We all know the Orange Line is crowded. We all hear the many complaints from Virginia commuters about inching beneath the Potomac River between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom. The Post explains why the Orange Line is getting more crowded and can’t handle more trains. And it will get worse, regardless if and when a metrorail spur is built from West Falls Church to Tyson’s Corner (and eventually to Dulles International Airport.)
The problem is simple. Two train lines, Orange and Blue, converge at Rosslyn and the current two-tube tunnel to the District can’t accommodate more trains.
WMATA’s solution? Take some Blue Line trains out of the Potomac River tunnel and route them into the District via the Yellow Line’s bridge between the Pentagon and L’Enfant Plaza. While this may work, this would require a remapping of WMATA’s simple five-line metrorail map. Having Blue Line trains crossing at L’Enfant Plaza could confuse the hell out of passengers.
Imagine this: “This is the Blue Line to Franconia-Springfield, The next station is L’Enfant Plaza. Transfer is available to the Yellow Line, direction Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square. Transfer is available to the Green Line, direction Greenbelt and Branch Avenue. Tranfer is also available to the Blue Line, direction Franconia-Springfield. So stay on this train or transfer upstairs.” (What, could D.C.’s metrorail get as confusing at the MTA’s subway in New York?)
So to the Orange Liners out there, how has your commute been?
