Now that the cherry blossoms around D.C. are nearing peak bloom, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival is already underway; the District has started to turn completely pink!
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be ‘cherry blossom season’ without WMATA releasing a new cherry blossom themed wrap for their metro and a few buses!
The new design of D.C.’s special edition cherry blossom train and buses
For the third year in a row, a new cherry blossom-themed design will wrap one of the metro’s trains and three buses in honor of the District’s iconic cherry blossom season.
This year, the design features a brand of blooming yoshino cherry blossoms along the side of the train/bus in front of a baby blue backdrop with the iconic Japanese ‘Rising Sun’ design in the middle.
You may also notice Japanese writing on the side of the train/bus, which is just a direct Japanese translation of WMATA’s usual slogan, “Your Metro”!
Where can you ride the cherry blossom-themed train or buses?
You can monitor exactly where in the D.C. Area the special edition train and busses are by checking the WMATA website and filter by clicking ‘Special Edition’ on the top right of the page.
The themed public transit rides went into action on March 21st and will remain wrapped with their special edition design for four weeks, until April 18th.
How to get a cherry blossom-themed SmarTrip card
This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival-themed SmarTrip card was designed by artist Anna August, which features D.C.’s Yoshino cherry blossom prominently with the Jefferson and Washington monuments in the background – a clear nod to the iconic view of the District’s Tidal Basin.
According to WMATA, only 20,000 of the limited-edition cards will go on sale at select stations, implying that they might sell out if you wait too long to get yours!
You can purchase your cherry blossom-themed SmarTrip card at any of the following stations:
- Metro Center
- Navy Yard
- L’Enfant Plaza
- Smithsonian
You can purchase the limited edition card at the specially marked fare vending machines at the stations listed above during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.