Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA /wəˈmɑːtə/ wə-MAH-tə), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional non-government organization 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.
Old Metro headquarters at the Jackson Graham Building, now replaced by a new location at L'Enfant Plaza | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 20, 1967 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Type | interstate compact agency |
| Jurisdiction | Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland and northern Virginia |
| Headquarters | 300 7th Street SW, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Agency executive |
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| Key document | |
| Website | wmata |
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 2022, the system had a ridership of 183,172,500, or about 830,800 per weekday as of the third 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.