As the Silver Line Approaches, Some Things We Have To Look Forward To

With tunnel work through the urban oasis of Tysons Corner now complete and track beginning to be laid, we're now well past the halfway mark on construction of the fancy Silver Line. Plus, the "first escalators are in place" at the Wiehle Avenue Metro station, which means that their first scheduled breakdown will occur right on schedule, shortly after the station opens in late 2013, or more likely early 2014.

So what do we have to look forward to? Well, for starters, fare hikes!

The actual amount of the increases would vary by trip, with base rail fares rising from $1.60 to $1.70 and bus fares going from $1.50 to $1.60. Rail riders who use paper Farecards would pay one-way flat fares: $6 during rush hour, $4 in off-peak times. Day passes would be eliminated.

The fare increases are intended to help fill a $116 million shortfall in the $1.6 billion budget. Increases would hit almost all areas, including bus and rail fares, parking rates and Metro­Access, the transit authority’s service for the disabled. Metro would eliminate the peak-of-the­peak surcharge for traveling during the rail system’s busiest times.

So getting to Tysons could cost as much as $12 round trip during rush hour? Those Toll Road rate hikes are starting to sound like a comparative bargain.

But it's not all bad news. Just imagine a blustery winter's day in early 2014 when you can shuffle aboard a shiny new Silver Line train and witness this:


There are no words. Actually, there probably are.