Silver Line (Alexandria, Reston, Falls Church: 2015, transfer, construction)

[LLD]

I did a search and didn't find any threads on the new Silver Line being added to the existing metro which will start at Falls Church and continue out past the airport. I think this is just a fantastic idea. One of the great things about the DC metro area is the good public transportation.

The Silver Line is breaking ground this year in Tyson's Corner... and is scheduled to be completed to Reston by 2013 and the second part out past Dulles by 2015.

You can read about it here: Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Any comments on this? From everything I've read it is very positive. The plans have been approved, the funding is there and construction is starting.

I've lived in the DC Metro area three times now and will soon be back for a 4th and one of the best things is the public transportation. I am spoiled. Living in other cities that don't have good public transportation after having experienced an area with good public transportation -- well there is just no comparison to my mind.

p.s if they get the proposed Purple Line going in the next 10 years that will be great too -- the Purple Line will be a circle around DC so basically crossing all the spokes coming out of Metro Center. Just think of living in Alexandria and taking the Purple Line over to Bethesday instead of having to go all the way downtown the coming back out the Red Line to get to Bethesda.

[wrightflyer]

It's about time.

[Do a Barrel Roll]

It's been long overdue! And even the Purple Line is intentionally supposed the Capital Beltway, the only thing that I've heard about it so far is its construction in Maryland.

[jb124]

My main concern about the Silver Line is that apparently it will share the rail with the Orange and Blue lines into DC. The Orange line already suffers delays and congestion from WFC to Rosslyn (and beyond), with sitting and waiting between Courthouse and Rosslyn being very common in the AM rush. I'm not sure unloading people at WFC (or wherever) and making them get on an Orange line train is a good remedy, but I really hope they figure out a way to make the bottleneck at Rosslyn work out better by the time this line goes live.

[LLD]

I have a link to a discussion about this and I'll post it later since I'm taking off for a dance class. It is from a guy who is actually part of the transportation planning etc -- very interesting discussion on another forum.

[JerzBoy]

Does anyone know how long it will take on the new silver line from Ryan Rd/772 to downtown DC? I know this is part of Phase 2 but I was wondering if they had any time estimates yet.

[5stones]

I don't think they have even setteld the debate over whether to go underground or above ground yet!

Sadly this should have been started YEARS ago.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by jb124

My main concern about the Silver Line is that apparently it will share the rail with the Orange and Blue lines into DC. The Orange line already suffers delays and congestion from WFC to Rosslyn (and beyond), with sitting and waiting between Courthouse and Rosslyn being very common in the AM rush. I'm not sure unloading people at WFC (or wherever) and making them get on an Orange line train is a good remedy, but I really hope they figure out a way to make the bottleneck at Rosslyn work out better by the time this line goes live.

I also wonder how they're going to figure this out.

One thing I thought of is that they could terminate the Blue Line at Rosslyn, since there aren't that many commuters that go up the Blue Line into DC. Most commuters going into DC from south of Rosslyn take the Yellow Line. This would necessitate an addition to the Rosslyn station, but that's certainly cheaper than building a new tunnel under the Potomac. The Silver Line would then take over the Blue Line's MD stops and terminate at Largo.

As it stands now, it doesn't make much sense to take the Blue Line into DC from Pentagon or south unless your destination is Foggy Bottom, Farragut West, or McPherson Square. For every other destination, it's comparable time, or faster, to take Yellow and transfer, at least during rush hour when trains are coming every few minutes. There doesn't seem to be much of a reason for the Blue Line to enter DC.

[yankee.peddler]

The Silver Line is a much-needed transportation facility for the Dulles corridor and Tyson's.

However, I have to agree with previous posters' concerns about how the Silver Line will interact with the existing Metrorail system. Unless there are major capital improvements done to the Orange Line between West Falls Church and Metro Center (like adding a third track), then I fear the whole system will buckle under the unprecedented number of new riders coming off the Silver Line.

A previous poster suggested terminating the Blue Line at Rosslyn. I disagree. I used to commute on the Blue Line from Virginia, and the trains were always very full with passengers traveling to and from D.C. at Rosslyn. However, I do suggest either terminating the Blue or Silver Line at Metro Center and having the other line continue on to Largo. In fact, I think I saw a Metro map on which the Silver Line terminated at Metro Center.

[normie]

I used to be excited about it... when we moved here in 2000 we were under the impression it was imminent but it's been nothing but talk.

I will have to see a little more action before I really start believing it.