华盛顿拟出售地铁命名权

美国首都华盛顿公共交通运营方近日宣布，他们将面向商业企业出售该市86个地铁站的命名权，以填补其资金缺口。

Metro¹ rider suggested. It could become Big-MacPherson Square." src="http://www.enread.comhttp://www.enread.com/upimg/allimg/110123/1_110123013608_1.jpg" width="404" height="303" />
McDonald's could sponsor McPherson Square near the White House, one Metro rider suggested. It could become Big-MacPherson Square.
Bosses at Washington's cash-strapped public transportation service are mulling（仔细考虑） selling "naming rights" for Metro stations as a way of filling a budget gap, a spokesman said Friday.

"We're looking at a possible $72 million shortfall in our budget for the upcoming year, and so we're looking for creative ways to try to close that deficit," Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel told AFP.

"One idea would be station naming rights," where corporate² entities³ buy the right to have their brand associated with one of Metro's 86 stations.

Facebook and Twitter erupted with suggestions when the announcement was made.

McDonald's could sponsor McPherson Square near the White House, one Metro rider suggested. It could become Big-MacPherson Square.

Wheaton, in the Maryland suburbs（郊外） , could become Wii-Wheaton if it were sponsored by the popular interactive⁴ video game. Cream of Wheaton, a play on the name of a hot breakfast cereal（谷类） , has also been suggested.

The suggestions may have been tongue-in-cheek（不认真的） but the idea is not far-fetched.

Dubai sold 10-year naming rights to 21 out of 23 stations in its Metro system for 1.8 billion dirham ($490 million). Most of the rights were sold before the system became operational in 2009.

Philadelphia has sold telecoms giant AT&T the rights to a station for $3 million, and Barclays can append its name to a station in Brooklyn, New York after buying the naming rights reportedly for $4 million for 20 years.

In Washington, Metro thinks selling station naming rights will help to raise around two million dollars.

But talk about selling naming rights to Metro stations in the US capital is still in the very early stages, Taubenkibel said.