After a five-year wait, the Silver Line made its first trips out of Virginia and into D.C. on Saturday.
The Metro’s first new line in more than two decades opened at noon, giving residents near the first five stops – McLean, Tysons Corner, Grensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East – easy access to the District.
The extended reach also helps GW shorten its shuttle service to the Virginia Science and Technology Campus by about 10 miles. The University is shifting its shuttle service from the Orange Line’s West Falls Church stop to Wiehle-Reston East.
Metro will now reach more towns in northern Virginia and will provide a straight shot to Tysons Galleria, one of the largest shopping malls in the country.
And this is just the first phase of Silver Line construction, which has already run up a $2.9 billion bill. Another $2.7 billion will make Metro services extend to Dulles International Airport by 2018.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has spent $750,000 advertising for the Silver Line, with ads suggesting it could swell the city’s dating pool or bring commuters to dance with joy.
