Silver Spring Meeting to Discuss Metro Improvements

The Montgomery County Council’s Transportation and Environment (T&E) Committee will host a town hall at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, focusing on service improvements to Metro. It takes place in the Silver Spring Civic Building at 1 Veterans Plaza.

Representatives of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will present an overview of a new package of service improvements. Residents and advocacy groups will have the opportunity to discuss the impacts of these improvements.

The service improvements package includes ending the Silver Spring turnback, doubling rush-hour service on the northeastern end of the Red Line.

Turnbacks at the other end of the Red Line at Grosvenor-Strathmore were eliminated in December.

The package also includes transitioning to exclusively eight-car trains on all lines to increase rush-hour capacity; adding 30 minutes of peak service during the morning rush hour and an hour and a half in the evening rush hour; and having a flat fare on the weekend.

The T&E Committee consists of Councilmembers Tom Hucker (chair), Evan Glass and Hans Riemer.

Paul Wiedefeld is expected to attend the town hall, along with Metro board members and representatives of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

About Staff Writer

View all posts by Staff Writer