College Park–University of Maryland station explained

College Park–University of MD
Style:WMATA
Symbol:green
Symbol Location:washington
Address:4931 Calvert Road &<br />7202 Bowdoin Avenue[1]
Borough:College Park, Maryland
Coordinates:38.9784°N -76.9282°W
Owned:Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Line:Capital Subdivision
Platform:1 island platform (Washington Metro)
2 side platforms (Capital Subdivision)
Tracks:4 (2 for each service)
Structure:Elevated
Parking:1,870 spaces
Bicycle:81 racks, 40 lockers
Accessible:Metro only
Code:E09
Rebuilt:2021
Pass Year:2022
Passengers:1,352 daily[2] (Metro)
Pass Rank:58th (Metro)
Other Services Header:Former services
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Other Services2 Header:Future services
Other Services2 Collapsible:yes
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail
Marker-Color:
  1. 000
Zoom:15

College Park–University of Maryland station is a Washington Metro and MARC station located in College Park, Maryland, near the University of Maryland, College Park campus. It is served by the Metro Green Line and limited service on the MARC Camden Line. The light rail Purple Line is planned to begin service at the station in 2027.

Station layout

The station is located on the south side of Campus Parkway, about southeast of the campus center and adjacent to the College Park office park. The two-track Capital Subdivision (used by MARC) and the two-track Metro E Route run north-south through the station area, with the Capital Subdivision on the west side. An island platform serves Metro trains, with entrances from both sides of the rail lines leading to the underground fare concourse. Two small side platforms serve MARC trains; they have an entrance from the west side and an underpass crossing under the Metro tracks. The Metro platform is accessible, but the MARC platforms are not.

A 1,345-space parking garage and a bus plaza are located on the east side of the station. The station is served by Metrobus, The Bus, Laurel Connect-a-Ride, and a university shuttle route.

History

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) opened its Washington Branch, now the Capital Subdivision, in 1835. A station served the 1856-opened Maryland Agricultural College (now University of Maryland, College Park) by 1878.[3] B&O Baltimore–Washington commuter service was taken over by MARC as the Camden Line in the 1980s.

Metro service at College Park began on December 11, 1993, with the extension of the Green Line to .[4] The parking garage opened on June 25, 2005.[5] In May 2012, the station became the first Metro station to feature a "Bike & Ride" bike station. A mesh enclosure built into the adjacent parking garage, the facility can hold up to 120 bikes and has 24-hour access.[6] [7]

Metro Yellow Line service was extended to Greenbelt, serving College Park, during peak hours from June 18, 2012, to June 25, 2017, as park of the "Rush+" program.[8] [9] It was again extended to Greenbelt at all times on May 25, 2019.[10] From March 26 to June 28, 2020, the station was closed due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[11] [12] The Metro station was closed from May 29 to September 6, 2021, while the platform was rebuilt.[13] [14] Yellow Line service was suspended from September 10, 2022, to May 7, 2023. It was cut back to upon reopening, no longer serving College Park.[15] [16] From July 22 to September 4, 2023, the Green Line north of Fort Totten (including College Park) was closed for maintenance work.[17]

The Purple Line, a light rail line, is under construction and planned to open in 2027.[18] It will have a platform on the east side of the Metro tracks. In May 2024, the Federal Transit Administration awarded the MTA $1.4 million for design and engineering work to make the MARC station accessible. The new platforms would be long.[19] [20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MARC Station Information . Maryland Transit Administration . 2021-01-30.
  2. Web site: Rail Ridership Data Viewer . WMATA . February 13, 2023 . February 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230208215032/https://wmata.com/initiatives/ridership-portal/Rail-Data-Portal.cfm . dead .
  3. loc.gmd/g3850m.gct00186 . Atlas of fifteen miles around Washington, including the county of Montgomery, Maryland . 1878 . Vansville Dist. No. 1 . 1:31,680 . 45 . G.M. Hopkins.
  4. Web site: Metro Facts . 2014 . Washington Metropolitan area Transit Authority . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160222003449/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/docs/Metro%20Facts%202014.pdf . February 22, 2016 .
  5. Officials celebrate opening of parking garage at College Park-U of MD Metrorail station . July 5, 2005 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority .
  6. Construction begins on Metro's first Bike & Ride facility at College Park . October 6, 2011 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority .
  7. First Bike & Ride facility opens at College Park station . May 15, 2012 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
  8. Metro unveils new system map in preparation for Rush Plus . March 19, 2012 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
  9. Metro prepares for changes to hours, schedules and fares this weekend . June 24, 2017 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
  10. Metro to extend Yellow Line service to Greenbelt beginning May 25 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . May 20, 2019.
  11. Metro to close additional 17 stations and selected entrances amid low-ridership, need to conserve critical cleaning supplies during COVID-19 response . March 24, 2020 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
  12. Metro to reopen 15 stations, reallocate bus service to address crowding, starting Sunday . June 22, 2020 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
  13. Metro announces travel alternatives during summer platform reconstruction work . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . March 22, 2021.
  14. Four Green and Yellow Line stations reopening on Tuesday, September 7 . September 2, 2021 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
  15. Metro announces travel alternatives for major Blue and Yellow Line construction this fall . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . June 15, 2022.
  16. Metro announces Yellow Line reopening date . April 4, 2023 . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority .
  17. Enhanced Maintenance Work during Summer 2023 to focus on custom and reliability upgrades to modernize #YourMetro . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . January 24, 2023.
  18. News: Shaver . Katherine . 2022-01-26 . Md. board approves $3.4 billion contract to complete Purple Line . The Washington Post .
  19. Web site: All Stations Accessibility Program FY24 Projects . May 28, 2024 . Federal Transit Administration.
  20. Biden-Harris Administration Announces $343 Million to Modernize Transit Stations, Improve Accessibility Across the Country . May 28, 2024 . Federal Transit Administration.