Talk:Silver Line (Washington Metro)

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Contents 1 Silver Line name 2 Funding 3 ASCE Panel Findings 4 Stations 5 Wolf Trap 6 Tysons? 7 Requested move 7.1 Survey 7.2 Discussion

[edit] Silver Line name

Where does the name "Silver line" come from? The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project says that the line has not yet been named and I haven't seen this name mentioned in any other sources. Greyfedora 21:04, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

It's been official for a while. Just plug "Silver Line" and "dulles" into Google and you'll see it repeatedly cited by this name in the media. --Jfruh (talk) 21:40, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

Actually, just look at the map linked to from the main article: [1]. You can see that the new line is labelled "Silver Line" on the legend at the top of the page. This is on the Dulles Metro corridor's official site. --Jfruh (talk) 21:42, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

I think the title of this article needs revisiting. The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project web site states cleary that "A new Metrorail line is making its way from the East Falls Church station on the Orange Line, through Tysons Corner..." With respect to previous posts, WMATA is really the only official source and authority on the naming of a new line (they are the system operator, after all), and they have consistently billed this project as an extension of an existing line. Sure, that's open to change, but WMATA has never used "Silver Line" in any of its previously published materials about the project. --Signof4 21:05, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

While WMATA not have used it yet, we do have multiple reliable sources using the name. A quick Google search turned up this and this. SchuminWeb (Talk) 00:08, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Funding

I'm thinking that it would be good to have some mention about how the construction is to be funded. I think that the approach taken is somewhat unusual. I also think that funding is also one of the major reasons this extension is likely to be built (since the sources have been mostly identified at this point). There's also the question, when it comes to the tunnel issue, as to whether the federal government will or will not provide funding if the tunnel option is chosen (supposedly the government criteria considers overall costs instead of how much it will be putting in). Ultimately I think it's something worth mentioning in the article. Mecaterpillar 05:15, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ASCE Panel Findings

Since the ASCE Panel released their findings on Monday (July 31st), would anyone like to summarize their findings? There's quite a bit there (Follow the source I added, the ASCE press release), and I'd prefer it if someone else went about doing that 'cause it seems like it would take me quite a few sentences to summarize that although I find this paragraph from the press release rather telling:

During a press conference releasing the report, Robert S. O'Neil, the TRP's chair, explained that Commonwealth of Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer "did not ask our panel to recommend the preferred option. Instead, the Secretary asked our panel to ensure that the state had the best information available with which to make its decision. However... considering the magnitude and long-term impact of this project, and considering that the intangible benefits almost entirely favor the tunnel, it is reasonable to conclude that our findings suggest strong consideration of the tunnel alternative."

In any case, it seems like it's time to add a quick summary of that. Mecaterpillar 16:28, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Interesting read. Unfortunately, it will be a couple of days before I can digest the information and try to regurgitate it into another paragraph or two. Hopefully someone else is up to the challenge before that. With talk now of rebidding the whole phase 1 project, there could be a lot to write about in the article. --StuffOfInterest 19:36, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Stations

Does anyone happen to know or have read somewhere why the planners are going to be overly redundant with the stations on the Silver Line? Is it really necessary to have 3 lines running from Stadium-Armory to Rosslyn? Why not have the Silver Line begin at Rosslyn? Better yet, why not have it take a new course and add new stations in the District? --Tjtenor2 18:40, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Having the Silver Line run all the way to stadium will minimize the chances of anyone having to make more than one train switch. At the very least, the line needs to run far enough to cross the Red Line so riders don't have to change from Red to Blue/Orange and then again to Silver. Why all the way to the Stadium? Not sure, but there could be some siding tracks around there which make it a more natural termination point than in the middle of the city. I've always found it a bit odd how the Yellow line just stops.

As for running a completely new route, expensive! Trying to push a new tunnel through downtown DC would cost hundreds of millions if not a couple of billion. I've seen designs calling for splitting the Orange and Blue lines through downtown, with a new branch running up through Georgetown, along K-street, and through Union Station. It would be nice, but getting funding for such an expansion won't be easy. --StuffOfInterest 18:47, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

As a further note, the funding for the new stretch of the Silver Line is coming partly from the Federal govt. and partly from the state of Virginia, as is the usual formula for US transit projects these days. New stations in the District would in theory require matching funds from the District; however, since DC is notoriously cash-strapped and also under strong Congressional oversight, I'm not sure that this is feasible or even possible. Presumably the Federal government would only expand in the District proper if it can be convinced that doing so would make it easier to operate the Federal government. --Jfruh (talk) 00:06, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Regarding Stadium-Armory, you are correct - there is infrastructure to make it a more natural termination point than earlier. Specifically, the D98 pocket track, seen at Image:WMATA D Route Pocket Track.jpg. Trains can do a Mt. Vernon Square-style termination here, offloading at Stadium-Armory, running empty on Track 1 into the pocket track, changing ends in the pocket, running empty back into Stadium-Armory on Track 2, and then boarding again on the other side. By the way, with Rosslyn, since it was mentioned, it should be noted that there is NO provision to turn trains at Rosslyn. Any attempt to turn trains at Rosslyn requires a significant amount of single-tracking or running empty to do so, with the nearest crossover interlockings at Arlington Cemetery, Clarendon, and Foggy Bottom. Arlington Cemetery and Clarendon would require single-tracking (this is done on July 4 with Arlington Cemetery to turn trains at Rosslyn), and Foggy Bottom would require offloading at Rosslyn, running empty under the river and through Foggy Bottom station, before changing ends east of Foggy Bottom. Then one would have to run empty all the way back as well. This was done later in the day on July 4, 2006, when a problem with the Arlington Cemetery interlocking developed. SchuminWeb (Talk) 16:28, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

The Yellow Line no longer just stops, at least during off-peak hours - the system map now shows it running to Fort Totten. For those of us who like to head out to U St on weekends, but hate waiting for the Green Line, this should help.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Fasrad (talk • contribs) 21:55, 4 February 2007 (UTC).

• The most natural spots for the Silver Line to split off of the OR/BL would be Farragut and Metro Center, in each case jumping onto the Red. The problem is that neither station has a full-fledged switcher; it just has some emergency track. That means they'd have to dig another hole without compromising the existing one. All across the system, you'll see that the general skepticism about public transit that dominated the 1970s resulted in a Metro system that is very inflexible and very difficult to expand. This is a general problem for ALL subways, but it's particularly disappointing that a modern system would be so constrained. --M@rēino 21:51, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

• • It's not even that - the A&C connection track points the wrong way to facilitate that. The A Route (Red Line) end is on Track 2, which requires trains entering from the A Route end to wrong-rail into the connection. The C Route (Blue/Orange Line) end is on Track 2 just west of McPherson Square. SchuminWeb (Talk) 09:27, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

• One eventual long-term possibility might be that the Silver might replace the Blue entirely from Rosslyn to Largo (eliminating the need to triple-stack the overlap area downtown). The Yellow is more efficient than Blue between Downtown and Alexandria anyway. Very long term, Blue could even connect to the Purple line somehow, although the Purple line still appears to be far more speculative than the Silver at this point. Still, I have heard talk that the new Wilson bridge might be used one day for rail (although a Purple extension via that would essentially eliminate the Arlington Cemetary stop) - the McLean area could use some service too, but that'd require an expensive reconfiguration at Rosslyn. 76.21.170.28 07:29, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

• • What would provide regular service to Arlington Cemetery, then? You have to have a line that runs along the C Route between Pentagon and Rosslyn to service Arlington Cemetery. SchuminWeb (Talk) 09:27, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wolf Trap

I'm a little concered about including Wolf Trap in the list of planned stations. The current plan[2] does not show it and WMATA doesn't have a really good track record on in-fill stations. Anyone out there remember the "future" Potomac Yards station? I'd say it should be mentioned in the text as a possible future in-fill but not in the list of planned stations. --StuffOfInterest 12:24, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Sounds good to me. My understanding is that Wolf Trap will have an RTU number of N06, like how Potomac Yard has an RTU of C11. [3] So there certainly is a provision for the station in there (compare to New York Avenue with the RTU of B97 between B03 and B04), but since it's not going to get built, we might as well leave it off the list, but certainly give it a mention in the text. SchuminWeb (Talk) 16:15, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Tysons?

Just wondering, when the article mentions the project's goal as to connect DC to the edge cities of Tysons Corner...., is Tysons Corner technically a city? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Planes&mustangs510 (talk • contribs) 23:22, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

It's an edge city, which has a specific definition outside of "city". Tysons Corner itself is an unincorporated census-designated place. --Golbez (talk) 01:53, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Requested move