When the Silver Line begins service in 2014, it will not go to ... and mobile devices. ... Riders can compare multiple i
Silver Line
BUS ALTERNATIVES
Blue Line CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS
Metrobus and Arlington Transit (ART) offer several bus alternatives to the Blue Line. Riders may want to consider taking one of these bus routes to travel between Alexandria, Arlington County, and downtown D.C.
With the arrival of the Silver Line, it’s time for Blue Line riders to consider their options for the fastest and most efficient Metro travel.
From Pentagon Metro’s Silver Line will provide new connections to several of the region’s most dynamic and rapidly growing economic centers. Coupled with integrated bus service, the Silver Line’s
Metrobus Metrobus Metrobus ART
7Y 10E 16X 42
Federal Triangle Braddock Rd Federal Triangle Clarendon/Ballston
high-quality, high-capacity transit service will give riders new,
From Del Ray/Alexandria
traffic-free access to employment, entertainment, and shopping opportunities.
Metrobus Metrobus
Opening in 2014, the Silver Line will operate between Wiehle-
From Crystal City Metro/VRE
Reston East station in Virginia and Largo Town Center station in Maryland, making stops through downtown D.C., similar to
Metrobus ART
the Orange and Blue Lines.
From Shirlington
Silver Line trains will provide service at Blue Line
Tysons, and one farther west at Wiehle Avenue in Reston.
Metrobus Metrobus Metrobus Metrobus ART
Silver Line trains will join the Orange Line at East Falls
From Columbia Pike
Church station.
Metrobus Metrobus ART ART
stations from Rosslyn to Largo Town Center. Five new Silver Line stations will open in 2014—four in
When the Silver Line begins service in 2014, it will not go to Dulles International Airport. An extension of the Silver Line, projected to open in 2018, will connect to Dulles and beyond. More information is available at silverlinemetro.com.
10E 10R
10R 43
Pentagon/Braddock Rd Rosslyn
Rosslyn Rosslyn/Courthouse
7Y Federal Triangle 22A Ballston 10B Ballston 23B/23T Ballston 77 Courthouse 16Y 16X 41 45
McPherson Square Federal Triangle Ballston/Courthouse Rosslyn/Courthouse
wmata.com
More information is available at wmata.com/bus and arlingtontransit.com/routes. ®
WHAT’S HAPPENING? When the Silver Line opens, stations along the Blue/Yellow Lines in Virginia will continue to see trains arrive as frequently as they do today. However, during rush hour, there will be more Yellow Line trains and fewer Blue Line trains. Blue Line trains will run every 12 minutes at all times of the day once Silver Line service begins. This change was laid out a decade ago when the Silver Line was approved and is necessary because there are only two ways for trains to cross the Potomac River—over the Yellow Line bridge and under Rosslyn through a tunnel that serves the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines. Trains already travel through the Rosslyn tunnel every 2-3 minutes, so every train that is added for Silver Line service means fewer trains coming from the other lines. Blue Line riders may want to consider: Am I better off switching to Yellow?
RIDER TOOLS
TRAVEL TIME DIFFERENCES Say hello to Yellow, and hello to a faster commute! If you usually take the Blue Line from Virginia into the District, taking a Yellow Line train and switching at L’Enfant Plaza may be faster than waiting for a Blue Line train. For example, a trip from Pentagon station to McPherson Square station takes 11 minutes on a Blue Line train with no wait time on the platform. Taking the Yellow Line to L’Enfant Plaza and switching to the Blue, Orange, or Silver Lines takes just three minutes longer. So if the next Blue Line train is more than three minutes away, you want to say hello to Yellow.
Don’t forget: Your faster trip home in the evening could be taking
to L’Enfant Plaza and switching to
Next Train and Next Bus provide riders with access to real-time Metrorail and Metrobus arrival information from their computers and mobile devices. The information available through Next Train and Next Bus helps riders strategically plan their Metro travel and reduce wait time. Find out when the next bus or train will arrive at wmata.com. Trip Planner provides instant itineraries for travel on Metrorail, Metrobus, and other local bus and rail systems. Riders can compare multiple itineraries with door-to-door fares and travel times, complete with walking directions and transfers. Plan your trip from home at wmata.com/tripplanner or on-the-go by visiting wmata.com on your mobile device.
Is it worth the wait? Passenger Information Displays (PIDs) in Metrorail stations provide riders with real-time information about train arrivals. On most station platforms, the PID shows the next three trains and the time until their arrivals.
LN CAR DEST YL YL BL
6 6 6
MIN
Mt Vernon Square 1 Greenbelt 4 Largo Town Center 10
The PIDs at many Blue Line stations are different. They always display when the next Blue Line train will arrive, even if it is not one of the next three trains. This PID feature provides a key piece of information to Blue Line passengers, allowing them to make better travel decisions.
