It's early days yet, but some retailers in Tysons Corner say the Silver Line has already boosted their business.
Metro says 5,000 to 7,000 people are using the Tysons Corner station on weekdays, a rate that is comparable to stations like White Flint, Virginia Square, Stadium-Armory and Van Dorn Street. And some of those riders -- be they locals or tourists -- are heading to the area to shop.
A spokesman for Tysons Corner Mall said some retailers have reported double-digit sales increases since the Silver Line opened.
"Yes, we're definitely seeing an increase in traffic and our retailers are reporting double digit sales increases. Very positive," Bob Maurer, a spokesperson for Tysons Corner Center said.
The Silver Line opened July 26, adding six new stations in Northern Virginia, including Tysons. It was expected to grow the Tysons area not just by adding shoppers but by allowing people who work there a much simpler commute to and from work.
When the entire line is complete, which is planned for 2018, another six stations will open and Metro will carry passengers to and from Dulles International Airport.
And in the next few weeks, a pedestrian bridge is set to open between the Tysons Corner Metro station and the mall, which will make pedestrian access to the shops even easier.
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For now, just the presence of a Metro stop seems to be helping.
"Business has picked up in the mall," said Antoine, who works at the American Eagle store in Tysons. And, he added, his commute from Rhode Island Avenue in D.C. is better. “It used to take me an hour and a half to get here, now it is about an hour or 45 minutes.”
Marene Currah and her mother are in town from France. They learned they could get to Tysons on Metro and took advantage of it. "I just heard it was a great mall with a lot of shops," Currah said. "And we wanted to discover many different types of shopping."
