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Arlington,
Virginia 22207
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Many of the cut-through commuters who speed through our neighborhoods are Arlington residents heading for jobs in the Dulles Corridor. It's just going to get worse in the coming years. Tysons Corner, Reston, and eastern Loudoun County are major employment centers with millions of square feet of office space, and millions more under construction or in the planning phases. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) projects a population of 574,108 and employment of 490,236 in the corridor by 2025, an increase of 71 percent! The area also includes Washington Dulles International Airport, the fastest-growing airport in the world. By 2020, the annual number of passengers at Dulles Airport is projected to be 40 million, more than twice the current number. Some percentage of all those workers and travelers hurrying back and forth are inevitably going to be tempted to take "the back streets." That's us! Our local planners and officials have also noticed that traffic is getting pretty bad out there. So, in order to ease congestion, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) are studying ways to implement public transportation improvements in the Dulles Corridor. The project they have come up with is called the Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit Project. What It Means for Us: Plenty! Current proposals include an alternative to transform the East Falls Church Metro Station into a Metrorail Transfer Station. The EFC Station would serve as a transfer point between the Orange and Dulles (probably the "Silver") lines in the same way that Rosslyn and the Pentagon stations serve as the last transfer points between the Blue and Orange or the Yellow and Blue lines respectively. Here's a map of what the Metrorail alternative would look like:
Construction of the proposed "silver" line out to the Dulles Corridor will generate additional traffic and parking pressures at the East Falls Church Metro station, especially if the Metrorail Alternative is adopted. The "silver" line will attract many additional riders to the station, adding demand on an already-strained parking situation. There will likely be pressure for a structured parking garage, as well as for some commercial development. Like a pebble dropped into a pond, the advent of the "silver" line will create a ripple effect, as more distant streets feel the negative effects of increased traffic and street parking. This is why our community needs to pay careful attention to plans affecting the East Falls Church Metro Station and to the current East Falls Church Station study. The proposed "silver" line also offers hope. Depending on how the plan is executed, some of us may find it easier to get to work. The creation of a public transportation alternative may convert some of the motorists who speed through our neighborhood into Metro riders. Many of us will reap the benefits of increased property values reflecting our proximity to an improved mass transit system. Our neighborhood will become especially attractive to families with one earner working in DC and the other in the Dulles Corridor, since this location would provide excellent access to public transportation in both directions. How To Learn More: Check out the excellent information resources available on the Dulles Corridor Project.
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Williamsburg
Civic Association
Arlington, VA 22207 |