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The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) yesterday announced a plan to test future station concepts at Bethesda Station in Maryland.

An underground station with a center-platform design, the Bethesda facility is the hardest type of station to illuminate, making it an ideal location for the model project, WMATA officials said in a press release.

Station concepts under consideration include high-output light fixtures to direct light to a vaulted ceiling; an anti-slip zone at the bottom of entrance escalators; stainless steel and light-gray interiors to replace the agency's "Metro brown" interior; a thinner kiosk with digital panels for service information; and redesigned, taller pylons with signage.

Bethesda Station, which has one of the highest daily riderships in Montgomery County, Md., and is located on one of the agency's oldest lines, is showing its age, said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett.

"As the gateway to Bethesda, … this project will ensure that this critical Metro station continues to function well and present a favorable and attractive experience for all riders," he said.