Residents of Bethesda have been seeking a new name for the White Flint stations for several years.
The next time you ride the Metro, you’ll have to pay attention to the station signs. WMATA has announced formal changes to five stations in Maryland and Virginia.
The changes took effect on Sunday, September 11, but it may take WMATA more time to change signage in and around the stations.
An initiative to change the name of the White Flint station was started last year to reflect the closure of the White Flint Mall in 2015. Riders will also see changes in the apps like Trip Planner and digital signs within the rail system.
The current names and new names for the five stations are listed below:
- White Flint will become North Bethesda
- Largo Town Center will become Downtown Largo
- Tysons Corner will become Tysons
- Prince George’s Plaza will become Hyattsville Crossing
- West Falls Church’s secondary name VT/UVA will become VT only
Metro also held a formal ceremony on Friday, September 9, to celebrate the reopening of five stations on the orange line. U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke were on hand to mark the repair and modernization of the New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Deanwood, and Minnesota Ave. stations.
The repairs are part of a four-year project to upgrade 20 outdoor stations across the Metro system.
Metro has been trying to increase ridership on the train system for the past couple of years. In addition to reducing weekend fares and eliminating parking fees on weekends, Metro has also lowered prices for a monthly pass along with late-night fares. Monthly unlimited passes range between $64 and $192 and there is a late night flat fare of $2 for trips after 9:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Seniors over age 65 and older are eligible for discounted fares for Metro and Metrobus with a Senior SmarTrip card.