Washington Metropolitan Area

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA wə-MAH-tə), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United States Congress as an interstate compact between Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
WMATA provides rapid transit service under the Metrorail name, fixed-route bus service under the Metrobus brand, and paratransit service under the MetroAccess brand. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 239,741,800, or about 840,500 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.WMATA has its own police force, the Metro Transit Police Department.
The authority’s board of directors consists of two voting representatives each from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and the U.S. federal government. Each jurisdiction also appoints two alternate representatives. WMATA has no independent taxation authority and depends on its member jurisdictions for capital investments and operating funding.
In addition to ongoing operations, WMATA participates in regional transportation planning. Recent projects include an infill station serving Potomac Yard, an extension of Metrorail to Dulles International Airport, and streetcar lines in the District and Northern Virginia.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA wə-MAH-tə), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United…