D.C.–Dulles Line
The D.C.–Dulles Line, designated Route 5A, was a bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) between Washington Dulles International Airport and L'Enfant Plaza station of the Blue, Yellow, Orange, Green and Silver lines of the Washington Metro. The line operated every 30–40 minutes on weekdays and 60 minutes on weekends along the Dulles Toll Road, Interstate 66, Richmond Highway and Interstate 395 between these two locations with no intermediate stops, with the exception of the Herndon–Monroe Park & Ride and Rosslyn station.[5] The trip was approximately 50 minutes long.
Service[edit]
Service operated every 30 to 35 minutes between L'Enfant Plaza station and Washington Dulles International Airport on weekdays, and 60 minutes on weekends.[6] WMATA used 2006 Orion VII CNG (07.501) suburbans numbered 2701–2730 based out of Four Mile Run Division to operate the route. However, other buses can be used on the route if the Orion VII CNGs are running on other routes or going under maintenance. Each bus has suburban seating with overhead luggage racks.
Stops[edit]
| Bus stop | Direction | Connections |
|---|---|---|
| L'Enfant Plaza | ||
| Washington, D.C. | ||
| L'Enfant Plaza station D Street SW / 7th Street |
Eastbound Terminal, Westbound station |
 Metrobus: 33, 52, 70, 74, A9, P6, S2, V1 DC Circulator: Eastern Market–L'Enfant Plaza MTA Maryland Commuter Bus Loudoun County Transit OmniRide Commuter Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley Washington Metro:     
|
| D Street SW / 9th Street SW | Eastbound | Metrobus: V1
|
| E Street SW / 7th Street SW | Westbound | Metrobus: 74, V1
|
| Interstate 395 | ||
| Richmond Highway | ||
| Arlington County, Virginia | ||
| Rosslyn station Bus Bay B |
Bidirectional | Arlington Transit: 45, 55, 61 Metrobus: 4A, 4B, 38B DC Circulator: Rosslyn – Georgetown – Dupont Loudoun County Transit Georgetown University Shuttle Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley Washington Metro:
|
| Interstate 66 | ||
| Dulles Toll Road | ||
| Reston, Virginia | ||
| Herndon–Monroe Park and Ride Bus Bay T |
Bidirectional | Fairfax Connector: 551, 924, 926, 927, 929, 937, 950, 951, 952, 980, 981, 983 Washington Metro: (at Herndon station)
|
| Dulles Toll Road | ||
| Dulles, Virginia | ||
| Aviation Drive / Autopilot Drive | Westbound | Fairfax Connector: 981, 983
|
| Washington Dulles International Airport Arrivals Door |
Westbound Terminal, Eastbound station |
Fairfax Connector: 981, 983 Washington Flyer Virginia Breeze Megabus Washington Metro: (at Washington Dulles International Airport station)
|
Background[edit]
The 5A originally operated under the “North Reston Express Line” in the 1970s before being discontinued in the 1990s being replaced by a combination of Fairfax Connector routes.[7]
Service began on December 4, 2000 to connect service to Dulles International Airport from Downtown Washington, D.C.[8][1][9]
The line is unique for being the only WMATA bus line that runs to Loudoun County, has a connection with any Virginia non-commuter services, and is responsible for providing a regular link between the two services. The original $1.10 one-way fare was seen as a bargain compared with other transportation modes in the area, including Shenandoah Valley Commuter Bus.[6]
In 2014, it was reported that the 5A line was partly responsible for Dulles Airport monthly ridership record.[10] WMATA also provides higher levels of service on the line in special times of need, especially on certain holidays.[11]
On September 10, 2020 as part of its FY2022 proposed budget, WMATA proposed to reduce time frequency on route 5A service in order to reduce costs and low federal funds.[12] Although, WMATA planned to eliminate route 5A and replace it with the Silver Line service on its previous proposals.
Silver Line[edit]
In 2010, WMATA started a public planning forum, to create the Silver Line route to run to Dulles Airport.[13] The Silver Line would bring riders access via train to serve in Maryland, Washington D.C. and the northeastern portion of Virginia. This project is under Phase 2 of the Silver Line, as Phase 1 runs up to Wiehle–Reston East station.[14] Construction of Phase 2 started in 2014; it was scheduled to open in 2020.[15] Metro officials then announced that the second phase may not be ready for service until about September 2020.[16] Metro later re-evaluated the timetable for the second phase's launch and anticipates it would be ready for service on April 1, 2021, after the agency determines a budget for the 2020–2021 fiscal year (and having taken the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic).[17] Opening of Phase 2 was further delayed for July 2021 and later November 2022.[3]
Dulles Airport station[edit]
Since November 15, 2022, Washington Dulles International Airport has on its own Metro station, as the station was built as part of Phase 2 of the Silver Line project. The station was originally planned to be underground,[18] but the plans call for an above-ground station, which will be located next to daily parking garage 1 of the airport.[19] The station is connected to the terminal building using the then-existing pedestrian tunnel which connects the hourly and daily parking lots and parking garage 1 to the baggage claim level of the airport terminal; it is equipped with moving sidewalks. The Dulles International Airport Metro station opened on November 15, 2022 and replaced the 5A on November 16.[4][20][3][2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "NEW Direct 5A DC-Dulles Line" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2001.
- ^ a b "Service Change: Route 5A Eliminated, November 16 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
- ^ a b c "More cracks were found at Silver Line stations. Here's what needs to happen before Metro opens Phase 2". Greater Greater Washington. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ a b Smith, Max (August 5, 2019). "Metro's Silver Line extension to Dulles gets tentative opening date". InsideNova. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ^ "Transportation between Washington, D.C. and Dulles Airport". Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Other Transportation Options". Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. July 8, 2015.
- ^ "Metrobus Routes To Change June 26" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^ "Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Home Page". 3 December 2000. Archived from the original on 2000-12-02. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ Alpert, David (July 10, 2013). "DC, Fairfax consider cutting the 5A bus to Dulles". ggwash.org. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
- ^ "Metrobus Monthly Ridership Bus Line, Sector and Jurisdictional Summary May 2014 - Preliminary" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 21, 2015.
- ^ "Metro to have additional buses and trains on standby in anticipation of Thanksgiving week travel to regional airports" (Press release). WMATA. November 17, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "FY2021 Budget Update; FY2022 Budget Outlook and Approval for Public Hearing for FY21 Budget Amendment" (PDF). Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Hosh, Kafia A. (July 19, 2010). "Development near Herndon's future Metro station topic of public forum Monday". Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- ^ "All aboard! Metro's new Silver Line rolls down the tracks for the first time". Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
- ^ Di Caro, Martin (April 27, 2015). "Second Phase Of Silver Line Delayed By At Least 13 Months". WAMU. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ Pascale, Jordan (25 November 2019). "The Silver Line's Second Phase Is Looking At A Potential September Opening Date". DCist. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ Smith, Max (30 March 2020). "Metro sets fare hikes, bus cuts in budget — with coronavirus caveat". WTOP. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Dulles Metro: Dulles Station". Retrieved 2014-12-05.
- ^ Sherfinski, David (July 20, 2011). "Airports board approves above-ground Dulles Metro station". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2014-12-06.
- ^ "Why Metro wants to kill the Dulles 5A bus route". Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2019.