One ride with a transfer and and setting foot in three key stations should be enough for a review of Washington D.C.'s Metro system (operated by WMATA in concert with a bus system). I guessed that this rapid rail system was inaugurated after the Bay Area's BART and before Atlanta's MARTA. That was the case, with it being inaugurated in the bicentennial year while BART kicked off in 1972 and MARTA in 1979. Some people are weird about using public transit. If the entire route might be very sketchy, I can see why one might avoid it. However, if transiting between major business and governmental hubs, and especially during daylight hours, I don't understand why someone would not use it. My Washington D.C. Metro trip was on the cheap, augmenting an earlier cheap experience that same day. In coming in from Virginia's Hampton Roads area into the nation's capital on Amtrak, grandiose Union Station is the place one gets off the train. Parts of Union Station are not sufficiently modernized, so struggle some, go the distance, and find the entrance to the Metro station located there. WMATA has single ride and day passes. Like BART and MARTA, cards with magnetic strips are needed to get in and out of your first and last station. The trains are punctual and surprisingly clean. The rolling stock definitely looks like that of the BART or MARTA era, except that the sides are slightly tapered upward, which gives them a sleeker look. Having always gone into the District with a rented car or someone else's, hunting for street parking was what is was all about! But that was a while ago and the District keeps getting busier. While I appreciate the grandeur of D.C., it's not my kind of town. That said, I've seen many photos of Washington's Metro, with most of them focused on the subway station at Union Station. I thought that this was a unique design and looked like it might be of the scale of Atlanta's Peachtree Center station. It is anything but that, being a lot "cozier" in scale, and that same template is used in many of their subway stations. But it's not a bad design, because, in addition to doing its job, manages to look '70s and space age at the same time. In addition to electronic boards telling you which trains are due, a unique feature is the lighting in the pavement that signals when a train is coming in and how to board it. The system's layout looks serpentine. I'm sure there's a logic to that. It might have to do with two rivers merging in this area and streets that are rarely gridded in the larger area. In Atlanta, there are many narrow winding streets; however, they superimposed a cruciform layout for their rapid transit system while, in the D.C. area, they did not. That means more that more familiarization is needed, which would require using it regularly. Most tourists won't get to that level that easily. There are 6 lines, all of which come into D.C., and then continue to service adjacent Virginia and Maryland. One thing that might make it more understandable is that 3 of the lines seem to share a trunk through an important swath of the District. In other cities, the main subway station is often under the main train station. Here, Union Station is but a stop on one line, with Metro Center and L'Enfant Plaza being the most important (transfer) stations. Still, the Metro goes to almost all of the historic landmarks and sites, key governmental buildings, and a number of colleges, one of which - the University of Maryland - is outside the District yet in its service area. Not that I had time, as I was headed to DCA Airport, but I noticed that Metro trains do not go to Georgetown, which might have to do with the topography and many green spaces in the Northwest quadrant of the District. The closest Metro station is at Dupont Circle and, from there, one can take a bus, a taxi, or a rideshare. If not oppressively humid or wintry, the remainder is walkable. I might have given WMATA 3 stars because of the ongoing delays in opening the Silver line to Dulles Airport (IAD), the large international hub airport for the metropolitan area. Much like how Denver's mega airport had teething problems with their then new baggage conveying system, the signaling and control system on newer stations was among the last things to create hiccups and they had to postpone acceptance of the project and opening up the Dulles Airport station, which had been sitting there looking ready to go. With the Silver line now open to IAD and beyond, and the ease of getting the DCA, I'll go with 4 stars. It might be fun to use the system to explore some key sites in D.C. and its surroundings, but that would depend on if and when I'm in that area again. read more

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I like riding the metro. As someone who grew up near DC and moved to NoVA the Metro has been a convenience for me in terms of getting around DC so I don't have to deal with hectic drivers or traffic. I've been riding this public transit nt entire life. However the last five weeks have been such a headache from WMATA's customer service that it's really made me consider if I need to just suck it up and drive into DC or take the bus. I used the SmartTrip app to reload my MetroCard and for over a MONTH the funds have been "pending". I called WMATA customer service, I emailed them multiple times, and even reached out to their official Reddit account. And I've been ignored, invalidated, gaslit a couple times, and some instances I've been disrespected by staff that clearly didn't want to be at work. I've always come with a level head but firm tone given how many times I've contacted WMATA and they have not resolved my issue. I'm irate and feel very disrespected and expected more from WMATA. As of 04/17 this issue still hasn't been resolved. read more

My daughter left her phone on the rail car seat along with her fare card and didn't realize until we were at the exit turnstiles. Station Mgr, A. Q. Hawkins saw her distress and came out of the booth to help. He immediately went into action making calls to help locate and secure the phone while calmly and kindly reassuring her. With his assistance, we were able to get back both the phone and card that were found by a fellow rider. All thanks to Mr. A.Q. Hawkins! read more

I'm not one to "love" public trains by any means; however, the Metro was super easy to use to get to and from Reagan Airport and sightseeing in downtown DC. They do have stations peppered throughout and you can usually get to places pretty quick once you've got the map down. The people were much nicer than those I've experienced in NYC and it was a bit more like Chicago. Trains themselves clean and the stations weren't too bad either. Some a little dimly lit as you may be below-ground but still feels safe. Can't recommend enough - save gas, fees and frustration. Take the metro! read more

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The DC metro system is utterly ridiculous. You must have an individual form of payment for each passenger. You cannot purchase multiple tickets on one card. I just returned from chaperoning a school trip and when my group tried to take the metro around downtown I was informed that each of us must either have an individual SmarTrip card or individual credit/debit card. These are 14/15 year old kids they DO NOT HAVE their own debit cards! And so I was unable to buy us passage on public transport. Yes I could have purchased each kid a SmarTrip card, but for the four children plus myself that would total ten dollars, plus fare would be $25 for one ride! It literally cost less to take an Uber, even with the tip. When we visited Boston, you buy five tickets, and five people get on the train. Could not be more simple. I know we can't be the only ones who experienced this problem because there were tour buses loaded with teenagers everywhere we went. Fix your system DC. If you do not want tourists on public transport then just ban us instead of making it too difficult to use! read more

This review is strictly for the Metro trains in the areas nearer to the tourist sites around the Capitol & the Reagan airport. No idea how good or bad bus service nor train service to outlying areas is. WMATA offers seniors half price fares for all rides so if you're a senior (or a kid), no ride should cost you more than $2 in the tourist areas. The 2 of us used the Metro for 4 days and only spent about $25 total on transportation. This included getting to and from Reagan to our hotel in downtown Arlington. Trains run pretty frequently (every 3-8 minutes), there are multiple lines criss-crossing all the tourist areas, and if you're a veteran urban traveler, learning the system and paying fares is easy once you get a "smart card." I highly recommend using the Metro to help the environment, save $$$, save time driving & $$ & time parking, and reducing stress associated with traffic. You might need to walk a little more to get to Metro stations but DC is all about walking anyways (museums, monuments, etc.). Stations & trains were clean, safe, and seldom so busy that boarding was never an issue. Compared to other major subways, Metro was a dream. read more

Full fan of the metro proper. The buses did well for the most part. The one huge exception was the DC Circulator which was absolutely horrendous. read more

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Management needs to be F'ing FIRED!!! Look at this crap! Rush hour at 5: 15 pm they have running 8-10 minutes apart, f'ing hot, and people ready to fight! Ignorant, lack of trending analysis skills, lazy management! Making millions off of passengers and penny pinching services. Unacceptable!!! read more

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority - Passengers dangerously crushed hung on platform due to lack of TRAINS!!! - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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One star is generous for this service. It is by far the most inefficient I've encountered in the U.S.--chronic tardiness, poor organization, and recurring issues that never seem to be addressed. Many of the people who rely on this service have demanding jobs that require punctuality, and this level of unreliability is inexcusable. read more

I ride Washington transit ride shared ride I believe dispatch should be better plenty of times I have been taken out of my direction of life were I would get picked up at south point then taken 20 mins away to mc Murray or the country and my house is a 7 min trip from my house to work but every time I take the bus it's me longer to reach home then walking no way it takes me 45 mins to walk home from work but a bus a ride I pay up front for is allways taken 1 hr to 45 mins to return home I believe they need a better diapatch unit and drivers not happen just ounce but seems like a every Saturday wensday and thurs thing read more

Very fun place to be especially the secret passage ways. The only problem is a few times, I would get stopped my feds who told me to turn back. They were very nice though. read more

We had such a good experience on the metro today. My daughter lost an item and discovered it right after we got off the train. A coordinated effort from officers from multiple stations brought it back to us within an hour. I was beyond impressed with everyone who helped us! read more

Between metro lines constantly being closed due to maintenance and escalators down due to malfunctions, I'm honestly surprised when/if I take the metro and everything is working. read more

Seriously Metro needs to wake up to their problems. The food and drink I am used to. Sticky seats and sticky floor...par for the course. Warm car in summer, cold car in the winter, I have a coat and shorts to wear. The scooters in stations, I'm used to. Garbage all over, it has not changed in 25 years. I was going from Tenleytown to metro center last Tuesday to see a movie and grab a bite. I get on the car and it's loaded with out of control kids, yelling, cursing, making a mess. I just wanted to grab a seat and a few stood in the aisle way holding me back from going further in the car. Finally one moved and I was able to grab a seat further up in the car. I'm thinking it's one giant party on metro tonight. Out of control kids. Like the display of kids night out in Chicago with kids destroying cars. A few kids are going back and forth through the emergency exit door at the end of the car. No faces, everything is covered. Other riders are feeling (like me) unsafe. I'm just thinking what's next. More stations people come and go off and on. Eventually the kids all filter out and I'm close to metro center. Why is the door (first of all) unlocked? Second, no camera to watch the door or the passengers of the car? No authority figure to handle what could have turned really ugly. Metro needs to step up and spend some money for security cameras in the cars and deal with out of control youth. All it would have taken was a gun or knife and it would have been another tragedy. Gangs of out of control youth will drive people like me away. Summer is coming tourist season. Something needs to be done. The dude in the little hut in the station never sees kids hopping the turnstiles, he's always on the phone. Security needs a lot of work. It's only a matter of time if nothing is done for a shooting to happen. read more

It's so cold outside...my bus was supposed to leave the station at 10:35pm yet it's still sitting there it's 11pm and the bus is 26 stops away...nobody has time for this and they wonder why people walk on without paying...I'm not about to pay you for making me late for work...driver was supposed to be here over 10 minutes ago..stop asking us for money if your drivers can't be on time.this is ridiculous...it's too cold for this mess. Get it TF together...bad business point blank period read more

I applied for the Communications Technician position, I was scheduled an interview. The interview was a panel of 4 people asking different questions about my skills, hands on and qualifications, I was told that my answers were very impressive I even answered a technical question that no one else got right, I was told they would contact me whether or not they hired me. I was never contacted, I emailed and asked if they were still interested in me, I was told she is waiting to hear back from the hiring manager no one has ever contacted me to this day not even to say I did not get the job it was very disappointing for me and rude on their end, it's been over six months I still have not heard anything I accepted another job offer. read more

the metro organization is like a fake department. for example they have a lost and found but they say put your lost stuff specification in a form, but after doing and ask the staff, they say we throw out the cloth that has lost! its ridiculous ad time wasting! read more

If I could give 0 stars would have. Very rude drives that speed away from you even though they can see you. Not stopping when you request a stop and the bus announced that a stop is requested. WMATA has nothing but contempt for its bus riders. read more

Once upon a time, the Washington Metro was a reliable mass transit system. Trains were frequent, the stations were clean, and the system was safe. Over the past 5 years, the Metro has rapidly declined in quality. There are delays on a daily basis. Wait times are ridiculous, especially on weekends. Some riders eat on the Metro, even though they're not supposed to. And as an added bonus, they leave the trash on the train or platform. There are also panhandlers on the Metro. They weren't there years ago. I also saw about a dozen teenagers jumping the turnstiles. If you live in the DC area, buy a car or use Uber. read more

The best way to get around D.C., specially if you are visiting the downtown area & national monuments. Price value: The cost of the ticket can't be compared to what it costs to park in the downtown area, besides the accessibility to get around the city. It's a no brainer. Staff & operators: They wear masks, which is highly appreciated. Staff is very helpful. Facilities: It's one of the cleanest metro lines I have ever been to. Some areas/lines are under construction. The machine to get buy a card from was a bit complicated to operate but a staff member was able to assist us right away. And he was nice and helpful. Some trains are brand new, too! Half of the turnstiles in each station don't seem to work, or are missing the card scanner. Safety: Took it during the day and it was fine. Didn't have any issues, or felt it was dangerous at any time. I'll keep taking the metro on my next visit to D.C.! read more

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The worse public transportation They let most of people to just get in and out without paying a dime, for the people who pay they let you pay high price even after 9pm Sucks metro, all the thugs ride for free and there is no punishment for them On top of it so filthy and stinky trains read more

What a waste of time!!! I was invited to interview for a job I had applied to in late March. One day, I got a call, email, and text from a recruiter inviting me for an in-person interview on 4/16/25 which turned out to be nothing more than a staged political event. When I arrived in the lobby, I was met by a camera crew who asked me to interview about being a federal worker who was laid off and looking for work. This caught me totally off guard and made me feel as if I had gotten used. After about 30 minutes, I was finally able to meet the interviewer who seemed aloof the entire 30 minutes I was there. She told me they'd be making hiring decisions the very next day which I thought was very odd. After the interview, I waited two days then I followed up with the recruiter who told me they'd be making decisions at any minute and this was at 4:30 pm on a Friday. Days later still no word or follow-up. I wish they never contacted me at all. read more

I am on the 32 bus visiting DC, and this guy in front keeps farting. Silent but deadly. I feel like throwing up. HARD PASS I am going to go up to the bus driver and ask him to tell everyone on the bus "that the bus is for everyone." read more

Riding the bus is no time to get your Washing done. Not even in Washingdone DC. Here comes the General! And his bus service. Riding the MTA was good but it's way too expensive. I think the train system is potentially one of the best in the country because it covers a large area (like my promiscuity) and if only it was expanded properly it could really make a huge difference. If you do happen to be near one of the stops, it's absolutely awesome in terms of getting you around. When you have to transfer to the buses it's not so good. read more

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Washington Metropolitan Area Transit is definitely the most expensive mass transit system in the United States to use. With the price based on your starting and ending points, I'm still wondering why they are short on revenue, but being short on revenue is the story of most mass transit systems. Almost half of the system is underground. I didn't experience any of my trains being delayed (which I know was a major complaint among the locals). However, I did experience escalators being out of service and being serviced at every station. Rush hour was a breeze, no issues as far as missing connected trains. The stations could use more lighting on the platforms tho . read more

Just a quick shout out to the DC Metro. I was in DC on business from PA and lost my driver's license. Had no idea where I had misplaced it. Today I received the license in the mail in a Wash DC MTA envelope. No message. But whoever handled it wrapped it in paper so no one could scan it or read the numbers thru the thin envelope. Very appreciative of the thoughtfulness that led to its return. Good job DC Metro. read more

If you can avoid metro, please do. First of all, most stations are I adequately staffed. Meaning, usually there is either 1 or 2 staff members at the faregate by the entrance of the station. There are instances of theft of customer personal items at any particular station so be sure to monitor your personal items. Also, I've witness fate evasion in certain station so metro should consider reviewing this. If no matters are taken, then they might as well make fares free here so ensure everyone is treated equally. In terms of cost, it's quite expensive to take the metro in the DMV area. Why can't we do a fixed fare based on metro station? For example, NYC transit system charges you a fixed cost once you enter the metro station. Also, the operating hours are very limited if you go out late at night. Don't expect to use them beyond 1am on weekends. So you might want to take certain taxi services such as Lyft and Uber. read more

Would not choose this company if another option existed. Monopoly of service leads to a genuine FU from employees to passengers and vice versa. Do you like death threats, beatings, theft, out of state customer complaint department, no online recourse, cancelled routes, busses that keep 2-3 tires on the road at all times, drivers that leave you at the station, miss your stop and complain about how horrible their job is and how jealous they are of grocery clercks? 1/5 would not recommend read more

Rail was convenient, timely and overall clean. Station attendants were super helpful but........... Smartrip app on our phones seldom worked and the attendants finally had to let us through multiple times. We noticed a lot of people also having difficulties with their phones. We finally gave up on our $53 pass and bought two pass cards from a machine at $53 each! They worked great but $212 for a weeks transit for two is bit pricey. Do not buy a digital pass! read more

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority got me around the DC area safely and on-time for a reasonable price. Thanks to their buses, I was able to easily navigate the city. The bus and subway schedules are all on Google Maps so you can use the transit feature to figure out the best route to get around. When I rode the bus, the bus driver was friendly and helpful, giving tips to all the tourists about transfers and pointing out some historic sites. The bus stops are frequent, and got to me within a block of everywhere I needed to go. The buses were clean, well lit and safe. Everyone seemed to keep to themselves, and were pleasant to ride with. When I went, the bus fare was $2, I think. read more

For my money, this is the best way in and out of DC when you're looking to walk the monuments. Plus, you get added street-cred when emerging from the bowels of the earth before partaking in some sight-seeing. Never had a problem, and usually there are a few ladies on board worth ogling. read more

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority - You can hang with the common folk when riding the Metro. Just bring some hand sanitizer. - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

When it comes to ideal mass transit systems in the US, the Washington DC Metro tends to be mentioned as one of the nation's best. As a passenger on many trains / metros / subways throughout the country, I have to give kudos to DC for having one of the most simple, clean, and complete mass transit systems in the US. It's vastly cleaner than NYC's MTA and half as intimidating, not as congested as the BART in SF, far more efficient than the LA Metro or the Boston MBTA, and less time consuming than the Portland Max. It looks and almost feels like the transit system in Brussels, Belgium (STIB), but way more frequent. Like the cars, the stations themselves are clean, usually with helpful attendants who make understanding the map easy as pie. The smart card is genius. With the varied fares of rush hour vs premium service, it's easier to load up on an unlimited SmarTrip card and go on that. The price tag ($30) is on par with most metro prices around the country and with better service (which is the true cost of any fare). It is for the most part safe. I've never had a problem with crazies on trains, though it is bound to happen from time to time. Having been used to riding the MTA in NY, being able to use one's cell phone is a real luxury that almost gets me every time. But it isn't perfect. Shutting down around midnight is unfortunately typical of most cities outside of New York. I am sure it's one of the many ways they can save on operating costs and keep the cars / stations clean. It's too bad taxis don't take Smart Cards. read more

During the past year, I've travelled quite a bit and taken transit in various cities, and they all had better transit systems than Vancouver. But not Washington, DC. I had a great time in DC, and I would love to go back. All the amazing parks, gardens, and museums, and all for free! But their transit system.... ugh. While you save money on the museums, you certainly pay for it by taking transit. We were staying with a friend in Rockville, MD, and despite saving money on accommodations, we spent a fortune on transit. I'm from Vancouver, and damn, was the transit expensive! The fares range in price depending on how far you travel, which in itself is a good idea (Vancouver really needs to start doing this; paying extra to travel from Joyce Station to Metrotown just because it's before 6:30pm is bloody ridiculous!), however, depending on how far we were going and the time of day, a trip could cost $5 or $6! And as far as I could tell, the fare you paid was good for one use; it didn't last for a certain period of time. That is, you couldn't just hop off the metro, go and do a quick errand or whatever, and then hop back on; you'd have to pay again to re-enter the metro. (If I'm wrong, please let me know.) While I'm grumbling about the high fares, as a Vancouverite, I'm used to paying a fortune for everything, so that's not my main complaint. Things are expensive, deal with it. But every goddamn day there was a delay with the trains--construction, fires, and random bullshit. (I don't think there were any train derailments during our visit, though.) Always an alert. (Shortly after we were back in Vancouver, one of the stations was flooded!) And waiting for a train late at night was horrible, as depending on which line you are taking, you could be waiting for 20 minutes! (Bloody single tracking!) If I wanted to wait 20 minutes, I'd take a bus! Staying in Rockville, the metro line we used was the Red Line, and I was near Rockville and Twinbrook Stations. I have a friend who happened to move to MD, and it turns out that he was close enough that a visit was possible. Based on where he was living, he said he could pick me up from Glenmont Station. Sounds easy enough, as Glenmont is also on the Red Line. But, the shape of the Red Line is a U shape, and despite Glenmont being quite close to Rockville Station and a quick drive, it takes soooo long to get from one end to another. Thank goodness I convinced him to pick me up from Rockville. (I'm sure the Purple Line will make things easier!) All in all, while I was able to get wherever I wanted to go using the metro (but getting *to* the metro was another story in itself), it was expensive, slow, and unreliable. Also, why the hell is there CARPET in the train? Seriously?! CARPET?! WTH. [Yelp collections: East Coast 2016; Planes, Trains, and Automobiles] read more

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

****WATCH OUT FOR STATION MANAGER C.SMITH UNRULY BEHAVIOR**** Date:12/27/22 Train: Silver Line Approximate time of incident: 9:06am Location: Greensboro Station Station manager name: C. Smith As I was exiting the Silver line train at the Greensboro Station, I went to the bathroom and it was locked. I go and ask the station manager C.Smith if he can please open the door? and he had a very disgraceful and unprofessional, unruly attitude as if he was having a terrible morning already and said the bathroom is already opened. I said it's not, he said "yes it is and yelled at me and walked away. I tap the window to get his attention since he walked away to advise, if he can open up the bathroom one more time and he got mad and said "Now the bathroom is close have a good day". Unbelievable, I was refused to use a public bathroom. I am a Metrorail paying customer. This was uncalled and unfair that a WMATA station manager refuse a customer to use WMATA restroom because of his personal feelings."UNBELIEVABLE" According to the WMATA guidelines it stipulates:WMATA advises patrons-in-need to obtain permission from individual Station Managers. WMATA expects that in almost all cases the station manager will honor a customers request to use the facilities. read more

Not safe. There's construction on Red line so I was waiting for a shuttle to go from Dupont to Gallery Place. A stranger walked by and yanked my hair and started threatening me in front of two male metro workers and they did nothing to help me and they didn't even ask me if I was okay. read more

As a native New Yorker I'm no stranger when it comes to Metro systems regardless of city or size of metro system. For our belove country's capital this Metro system is clean and the layout is easy to follow, however in some areas of cooridor have poor lighting. The fare system is not a flat fare per adult but (I believe) uses zones to determine fare based on distance of riders. Once upon a time while visiting my a friend for a day trip, which he spent a whole summer interning in the DC area. The fare ticket is worse than New York's MTA as my fare card contain $2.00 value which was denied access through the turnstile. Ayia! Within two hours of purchasing a brand new fare card and already the fare card is inoperative?! The nation's capital cannot upgrade their fare ticketing technology for efficient and reliable fare cards? A friend hollered the ticket booth agent which we were instructed to snail mail the fare card to the address on the back of the ticket for a full refund. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority does NOT operate 24/ 7/ 365 unlike the renowned oldest established New York City's MTA who truly operate 24/ 7/ 365 since 1904. How do DC residents travel after 10pm for a means of conveyance? read more

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is a convenient location. I had issues adding value to my metro card but sorted it out.

This is one of worst running subway systems. It's not reliable, interval between trains is ridiculously long.

this metro system is the worse I have ever experienced , they're always adding and expanding things without warning and they charge so much even though everything has been delayed read more

if i had a car, i would avoid wmata at all cost!!! cards stealing your money, metro lift is a scam, rude bus drivers, dirty seats, overpriced trains $6 oneway! don't take if you can avoid! read more