Metro and DC Public Library partner to bring new library to Congress Heights

Metro and the District of Columbia today announced a joint development project at Congress Heights station that will bring a new DC Public Library and improved transit infrastructure to the community. 

The project is commencing with the construction of transit improvements enabling the development of a new 23,000-square-foot public library adjacent to the station, creating a community destination that connects residents to educational resources, services, and opportunities while enhancing access to public transportation. 

The District is investing $15 million in transit and infrastructure improvements to support broader housing and economic goals, improve multimodal connections to the 183-acre St. Elizabeths East development and the surrounding community, and create an opportunity to anchor Congress Heights station with a new public library. 

As part of this project, the Congress Heights bus loop will be replaced and reconfigured, allowing for the extension of Sycamore St. and 13th Street down to Alabama Ave. SE. These changes were intended to improve access to St. Elizabeths East and the community, while also enhancing transit operations, including seven bus bays, two layover spaces, new bus shelters, lighting, sidewalks, a new traffic signal at the bus loop exit, and new curbside pick-up/drop-off spaces. 

This bus loop reconfiguration also created a development opportunity to partner with DC Public Library to provide a full-service library in this community. Construction of the library will begin later this year after the new bus loop construction is underway.

“The new bus loop and the new library at Congress Heights station represent the kind of investment that strengthens community and creates lasting opportunities for residents,” said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke. “We look forward to partnering with the District to deliver on this vision for the redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths campus.”

This project builds on Metro's growing partnership with DC Public Library to connect community amenities directly to transit. In addition to the future Congress Heights Library, Metro and DC Public Library are advancing plans for a new library at the Deanwood station as part of a broader mixed-use development.

Metro's joint development program has resulted in more than 60 developments across the region, generating over $230 million in annual tax revenue while adding housing, jobs, retail, and community spaces.

About Metro 

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known as Metro, is the region’s leading public transportation provider, serving a population of approximately four million people across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within a 2,054-square-mile jurisdiction. With a network of six rail lines, 98 stations, 126 bus routes, and a door-to-door paratransit service, Metro is the second busiest transit system in the United States serving 268.9 million trips in 2025 with a $5 billion operating and capital budget. Since 2022, Metro has completed multiple transit-oriented development projects that have brought $15 million in tax revenue to the region from housing, office, and retail space in our community.  Safety and security are core values at Metro. Over 30,000 cameras monitor the system, and Metro currently has the lowest crime rate in history with fare evasion on rail and bus declining. In 2025, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Metro the Transit Agency of the Year in recognition of industry-leading ridership growth, record high customer satisfaction, a newly redesigned Bus network, expanded rail service, and improved customer experience.