The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of directors will discuss the possibility of building a new Metro line with a station in Georgetown at their meeting today. The proposed line would link Georgetown, Rosslyn, and parts of downtown and Northeast D.C, according to the Examiner.
The plan is a response to Metro congestion and an expected ridership increase in the near future. Its goal is to lessen the burden of the heavily traveled Orange and Blue lines, both of which run through Rosslyn.
“It is one of a variety of things we are looking at,” WMATA spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said. “We expect an additional quarter million people over the next 25 years, and we need to address future capacity needs.”
The possible Metro line extension is only in the planning stages and Taubenkibel noted that other less expensive alternatives are also being explored to address congestion, including expanding the number of eight car trains in Metro’s fleet.
Initial reactions from community leaders have been positive. Ed Solomon, Chair of Georgetown’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission, expressed support for the proposal.
“Any transportation that brings people to the neighborhood and reduces congestion would be a plus,” he said. “It would benefit neighbors, businesses, and students.”
However, Solomon also said that any possible Metro stop “will require a lot of planning and funding,” and, even if approved, would not be ready in the near future.
WMATA does not have a history of completing projects quickly. When the Silver line was proposed in 2002 it was scheduled to be completed in 2015; construction has not yet started.
