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Evelyn Fernandez broke down in tears as she took to the podium. Six years ago today, Evelyn's world shattered: her mother, Ana, suddenly and tragically died in a horrific accident. She was one of nine victims who lost their lives when two Red Line trains collided between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations in 2009.

"There'a a lot I wish I could tell her ... every day," Fernandez said. Since her mother was killed, Fernandez, now 24, has been raising her five siblings and their loss has helped bring them together as a family. All of her siblings, Fernandez said, are straight-A students, with one of them set to graduate high school next year. "I did it all on my own," Fernandez said.

Six years later, the families of the 2009 Red Line crash have moved on with their lives, but their loved ones have not been forgotten. And now, they'll be remembered forever with the opening of Legacy Memorial Park.

Situated in Ward 4 at 5720 New Hampshire Avenue and North Dakota Avenue NE, Legacy Memorial Park isn't just a dedication to the nine people who lost their lives on June 22, 2009, but also to symbolize "the collective experience shared by first responders, community members, and countless others whose lives were forever altered by the tragedy," Lisa Richards Toney, the interim Executive Director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities said at today's dedication ceremony.

The park, which has been in the works for years, features an inscribed memorial wall along with nine stone sculptures, each etched with the names of those who perished in the deadly Metro crash. It's a park that not only pays tribute to the victims, but represents years of coordination between District agencies, the design studio, Hunt Laudi, and the memorial's sculptor, Barbara Liotta. "This memorial encapsulates the spirit, in the most fitting way, of those whose lives were lost," Toney said.

But, as D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton remarked during today's dedication, the occasion is a reminder of the great strides Metro needs to take to ensure a tragedy like this doesn't happen again. Although many safety and operational changes are in the works for Metro, Norton said that "they are not coming fast enough."

This week, the National Transportation Safety Board will hold a two-day hearing on the January 12 incident in which one person died and dozens of others were injured when a Yellow Line train near the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station filled with smoke. The incident, which was caused by an arcing insulator, prompted a full-scale review of WMATA. What has been revealed as a result of the review thus far has not been promising. "It will surely inspire Metro ... during these tough times," Norton said of the park.

But the park isn't meant to be a reminder of how Metro can do better. It's a memorial for nine people whose lives were tragically cut short and for the community that rallied in support of their families.

"Today, for us is a day to say thank you," said Betsy Reagan, who lost both her parents, Ann Wherley and Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr., in the crash. "Thank you for your love and your support."