Making the Silver Line corridor more walkable (Reston, Chantilly: rent, per square foot)

[Turnerbro]

I recently took the silver line to Reston town center. I’ve never taken the silver line and was curious. I loved the effectiveness of it and how clean and new the station was. But good lord was walking from the station to downtown Reston town center not a fun experience. No crosswalks, missing sections of sidewalks in some places, cars racing. Google Maps said it took 20 minutes because it wanted me to make a literal loop, when it was right in front of me. Please tell me there are plans to improve walkability around the silver line. Having it is great but being able to actually walk to place’s would take it to the next level.

[Veritas Vincit]

I don't know if Reston actually wants to be really integrated into the Metro network for any reason other than the fact Metro proximity allows you to extract more $ per square foot.

Reston seems to me like a very compartmentalized place with self-contained 'parks' of housing, offices, stores. Reston Town Center is simply another one of those self-contained parks. Like someone said "here in this area, we play city" and then they built it. By design people are meant to use those broad boulevards to move between these different parks, I don't feel like pedestrians coming in from the outside via train are per se considered desirable.

[Turnerbro]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

I don't know if Reston actually wants to be really integrated into the Metro network for any reason other than the fact Metro proximity allows you to extract more $ per square foot.

Reston seems to me like a very compartmentalized place with self-contained 'parks' of housing, offices, stores. Reston Town Center is simply another one of those self-contained parks. Like someone said "here in this area, we play city" and then they built it. By design people are meant to use those broad boulevards to move between these different parks, I don't feel like pedestrians coming in from the outside via train are per se considered desirable.

True or not that just seems like a dated mindset. Plenty of people would use the train and shop in Reston Town Center if it became more convenient to do so.

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

True or not that just seems like a dated mindset. Plenty of people would use the train and shop in Reston Town Center if it became more convenient to do so.

I don't know how common it would be. It's a long trip by car or by Metro for people from inside the Beltway. And people living out Herndon, Sterling, Chantilly way tend to use their cars to get around.


I feel like the Metro is more there to say to people if they rent in Reston they can be in downtown D.C. by train in half an hour.

[ecko_complex24]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

I don't know how common it would be. It's a long trip by car or by Metro for people from inside the Beltway. And people living out Herndon, Sterling, Chantilly way tend to use their cars to get around.


I feel like the Metro is more there to say to people if they rent in Reston they can be in downtown D.C. by train in half an hour.

No this is a terrible outlook at why people are making the choices they make. People on Herndon, Sterling, and Chantilly tend to use their cars as a response to the built environment. Not everyone can afford to live inside the beltway due to our strict zoning code and the seas of low density housing inside and around the beltway.

This causes more sprawl and many of these suburban areas were built with this strictly enforced zoning. Many people are now preferring walkable places, it is just walkable places are expensive to live in due to the outstripped demand to live in these places versus the supply.

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by ecko_complex24

No this is a terrible outlook at why people are making the choices they make. People on Herndon, Sterling, and Chantilly tend to use their cars as a response to the built environment. Not everyone can afford to live inside the beltway due to our strict zoning code and the seas of low density housing inside and around the beltway.

This causes more sprawl and many of these suburban areas were built with this strictly enforced zoning. Many people are now preferring walkable places, it is just walkable places are expensive to live in due to the outstripped demand to live in these places versus the supply.

I'm talking about the reality of it, not some aspirational nonsense.

[ecko_complex24]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

I'm talking about the reality of it, not some aspirational nonsense.

I’m talking about the reality of it too. People are responding to the choices their environment leaves for them. If more people in these places that you mentioned has easier access to walkability, many would take advantage of that.

[Turnerbro]

Originally Posted by ecko_complex24

I’m talking about the reality of it too. People are responding to the choices their environment leaves for them. If more people in these places that you mentioned has easier access to walkability, many would take advantage of that.

In Maryland take Rockville town center for example. Suburban environment similar to Reston. But the metro station is quite walkable.

[ecko_complex24]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

In Maryland take Rockville town center for example. Suburban environment similar to Reston. But the metro station is quite walkable.

Yea exactly. Just because these places were built as suburbs doesn’t mean that there can’t be things done to improve the walkability in these areas. The walkability should be improved in this corridor seeing as mass heavy rail transit is now connecting these areas to the center city.

[Turnerbro]

Originally Posted by ecko_complex24

Yea exactly. Just because these places were built as suburbs doesn’t mean that there can’t be things done to improve the walkability in these areas. The walkability should be improved in this corridor seeing as mass heavy rail transit is now connecting these areas to the center city.

Exactly! To be fair the Rockville metro station has existed since the 80's but I think Reston can and should eventually become more like that.