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Branch Avenue (Washington Metro)
Encyclopedia
Branch Avenue is an island platform
ed Washington Metro
station
in Suitland, Maryland
, United States
. The station was opened on January 13, 2001, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(WMATA). The station presently serves as the southeastern terminus for the Green Line
, with the Branch Avenue rail yard lying just beyond this station. The station is located near the intersection of Auth Road and Old Soper Road.
Constructed adjacent to the station is a 37 acres (15 ha) rail yard with the capacity to store 116 cars.
, after initially supporting the Branch Avenue alignment, changed their support to moving the terminus to a location adjacent to the Rosecroft Raceway
. Metro would follow suit and pursue the Rosecroft alignment instead of Branch Avenue in 1980. By May a group of citizens filed suit against Metro stating that the route was improperly changed and failed to conform to the plan adopted by county voters in 1968. In February 1981, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in stating the routing to Rosecroft could not be undertaken until it went through public review. After further appeal, in March 1982 the judge ruled that none of the proposed Green Line along the Rosecroft alignment could start construction until it went through the entire planning process again. After deciding to not file an appeal, in December 1984 Metro voted to change the southeastern terminus back to Branch Avenue thus allowing for construction to commence on the Green Line towards Prince George's County.
Groundbreaking for the final segment of the Green Line occurred on September 23, 1995. The station opened on January 13, 2001. Its opening coincided with the completion of approximately 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of rail southeast of the Anacostia
station and the opening of the Congress Heights
, Naylor Road
, Southern Avenue and Suitland
stations. This represented the completion of the system as originally planned.
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
ed Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
station
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
in Suitland, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The station was opened on January 13, 2001, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
(WMATA). The station presently serves as the southeastern terminus for the Green Line
Green Line (Washington Metro)
The Green Line is one of five heavy rail subway lines that constitute the Washington Metro rapid transit system in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Green Line consists of 21 stations, with termini at Branch Avenue and at Greenbelt. The Green Line runs through Prince George's County,...
, with the Branch Avenue rail yard lying just beyond this station. The station is located near the intersection of Auth Road and Old Soper Road.
Constructed adjacent to the station is a 37 acres (15 ha) rail yard with the capacity to store 116 cars.
History
Plans for a station as the southeastern terminus of the Green Line initially appeared in the original 1968 route map. However, by 1978 the Prince George's County CouncilPrince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, after initially supporting the Branch Avenue alignment, changed their support to moving the terminus to a location adjacent to the Rosecroft Raceway
Rosecroft Raceway
Rosecroft Raceway is a harness horse racing track located in Oxon Hill, Maryland, in the United States.-History:William E. Miller, a noted harness racer and horse breeder in the mid-20th century founded Rosecroft Raceway in 1947. It was the only known raceway to be owned by horse owners, horse...
. Metro would follow suit and pursue the Rosecroft alignment instead of Branch Avenue in 1980. By May a group of citizens filed suit against Metro stating that the route was improperly changed and failed to conform to the plan adopted by county voters in 1968. In February 1981, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in stating the routing to Rosecroft could not be undertaken until it went through public review. After further appeal, in March 1982 the judge ruled that none of the proposed Green Line along the Rosecroft alignment could start construction until it went through the entire planning process again. After deciding to not file an appeal, in December 1984 Metro voted to change the southeastern terminus back to Branch Avenue thus allowing for construction to commence on the Green Line towards Prince George's County.
Groundbreaking for the final segment of the Green Line occurred on September 23, 1995. The station opened on January 13, 2001. Its opening coincided with the completion of approximately 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of rail southeast of the Anacostia
Anacostia (Washington Metro)
Anacostia is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C. on the Green Line. The station is located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington, with entrances at Shannon Place and Howard Road near Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE . The station serves as a hub for Metrobus routes in...
station and the opening of the Congress Heights
Congress Heights (Washington Metro)
Congress Heights is an island platformed Washington Metro station in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. The station was opened on January 13, 2001, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Providing service for only the Green Line,...
, Naylor Road
Naylor Road (Washington Metro)
Naylor Road is an island platformed Washington Metro station in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on January 13, 2001, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority...
, Southern Avenue and Suitland
Suitland (Washington Metro)
Suitland is an island platformed Washington Metro station in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on January 13, 2001, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority...
stations. This represented the completion of the system as originally planned.
External links
- WMATA: Branch Ave Station
- StationMasters Online: Branch Avenue Station
- The Schumin Web Transit Center: Branch Ave Station
- Station from Auth Way from Google Maps Street View