Downtown Largo station
Largo Town Center is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Lake Arbor, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on December 18, 2004, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue and Silver Lines, it is the eastern terminus of the Blue and Silver Lines, and serves the town of Largo and The Boulevard at the Capital Centre. In December 2012, Largo Town Center was one of five stations added to the route of the Silver Line, which was originally supposed to end at the Stadium–Armory station, but was extended into Prince George's County, Maryland to Largo Town Center due to safety concerns about a pocket track just past Stadium–Armory.[2] Therefore, Largo Town Center is also the eastern terminus of the Silver Line, which began service on July 26, 2014.[3] It is the first and so far only station in Prince George's County outside the Capital Beltway, and is located about a mile from FedExField, the home of the Washington Redskins. Largo Town Center is also a major commuter station, with two parking garages, containing a total of 2,200 spaces, connected by a bridge at the top level.
History
In 1980, Herbert Harris and other local legislators introduced legislation to study the feasibility of constructing an additional 47 miles (76 km) to the original 103-mile (166 km) network. Included in this request was a previously considered 13-mile (21 km) extension of the Blue Line through Largo en route to a proposed terminus at Bowie.[4]
In October 1996, the proposed routing for the extension of the Blue Line to Largo received a favorable environmental impact statement thus allowing for the project to move forward.[5] The plan represented the first expansion to the original 103-mile (166 km) Metro network and would include both the then named Summerfield and Largo stations.[5] The station gained approval from Congress as part of the extension in February 2000 with the federal government contributing $259 million towards its construction.[6]
Construction began in 2001, and the station opened on December 18, 2004.[7] Its opening coincided with the completion of 3.2 miles (5.1 km)[8] of rail east of the Addison Road station and the opening of the Morgan Boulevard station.[7] The final cost of building it, its sister station and rail extension was $456 million.[9]
Station layout
| P Platform level |
Westbound | ←  toward Franconia–Springfield (Morgan Boulevard)←  toward Wiehle–Reston East (Morgan Boulevard)
|
| Island platform, doors will open on the left or right | ||
| Westbound | ← toward Franconia–Springfield (Morgan Boulevard) ← toward Wiehle–Reston East (Morgan Boulevard)
Alighting Passengers Only -> | |
| M | Mezzanine | One-way faregates, ticket machines, station agent |
| G | Street Level | Exit/ Entrance |
Notable places nearby
References
- ^ "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved 2014-11-04.
- ^ http://www.wtop.com/654/2850921/Metros-Silver-Line-to-be-extended-to-Largo-
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/all-aboard-metros-new-silver-line-rolls-down-the-tracks-for-the-first-time/2014/07/26/238aaa68-14cc-11e4-8936-26932bcfd6ed_story.html
- ^ Staff Reporters (June 26, 1980). "Area legislators ask study of 47 more miles of Metrorail". The Washington Post. p. C1.
- ^ a b Fehr, Stephen C. (October 18, 1996). "Plan to extend P.G. Metro line moves forward; Environmental study allows Largo stops". The Washington Post. p. C3.
- ^ Layton, Lyndsey (February 4, 2000). "Federal funds promised for new Metrorail stops". The Washington Post. p. A1.
- ^ a b Dana, Rebecca (December 19, 2004). "Metro, Prince George's extend their reach; Two new Blue Line stations open, bringing passengers and economic potential". The Washington Post. p. C2.
- ^ Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (July 2009). "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Partlow, Joshua (January 1, 2005). "Newest stations to ease game-day crush; Redskins fans await rail, trail to FedEx". The Washington Post. p. B3.
External links
- WMATA: Largo Town Center Station
- StationMasters Online: Largo Town Center Station
- The Schumin Web Transit Center: Largo Town Center Station