Happy Belated 50th Birthday, Metro!

By: Miriam Edelman

The District of Columbia metropolitan area’s Metro Rail system turned 50 years old on March 27, 1976. During the past half century, people have made over seven billion trips on Metro, part of the 15 billion trips on Metro, Metro Bus, and Metro Access combined.

During Metro’s history, Metro expanded immensely. When Metro started service on March 27, 1976, there were just five stops between Rhode Island Avenue and Farragut North on the Red Line, which was 4.6 miles long. Now, Metro consists of 98 stations on six lines (Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Silver) in a “128-mile network.” The order of the four additional lines (and their year of opening) of Metro’s initial 103-mile system is: Blue Line (1977), Orange Line (1978), Yellow Line (1983), and Green Line (1991). The original system was completed in 2001. The Silver Line opened in 2014. As at least some of the earlier lines had expanded, the Silver Line followed suit in 2022.

Metro’s expansion is reminiscent of the large growth of the United States. When the U.S. became independent from the United Kingdom in 1776, it began with just 13 states, which were the 13 colonies. Now, there are 50 states, some territories, and its capital, the District of Columbia. Even though the U.S. became a country in large part due to taxation without representation, D.C.’s residents experience taxation without representation. They pay federal taxes but are not represented in the U.S. Congress.

Before Metro turns 51 years old, let’s finally make D.C. the 51^st state. There is no time to waste.