Stadium–Armory station

Stadium–Armory
rapid transit station
Location	192 19th Street, SE, Washington, D.C.
Owned by	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Metrobus: 96, 97, B2, D6
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Bicycle facilities	20 racks
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	D08
History
Opened	July 1, 1977; 44 years ago (July 1, 1977)
Passengers
2018	2,423 daily [1]  16.4%
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Potomac Avenue toward Vienna Orange Line Minnesota Avenue toward New Carrollton Potomac Avenue toward Franconia–Springfield Blue Line Benning Road toward Largo Town Center Potomac Avenue toward Wiehle–Reston East Silver Line

Stadium–Armory is an Washington Metro station located in Southeast, Washington, D.C. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Stadium–Armory serves the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines. It is a transfer station, as this is the last station shared by the three lines before the lines diverge going east. In addition, it is the final underground station for eastbound Orange Line trains before they rise above ground. Blue and Silver Line trains rise above ground from the station too, but re-emerge into underground mode to Benning Road station.

Location[]

North head house of the station, adjacent to the D.C. Armory

The Stadium–Armory station serves the Barney Circle, Hill East and Kingman Park neighborhoods. It's adjacent to RFK Stadium, which is the former home of the D.C. United soccer team, the Washington Football Team, and the Washington Nationals, as well as of the second Washington Senators franchise before their relocation to Texas in 1972. The station also serves the D.C. Jail, and D.C. Armory, which is both a popular venue for shows and entertainment and the headquarters of the District of Columbia National Guard. Together with the Potomac Avenue station, Stadium-Armory is one of two Metro stations within walking distance of Congressional Cemetery. Before its closure in 2001, D.C. General Hospital was served by the Stadium–Armory station.

With the redevelopment of the former D.C. General Hospital campus into a mixed-use neighborhood called "Hill East", the area around the Stadium–Armory station will be in transition for the first few decades of the twenty-first century. Addtitionally, with the move of D.C. United to a new soccer-specific stadium, Audi Field, in the Buzzard Point area of Washington in July 2018, the future of RFK Stadium is uncertain, with the possibility of demolition lingering over the 1960s-era facility. On September 5, 2019, EventsDC announced the demolition of RFK Stadium will take place in 2021.

History[]

The station opened on July 1, 1977.^[2] Its opening coincided with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km)^[3] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.^[4] Orange Line service to the station began upon the line's opening on November 20, 1978.^[5] In 1979, the D.C. Armory requested that the station name be changed to "Starplex", For Stadium Armory Complex, but that request was ignored by the Metro Board.^[6] Stadium–Armory would also serve as the eastern terminus of the Blue line from its opening through the opening of its extension to Addison Road on November 22, 1980.^[7]

The station was supposed to be the Silver Line's eastern terminus, but in December 2012, due to safety concerns regarding a pocket track between this station and Minnesota Avenue (the first station to the east on the Orange Line), Metro officials decided to extend the line into nearby Prince George's County, Maryland to Largo Town Center, which is the eastern terminus of the Blue Line.^[8] Silver Line service at Stadium-Armory began on July 26, 2014.^[9]

Transformer fire[]

On September 21, 2015, a transformer caught fire near the station, causing severe delays. The reduced power as a result of the loss of the transformer caused WMATA to implement strategies to combat congestion in the system.^[10] This included having Orange and Silver line trains skip the Stadium–Armory station during rush hours, but service had been restored as of November.^[11]

Station layout[]

Stadium-Armory is an island platform station with two tracks. Track D1 is for eastbound trains to New Carrollton or Largo Town Center, and track D2 is for westbound trains to Vienna, Franconia–Springfield, or Wiehle–Reston East. An indicator sign at the north end of the station flashes to inform passengers of the arriving train's destination, showing Orange for New Carrollton, and Blue and Silver for Largo Town Center. This feature is only used at final transfer stations; another example being Rosslyn station.       

The station has two entrances along 19th Street SE; the north entrance at Independence Avenue and the south entrance between C & Burke Streets SE. Elevator access is at the south entrance.

G	Street level	Exit/entrance, buses
M	Mezzanine	Fare gates, ticket machines, station agent
P Platform level	Westbound	← toward Franconia–Springfield (Potomac Avenue) ← toward Wiehle–Reston East (Potomac Avenue) ← toward Vienna (Potomac Avenue)
	Island platform
	Eastbound	→   toward Largo Town Center (Benning Road) → → toward New Carrollton (Minnesota Avenue) →

Notable places nearby[]

• Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
• D.C. Armory
• Eastern High School
• The Fields At RFK Campus
• Kingman and Heritage Islands Park
• Lincoln Park
• Congressional Cemetery
• Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
• Hechinger Mall
• National Arboretum is accessible via northbound B2 Metrobus

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stadium–Armory (WMATA station).

• WMATA Stadium–Armory station page

• The Schumin Web Transit Center: Stadium–Armory Station
• C Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Independence Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View

Coordinates: 38°53′18″N 76°58′38″W / 38.8883°N 76.9771°W / 38.8883; -76.9771