Guess-the-Opening-Date Contest Launched for Silver Spring Transit Center

Five years ago Thursday, Sept. 26, groundbreaking for the Silver Spring Transit Center took place.

Of course, we all know how that has gone—structural inefficiencies have kept the center closed, and the contractor disagrees with the county on the best way to address the issues, Patch reported. 

What we don't know is when the center actually will open for transit.

While we're waiting on that, the Action Committee for Transit has organized a guess-the-opening-date contest. The person who comes closest to guessing the correct opening date of the center will get dinner for two at Silver Spring's 8407 kitchen bar, according to an ACT news statement.

ACT volunteers will pass out contest entry forms in front of the center from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. The entry form and complete contest rules also are on ACT's website, www.actfortransit.org.  

Interestingly, "the event five years ago was actually the third groundbreaking for the transit center," ACT reported.

"The first such ceremony was held 13 years ago in September 2000. At that time, then-County Executive Doug Duncan announced that the transit center would be finished by 2003," ACT's news release continued.

"Your support will help us push to get the transit center finished, build the Purple Line, and upgrade transit throughout the county," ACT president Tina Slater added.

One caveat, however: The center will have to be open before the winner can claim his or her free meal.

"We make absolutely no promises about when the prize will be awarded," Slater said.

This Friday, the county will file for permits to begin prepping the center for a latex-modified concrete overlay, a remedy that contractor Foulger-Pratt calls "ill-advised" and "ill-conceived," The Gazette reported.