Pentagon station explained

Pentagon
Style:WMATA
Symbol:blue
Symbol2:yellow
Symbol Location:washington
Address:2 South Rotary Road
Borough:Arlington, Virginia
Coordinates:38.8692°N -77.0539°W
Owned:Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms:2 split platforms
Tracks:1 on each level
Levels:2
Train Operators:Washington Metro
Bus Stands:Upper: 1 to 13, Lower: 1 to 11
Bicycle:racks
Accessible:Yes
Code:C07
Rebuilt:2002
Passengers:4,850 daily[1]
Pass Year:2023
Pass Rank:17 out of 98
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail-metro
Marker-Color:
  1. 000
Zoom:15

Pentagon station is a split platform station on the Washington Metro located adjacent to The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Providing service for both the Blue and Yellow Lines, the station is where the two lines diverge and thus acts as a transfer point. Northbound, both lines rise above ground, with the Blue Line serving the station, and the Yellow Line crossing the Potomac River into the District of Columbia.

The station opened on July 1, 1977 with the completion of 11.8miles[2] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.

Photography is not allowed anywhere on the station grounds.[3]

Bus service

Pentagon station is also a major bus hub[4] [5] in northern Virginia. The current bus facility opened in 2001[6] as part of the Pentagon Renovation Program.[7]

Station layout

The station is located underground, adjacent to The Pentagon, and formerly had a direct (but secure) entrance to the Pentagon and its underground shopping center. This entrance was closed in 2001 as part of the Pentagon Renovation Program. Access to the Pentagon is now gained via a new secured entrance facility above ground near the bus depot and the entrances to the subway station. The new exit features signage displayed at Gallery Place-Chinatown and newer stations.

Pentagon is one of two stations (the other being the Rosslyn station) at which trains going one direction are boarded on a different station level than trains going the other direction, as a way to prevent an at-grade crossing. This is because the Blue and Yellow lines split apart an extremely short distance from the station.

An indicator sign at the north end of the station flashes to inform passengers of the arriving train's destination, showing Blue for, and Yellow for . This feature is only used at final transfer stations; another example being .

South of the station, two empty tunnels diverge from the tracks towards Columbia Pike for future extension, but the plans were later dropped.[8]

SUpper levelPentagon, Pentagon Memorial, upper level bus bays
1Lower levelLower level bus bays
MMezzanineFare gates, ticket machines, station manager
Northbound toward →
toward →
TSouthbound← toward
← toward

Incidents

2010

On March 4, 2010, a gunman, identified as John Patrick Bedell, who espoused anti-government views, shot and wounded two Pentagon police officers at a security checkpoint in the Pentagon station. The officers returned fire, striking him in the head. Bedell died the next day, on March 5, 2010.[9]

2021

At 10:40 a.m. EST, on August 3, 2021, a stabbing occurred, killing officer George Gonzalez and leading to a lockdown of the Pentagon that was later lifted. The perpetrator, 27-year-old Austin William Lanz shot and killed himself using Gonzalez's service weapon. In an apology issued by Lanz's family, they stated that in his final few months, he suffered from "many mental health challenges". There was a warrant out for Lanz's arrest due to an incident months earlier, in which Lanz broke into a Georgia home with a crowbar.[10] [11] [12] [13]

Notable places nearby

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Metrorail Ridership Summary . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . February 8, 2024.
  2. Web site: Sequence of Metrorail openings. 2017. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 3. March 18, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140221/https://www.wmata.com/about/upload/Metro-Facts-2017-FINAL.pdf. June 12, 2018. dead.
  3. Web site: Pentagon | WMATA .
  4. Web site: Bus service from Pentagon . August 2015 . WMATA . Bus Boarding Map . February 11, 2016.
  5. Web site: Pentagon Transit Center . Arlington Transit . Bus Bays / Bus Routes . February 11, 2016.
  6. Web site: METRO ENTRANCE FACILITY CELEBRATES INITIAL OPENING! . December 18, 2001 . Pentagon Renovation Program . The Pentagon Transit Center portion of the Metro Entrance Facility is now open and operational . February 11, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071231130127/http://metro.pentagon.mil/ . December 31, 2007 .
  7. Web site: Pentagon Metro Entrance Facility Project . Pentagon Renovation & Construction . Washington Headquarters Services . project completion in late fall of 2002 . February 11, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080109065537/http://renovation.pentagon.mil/projects-MEF.htm . January 9, 2008 .
  8. Web site: Why is there no Metro line on Columbia Pike? .
  9. Web site: Pentagon gunman sought 'truth' about 9/11 . NBC News . March 5, 2010 . NBC News . March 5, 2010.
  10. Web site: 2021-08-03. Pentagon lockdown lifted after active shooter incident. 2021-08-03. WKBN.com. en-US.
  11. Web site: Pentagon reopens following shooting incident. 2021-08-03. ABC News. en.
  12. Web site: Pentagon lockdown lifted, multiple patients being treated after shots fired, officials say. 2021-08-03. NBC News. August 3, 2021 . en.
  13. Web site: 'We are so sorry and heartbroken:' Family of accused Pentagon attacker apologizes. 2021-09-14. CBS6 Albany. August 7, 2021 . en.