Silver Line’s Smiling Faces
Metro planner captures some smiles of excited Silver Line customers on camera opening weekend.
Baby’s first Metrorail trip on SV’s first day.
I offered up my Saturday on a recent weekend to participate in something really cool, the opening of the new Metrorail Silver Line. Metro has a program where employees can help out during special events or scheduled trackwork to guide customers through the fare vending machines or navigate bus bridges. I took advantage of this opportunity because I knew it would be something special.
During my six-hour shift at McLean, I saw a lot of happy people excited to be among the first to ride the new rail line. There were only a few times that I was moved enough to capture the moment on camera. The first is the picture above, a one-month baby with his Silver Line commemorative SmarTrip card, taking his first trip on Metro. Let’s hope it will be the first of many to come.
Second, I spotted a MetroAccess customer asking some question of the station manager staff. I noticed that the flag attachment of his chair would fit one of the Silver Line pennants and offered to attach the pennant to his chair. I am sure he was happy to see that the stations feature redundant elevators, which means no more shuttles for disabled customers when an elevator is out of service. I told him that I was proud to be able to help support his mobility needs.
On Sunday, July 27, my parents were in town and I offered to take them on a tour of the Silver Line. We entered the system at East Falls Church and went up to the platform to wait for the next SV train. While on the platform I noticed two kids decked out in silver: the boy with a silver-sequined cape and the girl with a silver-sequined vest. I asked them if they were dressed up for their inaugural ride on the Silver Line. Though they were a bit shy, I ended up chatting with their mother for a bit who shared that the whole family was excited for SV and the new options it will provide. While she stated it wouldn’t be a good option for her commute from Reston to Tennleytown, her husband would consider SV for his trip downtown.
I had a great weekend, helping out opening day on Saturday and being a transit tourist on Sunday. I was glad to see so many people who shared my excitement for this new, major transit option connecting our region.
Recent Comments