Planning and creation
Starting in the mid-19th century, the Washington area had been served by a variety of private bus lines and streetcar services, … See more

Metrorail
Since opening in 1976, the Metrorail network has grown to include six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of track. As of 2023, it is the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States in average daily … See more

Fares and other revenue fund 57.6% of the Metro's daily operations while state and local governments fund the remaining 42.4%. Since the Metro's inception, the federal government … See more

There has been speculation about an extension of the Green Line northward to Baltimore's BWI Airport, There was also talk of extending the Green Line either to National Harbor See more

Board of directors
WMATA was originally set up with a board of directors, of twelve members. Of those, six were voting … See more

WMATA includes art works at stations and sometimes on the trains. Thirty-nine stations include artwork. Funding for the art comes from several sources, including the town in which the station is located, the WMATA art program, the Federal Transit … See more

Safety
In recent years, WMATA has drawn criticism for a neglect of safety in both its rail and bus systems. Problems include failures within the system designed to prevent train collisions and escalators failing or breaking … See more