Transportation is a big deal in the NoVA/Greater D.C. metro area. With some of the busiest, most congested highways in the country, our Metro infrastructure is as much a brute necessity as a boasting point. Nowadays, all the train-related chit chat is focused on the opening of the first phase of the Silver Line, the largest extension to the Washington Metro since it started operation in 1976. The line’s big news for Metro commuters overall, but none are as excited as those who live directly around the new stations. A faster, easier commute will vastly improve the lives of Nova residents - and, one could reasonably assume, cause their home values and the economic viability of their communities to skyrocket.
The 28-mile line will, by the time the final phase goes operational in 2018 (as projected), have cost as much as $6.8 billion. Not surprisingly, this expenditure hasn’t been without controversy. The fact that voters will shoulder some 5% of the cost motivated some lawmakers to call for the project to be squashed. Overall, however, the response to the expansion has been positive, and consensus opinion holds that the end result will be worth the cost.
The Silver Line has been in some stage of development for decades. There’s long been a need for a speedy, convenient connection between Washington D.C. and Dulles, as well as for a catalyst for growth in the economic corridor of Tyson’s Corner. The Silver Line, along with alleviating the commuting woes of some 91,000 residents, has the power to take care of both.
The first leg of the line opened this week. It begins in the bedroom community of Reston, and has stations in McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East. Another 11-mile stretch, dubbed Phase 2, will connect the existing line with Dulles International Airport.
The Silver Line Metro rail will run on the same schedule as existing lines. During peak hours of the day, a train will arrive every six minutes. On evenings and weekends, trains will come every 12-15 minutes. It’s believed that, as travelers come to realize that they will save time on the new trains, commuters will defect from the very popular (and crowded!) Orange Line and things will even out.
