When traveling to new places like Bengaluru, Chicago, Detroit, Chennai, Delhi, New York, or now Washington I have made sure to take the metro train primarily to save travel costs especially from and to the airport. Unlike Detroit or Bangalore, the metro train in Washington has connectivity from downtown to the airport. But unlike Delhi or Chicago, it is a bit interrupted in that there are lapses and last-mile connectivity issues. However, it is pretty easy and a generally comfortable ride.
In Washington, the metro to the downtown does not start anywhere close to the Dulles airport but 7 miles away. The station is Wiehle-Reston East on the Silver Line. After deboarding from the plane I searched for the place within the airport where a shuttle bus appropriately called the Silver Line Express Bus that took me to the Wiehle-Reston station. All things being equal, this ride would be my last choice, but because of the distance and the less frequent public transportation, taking cabs, or ride-sharing into Washington DC from the Dulles airport will likely take longer and be more expensive.
The ticket was USD 5 and the bus runs every 15 minutes. I lucked out since there were not many passengers at that time taking the bus. After deboarding the bus right outside the Wiehle-Reston metro station I took the metro to downtown and enjoyed the ride for about an hour for USD 10. Compare this to the 60 bucks for a taxi there is no reason to shy away from this ride-hopping even though it is a bit of a hassle.
The capital city of the United States is not just full of amazing historic sites and national landmarks but is also a city teeming with life. The precedent is set at the outskirts of the town as viewed from the metro train. I observed there are two distinct types of buildings, the old ones and the ultra-modern ones that typically have a shining glass facade. The building under construction as seen in the photo above is a new one while those without a glass exterior clearly are old.
When roaming in downtown DC as well I found such modern buildings adorning a crystal-like appearance everywhere.
Here’s another square where the building in front is obviously recently-constructed while the one on the right which is the Hampton Inn by Hilton is an old one but it seems they have tried to patch it up with some glasswork to make it appear in sync with the other nearby building.
So much frenzy for turning the town into a crystal kingdom and that goes without saying looks adorable though.
Quick Facts:
• Number of lines 6 - Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Silver
• Stations 91
• Daily Riders 626,000
• Annual Riders 182,000,000
• Website www.wmata.com/rail
• Started March 27, 1976
• Frequency 4 mins
• Total Length 117 miles or 188 km
Have you taken an interesting metro ride in a city other than where you live? I’d be interested in knowing your experiences.
Until then… Happy Guiding ?
This article is part of the Washington DC #StateChallenge Meetup and Trivia Quiz hosted by @Kwiksatik and @Denise_Barlock
Accessibility Features
Similar to the Delhi Metro, the stations at Washington metro have a variety of accessibility features like ramps at the doors, designated priority seating, and wheelchair areas, automated voice announcements, large LED displays for route and stop information, Braille signage, audio, and Braille equipped fare vending machines, wheelchair accessible gates, and tactile platform edging.
Ramp Access.
A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
A wheelchair-accessible Parking.
Wheelchair-accessible Washroom/Toilet.
Tactile Paths for the Vision-Impaired.
Extra Large Displays for the Vision-Impaired.
What Else To Do In Washington DC
While you are in DC, these are the top 10 recommended places:
, I also like to experience public transportation in different cities, especially from a developed country.
