Patricia Miller Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority collection

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, WMATA, with central offices in Washington, DC, is the private agency charged with the coordination and operation of mass transit in the National Capital Region. This area includes Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington, the District of Columbia, and Fairfax County in Virginia.

The Interim Board of Directors of WMATA first met in mid-October, 1966, chaired by Brig. Gen. Jackson Graham, formerly Engineering Commissioner for the District. WMATA was formally established on February 20, 1967. WMATA formally received its charter in September 1967.

WMATA superseded the National Capital Transportation Agency (NCTA); a federal agency established by President Eisenhower in 1960 and inherited the bus and rail plans of the NCTA. For bus operations, WMATA bought out the routes from the private bus companies operating within its purview (with the exception of Montgomery County's "Ride-On" system) and established a single operation, Metrobus, to serve in their place.

For the creation of Metrorail, popularly known as "the Metro," routes, designs, and plans were finalized by the late 1960s. Work on the subway component began immediately upon the creation of WMATA. DeLeuw, Cather were retained as chief engineering consultants. The firm of Harry Weese and Associates were named chief architectural consultants. Weese was sent on a worldwide tour of subway systems, in order to draw inspiration and ideas for possible station architecture. The final design, agreed upon by a special committee that included the District of Columbia Board of Fine Arts and several artists and architects, was proposed in 1968.

First ground was broken for the subway above the future Judiciary Square station on December 9, 1969. The Metro ran its first day of revenue service, on the abbreviated Red Line beginning at Dupont Circle, in June 1976. Public response was enthusiastic. The system was a highlight of the Bicentennial celebrations one month later, during which it transported thousands of visitors.

Patrcia Miller first joined Bechtel, the engineering consultant to Metro, as a Senior Draftsman in 1974. Her work involved the installation of the various appurtenances which made the system work. These consisted of millions of dollars worth of contracts to oversee the installation of graphics, kiosks, traction power, automatic train control, fare collection, and track work.

In late 1983, WMATA decided that they could handle the engineering themselves. Miller opted to leave Bechtel and obtain employment with WMATA in 1984 as an Assistant Office Engineer. She stayed on with WMATA until her retirement as an Office Engineer in May of 2004.