Vienna station (Washington Metro)
Vienna is a Washington Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia on the Orange Line. The station is located in Oakton, in the median of Interstate 66 at Nutley Street (Virginia State Route 243), with a Fairfax postal address.
The station can be accessed from I-66 without merging onto Nutley Street via a series of ramps that transport commuters directly to the station's north and south side parking complexes. From the parking areas, riders reach the platform and mezzanine using elevated walkways which bridge the east and westbound lanes of I-66. The station provides easy access to the nearby Town of Vienna, the City of Fairfax, and the main campus of George Mason University. Service began on June 7, 1986.
Station layout
| P Platform level |
Eastbound | →  toward New Carrollton (Dunn Loring) →
|
| Island platform, doors will open on the left or right | ||
| Eastbound | → toward New Carrollton (Dunn Loring) →
| |
| M | Mezzanine | One-way faregates, ticket machines, station agent |
| G | Street Level | Exit/ Entrance |
History
Although originally identified as the western terminus of the Orange Line in the 1968 plan, by 1978 Fairfax County was debating whether or not the initial terminus should be at the Vienna location or at an alternate location in Tysons Corner.[2] After much public debate and public comment, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors endorsed the Vienna routing. The endorsement was made after determining it would cost an additional $59 million and take an additional five years to complete the line to Tysons.[2] (Metro service to Tysons Corner would later be established, with the 2014 opening of the Silver Line).
On September 8, 1982, groundbreaking for the station occurred.[3] At the time of its groundbreaking, the final facility was to have cost $17.6 million with parking for 2,000 vehicles.[3] After nearly four years of construction, the station officially opened on June 7, 1986, as the western terminus of the Orange Line.[4] Its opening coincided with the completion of 9.1 miles (14.6 km) of rail from the Ballston station and the opening of the East Falls Church, West Falls Church, and Dunn Loring stations.[4]
By 1993, officials in Fairfax City were looking to add "Fairfax" to the station name.[5] In March 1999, the station name was changed to "Vienna/Fairfax – GMU".[6] The station reverted to its original "Vienna" name on November 3, 2011, with "Fairfax–GMU" as a subtitle.[7]
Transit-oriented development
In line with high-density development, the Fairlee Metro-West project aims to increase the housing density around the Vienna station from 60 single family homes to 2,250 condominiums and townhouses. This development has been controversial, as many Orange Line commuters believe the system will be pushed beyond capacity at rush hours as a result.[8] As of May 2009, the project is under construction.[9]
References
- ^ "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b Locke, Maggie (April 25, 1978), "Fairfax Board Votes Metro Line for Vienna", The Washington Post, p. C1
- ^ a b Hodge, Paul (September 15, 1981), "Ceremonies Mark Start Of Work At Metro's Orange Line Station In Vienna", The Washington Post, p. VA 1
- ^ a b Lynton, Stephen J. (June 8, 1986), "9.1 More Miles For Metrorail", The Washington Post, p. C1
- ^ Shear, Michael D. (August 26, 1993), "Angling To Get on Metro Map; Merrifield, Fairfax City Want Stations Renamed", The Washington Post, p. V1
- ^ Reid, Alice (May 5, 1999), "All Aboard on Station Names", The Washington Post, p. B1
- ^ "Station names updated for new map" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2011-11-03. Archived from the original on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
{{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Shaffer, Ron (February 27, 2006). "Live Discussion with Post columnist Robert Thomson". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-11-11.
- ^ Gardner, Amy (May 21, 2009), "For More Riders, 'the Bus Is Beautiful'", The Washington Post, pp. V1
External links
- WMATA: Vienna Station
- StationMasters Online: Vienna Station
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