Silver Line - Phase 2 (Fairfax: renting, townhouse, buyers)

[gomason]

Originally Posted by Fantasticx

Silver Line phase 2: now arriving in 2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...iving-in-2020/

As my neighbors said, don't expect it until 2030...

Why so negative? It is a massive project. DC can barely open a streetcar in 5 years, and we're building a 12 mile subway extension here. Phase 1 was only delayed a few months.

[bam182]

I moved to Loudoun five years ago (Kirkpatrick Farms, the 'wrong' side of Rt. 50 for DC commuters) and thought the Silver Line would fix a lot of the commuting issues in Loudoun. From Wiehle-Reston, it's not a bad trip, but it's much longer that I expected (I think there are way too many stops in Tysons - maybe four in a two mile stretch?). Certainly faster to drive to DC than Metro it (since we commute in the HOV2 lane), but Metro has a lot of convenient benefits. The Rt. 772 and 606 stops will be about 12 miles from my home, but I can't consider them real commuting options until there is serious improvement to Rt. 606 (one lane each direction) and Gum Spring/Evergreen Mills Rd (I also think that's going to be an hour plus metro ride to my stop, Farragut West). Right now, they're parking lots in the morning and evening. So, just getting to Wiehle-Reston is a commute of it's own. Since moving here, there have been at least 15 new residential developments and zilch in the way of roadway expansion/improvement (the construction/contractor vehicles in the morning are at least 30% of the traffic). The commuter buses have added '1' additional bus to the Dulles South route, and because of the congestion in the morning, they're just as delayed as everyone else. And with standers clogging up the aisles, it's not a fun commute for anyone.

In hindsight, I wish we would have bought in Ashburn/Brambleton - that commute to/from the new Silver Line stops isn't nearly as bad since Belmont Ridge is two lanes in each direction and 267 (which has turned into a parking lot as well with all the commuters and having to go from three lanes/five plus booths to two lanes) isn't far. Thankfully we're in a position to move closer to DC, and will be doing so soon.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by bam182

I moved to Loudoun five years ago (Kirkpatrick Farms, the 'wrong' side of Rt. 50 for DC commuters) and thought the Silver Line would fix a lot of the commuting issues in Loudoun. From Wiehle-Reston, it's not a bad trip, but it's much longer that I expected (I think there are way too many stops in Tysons - maybe four in a two mile stretch?). Certainly faster to drive to DC than Metro it (since we commute in the HOV2 lane), but Metro has a lot of convenient benefits. The Rt. 772 and 606 stops will be about 12 miles from my home, but I can't consider them real commuting options until there is serious improvement to Rt. 606 (one lane each direction) and Gum Spring/Evergreen Mills Rd (I also think that's going to be an hour plus metro ride to my stop, Farragut West). Right now, they're parking lots in the morning and evening. So, just getting to Wiehle-Reston is a commute of it's own. Since moving here, there have been at least 15 new residential developments and zilch in the way of roadway expansion/improvement (the construction/contractor vehicles in the morning are at least 30% of the traffic). The commuter buses have added '1' additional bus to the Dulles South route, and because of the congestion in the morning, they're just as delayed as everyone else. And with standers clogging up the aisles, it's not a fun commute for anyone.

In hindsight, I wish we would have bought in Ashburn/Brambleton - that commute to/from the new Silver Line stops isn't nearly as bad since Belmont Ridge is two lanes in each direction and 267 (which has turned into a parking lot as well with all the commuters and having to go from three lanes/five plus booths to two lanes) isn't far. Thankfully we're in a position to move closer to DC, and will be doing so soon.

Have you not considered the Loudoun County commuter bus from Stone Ridge? It's an hour from the Harris Teeter to Farragut West.

[bam182]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Have you not considered the Loudoun County commuter bus from Stone Ridge? It's an hour from the Harris Teeter to Farragut West.

With a toddler, my commuting options are limited, but when I do take the bus, there is still significant traffic on Gum Spring > Evergreen Mills > 267. Coming home is worse (traffic on 606 to 50 and/or Belmont Ridge is insane). Having said that, if you can get a seat, the ride isn't bad if you have good mobile phone signal. To make DC in an hour from Stone Ridge, you have to be on the 6:45 bus or earlier. Anything later than that is over an hour (with a stop in Rosslyn) - especially the 8am bus which stops at Dulles North until 8:30am.

I'm also told funding for the buses will wane once the Silver Line is finished.

[Hudlander]

Originally Posted by Druyanista

The Dulles station should have been underground at the terminal side of the hourly lot. Where everyone had previously agreed to put it until TEA Party pinheads butted in. Would have made it much easier for families, the elderly, and the handicapped in one degree or another to navigate to and from, and it would have put a seal of "Wow!" on the arrival experience instead of one of "Oh no!" Even if you are a city, and perhaps especially if you are a capital city, you only get one chance to make a first impression. The modified station layout does not make a strong first impression AT ALL.

Exactly, it's total garbage what they've done instead. I already hate Dulles because it is so poorly and inconviently located along with the layout....now they are insuring it continues to suck well through the 21st century. I hate tea baggers. Thanks for a lousy design I'll NOT use.

[looktowindward]

You think your preferred alignment was worth the $330m price tag? This isn't about the tea party - they were against doing it at all. This was about some basic level of financial prudence on behalf of those of us who have to pay for it.

[kiplingif]

Not Phase II specific, but metro-related:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...icle_nextstory

[gomason]

Originally Posted by kiplingif

Not Phase II specific, but metro-related:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...icle_nextstory

Figures Metro would put these way out in the burbs first where very few people bike. This would be hugely popular in Arlington.

[NC211]

It is abundantly clear to me, having been in this area now for 4 years, that the Greenway's influence over the VADOT is vast and impressive. There is no reason I can think of for how these roads around the Greenway work, other than to make them as difficult as possible to make the Greenway the viable option to take. How a privately owned business entity can essentially control a publicly funded and controlled entity, and nobody is suing over it, is simply beyond me and clearly plays in the "political" space of reasoning (which we all know is dirty BS to begin with).

Case in point - how many access points are there between the Greenway and Rt. 50 for Brambleton to Old Ox Road?

One.

But when you look at a satellite photo, you'll easily see roads that should be connected up to Old Ox Road, but aren't by say 1,000 feet. It's like two road meant to be connected by a small bridge, but nobody will allow that small bridge to be built. It's just criminal, and goes to show how corrupt things are.

Just this past weekend, while drive up Belmont Ridge Road (a road that avoid at all costs) from Croson to the Greenway, I thought to myself "it's only a matter of time before one of these trucks wipes out a minivan full of people" and "I hope the county gets sued into the stone age because of it".

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by NC211

Case in point - how many access points are there between the Greenway and Rt. 50 for Brambleton to Old Ox Road?

One.

.

Connecting to 606 (Old Ox) would not benefit anyone from Brambleton or anyone else who uses the road. It barely crawls during rush hour.