Mount Vernon Square station

Mount Vernon Square is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Green and Yellow Lines.

Mount Vernon Square
rapid transit station
Location	700 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Owned by	WMATA
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Metrobus: 70, 79 Loudoun County Commuter Bus
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Bicycle facilities	6 racks
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	E01
History
Opened	May 11, 1991
Previous names	Mt Vernon Square-UDC (1991–2001) Mt Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center (2001–2011) Mt Vernon Square (2011-present)
Passengers
2017	4,172 daily [1]  4.49%
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Gallery Place–Chinatown toward Branch Avenue Green Line Shaw–Howard University toward Greenbelt Gallery Place–Chinatown toward Huntington Yellow Line

Location

Mount Vernon Square station is located at the border of the neighborhoods of Downtown and Shaw in the northwestern quadrant of Washington. Its namesake, Mount Vernon Square, is located two blocks to the south at the convergence of New York Avenue and Massachusetts Avenues and 7th, 9th, and K Streets. The station's subtitle is derived from the station's location along 7th Street NW, and its close proximity to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, although the station is only one of five Metro stations that run underneath 7th Street NW.

Transit-oriented development

Like many other Metro stations in the Washington Metropolitan Area, Mount Vernon Square station has spurred development in its proximity. Most prominent is the Washington Convention Center, although a number of smaller residential and commercial projects have been completed within the surrounding blocks. To the southeast of the station is the Mount Vernon Triangle, a business improvement district (BID) seeing rapid mixed-use growth. To the southwest of the station is the mixed-use CityCenterDC development project, which is home to luxury condominiums and luxury retail franchises such as Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Tesla, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Fig & Olive and other upscale dining and shopping destinations.[2]

History

Service began on May 11, 1991. The station mezzanine was renovated in 2003 to coincide with the opening of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The renovation included additional faregates and a new street entrance.

On January 7, 2007, the fifth car of a six-car train derailed in the tunnel at the interlocking south of the station, sending twenty people to the hospital for minor injuries and significantly damaging a rail car.[3][4] Service resumed the next day at 5 AM.[5]

As of May 25, 2019, Yellow Line trains no longer terminate at this station during rush hours and extend to Greenbelt at all times.[6]

From March 26, 2020 until June 28, 2020, this station was closed due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[7][8][9]

Name changes

Originally to be named "Federal City College", the station was named Mount Vernon Square–UDC at the time of its 1991 opening, reflecting the establishment of the University of the District of Columbia. The station was renamed Mt Vernon Sq/7th Street–Convention Center in 2001; the "7th Street" helped distinguish that the stop served the new Walter E. Washington Convention Center as opposed to the old Washington Convention Center at 9th Street NW. On November 3, 2011, the station was again renamed, taking "Mount Vernon Square" as the main name, with "7th Street–Convention Center" as a subtitle.[10]

Station layout

The station has a single island platform accessed from the southwest corner of Seventh and M Streets, NW.

G	Street level	Exit/entrance, buses
M	Mezzanine	Fare gates, ticket machines, station agent
P Platform level	Southbound	← toward Branch Avenue (Gallery Place–Chinatown) ← toward Huntington (Gallery Place–Chinatown)
	Island platform
	Northbound	←   toward Greenbelt (Shaw–Howard University) →

References

1. "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
2. "CityCenterDC". Retrieved January 19, 2018.
3. Karush, Sarah (January 7, 2007). "20 Hurt After D.C. Subway Train Derails". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
4. "Train passenger: 'I felt a very violent impact'". CNN. January 7, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
5. Monday Metrorail service back to normal after Sunday derailment WMATA Retrieved September 10, 2008
6. "Metro to extend Yellow Line service to Greenbelt beginning May 25" (Press release). WMATA. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
7. "Special Covid-19 System Map" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
8. "Metrorail stations closed due to COVID-19 pandemic". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. March 23, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
9. "Metro to reopen 15 stations, reallocate bus service to address crowding, starting Sunday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
10. "Station names updated for new map" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. November 3, 2011. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.

External links

• WMATA Mount Vernon Square station page

• The Schumin Web Transit Center: Mt. Vernon Square Station
• M Street entrance from Google Maps Street View