Transportation Projects Impacting Alexandria In NVTA Long-Range Plan

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Northern Virginia Transportation Authority adopted its long-range transportation plan on Thursday. The adoption was the final step in a two-year public engagement process to prioritize transportation funding in Northern Virginia.

The TransAction plan identifies 424 multimodal projects aimed at enhancing Northern Virginia's transportation infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the region.
The projects identified in the TransAction plan account for an estimated $75 billion in potential investments through 2045.

NVTA will use the TransAction plan to inform its decisions in implementing the Six Year Program for regional revenue funding.

View a full list of projects in NVTA's updated TransAction plan.

The following projects in and around the City of Alexandria are included in the TransAction plan NVTA adopted on Thursday:

1. Leesburg-Alexandria Route 7 Trail: Construct a trail along Route 7 from Leesburg to Alexandria.
2. Bike Lanes on Route 7: Construct protected bike lanes on both sides of Route 7 between Alexandria and Seven Corners, connecting with the City of Falls Church bike network.
3. Route 7 Bus Rapid Transit: Construct Bus Rapid Transit along Route 7 between Tysons and Mark Center in Alexandria through the City of Falls Church with a connection to the East Falls Church Metrorail Station.
4. Wilson Bridge High Capacity Transit: Construct high-capacity transit service along I-495/Capital Beltway from the Metrorail Blue Line at Franconia-Springfield via the Yellow Line in the City of Alexandria and Branch Avenue on the Green Line in Prince George's County, Maryland. Alternative transit could include light rail, bus rapid transit and enhanced bus service.
5. Alexandria Duke Street Transitway: Construct a four-mile segment of a high-capacity transitway on Duke Street within the City of Alexandria, which includes reconstruct Duke Street from Wheeler Avenue to Jordan Street with a center left-turn lane and adding bicycle and pedestrian improvements along the corridor. The first phase would include dedicated transit lanes in existing six-lane sections of Duke Street between Landmark Mall and Jordan Street and between Roth Street and Diagonal Road.
6. West End Transitway: Implement Bus Rapid Transit service between the Pentagon and Kingstowne via Mark Center and Van Dorn Metrorail Station. This would include construction of a four-mile segment of dedicated bus lanes between Van Dorn Metrorail Station and King Street as well as pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the corridor.
7. Route 236 Enhanced Bus Service: Implement enhanced bus service in Fairfax County on Route 236 between Fair Oaks and Landmark Mall.
8. I-95/I-495 Managed Lanes from I-395 into Maryland via Woodrow Wilson Bridge: Construct and implement managed lanes, including HOV or HOT lanes on I-95/I-495 between I-395 near Springfield and a location east of I-295 near Indian Head Highway in Maryland.
9. DASH Transit Service Enhancements and Expansion: Make DASH transit service enhancements including new cross-town services and funding for additional buses to expand service on existing and new routes, expand bus storage and maintenance facilities, transit stop improvements, upgrade to a new or upgraded regional fare system, and expand and improve transit centers at Mark Center and Southern Towers.
10. King Street Metrorail Improvements: Make multimodal improvements at the King Street Metrorail station including improved access to parking lot and bus facilities, construction of new shelters, construction of additional bus bays, a transit store, construction of a new pedestrian tunnel between Alexandria Union Station and the King Street Metrorail Station, and other improvements at Alexandria Union Station.
11. Alexandria Bike and Pedestrian Trails Construction and Reconstruction: Reconstruct Holmes Run Trail from North Ripley Street to I-395, construct trails along local streets in the Beauregard Street and Van Dorn Street corridor, construct pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Holmes Run at Morgan Street, construct projects in the city's Pedestrian/Bicycle Plan and construct a trail and linear park along Norfolk Southern Rail Spur in Old Town North.
12. Alexandria ITS Projects: Funding for transportation technologies to improve system efficiencies in the City of Alexandria and build out and improve the traffic signal system with fiber-optics and transit signal priority.
13. Landmark Transit Station Improvements: Construct a transit center on the Landmark Mall site and improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to the transit center.
14. Arlandria/Del Ray/Lynhaven/ Potomac Yard Roadway and Bicycle/Pedestrian Improvements: Make taffic improvements for the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road, including signalization, accommodation for pedestrians, and turn lane channelization. Construct improvements at Mount Vernon Avenue and Four Mile Road intersection, including pedestrian/bicycle improvements. Construct pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Four Mile Run between Commonwealth Avenue and Eads Street. Construct Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road intersection safety improvements to accommodate pedestrian and bicyclists. Construct other safety and accessibility improvements north of Glebe Road. Construct a pedestrian/ bicycle link from the Potomac Yard Trail to connect to the Four Mile Run Trail on the south side of Four Mile Run and to the Mount Vernon Trail. Construct Oakville Triangle improvement projects. Construct a green street on Commonwealth Avenue.
15. West End Alexandria Roadway Improvements: Extend Library Lane north to connect Van Dorn Street. Construct an ellipse at Beauregard Street and Seminary Road. Replace shared left/thru-turn lanes along Van Dorn Street with separate left-turn lanes. Add a protected, permissive left-turn lane along Van Dorn Street. Widen Van Dorn Street Bridge over Duke Street to accommodate pedestrians. Replace shared left/thruturn lanes along Van Dorn Street with separate left-turn lanes. Construct a new roadway along Fairfax County line to connect Edsall Road, South Pickett Street, Farrington Avenue. Make intersection improvements along Van Dorn Street at Eisenhower Avenue, Edsall Road, and Pickett Street. Straighten Eisenhower Avenue. Construct new High Street addition as part of Alexandria's Landmark Van Dorn Area Plan. Redesign Duke Street and North Van Dorn Street including a shared use path.
16. Metrorail Station Improvements within the City of Alexandria: The redesigned kiss-and-ride at Van Dorn is completed, but the accommodation of West End Transitway at the Van Dorn Metrorail Station needs further consideration. Make improvements to the Eisenhower Avenue Metrorail Station to accommodate East Eisenhower development, including renovation of existing bus loop, new pedestrian plaza, new bus shelter canopies, and real-time bus arrival info displays.
17. Interchange at I-95 and Van Dorn Street (Route 613): Reconstruct interchange at I-95 and Van Dorn Street (Route 613).
18. VRE Alexandria-DC Rail Capacity Improvements: Construct fourth track from L’Enfant to VA, construct fourth track from Rosslyn to Alexandria, construct Washington Union Station station/access improvements, construct VRE L'Enfant station/access improvements, construct VRE Crystal City station/access improvements and other improvements.
19. VRE Express Service - Fredericksburg Line: Implement peak period express service on VRE Fredericksburg Line with one express train and three local trains per hour during a.m. and p.m. peak periods with stops at Spotsylvania, Leeland Road, Woodbridge, Alexandria, Crystal City, L'Enfant, and Union Station.
20. VRE Express Service - Manassas Line: Implement peak period express service on VRE Manassas Line with one express train and three local trains per hour during a.m. and p.m. peak periods; and b. Stops at Broad Run, Manassas Park, Burke Centre, Alexandria, Crystal City, L'Enfant, and Union Station.
21. Van Dorn Intermodal Facility: Construct an intermodal facility in the vicinity of Van Dorn Metrorail Station to facilitate transfers between Metrorail, West End Transitway, and local transit service.
22. Eisenhower East Improvements: Improve bicycle and pedestrian access to Eisenhower East Metro and construct Telegraph Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Tunnel.
23. Upper King Street Multimodal Redesign: Redesign the streetscape, while adding new sidewalks along the north and south sides of King Street, including over I-395, where missing between Quaker Lane and N. Hampton Drive.
24. South Patrick Street Pedestrian Improvements: Extend S. Patrick Street median south of Franklin Street and other traffic calming.
25. Duke Street at West Taylor Run Intersection Improvements: Redesign of the West Taylor Run Parkway intersection to reduce congestion and improve pedestrian, bike and transit access and safety as well as additional access to Telegraph Road interchange.
26. Improvements to Expand Ferry Capacity: Includes improvements at the existing ferry terminal as well as a new ferry terminal in Old Town North.
27. West Glebe Road Bridge Improvements: Improvement of West Glebe Road Bridge over Four Mile Run to include new bicycle lanes and improved pedestrian improvements.
28. I-395 Interchange Improvements at Shirlington: Make improvements addressing locations with high crash frequency or severity and locations with existing or forecasted future traffic congestion or operational issues. Identify substandard or missing pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Identify improvement projects that maintain existing roadway access locations. Identify projects with low construction costs.
29. Mobility Hub Program: Design and construct mobility hubs in strategic locations that include wayfinding and placemaking elements, while bringing together transit, bikeshare, scooters, carshare, and other modes into single locations.
30. King St-Old Town Metro Station Tunnel to Union Station: Design and construct a pedestrian tunnel to connect between the King St-Old Town Metrorail Station and the Union Station. Consider an extension of the tunnel being constructed at Union Station to access platforms, to King St-Old Town Metro Station.
31. Braddock Road Metrorail Station Pedestrian Connection: Construct a new pedestrian connection (bridge or tunnel) to provide improved access from west side of tracks to station entry.
32. Multimodal Bridge from Van Dorn Metrorail Station to Pickett Street: Construct a multimodal bridge from Van Dorn Metrorail Station to Pickett Street.
33. I-395 Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge: Construct I-395 pedestrian and bicycle bridge near the Landmark Mall development.
34. Ramp Connection from I-395 to Landmark/Van Dorn: Add a vehicular ramp connection from I-395 to the development at Landmark/Van Dorn.
35. Alexandria Metroway: This project will complete the planning, design, and construction of the Metroway transitway from the Braddock Metrorail station to the Alexandria/Arlington line at Four Mile Run and Potomac Avenue. Extend the dedicated transit lanes and stations on US Route 1 (Richmond Highway) from East Glebe Road to Evans Lane. Construct new access road through Phase 2 of the North Potomac Yard redevelopment project, providing the Metroway connection between Route 1 and Potomac Avenue. Construct dedicated transit lanes on Potomac Avenue between Evans Lane and the city/Arlington County line. Make pedestrian and bicycle access improvements throughout the Metroway route between Braddock Metrorail and the city/Arlington County line.
36. Route 1: Alexandria to Woodbridge Multi-Use Trail: Create a low-stress bike-ped connection between the Washington Boulevard side path and Mount Vernon Trail. This may include protected bikeway.
37. South Van Dorn Street: West End Transitway to Route 1 via Huntley Meadows Park Bike/Ped Connections: Develop a connection between Route 1 and the West End Transitway through Huntley Meadows Park and along South Van Dorn Street.

For the first time, NVTA included a seamlessly connected Bus Rapid Transit system across the region in its long-range plan. Local BRT would fill the gaps between the region's existing transit systems, such as Metrorail and the Virginia Railway Express.

By 2045, the Northern Virginia region is expected to grow by 23 percent to 3.14 million, and employment is expected to grow by 33 percent to 1.94 million, according to a release. NVTA deemed investments in a multimodal transportation network to be an essential part of its final plan if it was to meet the needs of this projected expansion.

Patch editor Michael O'Connell contributed to this report.