Kaine Speaks About Silver Line And Metro's Long-Term Challenges

On the eve of the Silver Line’s maiden voyage, Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) sat down for a wide-ranging interview about Metro’s first new rail line since 1991.

In the interview, Kaine discusses the region’s and Metro’s long-term challenges.

In 2004, planners believed tolls on the Dulles Toll Road would cover 25 percent of the Silver Line’s cost. Today, drivers’ tolls are paying for half the rail project’s cost.

The Silver Line is considered the anchor for the Dulles corridor’s development, specifically Tysons Corner, a model for the urbanization of the suburbs. But ridership on the Silver Line is expected to be relatively light at first, and will have little impact on traffic congestion at first. Tysons will take 20 years to complete its transformation.

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