New Metro Lines are Coming

Above Ground Metro - Coming Soon to more of the 'burbs

The traffic coming into DC from the Virginia & Maryland suburbs is terrible. Getting from one suburban area to another is a huge hassle. Since 1986, it has been fantasy of many to have metro lines that linked outer suburban stations to one another and gave metro access to more suburbanites. This fantasy is beginning to look like more of a reality at last.

The ultimate goal for the purple line is to have one metro line that connects the last of the outer stops of all the other metro lines. This will essentially create a huge loop for suburban stops so these residents can come into the city while also traveling easily from one suburb to another without having to ride through the entire city. In Maryland, the purple line will directly connect Montgomery County to Prince Georges County, creating more economic opportunities for depressed areas.

The silver line is a dream of anyone who has taken the bus from Reston to Dulles or a non-driver wishing to visit the mall at Tyson’s Corner. The new stretch of metro will connect residents in outer Northern Virginia to DC and will end the horrible hike to Dulles that is literally planes, trains and automobiles.

Signs that the Purple Line is gaining steam have begun popping up all over the news. Last October, a Draft Environmental Impact Study released by the federal government identified multiple purple line routes in Maryland that would meet requisite standards for federal funding. Last month, the Montgomery County planners approved of a $1.6 billion plan to install light rail along the Georgetown Branch Trail between Silver Spring and Chevy Chase. The Montgomery County Council is expected to vote on light rail development soon. That vote will quickly create momentum for the creation of the purple line in Maryland.

Last December, federal regulators approved construction of the $5.2 billion silver line. Just a year earlier, the Federal Transit Administration took a complete opposite view, claiming that the cost overruns, delays and poor management disqualified Dulles rail from receiving $900 million for the project. A bi-partisan group of Congressman, Senators and the Virginia Governor worked hard to convince federal regulators that the project was in good hands. They were successful and now the final step has been taken in getting the line started. Before final authorization from the Feds, new cars were already ordered and utility relocation was initiated.

To read the Washington Post story on the silver Line authorization, click HERE.

To read about the purple line, click HERE.
Photo Credit: CC-licensed by Flickr user Savannah Grandfather