Two years ago this month, the Silver Line — after years of discussion, rising costs and many construction delays — finally opened, bringing long-awaited rail service to Reston.

But ever since, Metro has been plagued by problems — track issues, smoke and fire, near-constant single tracking, and now, the SafeTrack project to fix them.

Is it the new Silver Line to blame for Metro’s issues? A Washington Post story Sunday laid out the case:

To make room for the line, Metro reduced service on the Blue Line, angering thousands of riders. New rail cars set to arrive before the line opened did not — leaving fewer trains in reserve when older cars broke down. The result? Worsening service disruptions systemwide. Adding to Metro’s woes, ridership was well below projections.

After the January 2015 tunnel fire near L’Enfant Plaza, which left one passenger dead, things got worse, the post points out.

Metro blamed the chronic breakdowns on its inability to keep up with much-needed maintenance that had been neglected for years and said it needed more money to catch up. Some observers — and Metro to a degree — blamed the Silver Line, saying the new line placed too much of a burden on the system’s infrastructure. Some riders and others argued that the transit agency should have invested in rebuilding instead of expanding.

Several transportation consultants quoted in the article have mixed opinions. One says Metro would likely have the same problems it does with or without the Silver Line; another says adding a new line to a broken system was “beyond idiotic.”

The article also points out that the ridership on the Silver Line has not met projections. While Wiehle-Reston East — the end of the line until Phase 2 opens in 2020 — has met projections, but at the one-year mark, the average of 17,000 weekday boardings is far short of the 25,000 the line was projected to have after its first year.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va. 11th), who was a crucial advocate in bringing Metro to Reston (he formerly served as chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors), and the current chair, Sharon Bulova, are urging residents to stick with the Silver Line as the benefits will be felt in the decades to come.

Read the entire piece on Washingtonpost.com.

Stopping Zika in Fairfax County — The Fairfax County Department of Health is raising awareness of how to stop the transmission of the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause birth defects. More than 30 cases of Zika have been diagnosed in Virginia, but the virus may have been acquired somewhere else. [Fairfax Times]

Virginia In the Red — Virginia finished its fiscal year with a $266 million shortfall as payroll- and sales-tax receipts lagged below expectations, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Friday. [Washington Post]

New At The Top — Former Reston Hospital Center CEO Tim McManus has been named president of Hospital Corporation of America’s (HCA) Richmond-based Capital Division, effective Aug. 1. [HCA]

Photo: Sunset on Lake Thoreau/Credit: Audrey Lawson

The Peregrine Falcon Mystery — These birds dropped in last year, but experts still don’t know how they got here. [Reston Connection]

Unfinished Business — There is still work to be done on Metro’s Safety Surge No. 3 [Washington Post]

Fairfax Needs A Conference Center — Visit Fairfax says this amenity would be a big economic boost to the county. [Inside Nova]

Now Open — PR Barbers new location at Reston Town Center. The men’s salon has relocated from Market Street to Discovery Street. [Instagram]

Photo by Jennifer Heffner

Fairfax County Police said there has been a second incident of a bullet being shot into a home in unincorporated Herndon.

Earlier this week, a shot was fired into the bedroom of a 9-year-old girl as she slept in her home in the 2100 block of Monaghan Drive in Herndon. The bullet was found in her mattress, police said.

On Friday at around 10:48 p.m., gunfire apparently was aimed at the same home. A man called police and said he was in his living room when he heard several gunshots.

Officers who processed the scene found that a bullet had penetrated into the residence. Police also found numerous bullet holes located on the exterior of the dwelling but had not entered into the home. There were no injuries, police said.

About 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, officers were still on scene and conducting their investigation when they heard several more gunshots coming from a nearby street. Additional officers and resources responded to check the area.

Officers are continuing their investigation, conducting a canvas, and increasing their presence in the area. There is no suspect information at this time and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Crime Solvers electronically by visitingwww.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org or text-a-tip by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES(274637)** or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

Lake Anne Coffee House, which was purchased by new owners nearly a year ago, may finally be ready to open by the end of the summer, said co-owner Eve Thompson.

Thompson and her husband, Rick, are Lake Anne residents who envision new life in the space that has served as a gathering place for decades. The coffee house is in the midst of a total renovation, which has taken many months due to the Fairfax County permitting process and the extensive changes, said Thompson.

“This coffee house has never had a real kitchen,” says Thompson. “All of that has to go in.”

And when it does, there will be a variety of food cooked on site, including muffins, cookies and biscuits, says Thompson. There will be gluten-free offerings, she added.

In addition to the renovations, here are some of the plans for the coffee house:

Locally sourced ingredients, including the coffee house’s dairy products and sandwich bread. “Nothing will come off a [national food service] truck,” said Thompson.

Lunch service to include soups, sandwiches and tartines.

Michael Amouri, owner of Cafe Amouri, a locally owned coffee house in Vienna, has been working with Thompson as a consultant. Coffee will come from Cafe Amouri and from Manassas’ Monument Roasters, said Thompson.

Evening “small plates” and a wine bar will eventually be added to the offerings.

“This will be another awesome place to hang out at Lake Anne,” said Thompson.

Editor’s note: Eve Thompson’s real estate business, Reston Real Estate, is a Reston Now advertiser.

PR Barbers, one of several men’s grooming salons to open in Reston in the last year, will be moving to a new location.

The salon, currently located at 11944 Market St., will move to 1826 Discovery St. That storefront has been empty since the fall of 2014, when Yogiberry frozen yogurt closed.

The new space is both smaller and backs up to PR and Partners, PR Barbers’ sister store, at 119o2 Democracy Dr.

PR Barbers began as Joe Grooming, a full-service, high-end men’s salon, last October. It was the first brick-and-morter store for Joe Grooming, the McLean-based maker of men’s hair and grooming products.

By February, Joe Grooming was taken over by PR at Partners owner Reg Laws.

There is lots of new competition for men’s styling in Reston. Roosters men’s grooming opened on Market Street in April. There is also a new barber shop at North Point, as well as other longtime salon and barber options around town.

No word on when the move will take place or whether a new lease has been signed for the Market Street space.

Photo: PR Barbers’ current spot on Market Street/PR Barbers via Facebook

Sunrise Valley Drive Westbound between Upper Lake Drive and Headlands Circle is closed Friday morning as police investigate a two-car accident.

The accident occurred about 9 a.m. Investigators said two cars may have been trying to pass a Fairfax Connector bus when they collided and one of the cars flipped.

The drivers of both cars were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. The bus driver was uninjured and the bus received minor damage.

Police said the road will be closed until at least 11 a.m. for accident investigation and vehicle removal.

Paddleboard Yoga Tomorrow — Surf Reston SUP is offering a paddleboard yoga class at Lake Anne Saturday morning. [Surf Reston Facebook]

“Today” Show Stops By — NBC’s Today Show did a segment at Fairfax County Fire and Rescue’s Station 29 (Tysons) on Thursday. The story was about texting to 911, something Fairfax County has been doing for a more than a year. Only about 10 percent of fire rescues nationally can receive texts, says NBC’s Tom Costello. [Today.com]

Safe Exchange Place — Looking to sell something on Craigslist or another board but don’t want a stranger coming to your home? Fairfax County Police have set up this safe exchange zone at the Sully District Station. It is the hope of the police department that the location and video surveillance will increase buyers’ and sellers’ safety and promote safer and less fraudulent exchanges. [FCPD]

Crossfield Ramps Up Cell Tower Opposition — Parents of children at Crossfield Elementary School are fighting the building of a cell phone tower with an online petition. The request to build on the school site will be reviewed by the Fairfax County Planning Commission. [Change.org]

Non-Reston Association member who want to swim and play tennis can get a great deal on RA memberships for the rest of the summer.

RA has extended its summer non-member pass sale through July 15. The deal saves a family up to $106.

Memberships give access to 15 pools and 52 tennis courts.

Here are the pass options:

Family Pass — Annual, non-transferable passes for two adults (18+) and up to four children (1-17).

• Pool & Tennis: $424 (you save $106)
• Tennis Only: $288 (you save $72) 

Individual Pass

• Pool & Tennis: $296 (you save $74)
• Tennis Only: $208 (you save $52)

Promo code (FB0629) prices valid only in person or by phone.
Call 703-435-6530 or visit 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20191.

The critical junction where Metro’s Orange and Blue/Silver Line diverge is now in state of good repair, says Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld.

Weidefeld on Wednesday released the final production report for the second SafeTrack surge. He said that all planned work had been completed during the 16-day project.

“I am satisfied that we are accomplishing our objectives with respect to the pace of track work progress in Surge No. 2,” Wiedefeld said in a statement. “Our continued success depends upon Metro customers heeding the warnings about reduced service during SafeTrack surges and finding alternate ways to commute. I am optimistic as we get underway now with Surge No. 3.”

During Surge No. 2, crews repaired and/or replaced critical rail infrastructure affecting train speeds and ride quality. Metro says critical tasks accomplished during the surge include:

• Replacement of four major switches at D&G junction, one of a handful of key locations where trains are routed to different lines
• Replacement of over 500 wooden crossties
• Renewal of over 230 third-rail insulators
• Elimination of over 20 rail joints
• Renewal of over 2,000 linear feet of grout pads
• Renewal of 12 signals
• Inspection and repair of over 180 power cables

For a complete status update on Surge 2 progress, visit Metro’s website.

SafeTrack is an accelerated track work plan to address safety recommendations and rehabilitate the Metro system and address critical safety issues.

Metro is rotating closings of sections of the system in order to complete three year’s of maintenance in about 10 months. There will be 15 safety surges overall.

Surge No. 3 began on Tuesday, July 5 and includes a complete rail shutdown between National Airport and Braddock Road, impacting Yellow and Blue Line riders. All Metro customers traveling to/from DC must use shuttle buses between Braddock Rd and Pentagon City during the project. Southbound customers should exit at Pentagon City for a bus shuttle.

Surge No. 5, which begins July 20, will again significantly impact Reston-area Silver Line riders.

The Lake Anne Summer Film Festival kicks off Friday with its first screening.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is turning 30, so come to the plaza to revisit this classic teenage tale.

Showtime is at sundown (about 9 p.m.). The big screen will be set up on the plaza. Bring a picnic, blanket and chairs for the free fun.

The Lake Anne summer films will run the second and fourth Fridays in July and August. Here is the full schedule:

• July 8 — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Celebrating 30th Movie Anniversary)
• July 22 — Toy Story
• August 12 — Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• August 26 — Lady Sings the Blues (kicking off Lake Anne Jazz Week)

Movies at Lake Anne/file photo

This is a commentary from Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.

Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously overturned the public corruption conviction of Virginia’s former governor, Robert F. McDonnell.

The action of the Court was not a surprise to many, if not most, legal experts who had viewed the instruction to the jury in the case as to what constitutes “official acts” as being so broad that they could cover most any action that a public official takes. At the same time, there is concern that the Court’s decision will make it much more difficult to prosecute public officials on corruption charges.

The case is not yet fully resolved. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the Appeals Court to decide if there was sufficient evidence to hold a new trial or if the charges will be dismissed. In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling there is not likely to be a new trial, and the charges will be dropped. Read More

Reston Station is getting a coffee house — one that will look familiar to, well, everyone.

Starbucks has signed a lease to take over newly built-out space on the plaza level of the BLVD apartments, says a Comstock spokeswoman. An exact opening date has not been announced.

Comstock is the developer behind BLVD, which began leasing earlier this year, as well as the rest of the mixed-use development adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.

Also coming soon to Reston Station (and previously reported): Founding Farmers restaurant. Meanwhile, pop-up shops at Reston Station’s Urban Pop (the little glass booths on the plaza) will continue to operate.

In case you are counting, the addition of Reston Station will make seven Starbucks stores in Reston (Reston Station, Fox Mill, South Lakes, Plaza America, Reston Town Center, Spectrum, and North Point).

Want to drink local? The revamped Lake Anne Coffee House is expected to re-open under new ownership in the next few months.

Garza Earns PTA Honor — Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Karen K. Garza has been named the recipient of the Superintendent’s Power Partner Award from the Virginia PTA.  The award recognizes superintendents who enhance and support family engagement in the school division and beyond. [FCPS]

Sign Up Now For Herndon’s Citizen Police Academy — Want to know what it’s like to be a police officer? The Town of Herndon invites citizens to take part in its Citizen Police Academy, starting in September. The 10-week long experience is designed to promote a greater sense of unity between citizens and police officers. Topics include Computer Crimes, Traffic Enforcement, Impaired Driving, K-9s, Evidence Collection, Investigations, Community Policing, and the Judicial Process.  [Town of Herndon]

Finding Religious Unity at Reston Synagogue — Spotlight on Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation, which has been opening its space for area Muslims for prayer. [USA Today]

Photos: Turtles on new turtle platform on Lake Thoreau/Ruth Mulkerin via RA