After years of anticipation, months of delays and a weekend full of grand opening festivities, commuters boarded Metro Silver Line trains in Reston Monday headed to the same jobs in a new way.
Gone were the excited children and curious transportation nerds of Saturday and Sunday. In their place were Ashburn, Reston and Herndon residents, among others, hurrying to where they needed to be on a Monday morning.
The first commuting day seemed to go without incident. The intersection at Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road was not clogged with cars. Trains ran mostly on schedule. Buses, by commuter reports, were a bit inconsistent — some of the new routes were early and some were late. The parking garage at Wiehle Avenue was nearly full by 9 a.m.
There were some backups, but that was mostly commuters trying to get the lay of the land. Where is the elevator in the parking garage? Which way to the 505 bus? Is this the private parking or the county parking? There were lots of Metro and Reston Station personnel to answer questions.
James Mosley of Herndon has tried a variety of ways to get to his IT job near Metro Center in D.C. — driving, getting a ride through the slug line, buses from Herndon-Monroe to the East Falls Church Metro Station and an Orange Line train.
Monday morning, he was dropped off at Wiehle-Reston East’s Kiss and Ride.
“It’s not so convenient for the driver,” he said of the Kiss-and-Ride lanes. “When you are in the garage, you have to make a three-point turn to come out.”
Mosley said the Silver Line will be a good test. He had his stopwatch set to see whether the new method would save any time.
“I started out at 7:44 a.m.,” he said. “My goal is to make it to my office by 8:20.”
Mosely later emailed he got to work at 8:38 a.m.
“In general, the commute time was definitely longer than if I had commuted via other methods from Herndon Monroe. “The commute to wait on the train was definitely longer than if I had traveled to the Herndon-Monroe. Access to that garage is a lot simpler.”
Mosley’s Eastbound train was packed — as were most others during morning rush hour — as it traveled towards Tysons Corner before 8 a.m. Coming West from Tysons shortly after, there were only a handful of passengers.
Diego Aguilar formerly traveled from his home near West Falls Church to Reston Town Center on the Fairfax Connector 505 Bus. Now he will pick up the Silver Line at East Falls Church and take Metro to his job at Davelle Clothiers.
“This is really nice,” he said of his first day on the new route. “We have been waiting for this to happen and the time has come.”
Sashi Goli of Ashburn stopped and took a selfie in front of the Silver Line sign. He has been making the commute to his office near Chinatown for nearly five years. The travel time via Silver Line will be about the same as when he parked at Herndon Monroe and took a bus to West Falls Church. That route has been eliminated, so Goli says he has no choice but to take the Silver Line now.
“Fifty minutes is still a long time [to get downtown],” he said. “When Phase II opens, that will be really awesome.”
Metro said that 5,089 people boarded trains at the five Silver Line stations between 5 and 9 a.m. Monday. Wiehle-Reston East was by far the busiest with 3,496. Other Silver Line station numbers: Tysons, 455; McLean, 508; Spring Hill, 481; Greensboro, 149.
Monday morning, we will see how if Reston is ready to be a transportation hub.
Metro’s Silver Line opened on Saturday to much fanfare, with state, local and national stakeholders thanking each other for a long (20+ years including a six-month opening delay) and expensive ($2.9 billion, not including a $150 million overage) job well done.
In case you missed Reston Now’s weekend coverage:
Silver Line Opens New Era For Reston
You Said It: Social Media Roundup of Silver Line Opening Day
Now the real work begins, as commuters who previously drove downtown or to the Vienna Metro Station or boarded Fairfax Connector buses to the Orange Line Station at East Falls Church will instead flock to Wiehle-Reston East to board the train.
Will Reston’s roads be able to handle more drivers? Will newbies to Wiehle-Reston East be able to swiftly enter and exit the parking garage? These are some of the many questions that will be answered as weekdays unfold.
The good news is that late July and into August are generally light traffic days, with many commuters on vacation or working a more flexible schedule. The real impact may not be known until September.
If you are planning to take the Silver Line to Tysons Corner, Arlington, D.C. or other points Monday, here are some things to know:
- Metro opens at 5 a.m. Monday.
- Allow extra time. You haven’t figured out your routine yet and neither have the other commuters.
- If you are taking a Fairfax Connector bus to the station, double check your route on the Connector website.
Fares:
- Peak SmarTrip fares (weekdays from opening to 9:30 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. and weekends midnight to closing):
- $2.15 minimum, plus a $1 surcharge if a paper Farecard is used; $5.90 maximum, plus a $1 surcharge if a paper Farecard is used.
- Off-peak SmarTrip fares (all other times): $1.75 minimum, plus a $1 surcharge if a paper Farecard is used; $3.60 maximum, plus a $1 surcharge if a paper Farecard is used.
- It is easier to buy a plastic SmarTrip card. You will need to reload it less often and will save the surcharge.
Parking: Wiehle-Reston East’s garage has 3,300 parking spots. The majority are owned by Fairfax County. About 1,000 or so are ParkX, owned by developer Comstock.
If you are coming down Reston Station Avenue from Wiehle Avenue, the first left into the garage will take you to two places: private ParkX and public Fairfax County parking.
There are 1,000 spots. Daily rates are $4.85 (or $4.75 if you use Colonial’s prepaid debit card. ParkX also offers monthly reserved parking: Gold, $105 (will be $155 after Oct. 1 ); Platinum, $145 ($195 after Oct. 1). Both include daily rate.
Platinum parking features assigned spots. Gold features assigned spots if you get there prior to 10 a.m.
The ParkX lot does not feature free weekend parking. Payment is cash, credit or debit card.
The 2,300-space county lot is the second left off of Reston Station Boulevard. There are several entrance/exit gates, so entry here may go quicker during rush hour.
Parking is $4.85 a day weekdays; free on weekends. Payment is by credit card or SmarTrip card.
Monthly reserved parking is $65. This does not include daily parking fee. There is no assigned parking.
This lot is also where Kiss-and-Ride and bus drop-off will be located.
Park and Ride Lot
The 270-space, VDOT-owned Park-and-Ride lot on Sunset Hills Road near the station will remain open. That lot is free, but is likely to fill up quickly.
Walking and Biking
There is pedestrian access to the station from both the South and North sides of the Dulles Toll Road. There is a secure bicycle parking area for 200 bicycles.
Ready to commute by Silver Line? Share your strategy with your neighbors in the comments below. And be sure to send (n[email protected]), Facebook or Tweet your Monday Silver Line experiences to us.
Regular folks, media members and local leaders lined up to be among the first to ride the Silver Line on its opening day. Here is what they had to say.
With the snip of a giant red ribbon and the departure of a train from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station, Reston officially welcomed rail transit to the community on Saturday. It was a long road to get here.
The lengthy process was oft-mentioned by the many VIPs from the federal government, DC, Maryland and Virginia as they spoke of the near-misses, the political squabbles, the legal challenges and logistical woes leading up to the Silver line’s opening day.
The $2.9 billion Silver Line Phase I — with five new stations in Tysons Corner and at Reston’s Wiehle Avenue — arrived six months late and $150 million over budget. That did not matter to the crowd of riders eager to climb aboard the first train.
“It is awesome to have easy access to D.C.,” said Yasmin Taylor as she headed for the inaugural train with her two young sons. The Herndon native, visiting from Atlanta, said the prospect of boarding a train here to visit the Smithsonian is “so exciting.”
Wiehle-Reston East will be the end of the line until 2018, when Phase II — also beset with squabbles and money questions — is expected to open. Phase II will have stops at Reston Parkway, Herndon, Route 28, Dulles International Airport and Ashburn.
“The Silver Line project has spanned well over 20 years,” said Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, who pointed out that the road to the Silver Line went through six Virginia transportation chiefs and several U.S. Transportation Secretaries. “It’s spanned across administrations, community leadership. Everyone here today stepped up to the plate.”
Said Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority General Manager Richard Sarles: “We’re here today as a result of many, many people ironing out their differences and working together for the common good.”
The officials’ remarks came at a private ceremony on the South side of the toll road just prior to the Silver Line opening to the public. Metro officials said the ceremony was closed due to crowd control reasons (indeed, the tent was filled to standing room only).
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx compared getting to Silver Line opening day to that of building medieval cathedrals. Often, builders did not know what they finished product would look like until they got there decades later.
“What I’m reminded of is that the work of transportation is really the work of generations,” Foxx said. “And if we’re not putting those cornerstones in place as a nation, we’re not building for the generations to come afterward. So this is a time to celebrate the voices of ‘yes’ sounding louder than the voices of ‘no.’ ”
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA 11th) has been fighting for the Silver Line for nearly 20 years, first as Fairfax County Supervisor and then as a congressmen.
“In my case, 19 years is a long time to get something really big done,” he said. “But now we are finally riding it! Everyone said rail to Dulles was dead. There were not many believers. We were sued. Some of the people who sued us are in the room.We created a tax district that collapsed and was resurrected; we had eight years of a Bush administration that was [not receptive] to transit in general. But working together we were ale to prevail.”
Connolly called rail in western Fairfax County ‘transformative” to the entire region.
“It links the most important corridor to the region’s core,” he said. Read More
Yes, some people in Reston are doing the happy dance about the opening of Metro’s Silver Line on Saturday.
At least they are in a new TV commercial that will begin airing this weekend as the Silver Line opens.
Metro says the ad was created as a celebration of the Silver Line, and features the song “Escapee” by Architecture in Helsinki. The dance movements were choreographed by Michael Stokes, a D.C. resident, and the ad was filmed at the new Wiehle-Reston East station, inside the transportation center on the North side of the station, and in the neighborhood adjacent to the station.
See if you can name the exact locations around Reston where the commercial was filmed.
Alas, those are not real Restonians skipping through the station. The video includes 30 dancers from the National Capital Region – ages 8 to 78. Fifteen Metro employees are also featured — including bus and rail operators, Metro Transit Police, station managers, and car maintenance staff — all of whom have been recognized for their dedication to safety and exemplary customer service, says Metro.
Also included are two local business leaders — Michael Caplin, Executive Director of the Tysons Partnership, and Jim Corcoran, President and CEO of the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.
Metro’s Silver Line opens to to the public Saturday at noon, when the first train leaves Wiehle-Reston East.
Prior to the start of service, local leaders who helped make rail to Reston happen — a 50-year or 20-year process, depending on how you are counting — will hold an opening ceremony.
Many of the officials were on hand last Saturday, as Fairfax County hosted a ribbon cutting and open house for the 2,300-space public parking garage at Reston Station, adjacent to Wiehle-Reston East.
Wiehle-Reston East will be the end of the line for at least five years, when Phase 2 of the Silver Line is expected to be completed. Phase 2 will take passenger to points west of Wiehle-Reston East such as Reston Parkway, Herndon, Dulles International Airport and Ashburn.
The 10 a.m. ceremony is closed to the public, but Reston Now will bring you the details. There is a public celebration on the Reston Station plaza from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Here is who will be there:
- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx
- Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe
- District of Columbia Mayor Vincent C. Gray
- Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA 11)
- Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA 10)
- Congressman Jim Moran D-VA 8)
- Virginia Delegate Kenneth Plum (D-Reston)
- Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board of Directors
- Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board of Directors
- Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles
For more Silver Line details:
- Silver Line: Your Q &A
- Silver Line: In Their Own Words
- Glimpsing the Future at Wiehle-Reston East Open House
- Connector Will Run Special Shuttles on Silver Line Opening Day
- Silver Line, Connector Will Link Air and Space Museums
- Silver Line Opening Day Plans
- Fairfax Buses Changing Routes for Silver Line Service
Photo: Del. Ken Plum, Rep. Gerry Conolly, Sen Janet Howell and Supervisors Cathy Hudgins and Sharon Bulova were among VIPS at garage opening last Saturday.
While riders can access the new Wiehle-Reston East Metro stop from spots both South and North of the Dulles Toll Road, it would be wise to park only in the garage at Reston Station.
Anywhere else and you might be ticketed or towed. The South entrance is meant to be a pedestrian entrance.
Officials for Vornado, which owns several of the office buildings on the South side of the toll road off Commerce Park Drive and Association Drive, were busy on Wednesday installing signage and card gates to ensure the parking lots and garages remain for office park use only.
Metro riders who park in the office lots will receive a $25 ticket, Vornado says. Employees now have hangtags for their cars and key cards to get through the gates.
Not all of the lots in the complex have key card access as there needs to be visitor access for retailers and businesses. But there is plenty of signage reminding drivers that it is private property and violators can be towed.
A few blocks from Wiehle-Reston East, residents of one Reston neighborhood successfully petitioned the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last year to become a no-parking zone. A permit is now required to park on Great Meadow neighborhood off Sunrise Valley Drive just south of Wiehle Avenue. Violators risk having their vehicles towed and a $75 fine.
Wiehle-Reston East is the only one of the five Silver Line Phase 1 stations with parking. At Tysons Corner, where there is no parking, mall officials are also trying to ensure the mall’s 12,000 parking spaces remain for shoppers.
The mall is installing gates to keep early-morning commuters out of garages and lots, the Washington Business Journal reports. The gates will go up when the mall opens. Parking remains free.
There are 2,300 public parking spots at Wiehle-Reston East, as well as 1,000 private spots owned by developer Comstock. Weekday parking is $4.85 a day. Weekend parking is free.
There are also bus lanes, kiss-and-ride lanes and bike parking at Wiehle-Reston East.
More Silver line news:
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
Reston’s future begins Saturday at noon.
That’s when the first Metro Silver Line car leaves Wiehle-Reston East heading toward Tysons Corner, Arlington, Washington, D.C., and really, anywhere in the region that Metro goes.
It’s been a 50-year journey from Virginia cow pasture to major regional business center and a place nearly 60,000 people call home. While the opening of rail in Reston is a momentous day, it also will spark an era of development and growth here.
We asked some high profile Restonians what the Silver Line means to Reston. Here is what they had to say.
Del. Ken Plum, Reston’s representative in Richmond for more than 30 years and a founder of the Dulles Corridor Rail Association:
When the milestones of Reston are announced in the future, this will be a major milestone. The Silver Line connects us with the metropolitan region. It helps our workforce. It helps our community.
Now the key is how do you effectively use the stations? You need a feeder bus system. Fairfax County has been very good at putting that in place. You will also need rapid transit feeding the stations. Running the line is the first big step. Then you have got to move towards transit-oriented development. We’re doing that. Then we have to have alternative ways of moving people to the station. That’s when you really become a transit-oriented community.
My concern was would [rail] happen in my lifetime? I always thought when you look at where we are in the region, you would never build a road wide enough and have cars be the only source.
Mark Ingrao, President and CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce:
I think it means a tremendous amount to have the ability to bring people from East to West. A lot of people talk about West going East, but this is going to bring an opportunity to bring employees and employers from East to West. I think it is a game changer for Reston.
We are actually getting a lot of calls [from businesses looking to relocate to Reston]. We [the chamber] are actually looking for space closer to the Metro station. I get calls regularly from folks in Arlington, Maryland, DC. They want to come here. Rental rates here are much cheaper than inside the Beltway. You can come here, be located on the rail line, be able to get into the District if you need to, and still have a much cheaper rental rate for your property.
Reston founder Robert E. Simon. The 100-year-old plans to be one of the first Silver Line riders:
Am I excited? You betcha! Back in 1966, I was negotiating for light rail. That’s almost 50 years.
As you know, we still have to get out to airport. And for Reston itself: the [Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force] spent four or five years planning and did not get very far. I think that so long as we get the Town Center North developed the way I hope, with a theater and a library, and get the so-called village centers made into village centers. I would like to see the village centers look like Lake Anne, with plazas surrounded by density. Density IS coming to Lake Anne now. It was planned that way. The NIMBYs prevented it from happening. Read More
Comstock has secured nearly $100 million in additional financing for construction of the 21-story luxury BLVD Apartments.
The BLVD apartments are currently under construction at Comstock’s Reston Station, located above the seven-level underground parking garage adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Silver Line Metro Station.
Comstock will get a $95 million, 48-month construction loan from Citizen Bank, Virginia Business reports.
The $900 million parking garage was built by a public-private partnership between Comstock and Fairfax County. It is the only parking among the five Silver Line stations in Tysons Corner and Reston. The Silver Line opens Saturday.
The county and Comstock agreed earlier this year that Comstock will pay the county $2.9 million annually in rent. Eventually, the plaza will be home to office, hotel and retail space as well.
Photo: BLVD apartments under construction at Reston Station/file photo
Four days until the Silver Line begins carrying passengers. Reston Now wants to know: Will it change your commute?
While the Silver Line will connect Reston and Tysons Corner each other and to points inside the Beltway, in D.C. and beyond, it is not the workday answer for everyone.
For instance, a large number of Reston-area workers travel within Reston or other areas of Fairfax County not served by Metro. Those who can now take Metro to Reston from Arlington or D.C. to get to work, still would have to find a way to get from Wiehle-Reston East to, say, offices in Reston Town Center.
And still others say parking at Wiehle-Reston East ($4.85 daily) combined with rush hour Metro fares ($11.80 round trip daily to Farragut North, for example) make carpooling and parking downtown a more attractive option.
Take our poll and tell us in the comments below where you go for work and whether how you get there will change.
After decades of envisioning, five years of building and more than six months of delays, Metro’s Silver Line finally opens on Saturday.
The 11.4-mile extension brings a new level of public transportation to this part of Fairfax County. There will be five stops from McLean to Reston’s Wiehle Avenue. Wiehle-Reston East will be the end of the line for at least five years, when Phase 2 of the Silver Line — which will extend the service from Reston to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County — will open.
Wiehle-Reston East will also be the only Silver Line stop with parking. The 3,300-spot garage held a ribbon cutting and open house on Saturday.
With the Silver Line opening comes a lot of questions on cost, logistics, Reston traffic and train times, among other things. Reston Now has (or will get) the answers! Ask us your question in the comments below and we will respond there or in an additional article.
All systems are go for Saturday’s opening of Phase 1 of the Silver Line, Metro officials said in Monday’s weekly press conference call.
There are still a few punch list items remaining — among them, application of heat tape on rails as a cold-weather precaution and Certificates of Occupancy for three stations.
Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said the heat tape, along with outstanding drainage issues, is the responsibility of contractors for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which constructed Phase 1. Those items can be done after service begins, he said. He also said he expects the Certificates of Occupancy for the McLean, Tysons Corner and Spring Hill stations to arrive this week.
“From a systems perspective, everything is running as designed and we see no issues,” Stessel said. “The last step is a couple of regulatory documents. I see no reason they will not be in hand in short order.”
Construction of the Silver Line suffered many delays as it neared the end of the five-year building period. As recently as June 9, Metro was expressing frustration at the slow pace of the work. Prior to that, MWAA and Metro reached an agreement in April that allowed MWAA to complete remaining items after the project was handed over to Metro — and avoid paying potential fines for every day the project was delayed.
Now it is just a matter of employees and trains getting used to adding thousands of riders to the rail system every day.
The Silver Line began simulated service on Sunday, with trains running every 12 minutes and without any issues, said Stessel. The trains are running on schedule but without passengers. Passenger service begins at noon on Saturday.
On Monday morning, trains ran every six minutes on a regular weekday rush hour schedule, also with no problems.
“This week is about familiarizing employyes with operation of trains on the new segment,” said Stessel. “Station managers were at their posts this morning. They opened the stations, even though they are not open for passengers. Crews will also be out prepping stations for opening day — powerwashing, painting and putting finishing touches on facilities.”
Some Blue Line riders are affected by additional wait times due to the addition of Silver Line cars, but Stessel said increased wait times affect only 10 percent of Metro riders.
“Silver Line changes mean more service and a lesser wait for 37 percent of Metro riders,” he said. “Thirty-three percent (mostly riders on the Red Line and Green Line) will see no change.”
Plans for Saturday include a ribbon cutting and remarks from local dignitaries at 10 a.m. Passengers will be able to board the first trains at noon. Comstock will also have a public reception on the Reston Station plaza from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More Silver Line opening news:
It’s a big week for transportation in the Tysons Corner-Reston corridor as Metro’s Silver Line opens Saturday.
Rideshare app Uber is getting involved too. Through Thursday, all uberX rides from Tysons to Reston (or vice versa) and anywhere in the zone (see graphic) are free.
Visit the Uber blog for more information, but here are the basics:
- Enter the promo code SILVERLINE by logging into your account here or in the app. You only need to enter the code one time to unlock your two free uberX rides.
- Between July 21 and July 24 at 11:59 p.m, begin or end your uberX trip from Reston to Tysons and your ride will automatically be free up to $30 (limit two rides).
- Even after your two free rides, uberX fares are 25 percent cheaper the rest of the summer.
There are some other local perks too. Show your Uber receipt for discounts:
- Chef Geoff’s Tysons Corner – Free appetizer 4-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
- PassionFish Reston Town Center – Free glass of wine with the purchase of any menu item, Monday through Thursday.
Graphic by Uber
Reston’s future as a transit-oriented community officially gets started next week, when the first Silver Line Metro train departs from the Wiehle-Reston East station.
But for Restonians and other nearby residents, accessing the station is nearly important as the riding the trains. Visitors got a look on Saturday at where the bikes will go, where the buses will drop off and depart, and other logistics at a Fairfax County open house.
Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins, who was one of many local dignitaries who worked for many years to get rail to Reston, says the seven-level, 3,300-space garage and Comstock’s mixed-use development above it is a great example of a public-private partnership that will benefit the entire community.
The county and Comstock teamed to build the $90 million parking structure, which will feature a bicycle repair room, parking for 200 bikes and 10 bus bays. It is the only station on the five-stop, 11-mile Silver Line Phase 1 that features parking. Wiehle-Reston East will be the end of the Silver Line for at least five years, when Phase 2 will take passengers to Reston Parkway, Herndon, Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County.
Hudgins says she hopes residents will look at the many ways to access the Metro station.
“Yes, we are celebrating the garage,” she said prior to a ceremonial ribbon cutting. “But we want our neighbors to get out of their cars and get on Metro. “A lot of folks can ride their bikes here if they chose. We’ve improved bus services.”
Representatives from Fairfax Connector, Fairfax Advocates for Better Biking, Metro, Washington Flyer and other transportation-related groups were on hand to answer questions from potential Metro users. On the plaza above the garage, visitors could check out the construction of Comstock’s BLVD apartments.
Some of the open house visitors were making plans on how Metro will fit into their lives on a daily basis. Others said they plan to take it occasionally to get into D.C.
Bob Whiteman of Oak Hill said he moved to Reston in 1980, and even then his Realtor told him “a train to Dulles would be here in five years.”
“I believed [rail] would never happen,” he said. But now that he is two years from retirement, the federal employee said he will most likely stick to his usual commute.
“It is actually cheaper to carpool downtown and pay for parking,” he said.”But I will take Metro at some point, like during a snowstorm.”
Denver Lovett, a retiree who has lived in Reston since 1974, said he is looking forward to the convenience on a lot of levels.
“I won’t have to drive to the Vienna Metro at Nutley,” he said. “When my daughter comes to visit from New York, she can just ride Metro here from downtown. It is going to make the trip so much better. Hopefully traffic around the station won’t be too bad.”
The garage officially opens on Saturday, July 26, the same day as Silver Line trains start running. Parking at Wiehle-Reston East will be $4.85 a day; $65 a month for reserved parking. Spaces in the bike room will be $65 annually (with a $10 charge for the key fob). For more details, read this previous Reston Now story.
