Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit Updates Coming At Meeting

HYBLA VALLEY, VA — Upcoming meetings will provide updates on the Bus Rapid Transit project along Richmond Highway, according to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

The first meeting on Thursday, April 28 will focus on design updates and improvements to the intersection of N. Kings Highway and Shields Avenue, where Kings and Richmond Highway meet. The meeting will be held in the Bryant High School Cafeteria (lower level), 2709 Popkins Lane, Alexandria and include an open house from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and presentation at 7 p.m.

The next meeting on May 3 will focus on turn lane analysis. The meeting will be held in the Community Center in Lee District gym, 7950 Audubon Avenue, Alexandria and include an open house from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and presentation at 7 p.m.

A future meeting focused on community charm at Bus Rapid Transit stations will be held on a date to be determined.

The proposed Bus Rapid Transit will include nine stations along the Richmond Highway corridor, connecting the Huntington Metro and Fort Belvoir. Stations would include the Huntington Metro, Penn Daw, Beacon Hill Road, Lockheed Boulevard, Hybla Valley, Gum Springs, South County Center, Woodlawn and Fort Belvoir. The tentative timeline calls for the construction to finish in 2030 but will be dependent on funding availability.

Bus Rapid Transit has been recommended for Richmond Highway through a 2015 Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. In addition, a long-term vision for the corridor includes a Metro Yellow Line extension to Hybla Valley. Fairfax County's approach to land use and roadway changes from the study recommendations became known as Embark Richmond Highway. In 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved a comprehensive plan amendment recommending a Bus Rapid Transit system and widening of Richmond Highway. The Virginia Department of Transportation's Richmond Highway widening project is in design and would include leaving room for bus-only lanes for Bus Rapid Transit.

The latest update in the Bus Rapid Transit proposal had been branding the bus system as "The One." The branding resulted from a branding development team of community volunteers who narrowed down a list of 84 potential names.

Residents can stay up to date on the project by signing up for Fairfax Alerts and selecting the category Richmond Highway-BRT or visiting the project web page. The project team may be contacted at DOTBRT@fairfaxcounty.gov.