Reston Now put out the call for your Silver Line questions on Monday. We have some answers for you. We regret we could not answer every question, but here are some basics to get you ready for Saturday’s Wiehle-Reston East Station opening.
How long until the first escalator is out of service?
Haha. Don’t know.
Will RIBS4 run directly to the Metro?
Yes, RIBS 4 will go to the station Mondays through Fridays. See additional Silver Line bus info on the Fairfax Connector website.
How will parking be on weekends?
Parking will be free on weekends and lots of spaces will likely be available.
How much is a round trip to the Smithsonian and Wheaton stops?
From Wiehle-Reston East to Smithsonian, it would be $11.80 peak/$7.20 non peak. To Wheaton, it will be the same fare. Calculate all fares on Silver Line Metro’s fare calculator.
Why the Sunday evening cutbacks on the 505? Currently you can catch a 505 to RTC as late as 11 pm. In the new schedule, your last bus will be at 9ish. Am I missing another option to get from Wiehle to RTC on a Sunday late night.
That’s a good question for Fairfax Connector, which will be holding an online chat Friday from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m.
Will both pedestrian overpasses be open Saturday?
Yes, you will be able to access the station from the South and North sides of the Dulles Toll Road.
Where is the entrance to the parking structure?
There are two entrances, both off of Reston Station Boulevard. The first left (if coming from Wiehle Avenue) into the structure is the premium parking, which will eventually become parking just for Reston Station tenants. Go a few feet farther on Reston Station Boulevard and turn into the main garage entrance.
Will there be Zipcars?
At this time, no. Though at some point in the future there may be.
Is parking at the Wiehle Avenue station free on weekends just like other Metro stations?
Yes.
What will be the cheapest (non-work commuter) return fare to central Washington, and from what time would that be available?
It would cost $3.60 one-way to get to or from most D.C. stations during non-peak hours, which are weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m.; weekends until midnight.
Photo of Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station by JDAntos via Twitter
Metro and the Fairfax Connector will run special shuttle buses on July 26 to ensure first-day Silver Line riders get where they need to go.
After an opening ceremony at Wiehle-Reston East, the first Silver Line train will leave that station at noon. From the county:
WIEHLE — WEST FALLS CHURCH: Shuttle buses will operate non-stop between the West Falls Church and Wiehle stations. The first shuttle buses will depart Wiehle for West Falls Church at 7:20 and 7:40 a.m. to meet the first Route 505 and Route 950 bus arrivals at Wiehle. The first shuttle bus will depart West Falls Church for Wiehle at 7:45 a.m. to transport passengers from the Orange Line to Reston and Herndon buses. Wiehle – West Falls Church shuttle buses will operate every 30 minutes from the start of service until approximately 10:45 a.m. and then operate every 10 to 20 minutes until 12:30 p.m.
TYSONS AREA — WEST FALLS CHURCH: Shuttle buses will operate between West Falls Church and the McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, and Spring Hill stations, stopping at each location. The first shuttle bus will depart Spring Hill Station for West Falls Church at 6:35 a.m. to meet the first Route 574 bus arrival at Spring Hill. The first shuttle bus will depart West Falls Church to McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, and Spring Hill stations at 7 a.m. to transport passengers from the Orange Line to the Tysons area. Buses will operate approximately every 20 minutes until 12:30 p.m.
The special shuttle buses will operate on Saturday, July 26 only.
More Silver Line opening news:
Silver Line, Connector Buses Will Link Air and Space Museums
Visitors to the Smithsonian’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport now have a public transportation option: taking the Metro.
After the Silver Line opens on July 26, Fairfax County Connector Route 983 will run every 20 minutes from the Wiehle-Reston East Station to the Udvar-Hazy Center.
That means Air and Space enthusiasts will be linked to both museums by public transportation. The Silver Line stop closest to the museum’s Washington location is L’Enfant Plaza, two blocks from its Independence Avenue entrance.
“Bridging the 28-mile distance between our two buildings will help us serve more people,” J.R. “Jack” Dailey, director of the museum, said in a release. “Those who depend on public transportation, including many tourists, will now be able to experience the full breadth and scope of our collection, spanning more than a century of flight. We are grateful to Fairfax County for helping to make this service possible.”
This is also good news for local residents. While admission to the Smithsonian’s museums is free, parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center is $15. Taking the bus from Wiehle-Reston East will save money.
Route 983 will also stop at the Reston Town Center Transit Station, Herndon-Monroe and Dulles International Airport. See more details on the Fairfax Connector website.
The first day of Silver Line service on July 26 will be the last day for the Sunset Hills Interim Park and Ride Lot, Metro officials said.
The lot at 12050 Sunset Hills Road has been a parking lot for commuters who took the Fairfax Connector Bus to the West Falls Church Metro.
Commuter parking will now be replaced by the 3,300-space parking garage adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station at Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue.
Fairfax Connector’s Route 505 will continue to operate, taking passengers from Reston Town Center to Wiehle-Reston East.
Many other bus routes will take people from Reston stops to Wiehle-Reston East. To see the full route schedule, visit Fairfax Connector’s Reston page.
Riders can also learn more in an online chat Fairfax Connector is hosting on Wednesday, July 9. For more information, visit Ask Fairfax!
Other Silver Line news to know:
Fairfax County will hold a ribbon cutting and open house for the Wiehle-Reston East garage at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 19. The ribbon cutting will take place in the Kiss-and-Ride lot.
The Silver Line grand opening will take place Saturday, July 26 at 10 a.m. The first trains will leave the station at noon. Parking in the garage will be free, as it will all weekends.
Metro is running a sweepstakes to pick some of the first riders. There are also commemorative SmarTrip cards available for $10 (with $8 of fares loaded).
Now that the Silver Line is in the final stretch towards opening, Metro and Fairfax Connector want to familiarize residents with bus routes that will serve the stations.
The opening of Phase 1 Metro’s $2.9 billion rail extension that will run from East Falls Church to Reston’ Wiehle Avenue is more than six months behind schedule.
However, Metro officials said on Monday that fewer of 10 punch list items need to be completed. If that gets done promptly they will set an opening date early next week. That means the first Silver Line riders may be boarding as soon as July.
Wiehle-Reston East will be the end of the line until at least 2018, when Phase 2 is slated to be completed. In Phase 2, the rail will go to Reston Parkway, Herndon, Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County.
Until that happens, Wiehle will be a busy hub. It is the only Phase 1 station with parking. More than 3,000 spaces are in the parking garage at the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue. Parking will cost $4.75 a day. There is also parking for more than 200 bicycles.
Despite the parking, Metro and Fairfax County transportation officials are encouraging Metro users to take a bus to the station.
Things to know:
The Silver Line will be serviced by several bus providers. Metro bus will provide service to and from the McLean and Tysons Corner stations; Fairfax Connector will take riders to all five stations; Potomac and Rappahannocok Transportation Commission will provide service to the Tysons Corner station; and Loudoun County Transit will provide service to Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East stations.
Fairfax Connector has added new routes, made changes to existing routes and eliminated some routes in preparation for the Silver Line’s opening. To see if your route is affected and to see which bus route is most convenient for you, visit www.silverlinemetro.com.
Buses will also play a critical role in connecting riders to Dulles, said Jack Requa, Metro’s assistant general manager of bus services. Options to Dulles include the 5A bus from L’Enfant Plaza in D.C. (with stops at Roslyn and Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride); Fairfax Connector buses 981 and 983 will depart Wiehle-Reston East with stops at Herndon Park and Ride and the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Museum; and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority will run the Washington Flyer Silver Line Express from Weihle-Reston East to Dulles.
Fairfax Connector routes 505, 981 and 983 will also go from Wiehle-Reston East to Reston Town Center. Buses that formerly carried passengers from Reston stops to Blue and Orange line stations will now go to Wiehle-Reston East. Visit Fairfax Connector’s website to see all area routes.
