by David Gorsline on Oct 12, 2011 8:06 pm • link • report
-Abbreviate Street to St, Road to Rd and Boulevard to Blvd if Avenue is to be abbreviated to Ave
-Make Howard University a subtitle so that the H symbol next to Shaw-Howard does not lay on top of the Red Line.
-Add Amtrak, VRE, and MARC Symbols to Union Station
-Remove 7th St from the Mt Vernon Square [Convention Center] name as it is one of 6 stops on 7th St or its extension, Georgia Ave NW
-Visualize the Farragut Virtual Transfer
-Please do not add The National Mall to Smithsonian. It may cause tourists to exit Metro at a location that is not ideal for where they want to go.
-Do not show East Falls Church as a transfer station until it actually is a transfer station.
-If funding is allocated for the Potomac Yards Metro Station, consider showing it as a proposed station.
This is a great map proposal! I hope GGW's comments make it greater!
by David Murnan on Oct 12, 2011 10:03 pm • link • report
Gallery Place-Chinatown should emphasize Chinatown as it is more recognizable than Gallery Place.
by Tracey H on Oct 12, 2011 10:56 pm • link • report
Gallery Place-Chinatown should emphasize Chinatown as it is more recognizable than Gallery Place.
by Tracey H on Oct 12, 2011 10:56 pm • link • report
First Preference:
Penn Quarter as the primary name
Chinatown as a secondary name
This is no longer than what is being proposed, but corrects an error originally made by those who did not know the difference between a museum and an art gallery, naming the station for the two museums, not art galleries, that are here (American Art and Portrait Gallery). WMATA favors neighborhood names and this neighborhood now has a name though at the time names were developed, it was merely a tawdry area in downtown.
Second Preference
Penn Quarter as the primary name
Archives-Navy Mem'l as the secondary name for the same reason: WMATA favors neighborhood names and this name is now nationally known for being a dynamic neighborhood with restaurants, theaters, museums, and entertainment venues, hotels, residential buildings, and offices -- and the envy of every city in the country!
by JoAnn Neuhaus on Oct 12, 2011 11:46 pm • link • report
Please explain the following names on the underground which aren't simple
Shepherd's Bush Market
Great Portland Street
King's Cross St. Pancras
High Street Kensington
Dagenham Heathway
Harrow-on-the-Hill
Chalfont & Latimer
Rickmansworth
Totteridge and Whetstone
Mornington Crescent
Heathrow Terminal 4
Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3
Highbury & Islington
Harrow & Wealdstone
Willesden Junction
Elephant & Castle
Tottenham Court Road
----------------
Vote from DC
Navy Yard
New York Ave or NY Ave
Smithsonian
Waterfront
Forest Glen
King ST.
All of the following should be abbreviated
Street
Avenue
Road
Lane (it will probably be added someday)
Court(it will probably be added someday)
Airport
Park
Drive(it will probably be added someday)
Boulevard
Heights
Center
North
South
East
West
Having icons for Hospital, Parking, University, Amtrak/otherrail, Greyhound etc is fine as long as the place is within walking distance and not across highways, interstates or long bridges
BTW the map forgets that there is United Medical Center down the street from Southern Ave Station
by kk on Oct 12, 2011 11:50 pm • link • report
Subtitles are a great idea, but it shouldn't be a reason to have overly long names. Some stations that should still be shortened include Archives, U Street, Mt. Vernon Sq., and Woodley Park (just remove Adams Morgan, leaving "Woodley Park [Zoo]"). Also, at least say "U of MD" instead of "U of Md".
by Brian on Oct 13, 2011 12:25 am • link • report
ALL should be subtitled. The names shown inside the train on the station displays should match the station names. Subtitles should be used where appropriate, and in almost every case (exception: Woodley Park-ZOO) they are appropriate.
by Wayne Whitehorne on Oct 13, 2011 12:26 am • link • report
Why is ZOO an exception
by kk on Oct 13, 2011 12:36 am • link • report
by Matthew Laster on Oct 13, 2011 12:40 am • link • report
by Dion on Oct 13, 2011 1:00 am • link • report
by Jonathan Horsford on Oct 13, 2011 8:29 am • link • report
The subtitles will make the map look so much cleaner!
by Marvin Baker on Oct 13, 2011 8:50 am • link • report
Subtitles are okay where a major point of interest is right next to the station, but many extended station names are misleading.
The Zoo is almost halfway between Cleveland Park and Woodley Park, Adams Morgan is just as far away from Woodley Park as it is from U Street and Columbia Heights, the National Mall is served by many stations, not just Smithsonian, etc.
As for King Street-Old Town, this meets the character limit, is preferred by the people of Alexandria, and the station is actually IN Old Town, so why use subtitles?
When in doubt, the simpler name is almost always better.
by Joshua Bowman on Oct 13, 2011 10:12 am • link • report
by Maurice on Oct 13, 2011 11:29 am • link • report
by Matt on Oct 13, 2011 11:51 am • link • report
keep it simple. no need to id everything in 3 block radius. for instance no need for cardozo in U st metro label
by mj on Oct 13, 2011 11:55 am • link • report
by Jasmine Heung on Oct 13, 2011 3:04 pm • link • report
The hyphenated Dunn Loring-Merrifield deserves evaluation. Although Dunn Loring is a neighborhood, a small one at that, Merrifield dwarfs this in importance. The Merrifield Mosaic District will bring in thousands of new residents, and a town center environment within half a mile of the metro. This will drive a huge metro dependent commuter population, and is more culturally significant than suburban Dunn Loring.
by Aaron on Oct 13, 2011 3:56 pm • link • report
by Aaron on Oct 13, 2011 3:58 pm • link • report
by Luis on Oct 13, 2011 9:17 pm • link • report
Keep the map as clean as possible. That means shorter station names.
by Alex Sedlacek on Oct 13, 2011 9:38 pm • link • report
by Adam on Oct 14, 2011 7:32 am • link • report
Short names are far superior.
by Meredith on Oct 14, 2011 4:01 pm • link • report
I only disagree with Convention Center being a subtitle. That seems like a far more useful title for people navigating the city than Mt Vernon Square. I routinely say something is "near the Convention Center" but never "near Mt Vernon Square"
by A Walsh on Oct 15, 2011 8:42 pm • link • report
Additional station name change request:
Columbia Heights-Mt. Pleasant
by on Oct 16, 2011 9:08 am • link • report
"Gallery Place" should be dropped from the Gallery Place Chinatown station name. I don't think I've every heard anyone call it Gallery Place, and it annoys me to no end when I type "Chinatown" into trip planner, get an error, then have to go back and enter "Gallery Place."
by Shannon on Oct 16, 2011 4:13 pm • link • report
If you are moving the universities to the less visible location of a subtitle, you might as well write out the whole name of the university. Additionally,
I hold issue with the name 'NoMa' because it erases the areas rich history with a very corporate feeling portmanteau. The history is important to the neighborhood, even if it went through a very unsavory period. That said, perhaps naming it, say, Sursum Corda is not the best move due to connotation, but applying a more appropriate name with historical ties would be better branding. Examples like; "Truxton (Gallaudet U)" or "Near NE-Truxton (Gallaudet U)" work better because these two names actually pin down the longer more important neighborhood history.
by Daniel Lincoln on Oct 17, 2011 1:00 pm • link • report
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Keeping the University names as prominent is important because often times they are being visited by parents and new students who might miss the information about the respective University.
by Roger Deming on Oct 17, 2011 2:13 pm • link • report
by Paul M Baker on Oct 17, 2011 4:28 pm • link • report
Personally, I don't like NoMa addition. People who know the area will call it that but other riders of the Metro only know the old stop name.
by Dani on Oct 17, 2011 4:59 pm • link • report
Here is a good rule of thumb: If it's a neighborhood, hyphenate. If it's a landmark, make the landmark a subtitle (e.g. Gallery Place/Chinatown shouldn't be subtitled because Chinatown is the neighborhood. If anything, Gallergy Place should be subtitled - no one actually calls it that.)
Please do not display the Washington Nationals Ballpark, it sets a precedent that private sector and sports logos are acceptable on future signage (VT, GMU) Then, when the Nats move because our city doesn't support the team, WMATA won't have to change its signage.
Merrifield doesn't exist anymore, except as the name of a post office that serves Vienna, VA mailing addresses. Get rid of Merrifield name.
Finally, none of these names really matter but whatever you do, replace the current signage with something that is not hideous charcoal/brown in color. Rennovate all the signage in the metro system, it looks awful.
by BRL on Oct 18, 2011 1:03 pm • link • report
Keep points of interest consistently part of subtitles for the ease of future changes while keeping station names short.
by Yangbo Du on Oct 19, 2011 9:03 am • link • report
I now live in Berkeley but visit DC frequently and was a resident between 2000 and 2004. The map has become littered with unhelpful station names in recent years. I feel very strongly that the station names should revert to short and precise designations, and all additional information (universities, hospitals, memorials, points of interest) should be placed in subtitles or eliminated. Many of the points of interest are at a considerable distance from the stations that carry their names at any rate.
I also think New York Ave station should be renamed Florida Ave, as it's really not located on New York Avenue at all. It's just a poor choice of title.
by Mark on Oct 22, 2011 1:24 pm • link • report
by Taye on Oct 23, 2011 2:02 pm • link • report
by Ash on Oct 31, 2011 12:37 pm • link • report
The (current) Georgia Ave - Petworth station has a proposed name change to "Georgia Ave" with the subtitles "Petworth". I think it's worth considering reversing this to have "Petworth" as the primary name and "Georgia Ave" as the subtitle. This maintains consistency with the the neighborhood naming, such as Columbia Heights or Shaw, yet still associates it with Georgia Avenue. As a back up, I think the station may not even need a subtitle of "Georgia Ave" if "Petworth" were the station name, seeing as how Georgia Avenue would be identified in the sub-subtitled station information declaring the general address of the station.
I am a current resident of the Petworth neighborhood.
by Chris Roberts on Mar 28, 2012 4:16 pm • link • report
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