Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Board of Directors gives a 17-point plan to transportation officials seeking better bus service when Silver Line opens.
Reston Association president Ken Knueven has outlined the RA Board of Directors' suggestions for bus service that will benefit commuters and residents when Metro's Silver Line opens in December. In a letter to Tom Biesiadny, Fairfax County Director of Transportation, Knueven says some of the keys to best serving Reston are to Those are just four of the 17 points on RA's list for the department of transporation. The list involves changes and requests for RIBS within Reston, Fairfax Connector bus service and the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority. To see the full letter, click here. Fairfax Connector has recently been collecting public suggestions through meetings and through its website. Reston Citizens Association also recently…
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Bus purchases, station improvements and plans to replace Metro's farecard system likely to be delayed as agency receives $8 million reduction in federal funding.
With Metro's Silver Line set to open in December, surely this is a time where the transportation system is fully funded, right? Not exactly. Sequestration will impact Metro’s longterm projects, likely delaying bus purchases, station improvements and possibly deferring the agency’s plan to replace its fare-card system with one allowing credit cards, according to a report from The Washington Post. The agency will receive $8 million less in federal funds as a result of the mandatory federal cuts. Metro had expected to lose as much as $12 million. It receives $150 million annually from the federal government, a number that is matched by local participating jurisdictions. Meanwhile, officials say Phase 1 of the Silver Line is 89 percent …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Attend a public meeting Wednesday to hear county transportation officials' plans for an extension to relieve clogged Reston roads.
Is a Soapstone Drive extension the solution to crowded nearby roads after Metro arrives later this year? Fairfax County transportation officials will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at South Lakes High School to discuss the feasibility of extending Soapstone Drive over the Dulles Toll Road to provide Reston residents better access to the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station. The county has been looking into extending Soapstone for several years. Last month, it presented a report to the Reston Master Plan Special Study Task Force with its latest proposal to alleviate traffic on Wiehle Avenue. Read that proposal here or click the PDF attached to this post. For all of Reston Patch's Silver Line news, check out our Silver Line Topic Page…
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Silver Line's first phase is on schedule to take riders to Wiehle Avenue by December 2013 and a construction contract for Phase 2 should be awarded in May.
The first phase of the Silver Line is 89 percent complete and is on schedule to be taking Metro passengers to Reston Reston in December 2013, officials confirmed this week. Mark Canale, Dulles Rail Project Manager for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, said construction on the first phase is on track. During a Tuesday meeting of Fairfax County’s commission for the Phase 1 Transportation Improvement District, Canale said 98 percent of tracks for the extension from East Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue have been laid down. Some track work remains, as well as construction on garages and stations, but Canale said service in December was looking very likely. The West Falls Church rail yard is expected to be complete around the same …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Check out the progress on the Silver Line, ask questions and learn how public transportation will affect you.
Reston-area residents will have another chance to ask questions about upcoming changes to bus and rail routes happening in conjunction with Metro's Silver Line opening later this year. WMATA will hold an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at RestonCommunity Center Hunters Woods. There will be informational exhibits about the Silver Line, as well as opportunities to speak with representatives and offer feedback about changes to bus service. There will also be activities for kids. The Silver Line's Phase 1, which will run from Tysons Corner to Reston's Wiehle Avenue, is slated to open in December. WMATA is seeking public comment through March 18. You can also submit feedback online at www.wmta.com/silverline. More: New Routes for Review at…
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Knueven, Thompson and Cohn discuss improving existing assets and preparing for a transit-oriented Reston at 2013 Candidates Forum.
Metro is coming to Reston, but is Reston ready for Metro? That was the recurring theme of Monday night's Reston Association candidates forum, where the three candidates for three open board spots answered pre- submitted questions from RA members and RA Election Committee members. Since all three candidates are running unopposed - the first time this has happened since 2009 - they are all but assured three-year terms on the board. However, RA By-Laws say there must be an election and there must be a quorum of 10 percent of the eligible votes for each district. So At-Large candidate Ken Knueven (current RA president), North Point candidate Tim Cohn and Lake Anne/Tall Oaks candidate Eve Thompson participated in the relatively mellow forum - …
Reston Citizens Association report offers 20 ways to improve bus service to Metro's Wiehle-Reston East station.
Metro is scheduled to open its first Silver Line station in Reston in December. With the improved rail access comes predictions of a traffic mess for locals. The Reston Citizens Association has a new report on how to improve bus transportation to the Wiehle-Reston East station. RCA also recently authored a report on how to improve Wiehle Avenue, which will surely have an impact as Metro riders use it to access the 2,300-space parking garage at the station. The newest report, Building on Reston's Transit Tradition: Enhancing Bus Service with the Arrival of Metrorail, offers 20 recommendations. Among them: * Maximize public transit service to Wiehle Station. Encourage use of public transit by making Reston bus service more frequent, …
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Hunter Mill Supervisor looking for citizens to help assess needs in area around new Metro station.
Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins is seeking citizens to help with the Reston Outdoor Lighting Task Force. The group will be looking at lighting needs around the future Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station. The Silver Line station is scheduled to open in December, and county officials say it will change the travel patterns around the community. The task force was created to explore the changing issues surrounding street lights in Reston. Interested in participating on this task force? Contact the Hunter Mill District office by email, or call the office at 703-478-0283, TTY 711. Keep up with all Silver Line news with Reston Patch's Silver Line Topic Page.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
MWAA expects to complete construction in late summer and turn the rail line over to Metro.
Among a series of interesting tidbits to come from Thursday’s Committee for Dulles meeting in Ashburn was a clue about when the first passengers will be able to ride Metro’s Silver Line, a 23-mile extension of the rail system from West Falls Church to Ashburn. The project previously was broken into two phases. Phase 1, from West Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue in Reston, is nearing completion as the second phase, from Wiehle to Ashburn, begins moving forward. There are really two important dates coming up for the project's first phase: completion of construction and the day passengers begin riding. “We will be completing the work in late summer,” said Marcia McAllister, a spokeswoman for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. DCMR was …
Monday, February 25, 2013
Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins will be at Reston Citizens Association presentation Monday.
Concerned about new routes planned for Fairfax Connector bus service when the Metro's Silver Line opens at the end of the year? Then attend a special presentation Monday at 7 p.m. at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods with the Reston Citizens Association (RCA) Board of Directors and Fairfax Connector about changes for Reston. Connector staff will answer questions about the various new routes displayed on poster boards around the room. At 7:30 p.m., FC staff will make a presentation and take questions an comments. Fairfax Connector is planning to start 15 new bus routes this year in conjunction with the opening of the Metro's Silver Line in December. The group has had a series of meetings in the last several weeks, including two in …
John Farrell
10:38 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
A 100' wide right of way is not required for a 48' wide roadway. One lane moves only 1200 cars during peak hour. This fly-over is going to cost tens of millions of dollars. It needs to have 2 lanes each way for motor vehicles. more ›