$141M Silver Spring Transit Center Opens Sept. 20

With work finally complete on the embattled Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center -- four years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget – Metro will official open the facility this Sunday, Sept. 20.

The new transit center is located next to the Silver Spring Red Line Metrorail station and features more than 30 bus bays serving Metrobus, Montgomery County Ride On, VanGo and the University of Maryland shuttle.

SEE ALSO: Multi-Million-Dollar Lawsuit Filed in Silver Spring Transit Center Dispute

The fully ADA-accessible Transit Center is three levels with new customer amenities including real-time bus departure information, public restrooms, water fountains, escalators, bike racks/lockers, and enhanced neighborhood map displays. Kiss-and-Ride spaces will be available on Level 3, accessible from Bonifant Street.

Last winter, The Washington Post reported the project was four years behind schedule and carried a $141 million pricetag, more than $50 million higher than initial estimates.

Montgomery County and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which will operate the center, filed a lawsuit in August seeking damages for negligence and breach of contract in the center’s construction. The center’s opening was delayed for years because the initial construction wasn’t strong enough to meet safety standards

Montgomery County is asking for a minimum of $80 million in damages from the firms it claims are responsible for mistakes and delays; WMATA is seeking about $25 million for costs. With requests for punitive damages as well as actual damages the total being sought by the governmental agencies tallies at more than $200 million.

Metrobus will serve customers on levels 1 and 2 at the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center.
On Sept. 20, a number of bus stops located on Wayne Avenue, Dixon Avenue and Bonifant Street will be relocated into the Transit Center.

The climate-controlled TRiPS Transit Store will provide in-person travel information and assistance, including:

• Sales and reloading of SmarTrip® cards, including Youth Cruiser, senior cards, and transit passes
• Regional bus and MARC rail timetables and transit system maps
• Pedestrian and bicycle information, maps and safety reflectors
• Carpool/vanpool assistance
• Other transportation and visitor resources

The TRiPS Transit Store will be located on Level 2 and be open weekdays, 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed weekends).

Get to the new Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center by:

• Metrorail Red Line, Silver Spring station
• MARC Commuter Rail, Brunswick Line
• Interim Metropolitan Branch Trail, a bike & hike trail connecting Silver Spring to Union Station in Washington, DC.
• Walking distance from all major Downtown Silver Spring attractions at 8404 Colesville Road