Ambiance Of Metro Might Take Sharp Turn

"I'll probably run into trouble with the 'stewards of the system,' " Catoe noted.

Such stewards worry that adjustments, however minor, have the potential to alter Metro's identity. Unlike commercial transit systems that cashed in on every square foot of rentable space, or utilitarian ones that gave "passing notice to amenities," the Washington Metro was built as something different, wrote Metro architect Harry Weese.

As part of that approach, "a certain dignity and even elegance is sought after" to raise the image of mass transit, he noted. "In Washington, since this is the system owned by all the people of the United States, it is particularly important that no stigma of cheapness or of the bargain basement be attached to it. With this in mind, the designers of the system are working to capitalize on the best practice and produce something that is the highest state of the art."

Zachary M. Schrag, who wrote "The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro," said those at Metro haven't always been aware of its architectural significance. "It's one of the three great works of public architecture in Washington since World War II," he said, along with the National Gallery's East Wing and Dulles International Airport.

Even changing the color of the blinking platform edge lights at Metro Center from white to red was a "massive departure from the landmark architectural design," Schrag said. Metro is testing different-colored light-emitting diode bulbs that are more energy-efficient. Red means stop, and Metro wants to see whether that will keep riders from getting too close to the platform edge.

A few riders have noticed the change. "The red ones are ugly," said Mary Burke, who rides the Green and Red lines. "They look like the gates of Hell."

Many riders, while appreciative of Metro's unique architecture, say their priority is reliability. "It's a Cadillac system, and that's part of the problem," said Fred Marinucci, a Red Line commuter for 20 years. "It's hard to maintain a Cadillac system."

Still, the more time riders have spent on the New York subway, the more they appreciate everything that makes the Washington Metro different.

In New York, "it's not a question of red lights or white lights at the platform," Schrag said. "It's a question of how much gum you're standing in."

In Washington, carpet was a luxurious touch designed to lure suburbanites out of their cars. Carpet was supposed to signal to people that better behavior was expected, that "this is a nice train and don't mess it up," Schrag said.

But over time, the carpet itself has gotten messed up. In the winter, people track in salt and mud; in the summer, the humidity breeds mold "and little things grow in there, and it doesn't smell so good," Catoe said.

Metro will be testing different kinds of nonskid flooring this summer. Switching from carpet saves money because vinyl, for example, is easier to clean and doesn't need to be replaced as often. Carpet, on the other hand, is vacuumed once a week, shampooed every two months and replaced every five years; it costs Metro $5,200 to replace carpet in one car, officials have said. Two weeks ago, Catoe requested that carpet no longer be installed in older rail cars that are being overhauled. Riders will start seeing the transition in the fall, he said.