EXCLUSIVE: Silver Spring Transit Center Reportedly to Open End of August
The Silver Spring Transit Center just might be open by late August.
Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice told MyMCMedia Monday that he has heard an opening date is planned for late August for the transportation hub that is years behind schedule and more than $50 million over budget.
“It is one more thing to put behind us,” Rice said.
The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority, the agency that will operate the center, declined to confirm the August date.
“We continue to work with Montgomery County as their contractor advances remediation work on the Silver Spring Transit Center. The facility has not yet been accepted by WMATA. A firm opening date will not be known or announced prior to acceptance,” WMATA Spokesperson Morgan Dye wrote in an email to MyMCMedia Monday.
The county’s Director of General Services David Dise, also declined to give an opening date saying, ” no opening date has been offered or committed to. The actual opening is a WMATA determination. We are focusing on completing the construction. I will be sending a progress update to the council late today or tomorrow.”
The project was delayed after a study found cracks and inconsistencies in the concrete slabs, issues with the reinforcement beams and other design problems.
The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday is expected to vote on hiring outside law firm Saul Ewing, LLP. to handle anticipated lawsuits when it comes to determining who should pay for the remediation of the center.
“The county is going to be seeking full recovery of all costs incurred by the county from the contractors and subcontractors who committed the errors. The contractors and subcontractors will not willingly forfeit millions of dollars so it is is extremely likely that litigation will ensue and the county attorney’s office feels it needs resources beyond what is available in its own shop,” said Montgomery County Council George Leventhal in a press briefing on Monday.
The transit center, to be dedicated when it eventually opens as the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center located of Colesville Road, is to be a transportation mecca with:
- 32 bus bays for WMATA Metrobus, Montgomery County Ride-On, MTA regional commuter bus, Van-Go shuttle, Inter-city Buses, and University of Maryland Shuttle,
- Direct access to Metrorail and MARC,
- 54 Kiss & Ride spaces and taxi spaces,
- Intelligent Transportation system,
- Multi-modal transit store,
- Accommodation for future Bi-County Transitway, connections to regional hiker/biker trails and a local trail, and open space replacement and enhancement.
The new facility will replace and significantly increase the capacity, safety and efficiency of a more than 30-year-old, aging, surface transit facility in the heart of the newly revitalized downtown Silver Spring, eliminate the existing traffic conflicts, increase pedestrian safety, facilitate multi-modal transfers and provide well-developed bicycle access into the mass transit site.
Metro General Manager to Accept Silver Spring Transit Center
Metro’s Board of Directors gave Interim General Manager Jack Requa the authority to accept the Silver Spring Transit Center from Montgomery County. On Thursday, Aug. 6, board members approved the measure that now allows Requa to make the decision to accept the facility. “The reason this is important is that, in order to accept the […]
Silver Spring Transit Center Update
The Paul Sarbanes Transit Center in Silver Spring is moving closer to completion and transfer to WMATA. General Services Director David Dise says the last inspections are taking place as WMATA reviews the final punch list before taking over. Dise says the transfer is expected in the next few weeks when WMATA will start training […]
WMATA to Get Silver Spring Transit Center by Mid-July
All remediation work at the Silver Spring Transit Center will be completed by the end of the week and the project will be handed over to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority by mid-July, the project manager told MyMCMedia Tuesday. According to David Dise, the county’s director of General Services, the project is in its final […]
Inside the Fence of the Silver Spring Transit Center Construction Site (VIDEO)
The Silver Spring Transit Center is years behind schedule and has cost overruns into the millions. K.C.E. Structural Engineers President Allyn Kilsheimer, the guy in charge of making sure the structural deficiencies are fixed, gave MyMCMedia’s Krista Brick a look at the progress going on inside the fenced construction site. Related:
County's David Dise on the Silver Spring Transit Center Repairs
Montgomery County’s Director of General Services David Dise gives his view on the repairs being done to the Silver Spring Transit Center. Related:
Top Engineer on Silver Spring Transit Center Fix Gives His Take on the Project (VIDEO)
K.C.E. Structural Engineers President Allyn Kilsheimer talks about the fixes at the Silver Spring Transit Center in this MyMCMedia Extra. Here’s his take on WMATA’s concerns about the extensive repair work to the concrete at the center. And, Kilsheimer talks about what would have happened to the concrete prior to the fixes with a full […]
Silver Spring Transit Center is Hub for Jack Hammers and Hard-Hat Workers for Now
The much-maligned Silver Spring Transit Center is a hub of activity but not with the planned buses and commuters, but rather with workers wielding hand-held jack hammers and epoxy guns trying to make the necessary repairs to get the building open. Montgomery County Director of General Services David Dise along with K.C.E. Structural Engineers President […]
David Dise should have been fired long ago.