Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 20, 2004

Largo segment is the first beyond the 103-mile adopted regional system

Today, Saturday, December 18, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), the State of Maryland, and Prince George’s County, MD, marked a major milestone in the Authority’s prestigious 28-year history as Metro extended the Blue Line beyond the Addison Road-Seat Pleasant Metrorail station to the Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center, the first segment extension beyond the current 103-mile rail system. Ceremonies were held today at both the new Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center Metrorail stations. "With today’s ceremony, Metro marks another milestone moment in its remarkable history," stated Metro Board Chairman Robert J. Smith. "This new segment will become a catalyst for the renewal and revitalization of this community, providing new opportunities for the people of Prince George’s County and enhanced customer service for all Metrorail customers." The 3.1 mile, two-station, $456 million extension of the Blue Line was completed on schedule and within budget. The alignment consists of two miles of underground track, a half-mile of aerial structure track, and over a half-mile of at-grade track. The line extends from the Addison Road-Seat Pleasant Metrorail station, onto Morgan Boulevard and Largo Town Center. The extension of the Blue Line achieves a number of "firsts" in Metrorail history: It is the first segment beyond the 103-mile regional Metrorail system, and the first segment of the Metrorail system in Prince George’s County, MD, to be extend beyond the Capital Beltway. "We have seen so much excitement in Prince George’s County this year," said Prince George’s County Executive Jack B. Johnson, who is celebrating his second year in office. "The new Metrorail segment opens up the center of Prince George’s County to the entire Washington region. The areas around the Morgan Boulevard and Largo stations are fast becoming premier places where people want to live, work, and play. This is only one example of where new investments have created tremendous economic growth in the county. Just earlier this month, we broke ground on the National Harbor development, which some day in the future will also be served by Metro." "Expanding the Metrorail system beyond the Capital Beltway into Prince George’s County further opens the door of opportunity for thousands of county residents and encourages economic development," said Maryland Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele. "This extension strengthens the link between Prince George’s County and the rest of the Metropolitan Washington region." In addition to Board Chairman Smith, Prince George’s County Executive Johnson, Lt. Governor Steele, and Metro General Manager/CEO Richard A. White, other guests at today’s ceremony included U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes, U.S. Congressmen Al R. Wynn, and Steny H. Hoyer, Metro Board members, local elected officials, and various business and community leaders. "The extension of Metro’s Blue Line to Morgan Boulevard and the Largo Town Center brings public transportation service beyond the Beltway and further into Prince George’s County," said Charles Deegan, a member of Metro’s Board of Directors. "These two new stations will provide county and area residents with improved access to services, dining, shopping, and entertainment, plus the convenience of taking Metro to and from work everyday." The Morgan Boulevard Metrorail station, which is less than a mile away from FedEx Field, will have the capacity to provide 500 all-day parking spaces and will also be the home to a special child day care center. The Largo Town Center Metrorail Station will serve the new shopping complex at the Boulevard at Capital Center, Prince George’s County offices and adjacent communities. The Largo Town Center station has two parking structures with 2,200 spaces, and a special underground rail storage yard to accommodate up to 36 rail cars. At today’s opening ceremony, Metro officials recognized former Maryland State Senator and Metro Board Member Decatur "Bucky" Trotter who passed away earlier this year by dedicating the Metrorail bridge over the Capital Beltway in his memory. Mr. Trotter, who joined the Metro Board in March 1999 as a principal director representing the State of Maryland and was Chairman of the Board in 2001, was integral in ensuring the Blue Line extension to Largo become a reality. "Mr. Trotter was a strong advocate for equality and fairness, and he was an unwavering champion of Metro and a man who lived life to the fullest," said Metro Board Member Marcell Solomon. "Mr. Trotter strongly supported this project, and supported the residents of Prince George’s County, and we know he is with us in spirit. Mr. Trotter will always hold a special place in our hearts, and today we honor his memory by dedicating this rail bridge in his honor." The new extension flows from ground level and elevated heights to underground, which reduces running time and distance traveled, and minimizes disruptions to surrounding communities. The extension is also designed to move high volumes of people attending concerts and sporting events at FedEx Field because it makes extensive use of a "crossover," a section of track with switches that allows trains to cross from the inbound track to the outbound track, or vice versa. The Largo extension includes four crossovers in just 3.1 miles, or one crossover every nine-tenths of a mile. The average throughout the rest of the Metrorail system is one crossover every 1.9 miles. "This means that trains traveling on this part of the Blue Line can switch tracks without traveling long distances," said Metro General Manager/CEO Richard White. "The bottom line is that for our customers, it means reduced delays during times of service interruptions." Another key component of the two new stations is Metro’s Art in Transit Program. Morgan Boulevard station’s artwork pays homage to Garret Morgan, evoking images of the original stop-and-go traffic signal he invented in 1923. The sculpture was created by District of Columbia artist Athena Tacha. The Largo Town Center Metrorail station features a stainless steel and laminated holographic glass beacon appropriately named "Largo Beacon." The residents of Largo requested a "beacon" for the community and the station. "I would personally like to thank our partners in the federal government, the state of Maryland, and Prince George’s County for their help as we break ground on new rail service beyond the Capital Beltway into Largo," said Mr. White. "The extension of the Blue Line will not only help to reduce Capital Beltway congestion, but makes good economic and environmental sense and goes a long way toward improving the quality of life in Prince George’s County and throughout the region." The total cost of the extension was $456 million, with funding coming jointly from the state of Maryland and the Federal government, making it the first extension not to be funded under the original 103-mile rail system. The Maryland Transit Administration was also responsible for conducting the project planning and environmental studies before turning over the design and construction of the extension to Metro. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) was created by an interstate compact in 1967 to plan, develop, build, finance and operate a balanced regional transportation system in the national capital area. The Authority began building its rail system in 1969, acquired four regional bus systems in 1973, and began operating the first phase of Metrorail in 1976. Today, Metrorail serves 86 stations, on 106.1 miles of track and with a fleet of 950 rail cars and provides service from 5 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Metrobus serves the nation’s capital 24-hours-a-day, seven days-a-week with 1,450 buses. Metrorail and Metrobus serve a population of 3.4 million within a 1,600 square mile jurisdiction. For more information about Metro, including schedules and fares, visit Metro’s website at www.metroopensdoors.com.

News release issued on December 20, 2004.