Tenleytown–AU station is a subway station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro in Washington, D.C. Located in the Upper Northwest neighborhood, it is the last station on the Red Line heading outbound wholly within the District of Columbia; the next stop, Friendship Heights, lies within both the District and the state of Maryland. The station serves American University (AU).
Tenleytown–AU  | |||||||||||
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 Tenleytown–AU station platform in September 2019 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | 4501 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington, D.C. | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°56′53.1″N 77°4′45.9″W / 38.948083°N 77.079417°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 island platform | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
| Connections | |||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Underground | ||||||||||
| Parking | 17 spaces (parking meters) | ||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Capital Bikeshare, 20 racks and 20 lockers | ||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Station code | A07 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | August 25, 1984 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Tenley Circle Tenleytown | ||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||
| 2023 | 2,817 daily[1] | ||||||||||
| Rank | 36 out of 98 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Location
editThe southernmost station underneath the Wisconsin Avenue NW corridor, Tenleytown–AU station lies within the neighborhood of the same name in the Upper Northwest portion of the city. More specifically, it lies north of Tenley Circle, for which the area is named, below Wisconsin Avenue NW at its intersection with Albemarle Street NW. Nearby are several educational institutions, the most notable of which are: American University (AU, which has its law school on the circle, has its main campus a mile from the station, albeit connected by a shuttle); Sidwell Friends School (famous for being the school of choice of presidential children); Jackson-Reed High School; the high school of Georgetown Day School; and the affiliated National Cathedral School and St Albans Schools.[2] In addition, Fort Reno Park and the Washington National Cathedral are located close to the station.[2]
History
editOriginally to be called Tenley Circle, in February 1980 the Metro Board officially changed its name to Tenleytown.[3] The station opened on August 25, 1984.[4][5] Its opening coincided with the completion of 6.8 miles (10.9 km) of rail northwest of the Van Ness–UDC station and the opening of the Bethesda, Friendship Heights, Grosvenor and Medical Center stations.[4][5][6] In May 1989, although objected to by several community groups, the Metro Board officially changed its name to Tenleytown–AU due to its proximity to American University.[7] The $63,500 cost of changing the names on signs, pylons and maps throughout the system was paid for by the District government.[7]
Station layout
editThis station uses the four-coffer arch design found at most underground stations on the western side of the Red Line. It is one of 11 stations constructed using rock-tunneling methods, lying more than 100 feet (30 m) below the surface.[8][9]
Two entrances on either side of Wisconsin Avenue meet at an upper mezzanine, converging into a set of three long escalators that travel down to the fare control. An elevator adjacent to the eastern surface entrance travels down directly to the platform, with a single faregate and ticket machine to access the platform proper. The separate accessible and general entrances are a relative rarity in the Washington Metro system; only Rosslyn and Takoma stations share this feature.
References
edit- ^ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "Tenleytown–AU Station Vicinity Map" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
- ^ Staff Reporters (February 15, 1980). "Metro station to be named Tenleytown". The Washington Post. p. A6.
- ^ a b Staff Reporters (August 25, 1984). "Red Line adds 6.8 miles; Opening ceremony for new segment set for today at Friendship Heights". The Washington Post. p. B1.
- ^ a b Brisbane, Arthur S. (August 26, 1984). "All aboard; Metro festivities welcome latest Red Line extension". The Washington Post. p. A1.
- ^ "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2017. p. 3. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
- ^ a b Staff Reporters (May 12, 1989). "Metro names change". The Washington Post. p. C4.
- ^ "See some of the reasons why Metrorail is hard to maintain". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ Hodge, Paul (26 January 1978). "Metro Begins New NW Stations". Washington Post. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
External links
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