Negative commuting and traveling effects of Silver Line, most of which not highly publicized:

1. vs. going down straight down the Dulles Toll Road on an express bus bypassing Tysons Corner, the Silver Line calculated will add about 7 minutes one way (almost 15 minutes per day) to your commute detouring and stopping and starting at four rail stops in the Tysons Corner area. Today it only takes 3 minutes for an express bus on the toll road to travel between where Routes 7 and 123 crosses. The Silver Line detouring into Tysons and stopping at the additional stops will not be able to compete with that. With the Silver Line, no Fairfax Connector buses along this section of the toll road nor much of the toll road. It will be quicker to drive past Tysons on the toll road than using transit, especially during off peak hours when congestion is lesser of an issue. (Calculation = 32 minutes between Vienna and Reston Wiehle with no transfer time between Orange/Silver at EFC per FCDOT estimate, 11 minutes Vienna to East Falls Church today, 3 minutes East Falls Church almost back to West Falls Church, leaves 18 minutes from near West Falls Church to Reston Wiehle vs. 11 minutes using express bus today from WFC to Reston Wiehle on the toll road is 7 additional minutes).

2. Less frequently service on other VA rail lines. Orange Line less frequent to Vienna to East Falls Church 16 trains per hour now vs. 11 with Silver Line. Noted by WMATA, but have not received much press. Longer waits for train sometimes if coming or going to western end of Orange Line with Vienna, Dunn Loring, and West Falls Church Metro stations impacted. Remember the first merge station for the Orange and Silver lines is at East Falls Church Metro. Shortsightedness of designers not to connect the lines at West Falls Church, or have a new connecting station between the two lines close to where they merge several hundred feet east past West Falls Church. If you ride the Blue Line, only five trains per hour including rush hour from Franconia-Springfield direct to western downtown DC.

3. If connecting to West Falls Church from the west or southwest today for a reverse commute toward Reston or beyond, expect a longer commute for the most part. Today WFC to Wiehle 11 minutes by express bus. With Orange and Silver Line, waste 10 minutes (plus additional $s rail fare) backtracking most of the distance between WFC and EFC, assuming a 4 minute rush hour across the platform transfer (outside of rush hours, this transfer could be longer) and an additional 7 minutes looping through Tysons (point 1 above). Bus bridges (Connectors 463 and 401-402 and Metrobuses 15M and 28) between Orange and Silver Line may help the minority, but for many, it is added travel time through rush hour congested Gallows Road, or Maple Road in town of Vienna, or Leesburg Pike. Bottom line, at least an additional 35 minutes daily commute time using just the rail both ways ((10+7) x 2), this may be offset or increased by infrequent bus connections at either end if this is part of your commute.

4. Not as easy entering the Reston Wiehle station as West Falls Church north bus bays with direct connection to Dulles Access Road. There will be at least one signaled left turn either coming or going (not both) from either the North or South bus bays onto 267 adding probably up to 3 minutes if your bus just misses the turn signal. Also though for Fairfax Connector commuters and riders, there is a covered garage bus waiting area on the north side at Reston Wiehle, if you catch another bus service on the south side very closely adjacent to the exit ramp for Reston Wiehle eastbound with fast moving traffic, if windy and cold day, be ready to have yourself super air conditioned.

5. Though only read from one news source (unconfirmed), the overhead walkways entering each of the Tysons Stations and Reston Wiehle over the roadways, instead of glass walls as in other above ground Metro stations are of some sort solid mesh/wire holes construction. Again wonderful for a cold day?

5. What will become of the West Falls Church Metro north bus bays with all or most of the buses using it terminating at Reston Wiehle? This after FCDOT spent hundreds of thousands of dollars adding a canopy covering the bus bays with lighting in the last few years.

6. Should the Silver Line shut down between Falls Church and Reston for an unexpected rail emergency, bus backup is four or five buses, bus between EFC and WFC, Metrobus Route 28 between WFC and Tysons Corner station, Fairfax Connector new Route 423 between Tysons Corner and Spring Hill stations, Fairfax Connector Route 574 between Spring Hill and Reston Town Center, and another Fairfax Connector between Reston Town Center back to Reston Wiehle. If it ever happens, huge bonanza for any available taxi drivers in the area.

Be interesting to see how many of these come to light and complaints come through within or after 30 days of the Silver Line opening. Though know this line will benefit some (landowners) and some commuters and others, others will be hurt. Please feel free to add other negative effects to list above (in good taste). Though will open at some point expecting, am personally hoping the opening of this new line continues to get delayed (we already have had two major delays in the last six months).

Get ready for "The Realist" to join this thread and start verbally shitting all over it...

Last points should be numbered 5. 6. and 7. instead of 5. 5. and 6.

commute201 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Negative commuting and traveling effects of Silver
> Line, most of which not highly publicized:
>
> 1. vs. going down straight down the Dulles Toll
> Road on an express bus bypassing Tysons Corner,
> the Silver Line calculated will add about 7
> minutes one way (almost 15 minutes per day) to
> your commute detouring and stopping and starting
> at four rail stops in the Tysons Corner area.
> Today it only takes 3 minutes for an express bus
> on the toll road to travel between where Routes 7
> and 123 crosses. The Silver Line detouring into
> Tysons and stopping at the additional stops will
> not be able to compete with that. With the Silver
> Line, no Fairfax Connector buses along this
> section of the toll road nor much of the toll
> road. It will be quicker to drive past Tysons on
> the toll road than using transit, especially
> during off peak hours when congestion is lesser of
> an issue. (Calculation = 32 minutes between
> Vienna and Reston Wiehle with no transfer time
> between Orange/Silver at EFC per FCDOT estimate,
> 11 minutes Vienna to East Falls Church today, 3
> minutes East Falls Church almost back to West
> Falls Church, leaves 18 minutes from near West
> Falls Church to Reston Wiehle vs. 11 minutes using
> express bus today from WFC to Reston Wiehle on the
> toll road is 7 additional minutes).
>
> 2. Less frequently service on other VA rail lines.
> Orange Line less frequent to Vienna to East Falls
> Church 16 trains per hour now vs. 11 with Silver
> Line. Noted by WMATA, but have not received much
> press. Longer waits for train sometimes if coming
> or going to western end of Orange Line with
> Vienna, Dunn Loring, and West Falls Church Metro
> stations impacted. Remember the first merge
> station for the Orange and Silver lines is at East
> Falls Church Metro. Shortsightedness of designers
> not to connect the lines at West Falls Church, or
> have a new connecting station between the two
> lines close to where they merge several hundred
> feet east past West Falls Church. If you ride the
> Blue Line, only five trains per hour including
> rush hour from Franconia-Springfield direct to
> western downtown DC.
>
> 3. If connecting to West Falls Church from the
> west or southwest today for a reverse commute
> toward Reston or beyond, expect a longer commute
> for the most part. Today WFC to Wiehle 11 minutes
> by express bus. With Orange and Silver Line, waste
> 10 minutes (plus additional $s rail fare)
> backtracking most of the distance between WFC and
> EFC, assuming a 4 minute rush hour across the
> platform transfer (outside of rush hours, this
> transfer could be longer) and an additional 7
> minutes looping through Tysons (point 1 above).
> Bus bridges (Connectors 463 and 401-402 and
> Metrobuses 15M and 28) between Orange and Silver
> Line may help the minority, but for many, it is
> added travel time through rush hour congested
> Gallows Road, or Maple Road in town of Vienna, or
> Leesburg Pike. Bottom line, at least an additional
> 35 minutes daily commute time using just the rail
> both ways ((10+7) x 2), this may be offset or
> increased by infrequent bus connections at either
> end if this is part of your commute.
>
> 4. Not as easy entering the Reston Wiehle station
> as West Falls Church north bus bays with direct
> connection to Dulles Access Road. There will be at
> least one signaled left turn either coming or
> going (not both) from either the North or South
> bus bays onto 267 adding probably up to 3 minutes
> if your bus just misses the turn signal. Also
> though for Fairfax Connector commuters and riders,
> there is a covered garage bus waiting area on the
> north side at Reston Wiehle, if you catch another
> bus service on the south side very closely
> adjacent to the exit ramp for Reston Wiehle
> eastbound with fast moving traffic, if windy and
> cold day, be ready to have yourself super air
> conditioned.
>
> 5. Though only read from one news source
> (unconfirmed), the overhead walkways entering each
> of the Tysons Stations and Reston Wiehle over the
> roadways, instead of glass walls as in other above
> ground Metro stations are of some sort solid
> mesh/wire holes construction. Again wonderful for
> a cold day?
>
> 5. What will become of the West Falls Church Metro
> north bus bays with all or most of the buses using
> it terminating at Reston Wiehle? This after FCDOT
> spent hundreds of thousands of dollars adding a
> canopy covering the bus bays with lighting in the
> last few years.
>
> 6. Should the Silver Line shut down between Falls
> Church and Reston for an unexpected rail
> emergency, bus backup is four or five buses, bus
> between EFC and WFC, Metrobus Route 28 between WFC
> and Tysons Corner station, Fairfax Connector new
> Route 423 between Tysons Corner and Spring Hill
> stations, Fairfax Connector Route 574 between
> Spring Hill and Reston Town Center, and another
> Fairfax Connector between Reston Town Center back
> to Reston Wiehle. If it ever happens, huge bonanza
> for any available taxi drivers in the area.
>
> Be interesting to see how many of these come to
> light and complaints come through within or after
> 30 days of the Silver Line opening. Though know
> this line will benefit some (landowners) and some
> commuters and others, others will be hurt. Please
> feel free to add other negative effects to list
> above (in good taste). Though will open at some
> point expecting, am personally hoping the opening
> of this new line continues to get delayed (we
> already have had two major delays in the last six
> months).

This is very interesting and you're right I see the pitfalls in the scenarios you played out here. Would love to hear Bob Bruhns weigh in on this.

He approved this....