Original photo by Adam Fagen

The Silver Line isn’t even done yet, but how about extending the Yellow, Blue and Orange lines further into the Virginia suburbs?

That’s what Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran want to do, having introduced legislation today that would authorize a study on the possibility of extending the three lines into the Woodbridge area of eastern Prince William County, the Richmond Highway corridor of southern Fairfax County, and the Centreville area in western Fairfax County.

“Residents in Prince William and western Fairfax County already experience some of the longest commutes in the nation, and these communities will experience continued growth,” Connolly said via a press release. “We need to look at solutions that take cars off the roads and provide viable transportation alternatives for our citizens. Whether or not we determine that Metrorail is the best solution, we must begin the conversation now.”

If this sounds a little premature, consider this: Metro has included the idea in its $26 billion strategic plan for the next 30 years, and a recent Virginia Department of Transportation study on traffic in the region in the next three decades all but said that Metro’s capacity would have to be expanded to handle the increased ridership. Without any changes over the next four decades, the additional people expected to live in the region would only add to the terrible commutes that many residents currently suffer.

The first stretch of the Silver Line out to Tysons is expected to run this year, and the stretch extending out to Dulles Airport will be ready by 2018.