Silver Line extension to open Nov. 15
“It’s about damn time,” says Metro in a video on Twitter announcing the opening of the Silver Line extension on Nov. 15.
The long-delayed completion of the Silver Line brings Metro to Washington Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County.
It includes six new stations: Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn.
On opening day, customers at any of those stations will be greeted by Metro teams handing out commemorative pennants. That’s a Metro tradition that started when the first station opened in 1976.
Related story: Metro hopes to open Silver Line extension in time for Thanksgiving travel
The extension completes the final phase of the full 23-mile Silver Line expansion that began construction in 2009, opening the first segment five years later.
According to Metro, the Dulles station is a five-minute walk via an underground tunnel from the baggage claim area.
There’s also a new rail maintenance and service yard located on 90 acres at the airport. It’s the largest rail yard in the Metro system and employs nearly 700 people.
Metro is still working on a short list of items to meet the requirements of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission and expects “to finalize safety certification before we open for passenger service.”
In no time the Maryland road apes will ruin Reston Town Center, just like they did Tyson’s.
It’s a shame there’s no Metro in Mason. Columbia pike would’ve been a great candidate. Instead, metro now goes all the way out to ashburn and, personally, I predict embarrassingly low ridership for the exurban stations – look at VRE to manassas.
Well apparently they looked at the idea of it on Pike again and passed it over, again.
https://www.arlnow.com/2021/09/08/columbia-pike-metro-expansion-nixed-for-now/
Metro down Columbia Pike would spur the appropriate kind of urban development that is needed in south Arlington and Mason District. But because of dim witted leadership and bigots from the past we are now resigned to living in a DUMP, while metro centric areas boom in the District, other parts of Arlington and FFX burbs.
Again, unless metro is going to go under Columbia Pike or be elevated above the road, both astronomically expensive, there is no land available to build that extension. The density combined with higher buildings right up against the road precludes other ways. Moreover, when trolley was considered the bulk of the Arlington county town halls in the communities along the Pike were opposed to giving up traffic lanes for the trolley (I went to several), as it would cause more congestion particularly due to commuters. The million dollar bus stop that could also accommodate the trolly was a proverbial “nail in the coffin (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/1-million-bus-stop-opens-in-arlington/2013/03/24/49e5c47e-917c-11e2-9abd-e4c5c9dc5e90_story.html). Furthermore, neither the Arlington county government or residents on or near the Pike really wanted anything that would increase pass through commuters from Annandale – that too was apparent in the town halls. The point is, unless someone has a forest of money trees, this is not going to happen down the Pike. We need to think of something different.
I watched a channel 4 news item on the proposed opening. The first glaring problem is the use of the term is “goes to Dulles Airport”. It doesn’t. It goes “near Dulles Airport”. I can’t imagine a family dragging their kids and suitcases through a tunnel to reach the airport. The entrance from the airport side is uncovered meaning a slog through rain and snow. There’s no canopy over the entrance to the tunnel. Didn’t Metro learn anything as it had to retrofit all of the uncovered stations that took years to complete? The cost to have the stop in the airport was $45 million (estimated). Metro considers itself a world class system. I would suggest that Metro Google other states and countries and see what a real world class airport really is. Any bets that Metro doesn’t make it a full week going to Dulles without a major problem ? Metro estimated time from Metro center is one hour (on a perfect day, which Metro is not capable of). Add another hour (I’d add 2 hours which includes the slog through the tunnel) to the 2-3 hours already required by the airlines and you have a very long day. What hours will Metro serve the airport? There’s a huge number of departures around the 6-8 am time frame. Will Metro starts service at 3 am to meet the above time frames. Uber, cabs, POV don’t worry. Metro will not run you out of business
Agreed, it will certainly help some folks but is it really worth it given the time investment? I guess you would save money for long term parking but that’s it. This disaster was easily predictable by everyone.
I am not sure what you mean. The metro entrance is between the closest parking garage and the airport, so I already have to walk by it with my family of 5 on my way it. It is actually closer than the parking. And it is all underground, so I am not sure about the concern about snow? I am not here to defend the Metro, but I expect you have not seen the entrance? I would not use it and I agree with your point that many wont use it because it takes a lot longer to get to the airport and it may not really support the first flights of the day.
Dcist posted a video: https://dcist.com/story/22/11/02/what-you-need-to-know-about-taking-the-silver-line-to-dulles/
Takes 5 mins and there’s a tunnel with walking belts to get you there too. It is close and doesn’t make it as bad as you made it seem.
Do you have evidence that Metro considers itself a world class system? That is an incredibly egregious claim for WMATA to make. Not doubting you just looking for a quote or something of that nature.
People will use it instead of renting a car. Young people with backpacks will use it as a cheaper alternative. As the Dulles are gets built up more, people will use it for getting to restaurants and entertainment that are or will be available at the outer terminals.