Bethesda Metro riders will no longer be subjected to low lighting and dirty floors, thanks to station upgrades that include bright overhead lights, a renovated stairway and a new information wall.

The improvements, which started last spring, are the first of many that Metro plans to implement across the county. The Bethesda station was one of the first to receive improvements, and is being used as a prototype for future designs. The entire renovation was completed under-budget at $700,000, according to a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) press release.

“I ride the Metro at least once a week,” junior Aina Krupinski-Puig said. “Before, the station was really dirty and smelled bad, so it’s great the county put aside money for improvements.”

WMATA officials plan on reviewing public approval ratings of the Bethesda station improvements to decide whether or not changes will be made to the 86 other stations in the system. The Bethesda station was chosen as a test case because it is underground, which makes it hard to illuminate, said WMATA spokesperson Philip Stewart.

Although steps have been taken to improve the safety and appearance of the station, some have expressed concerns that the renovations focus too much on aesthetics and less on efficiency and maintenance. The biggest complaint has been about repeated train delays due to malfunctions or track work, said Ivo Karadimov, the manager of architecture for Metro, in an interview with the Washington Post.

“The Metro breaks down way too often,” Krupinski-Puig said. “It happens at least once a month, and results in hourly delays that are a huge inconvenience.”

Local conservationists have also voiced concerns, claiming that the new improvements destroy the historic significance of the station, according to the Washington Post.

“It’s important to maintain the historical significance of the station,” math teacher Meg Thatcher said. “It would be great if Metro could find a way to upgrade the station without destroying the historical architecture.”

The next stage of improvements is scheduled to start between now and 2020 and will include new 106 foot escalators and a new fare machine array, said Stewart.

“Overall, the Bethesda station is definitely improved,” sophomore Ben Barrett said. “It was old and needed to be renovated. New is always better.”