WMATA celebrates first year of Silver Line

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) celebrated the first year of Silver Line service from Largo Town Center to Wiehle-Reston East July 27.

 

Marking the occasion, WMATA Interim General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Jack Requa joined elected officials and business leaders in Tysons Corner at a Transportation Summit to discuss how the Silver Line is helping realize the economic promise of the Tysons community and changing the way people commute by reducing traffic congestion.

“Phase 1 of the Silver Line has exceeded expectations not only in terms of ridership, but also in terms of the economic opportunities it is creating in the Dulles Corridor and across the region. Completion of Phase 2 will accelerate the transformation taking place along the corridor and provide a vital rail link to Dulles International Airport for the entire region,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11) said. “For those of us who have worked on this project for more than two decades, it is exciting to see the vision we laid out taking shape. Thanks to the Silver Line, people are already getting out of their cars and walking to work, to eat and to shop in Tysons and Reston. And when the entire 23-mile line is completed, I expect it will further enhance quality of life and employment options for Northern Virginians and other residents of the region.”

According to Wells + Associates, since the Silver Line opened last year, traffic in Tysons along Route 123 has decreased and multiple intersections have experienced up to 15 percent fewer cars during peak hours.

More than 35,000 weekday trips were taken to or from the five new Silver Line stations last month, an average of 17,088 riders per day. Wiehle-Reston East continues to be Silver Line’s commuting powerhouse, continuing to surpass first-year ridership projections.

“The opening of the Silver Line was a key milestone in the Reston community. As a Restonian and representative of the community, we are truly grateful for this public investment in mass transit,” said Supervisor and WMATA Board Member Catherine Hudgins. “The Silver Line will provide the opportunity to create new transit villages to our Reston community for years to come.”

Silver Line rail service began at noon on July 26, 2014, with the departure of the inaugural train from Wiehle-Reston East Station in Fairfax County, Va., bound for Largo Town Center in Prince George’s County, Md. It was the first time a new color had been added to the WMATA map since the Green Line opened in 1991.

With the opening of the five new stations in Silver Line’s first phase, WMATA now serves 91 stations across a 117-mile system. Work has already begun on phase two of the Silver Line, which will extend another 11.4 miles to six new stations including Reston Town Center, Herndon, Washington Dulles International Airport and Ashburn.

 

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