Greensboro station (Washington Metro)

Greensboro (preliminary names Tysons Central 7, Tysons Central)[3][4] is a Washington Metro station in Tysons, in Fairfax County, Virginia, on the Silver Line. It opened on July 26, 2014 as part of phase 1 of the Silver Line. Greensboro is one of four Metro stations in the Tysons area and is to be part of the massive regeneration of the district.

Greensboro
rapid transit station
Platform of Greensboro station
Location	8305 Leesburg Pike, Tysons, Virginia
Coordinates	38.9215°N 77.2344°W
Owned by	WMATA
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Open-cut/raised embankment
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	N03
History
Opened	July 26, 2014[1]
Passengers
2019	1,503 daily [2]  18.8%
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Spring Hill toward Wiehle–Reston East Silver Line Tysons Corner toward Largo Town Center

Station layout

M	Mezzanine	Fare control, ticket machines, station agent
P Platform level	Westbound	← toward Wiehle–Reston East (Spring Hill)
	Island platform
	Eastbound	→ toward Largo Town Center (Tysons Corner) →
G	Street level	Exit/entrance, buses

Like Spring Hill station, Greensboro was built in the median of SR 7 with a single island platform serving two tracks. However, unique among all Silver Line stations in Tysons, it was built partially at ground level and sub-surface. The construction and overall design of the station have been likened to that of Southern Avenue on the Green Line because of its depressed but open-air layout. This is the result of the south end of the station acting as the western portal for the connecting tunnel leading to SR 123 while SR 7 slopes upwards towards the east. A mezzanine covering the central half of the platform contains ticket machines and faregates; two aerial walkway exits cross either side of Route 7 and meet at the mezzanine. The main platform has a height of −10 ft (−3.0 m) at its east end and 8 ft (2.4 m) at its west end.[5]

History

Greensboro station opened as part of the first phase of the Silver Line to Wiehle – Reston East in 2014. In the planning stages, controversy ensued over whether to build the Metro in a tunnel or on an elevated viaduct through Tysons. It was eventually decided that the majority of the line would be built above ground, but the station will be built partially below ground in order to send trains through a short tunnel connecting the line's Route 7 and Route 123-paralleling sections.

From March 26 until June 27, 2020, this station was closed due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[6][7] Shuttle buses began serving the station on June 28, 2020.[8]

From May 23 until August 15, 2020, this station was further closed due to the Platform Reconstruction west of Ballston–MU and the Silver Line Phase II tie construction.[9] This station reopened beginning on August 16, 2020 when trains were able to bypass East Falls Church station.[10][11]

Location

Mezzanine level of Greensboro station

Greensboro station is located within west-central Tysons, specifically in the median of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike). Much of the surrounding area is commercial in nature, with the Pike Seven Plaza Shopping Center to the west and Tysons Galleria to the east. In the way of residential development, The Boro mixed-use district opened its first phase in 2019 to the immediate north.[12] When fully completed, the initial phase will include two residential high-rises, an office tower, and a cinema complex, in addition to the already-existing office buildings.

Traffic counts by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) show that the section of Leesburg Pike on which the station sits is the most heavily used in Fairfax County, with 61,000 vehicles per day using the stretch of road between Route 123 and the Dulles Toll Road.[13]

Transit-oriented development

In order to reduce congestion and improve walkability and connectivity in the area, the Fairfax County Planning Commission created the "Tysons Corner Urban Center Comprehensive Plan", an outline for the urbanization of Tysons in conjunction with the opening of the Silver Line. As one of four Metro stations within the identified locale, Greensboro is the focal point of one of the transit-oriented development schemes in the plan. According to the Commission's outline, the area bounded by Route 123, Gosnell Drive, Westpark Drive, and International Drive will be designated as the Tysons Central 7 District and contain high-density residential and commercial mixed-use development.[14]

Exterior of the station during construction in 2013

The Tysons Central 7 District is divided into two sub-districts, North and South, separated by Route 7. The south sub-district is approximately 76 acres (31 ha) large and will contain mixed-use development, with offices predominating near the station and residential buildings in the outer transition zone. The plan calls for a "civic commons" to be the central open space in the sub-district with government and civi-related buildings surrounding it.[14] The north sub-district is similar in nature, but is 102 acres (41 ha) in area. In contrast, the north sub-district is planned to be more vibrant and 24-hour than the south, with a minimum building height of 175 feet (53 m), although both sectors have a maximum allowance of 400 feet (122 m).[14] To connect these districts, it is envisioned that Leesburg Pike will be reconfigured, along with Chain Bridge Road, to a "boulevard" design, with a median separating four lanes of traffic each way, as well as landscaping the sidewalks to improve walkability. Radiating out from Route 7 will be a series of avenues and collector streets, each with different regulations to create a hierarchical street grid.[14]

Station facilities

• 2 station entrances (each side of Route 7)
• Pedestrian bridge crossing Route 7
• Bus dropoff/pickup

References

1. "Completion date on Silver Line pushed back again". NBC4 Washington. December 3, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
2. "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
3. "Board of Supervisors Approves Proposed Silver Line Station Names". April 10, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
4. Hosh, Kafia (March 29, 2011). "Fairfax OKs names for new Metrorail stations". Washington Post. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
5. "Greensboro". Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
6. "Special Covid-19 System Map" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
7. "Metrorail stations closed due to COVID-19 pandemic". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. March 23, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
8. "Metro to reopen 15 stations, reallocate bus service to address crowding, starting Sunday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
9. "Metro to use upcoming low-ridership summer to maximum effect, expands Orange, Silver line shutdown". www.wmata.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
10. "Metro to add more buses, trains and extended hours as part of Covid-19 Recovery Plan beginning Sunday, August 16 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
11. "Silver Line service will return August 16, along with reopening of six stations in Fairfax County | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
12. Moran, Catherine Douglas (September 25, 2019). "Two Apartment Buildings Now Open in The Boro". Tysons Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
13. "2009 Fairfax County traffic counts" (PDF). VDOT. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 5, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
14. "Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan: Tysons Corner Urban Center" (PDF). Fairfax County Planning Commission. Retrieved August 13, 2010.

External links

• WMATA Greensboro station page
• Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project - Greensboro