And they have all one thing in common: they're fugly. Saying this as someone who suffers them regularly. Look at images of Moscow Metro stations to see a vastly superior alternative design.
Been a minute since I’ve commuted daily in DC, but I always found the waffle stations rather lovely as well as iconic; they’re among my favorites from my travels.
I kinda like the waffles, actually. The main aesthetic problem IMO is the dim lighting (and litter).