Wiehle–Reston East station

Wiehle–Reston East (/ˈwiːli/; preliminary names Wiehle Avenue, Reston–Wiehle Avenue)[3][4] is a Washington Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia on the Silver Line. It began operation on July 26, 2014,[1] and is the current western terminus of the Silver Line from 2014 until 2021, when the line is expected to be extended west to Ashburn.[5] Located in Reston, the station is situated alongside Reston Station, a mixed-use urban center.[6]

Wiehle – Reston East
rapid transit station
Wiehle–Reston East station on the first day of service
Location1862 Wiehle Avenue, Reston, Virginia
Coordinates38°56′52″N 77°20′25″W
Owned byWMATA
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Connections Fairfax Connector: 505, 507, 551, 552, 553, 554, 556, 557, 558, 559, 585, 924, 926, 929, 950, 951, 952, 980, 981, 983, 985, RIBS 1, RIBS 2, RIBS 3
Loudoun County Transit: 72, 84,87X, 88X,921,922,923,924,925,926,927,928, 931, 932, 985, 990, 992, 993, 994
Washington Flyer Bus
Washington & Old Dominion Trail
Construction
Structure typeSurface
Parking2,300 spaces
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeN06
History
OpenedJuly 26, 2014 (2014-07-26)[1]
Traffic
Passengers (2019)8,142 daily[2]  4.59%
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Terminus Silver Line Spring Hill
toward Largo Town Center

Station layout
M Mezzanine Fare control, ticket machines, station agent
P
Platform level		 Eastbound → toward Largo Town Center (Spring Hill) →
← termination track (future service: Reston Town Center)
Island platform
Eastbound → toward Largo Town Center (Spring Hill) →
← termination track
G Street level Exit/entrance, buses, parking
The station under construction in July 2013

History

The "Wiehle" in the station's name refers to Wiehle Avenue at the eastern end of the station, which itself is named after a small town, Wiehle's Station,[7] built in 1892 that used to be located nearby.[8][9]

The station sits in the median of SR 267, similar to how the Orange Line is located in the median of Interstate 66 from Vienna (the current terminus of the Orange Line). It is about 5.8 miles (9.3 km) from Spring Hill, the next station to the east. The station has approximately 2,300 parking spaces to the north of the road.[10] The main platform has a height of 5 ft (1.5 m) at its east end and 6.5 ft (2.0 m) at its west end.[11]

In order to foster high density development within walking distance of the station, Fairfax County awarded development rights to an existing 9 acres (3.6 ha) park-and-ride lot on the station site. Reston-based Comstock Partners constructed a 2,300 space below-ground parking structure, and is developing 1.5 million square feet (140,000 m2) of commercial and residential space, which when completed will consist of more than 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of Class A office space, approximately 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of restaurants, shops, and service-oriented retailers, a 200-plus room hotel, and approximately 900 luxury residences.[12]

The station is the staging point for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's Silver Line Express Bus, whose 15 minute trips travel between the station and Washington Dulles International Airport every 15 to 20 minutes.[13] The paved Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail (W&OD Trail) crosses Wiehle Avenue 0.3 miles (0.5 km) northeast of the station.[14][15]

From May 23 until August 15, 2020, this station was closed due to the Platform Reconstruction west of Ballston–MU and the Silver Line Phase II tie construction.[16] This station reopened beginning on August 16, 2020 when trains were able to bypass East Falls Church station.[17][18]

Station facilities
  • 2 station entrances (both sides of SR 267)
  • Pedestrian bridge crossing SR 267
  • Bus dropoff/pickup (both entrances)
  • Kiss & Ride (north side only)
  • Secure bike storage room
  • Parking for 2,300 cars (north side)
  • Passengers await the arrival of the second Silver Line train from Wiehle–Reston East on its first day of service
  • Inside the mezzanine
  • Trains reverse directions on the tail tracks west of the station
  • Sign outside the station during the COVID-19 pandemic

References
  1. "All aboard! Metro's new Silver Line rolls down the tracks for the first time". Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  2. "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. May 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  3. "Board of Supervisors Approves Proposed Silver Line Station Names". April 10, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  4. Hosh, Kafia (March 29, 2011). "Fairfax OKs names for new Metrorail stations". Washington Post. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  5. Tuss, Adam (April 27, 2015). "Phase Two of Metro's Silver Line Substantially Delayed". NBC Washington. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  6. MacGillis, Alec (February 16, 2006). "County Picks Project for Wiehle Avenue Site; Reston Firm Proposes Substantial Mixed-Use Development on Nine-Acre Park-and-Ride Lot". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  7. "Max C.J. Wiehle". The Washington Post. August 30, 1956. p. 34. ProQuest 148726522.
  8. Rosenfeld, Megan (June 13, 1975). "Reston Group Would Revive Extinct Town: Restonites Trying To Revive Wiehle". The Washington Post. p. C1. ProQuest 146306884.
  9. MacDonald, Gregg (April 4, 2012). "Wiehle's legacy lives on in Reston". The Washington Post.
  10. "Park and Ride - Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station". www.fairfaxcounty.gov. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  11. "DCMP Station Heights Actual". WMAA. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  12. MacGillis, Alec (February 16, 2006). "Project Chosen for Site at Planned Metro Stop in Reston". Washington Post. p. LZ03. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  13. "Silver Line Express Bus to Metrorail Station". Dulles International. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  14. "Station Vicinity Map: Wiehle-Reston East" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  15. Merry, Stephanie; Orndorff, Amy; Hahn, Fritz (August 14, 2014). "Riding the rails to trails: Metro offers a car-free path to the great outdoors". Going Out Guide. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 9, 2018. Once you get to the Wiehle-Reston East stop, take the North exit, which guides you toward Reston Station Boulevard. Walk toward Wiehle Road and take a left, then cross over Sunset Hills Road. Once you see the Pizza Hut, you know you’ve arrived. .... (Note: Wiehle is a busy road and not particularly bike-friendly, but it’s a short, manageable distance from the station to the trail to walk your bike on the sidewalk.)
  16. "Metro to use upcoming low-ridership summer to maximum effect, expands Orange, Silver line shutdown". www.wmata.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  17. "Metro to add more buses, trains and extended hours as part of Covid-19 Recovery Plan beginning Sunday, August 16 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  18. "Silver Line service will return August 16, along with reopening of six stations in Fairfax County | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
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