The Metro Board of Directors voted to rename the Prince George’s Plaza Metro station “Hyattsville Crossing.”
Still, it will take a few months before Metro riders see the change. New signs and maps won’t appear until July, when they are updated for the opening of the Silver Line.
The name change comes as Hyattsville has sought to shift perceptions of the area away from the nearby Mall at Prince George’s and toward the newer apartments, row homes and restaurants in the surrounding area.
A survey with more than 5,500 responses taken before the board meeting showed that people preferred Prince George’s Plaza to Hyattsville Crossing, 51 to 33 percent. Respondents were particularly concerned that the station could be confused with others and the name doesn’t describe the location well.
But planners noted that the rail station was named after the mall, which changed its name in 2004, and that current plans for the area call for a more walkable, transit-oriented community. Plus, they noted that only 51 percent of respondents liked the name Prince George’s Plaza.
“In approving the County’s request, the Board would be supporting its effort to rebrand the area, promote transit-oriented development and create a transit district where people want to live, work, visit, and shop,” they wrote. “The weak support for the existing station name suggests that riders will eventually embrace the new station name as it become identifiable.”
The new name came from a community planning effort in 2017.
A “Crossing” refers to railroad tracks. In that the B&O Railroad train tracks are located a mile from the Metro Station, the “Hyattsville Crossing” name will be confusing to Metrorail commuters and especially to new residents. Unintelligible choice of Hyattsville Metro Station name.
Metro really didn’t want to know what people thought based on the weak justification for not accepting what the majority, i.e. 51 percent wanted compared to 33 percent. The logic is 51 percent is not enough and 33 percent is and respondents don’t have the future vision. So why ask? They were looking for what was already decided and came up with an insulting response as to why the decision was made.
Wow amazing how they saw that the majority 51% opposed to a name change as weak support to keep the name as is. Metro is stupid
Smells like gentrification to me. The majority of people asked preferred the existing name by a wide margin and the board still decided to change it. How insulting to the residents. Then to say it was only 51% as if that’s somehow inefficient when far fewer people preferred the name you ultimately chose. Disgusting. Y’all won’t be satisfied until you’ve sucked the culture out of every metropolitan area.
The real question is how people will shorten the name. I vote for “High Cross”.
Are they going to rename the mall, too?
Exactly what Ken Hodge said!
What a joke. They didn’t care what the response was. They don’t care what the community wants. Meanwhile we can’t get the metro running properly in so many ways but this is a priority? As opposed to reliable running times and safety……yeah, I guess we see where metro’s priorities are and we can expect continued dysfunction and mismanagement. Way to go metro……
I assume that nearby residents wanted Metro to disassociate from the Mall’s less than stellar reputation to drive up property values. Seems like a sound business decision.
This is ridiculous. There is no need to change the perception of the area with a new name. Leave it how it was. These new homes and apartments are not enough to justify a name change.
Why not just call it Hyattsville Metro Station. It’s in Hyattsville. It’s a Metro. And the Metro is a Station. Hyattsville Metro Station. I’m unsure what some of these board members are thinking when they are planning to make these name changes.
So in other words, when a majority of the community didn’t want the change, the board did as they pleased.
They never cared what the community wanted. They never had any intention of doing what the community wanted unless the community happened to agree with them. “Democracy” in action the board pretends, when actually they are doing evil and subverting democracy.
Hyattsville Crossing next to West Hyattsville will be confusing to new people to the transit line. It sits on East West Highway, why not call it East West Metro Station, no different than Southern Ave Metro Station that sits on Southern Ave.
I like the new name.
I like the East West Metro name. I hope the Hyattsville Crossing choice isn’t finalized.
I just moved to Hyattsville a few months ago; I already knew the area and PG’s plaza metro station. I kind of like the current name. Anyway, Hyattsville Crossing doesn’t make any sense; just live it as Hyattsville Metro Station, then nobody would get confused with West Hyattsville.
I am with the majority
Mero complain about not enough money layoff and reduced routes and reduced time on subway due to budget but yet they are paying million of dollars changing a name at the station??? It makes no sense the sign doesn’t need to be changed take that money and apply it on more bus lines other important issues metro is having senseless.
You can see the board here. https://www.wmata.com/about/board/.
Disgusted but not supprised by the decision
What difference does it make? A subway station never stopped crimes from being committed.
“they noted that only 51 percent of respondents liked the name Prince George’s Plaza.” What do they mean only when that’s the majority? They couldn’t have came up with anything better that Hyattsville Crossing? … How you ask for public participation and then ignore it without sound reasoning?