Clean, safe, on time … Also: crowded, long wait time … These are some of the mixed emotions coming to light in conversations with commuters reflecting on the one-year anniversary of the new Silver Line Metro operation. The line includes the following new stations: Wiehle-Reston East, Spring Hill, Greensboro, Tysons Corner and McLean, leading into the District and ending at Largo Town Center. Many locals use the new line to commute to work in Washington D.C.
“It’s good to have a connecting station so close but it’s always full. The commute to work in D.C. and Tysons is better than driving—to get to D.C. this is the option,” said Metro commuter Swetha.
Commuters also credited the line with providing an atmosphere of safety.
“It’s always on time and I’m able to get to work easily. Rarely are the trains delayed, and they are always clean. I’ve never felt unsafe on the Silver Line, even late at night,” said Adele Gibson from Great Falls.
Some suggestions for improvement included increased signage and maps at the station and on the train especially for visitors so they are aware of upcoming stops.
In its one year of operation it appears the line is an efficient way for many visitors that are unfamiliar to the area to travel into Washington, D.C.
“The metro was really fun and a lot cleaner than I thought it would be, but very crowded. It was really convenient to get to the museums in the District because there was no traffic and I would definitely ride it again when I come visit,” said visitor Annie Condoluci from Brielle, N. J.
Despite an overall favorable impression some passengers expressed frustration with crowding, and a lack of knowledge regarding train wait times.
“Around 5 o’clock the trains are pretty crowded and I normally have to stand for around 30 minutes for a seat, so more trains running on the line would be nice,” said Gibson.
One commuter said many of her friends turned to ordering cars from the Uber app when faced with exorbitantly long wait times for a train.
“Lately I feel like the Metro has been worse. There’s lots of track work, delays, it’s crowded and less reliable. It seems like a systematic and political problem of not enough funding. The tri-state area of D.C., Virginia and Maryland need to collaborate and see it as a shared resource,” said Metro Commuter Joy.