Breaking News from Chairman Sharon Bulova
June 2014

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova 

 

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Great News!!  We have a "firm target" for the opening of Phase I of the Silver Line!  According to WMATA Director Richard Sarles, service will begin next month on Saturday, July 26!

 

Phase I of the new WMATA Silver Line includes five new Silver Line stations that will serve Tysons and terminate at Wiehle Avenue in Reston.  All stations will open to customers at 12pm on July 26th, with the first train departing from the Wiehle-Reston East Station eastbound through Tysons and on to Largo Town Center in Maryland.

 

To say this has been a long time coming is an understatement. Planning for the Silver Line began in the early 1960s.  The commitment to connect Dulles Airport to Washington D.C. and the WMATA Metrorail system has spanned numerous governors, congressional representatives and county boards.  I am incredibly proud to have helped it across the finish line during my time as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

 

There is still work to be done to keep Phase II "on track," but the opening of Phase I is a significant milestone and something to celebrate.  I look forward to taking that inaugural trip!

 

Deep under Tysons as the tunnel portion of the Silver Line is under construction

This project is more than just five new stops on the Metro. It connects our new downtown, Tysons, to downtown Washington, DC. It is also at the center of two major revitalization efforts in Fairfax County: Tysons and Reston. Looping the line through Tysons was a product of a 1993 Fairfax County community planning effort.  It culminated in the adoption of a Vision and Comprehensive Plan Amendment for Tysons.

 

In Fairfax County, both Phase I and Phase II of the $5.6 billion Silver Line, stretching 23 miles, are funded mostly by two special tax districts comprised of commercial and industrial property owners along the corridor.  Funding has also included $900 million in federal funding for Phase I and from a low interest federal TIFIA loan for Phase II. 

 

When releasing a start date, Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles noted that there are still a few remaining items, such as obtaining Certificates of Occupancy, that will be resolved prior to the opening date. 

 

"Simulated service" will begin on Sunday, July 20, where Silver Line trains will run for the purposes of employee training. For riders on other lines, this means that any service changes associated with the Silver Line opening will actually kick in during the simulated service phase.

 

For instance, riders at stations from East Falls Church to Court House will see trains arrive more frequently at all times, and riders from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory will notice more frequent service outside rush hours. On the Blue Line, trains will operate every 12 minutes at all times of the day, and during rush hours, trains at Vienna, Dunn Loring and West Falls Church will arrive and depart every 6 minutes.

 

The Silver Line trains operating in simulated service will not carry passengers to or from the new stations, but they will carry passengers along the existing Orange and Blue lines between East Falls Church and Largo Town Center. During the simulated service week, these trains will be identified on electronic signs as Orange Line trains.

 

If you're interested in parking options, the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station is home to a multi-level underground parking facility located on the north side of the station and includes:

  • 2,300-car commuter parking garage
  • Secure, reserved bike room
  • 10-bay bus terminal
  • Bus service to Dulles Airport
  • Bus service to National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center
  • Kiss & Ride

For information on new bus service serving the Silver Line stations in Tysons please go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/silverline/

 

This is wonderful news, in part because the Silver Line is a vital component to the economic growth of Fairfax County and our region at large. I look forward to welcoming our first riders!

 

Check fares, travel times, station information, and more at silverlinemetro.com

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

  

 

Sharon Bulova

Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors