A $5.75 Train Ride: Will You Pay to Ride Silver Line?

By William Callahan

When the Silver Line opens in late 2013 or early 2014, it will provide hundreds of thousands of Virginia residents an easier way to get to and from Washington, D.C.

But will people pay the fare to ride it?

Estimates revealed late last week show a one-way trip from Tysons Corner station to Metro Center in downtown Washington during peak hours would cost $4.50. The 20-mile ride from the Wiehle Avenue in Reston, roughly 40 minutes, would cost $5.75, the system’s highest fare. 

Metro’s costliest trip increased 75 cents in 2012 from $5. And the system, which adjusts fares every other year, could increase rates even more in next year's budget cycle.

While it's sticker-shock for some, it's not all that much more than some riders are paying now. 

A rider who times his commute after "peak hours" — around 10 a.m. — would pay $2.70 for a one-way trip to Metro Center.

But a trip from Metro Center to Vienna at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday, during the peak hour, costs $5.30, according to WMATA. 

TELL US - Would you pay the estimated rates to ride the Silver Line? Will it affect how you get around? Let us know in the comments.

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