Ballston–MU station

Ballston–MU
A New Carrollton-bound Orange Line train arriving at Ballston–MU station in March 2018
General information
Location4230 Fairfax Drive
Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Coordinates38°52′55″N 77°06′41″W / 38.8820057°N 77.1115141°W / 38.8820057; -77.1115141
Owned byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Bicycle facilitiesCapital Bikeshare, 54 racks
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeK04
History
OpenedDecember 1, 1979; 45 years ago (December 1, 1979)
Previous namesGlebe Road (during construction)
Ballston (1979–1997)
Passengers
20234,599 daily[1]
Rank18 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
East Falls Church
toward Vienna
 Orange Line Virginia Square–GMU
toward New Carrollton
East Falls Church
toward Ashburn
 Silver Line Virginia Square–GMU
toward Downtown Largo
Location
Map

Ballston–MU station is a side platformed Washington Metro station in the Ballston section of Arlington County, Virginia. The station opened on December 1, 1979, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The station is part of the Orange and Silver Lines and serves the transit-oriented community of Ballston, Ballston Quarter, and Marymount University (MU).

Ballston–MU is also a central Metrobus transfer station. The station entrance is at North Fairfax Drive and North Stuart Street, near Wilson Boulevard and North Glebe Road. West of this station, the tracks rise above the ground inside the median of Interstate 66.

History

Originally to be called Glebe Road, the station was renamed Ballston by the Metro board in March 1977.[2] After several years of construction, the station opened on December 1, 1979, as the western terminus of the Orange Line.[3] Its opening coincided with the completion of approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) of rail west of the Rosslyn station and the opening of the Court House, Clarendon and Virginia Square stations.[3] Ballston served as the western terminus of the Orange Line from its opening through the opening of its extension to the Vienna station on June 7, 1986.[4] The station remains as the final underground station for westbound travelers since its completion.[5]

Known simply as Ballston since its opening, in December 1995, the Metro board voted unanimously to rename the station Ballston–MU,[6] with the "MU" standing for the adjacent Marymount University. The $85,000 required for the change was paid for by Arlington County.[6]

The station was the western terminus for Orange Line trains for several months in 2020 due to platform reconstructions at stations west of Ballston.[7][8] On August 16, 2020, all Orange Line trains were extended to West Falls Church station when it reopened, bypassing East Falls Church station.[9][10][11]

Western entrance

Since at least 2005, the Arlington County government has planned for an additional western entrance to Ballston station, to be located on the south side of Fairfax Drive at North Vermont Street, intended to relieve crowding at the main entrance, serve the dense residential and office developments in that part of the neighborhood and serve buses coming from Interstate 66. It would have escalators and elevators leading to a new mezzanine with faregates at the western end of the station platform. Developer JBG Cos. agreed to build the entrance in 2005 as part of a new development at 4420 Fairfax Dr., in exchange for a higher density allowance than usual.[12] But as of 2024, JBG had not started the development project.

In September 2013, the Arlington County Board approved a funding plan for the county's share of revenue generated by Virginia's new transportation legislation. The plan calls for $500,000 to be allocated to planning for the new western entrance, which at the time was forecast to be completed in 2018.[13]

In 2022, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority approved a $80 million grant to the county for the project.[14] Plans for the entrance were published in October 2024, with construction planned for 2026 to 2029 at a cost of $177 million.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Eisen, Jack (March 10, 1977). "Fate of Metrorail line in I-66 has become uncertain". The Washington Post.
  3. ^ a b Feaver, Douglas B.; Sandra G. Boodman (December 2, 1979). "Area celebrates extension of Metrorail in Arlington". The Washington Post. p. C1.
  4. ^ Lynton, Stephen J. (June 8, 1986). "9.1 More Miles For Metrorail". The Washington Post. p. C1.
  5. ^ Hodge, Paul (November 29, 1979). "A walking tour of Arlington's four new subway stations". The Washington Post. p. Virginia 5.
  6. ^ a b Baker, Peter; Stephen C. Fehr (December 21, 1995). "Longer name for Ballston Metro". The Washington Post. p. Virginia 1.
  7. ^ "Metro to use upcoming low-ridership summer to maximum effect, expands Orange, Silver line shutdown". www.wmata.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  8. ^ "Platform Improvement Project | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  9. ^ "Metro to add more buses, trains and extended hours as part of Covid-19 Recovery Plan beginning Sunday, August 16 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "Silver Line service will return August 16, along with reopening of six stations in Fairfax County | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  11. ^ Pascale, Jordan. "Metro To Reopen Silver Line Stations In August". DCist. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  12. ^ "High-Rise Plans Draw Complaints; Ballston Residents Worry About Overcrowding". The Washington Post. August 18, 2005.
  13. ^ "Board Requests Planning Funds for New Ballston Metro Entrance". ARLnow. September 25, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  14. ^ "Arlington Wins $80M In Funding for Ballston Metro Entrance Project". Arlington, VA Patch. July 15, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  15. ^ Egitto, Dan (November 14, 2024). "Plans for new $177M Ballston Metro entrance take key step forward". ARLnow. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
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