{"id":31898,"date":"2025-06-22T22:18:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T02:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yurasko.net\/wfy\/?p=31898"},"modified":"2025-06-22T22:18:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T02:18:45","slug":"changes-to-dc-metro-wayfinding-and-service-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2025\/06\/changes-to-dc-metro-wayfinding-and-service-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"\u200bChanges to DC Metro wayfinding and service this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is making updates to wayfinding and service starting<\/strong><\/a> June 22. Some changes are improvements, some are downgrades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update Wayfinding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Line iconography<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Over a decade ago, WMATA updated Metro line iconography to include the first letter of each line and an “L” in the corresponding colored circle. “RL” for Red Line, “BL” for Blue Line, etc. Now, it’ll just be the color’s first letter – R, O, B, G, Y, S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"New<\/a>
Rob guys? Rob gays? Rob goys? Is that best letter arrangement you could have done, WMATA?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is this a tacit admission that the agency has given up on ever having a Brown, Black, Beige, Gold lines? Not shocking since a recent expansion proposal had the Blue Line expanding into a loop “the Bloop”<\/strong><\/a> but that’s been shelved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suppose Aqua, Coral, Pink1<\/a><\/sup> and Teal2<\/a><\/sup> are still available. Maryland poached<\/em> purple for a light rail line <\/a><\/strong>that is still under construction.3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will be interesting to see if over time Washingtonians start referring to lines with letters (take the B train) instead of the colors, like New Yorkers.4<\/a><\/sup> I kind of doubt it though; I still say “National” to refer to the airport with the code DCA. We can be stubborn like that…5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On occasion, I have dropped SOB for the Silver, Orange, Blue trunk line though the District, but it’s not common yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
I probably used “SOB” on this delayed commute which has thankfully been the exception since I started going to Eastern Market station daily.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

New Metro logo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A slight change to the Metro mark – the “metro” is no longer in the same black box as the M.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It’s a downgrade in my opinion, but one that will probably go mostly unnoticed. The trademark TM<\/sup> is a conspicuous addition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Map changes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the 2013 map redesign<\/strong><\/a>, the colors appear to be the same6<\/a><\/sup>, at least based on cursory comparison of the official map PDFs<\/strong><\/a> from the WMATA web site.7<\/a><\/sup> The main changes, other than the service discs, include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n