Silver Line: Fairfax Board Talks Buses, Funding Tuesday

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to discuss a series of transportation projects Tuesday, including funding for both phases of the Silver Line Metro and bus routes that will connect residents to the new train system.

Construction on Phase I from East Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue in Reston is nearly finished and should be complete by the end of December 2013. It has reportedly stayed within its $2.9 billion budget.

Officials have narrowed down a favorite for construction of Phase II to Dulles Airport. Capitol Rail Constructors has put in a bid of about $1.18 billion to build the extension, an estimate that officials say is below the original $1.4 to $1.6 billion cost projections.

The Board will also discuss the revised list of bus routes connecting residents to the five new stations in Tysons and Reston.

Fairfax County Department of Transportation officials just wrapped up the second round of public meetings regarding Fairfax Connector route changes will affect service.

FCDOT representatives conducted the first round in February, when many residents wanted to see changes to route layouts and bus frequency.

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.

The board will review input from the public meetings, along with staff's recommendations on Tuesday, in preparation for final approval in June.

Local residents have had mixed opinions of the proposed routes, but represenatatives from the Westbriar Civic Association sent a letter to Fairfax County officials May 5 endorsing routes 432 and 460, which have been the topic of much debate.

"Alarming claims have been raised by a few regarding child safety, carcinogens in exhaust, criminals arriving by bus, and loud engine noises around the clock, but the facts, statistics, and logic fail to support any of this," the letter reads. "The Connector makes a lot of sense to us, because the four Metro stops at Tysons have no parking, and we are realistically out of walking range." 

Though it is not listed explicitly on the agenda, Supervisor Pat Herrity’s inquiries into the county selling air rights to fight toll increases on the Dulles Toll Road could come up during Tuesday’s meeting.

When Herrity asked staff to examine a study determining whether selling air rights was a viable option, the Board approved the matter to come up at a future Transportation Committee meeting.

Check back with Patch on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning for updates to the Silver Line discussions.

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