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Pentagon station

Coordinates: 38°52′09″N 77°03′14″W / 38.86917°N 77.05389°W / 38.86917; -77.05389
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Pentagon Station (disambiguation).

Pentagon
Pentagon station upper level platform in February 2009
General information
Location2 South Rotary Road
Arlington, Virginia
Coordinates38°52′09″N 77°03′14″W / 38.86917°N 77.05389°W / 38.86917; -77.05389
Owned byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms2 split platforms
Tracks1 on each level
Train operatorsWashington Metro
Bus standsUpper: 1 to 13, Lower: 1 to 11[1]
Bus operators
Construction
Structure type
  • Metro station: Underground
  • Bus stands: Underground/At-grade
Platform levels2
Bicycle facilities6 racks
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeC07
History
OpenedJuly 1, 1977; 47 years ago (July 1, 1977)
Rebuilt2002[2]
Passengers
20234,850 daily[3]
Rank17 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Pentagon City
toward Franconia–Springfield
 Blue Line Arlington Cemetery
toward Downtown Largo
Pentagon City
toward Huntington
 Yellow Line L'Enfant Plaza
toward Mount Vernon Square
Location
Map

Pentagon station is a split platform station on the Washington Metro located adjacent to The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Providing service for both the Blue and Yellow Lines, the station is where the two lines diverge and thus acts as a transfer point. Northbound, both lines rise above ground, with the Blue Line serving the Arlington Cemetery station, and the Yellow Line crossing the Potomac River into the District of Columbia.

The station opened on July 1, 1977[4] with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km)[5] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium.

Photography is not allowed anywhere on the station grounds.[6]

Bus service

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Pentagon station is also a major bus hub[7][1] in northern Virginia. The current bus facility opened in 2001[8] as part of the Pentagon Renovation Program.[2]

Station layout

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The station is located underground, adjacent to The Pentagon, and formerly had a direct (but secure) entrance to the Pentagon and its underground shopping center. This entrance was closed in 2001 as part of the Pentagon Renovation Program.[9] Access to the Pentagon is now gained via a new secured entrance facility above ground near the bus depot and the entrances to the subway station. The new exit features signage displayed at Gallery Place-Chinatown and newer stations.

Pentagon is one of two stations (the other being the Rosslyn station) at which trains going one direction are boarded on a different station level than trains going the other direction, as a way to prevent an at-grade crossing. This is because the Blue and Yellow lines split apart an extremely short distance from the station.

An indicator sign at the north end of the station flashes to inform passengers of the arriving train's destination, showing Blue for Downtown Largo, and Yellow for Mount Vernon Square. This feature is only used at final transfer stations; another example being L'Enfant Plaza.

South of the station, two empty tunnels diverge from the tracks towards Columbia Pike for future extension, but the plans were later dropped.[10]

S Upper level Pentagon, Pentagon Memorial, upper level bus bays
1 Lower level Lower level bus bays
M Mezzanine Fare gates, ticket machines, station manager
Side platform
Northbound → toward Mount Vernon Square (L'Enfant Plaza) →
→ toward Downtown Largo (Arlington Cemetery) →
T Southbound ← toward Huntington (Pentagon City)
← toward Franconia–Springfield (Pentagon City)
Side platform

Incidents

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2010

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Main article: 2010 Pentagon shooting

On March 4, 2010, a gunman, identified as John Patrick Bedell, who espoused anti-government views, shot and wounded two Pentagon police officers at a security checkpoint in the Pentagon station. The officers returned fire, striking him in the head. Bedell died the next day, on March 5, 2010.[11]

2021

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At 10:40 a.m. EST, on August 3, 2021, a stabbing occurred, killing officer George Gonzalez and leading to a lockdown of the Pentagon that was later lifted. The perpetrator, 27-year-old Austin William Lanz shot and killed himself using Gonzalez's service weapon. In an apology issued by Lanz's family, they stated that in his final few months, he suffered from "many mental health challenges". There was a warrant out for Lanz's arrest due to an incident months earlier, in which Lanz broke into a Georgia home with a crowbar.[12][13][14][15]

Notable places nearby

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Pentagon Transit Center" (PDF). Arlington Transit. Retrieved February 11, 2016. Bus Bays / Bus Routes
  2. ^ a b "Pentagon Metro Entrance Facility Project". Pentagon Renovation & Construction. Washington Headquarters Services. Archived from the original on January 9, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2016. project completion in late fall of 2002
  3. ^ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Feaver, Douglas B. (July 1, 1977), "Today, Metro could be U.S. model", The Washington Post, p. A1
  5. ^ "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  6. ^ "Pentagon | WMATA".
  7. ^ "Bus service from Pentagon" (PDF). WMATA. August 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2016. Bus Boarding Map
  8. ^ "METRO ENTRANCE FACILITY CELEBRATES INITIAL OPENING!". Pentagon Renovation Program. December 18, 2001. Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2016. The Pentagon Transit Center portion of the Metro Entrance Facility is now open and operational
  9. ^ Layton, Lyndsey (June 16, 2000), "Pentagon, Metro quarrel escalates; Security concerns would interfere with convenience", The Washington Post, p. A10
  10. ^ "Why is there no Metro line on Columbia Pike?".
  11. ^ NBC News (March 5, 2010). "Pentagon gunman sought 'truth' about 9/11". NBC News. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  12. ^ "Pentagon lockdown lifted after active shooter incident". WKBN.com. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  13. ^ "Pentagon reopens following shooting incident". ABC News. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  14. ^ "Pentagon lockdown lifted, multiple patients being treated after shots fired, officials say". NBC News. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  15. ^ "'We are so sorry and heartbroken:' Family of accused Pentagon attacker apologizes". CBS6 Albany. August 7, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
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