Metro Seeks Input On Bus Bay Expansion At East Falls Church Station

ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority is partnering with Arlington County to add three bus bays with shelters and make other improvements at the East Falls Church Metro station in anticipation of ridership increasing at the station.

The station, located on N. Sycamore Street in Arlington, is the first eastbound station that connects Metro’s Silver Line with the Orange Line. Metro is seeking public input on the proposed expansion and pedestrian improvements at the station.

“Bus capacity and pedestrian access improvements are necessary to accommodate projected transit ridership growth at the station,” Metro said Tuesday in a news release.

The proposed expansion of the East Falls Church station is moving along as six new Silver Line stations in Fairfax and Loudoun counties await final approval to open. The Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn stations could open before the end of 2022. Riders getting on at these stations would travel through the East Falls Church station on their way into D.C.

The East Falls Church station currently has four bus bays that are operating at maximum capacity. Along with adding three new bus buys, Metro and Arlington County want to expand the footprint of the existing bus loop and upgrade the existing bus shelters.

The project also would improve sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting and landscaping within and around the station, including improving the crosswalks between the station entrance and the existing bus loop on N. Sycamore Street.

“Feedback from the public on these proposed changes is essential as this project moves forward,” Metro said.

The project will be coordinated with Arlington County's ongoing N. Sycamore Street Complete Streets project and signal improvements, as well as a Capital Bikeshare expansion project in the area. Arlington County is sponsoring and leading the bus bay expansion project in coordination with Metro, which owns the Metrorail station, the bus loop and park-and-ride lot. Arlington County owns and operates the traffic signals in the project area.

The public can take a survey and provide written comments by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1.

Metro is also holding a virtual public hearing on Thursday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. To participate by phone, call 855-925-2801 and enter meeting code 4773. To participate by video, the public can preregister by emailing speak@wmata.com by 5 p.m. July 20, the day before the hearing.

The public can watch or listen to the virtual public hearing live at Metro’s capital and service plans page, on YouTube, or by calling 855-925-2801 and entering meeting code 4773.