Farragut Square

It seems unusual that Farragut Square has separate subway stations at its north and southwestern corners. It wasn't supposed to be that way. WMATA wanted to build one transfer station under the park that would have eased overcrowding at Metro Center.

However, excavation of the large station would required the temporary relocation of the park's trees and Admiral David Farragut statue. That was too high a price for the Park Service to bear and they nixed the idea.

The Farragut issue has not been resolved. WMATA has been trying since 2004 to build a pedestrian tunnel under the square; that still has not happened.

Smithsonian

Negotiations about the Smithsonian station entrances were a particular fiasco. WMATA architects logically wanted to place the station entrance at the center of the Capitol - Washington Monument axis. This would have provided a nice view coming out of the station, and would have been easier for tourists to locate. The Park Service was horrified and told them to "get back under the trees" on the edge of the Mall. WMATA bitterly complained that NPS had "decided that people are a nuisance on the Mall."

Then they got into a squabble over who would pay for the entrances. WMATA argued that their duty was to provide an entrance for Department of Agriculture employees at Independence Avenue and 12th Street. In a foolish bluff, they said that if NPS wanted a second tourist entrance to the north, then they would have to pay for it. The Park Service responded with the nuclear option and threatened to entirely withdraw permits for the station.