Politics & Government

Silver Line Bus Routes Take Shape

Future of Route 432 through Vienna is unclear. What do you think should happen with the route?

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is zeroing in on a plan for enhanced bus service to help residents get to new Metro stations when the Silver Line opens at the end of 2013.

More than 40 percent of the Fairfax Connector system will change in some way when those stations open, and officials are seeking feedback from residents to provide the best service possible.

Wednesday night’s meeting in Tysons marked the end of the second round of public input sessions on the routes. FCDOT representatives conducted the first round in February, when many residents wanted to see changes to route layouts and bus frequency.

Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The revised plan features more midday and evening bus service on Reston and Herndon routes. Officials also restored the express route from Reston to Crystal City and the Pentagon, which they renamed Route 599.

Also among the list of revisions are new “optional” routes and route changes. These routes aren’t funded at the moment, but officials particularly want feedback on them so that they might be implemented if money becomes available.

Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Route 432, for example, a controversial route during the Vienna meeting in February, has been adjusted and is listed as optional.

The Route, as presented Wednesday, would go out from the future Silver Line station on Leesburg Pike, turning on Gosnell Road and moving through Old Courthouse Road, Creek Crossing Road and East Street before connecting with Beulah Road and circling, via Trap Road, back to the Metro station.

The route has gotten much support from Vienna residents who are advocating for beter access to metro statements, but has also earned criticism for relying so heavily on residential streets: opponents say the roads aren't wide enough, and some sopts along the route aren't safe for pedestrians.

Routes 425, 427, 555, 595, 597 and 927 are all proposed for elimination in the current plan, to be replaced either by new routes or by a combination of bus and Silver Line service.

“I’m concerned that you’re just not going to have enough buses and drivers to maintain your current levels and something’s got to give,” one woman said.

But officials said current service levels wouldn’t be affected.

“Our contractor is looking to hire new drivers to run the new service that we’re proposing,” said Christin Wegener, a transportation planner with FCDOT.

Another resident expressed concern that late night bus service didn’t correspond effectively with train service, and wondered if moving around early morning hours to get late night hours on weekends would be feasible.

Staff will now go back and modify the service plan further. It is expected to be approved by the Board of Supervisors in June.


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