Management

Northern Virginia Transportation Authority adopts six-year, $539-million funding program

July 13, 2020

The authority voted to fund 21 of the 41 projects up for funding consideration, including the Franconia-Springfield Passenger Rail Bypass and VRE Crystal City Station improvements.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) voted to adopt the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program, which will provide $539 million to 21 multimodal transportation projects. NVTA called the project its “most competitive” to date with 13 Northern Virginia localities and agencies requesting $1.44 billion in funding.

Transit and rail highlights of the program include:

$22.96 million awarded to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for the Franconia-Springfield Passenger Rail Bypass that will construct a dedicated passenger rail bridge that will remove up to 26 conflicts per day between passenger and freight trains crossing tracks as they enter or exit the Long Bridge Corridor.
$15.8 million awarded to the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) for the VRE Crystal City Station Improvements Project that will plan, design and construct an expanded and relocated VRE Crystal City Station and related track modifications in Arlington County.
$18 million awarded to Arlington County for the CC2DCA Intermodal Connector: From Crystal City to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which would construct a pedestrian bridge between the airport and Crystal City.
$75 million awarded to the city of Alexandria for the Alexandria Duke Street Transitway, that will provide dedicated, curbside transit lanes on Duke Street for Bus Rapid Transit, between Diagonal Road (King Street Metro) and Walker Street (Landmark Mall).

NVTA explains that all projects within the adopted FY2020-2025 Six Year Program are regional in nature and aimed at reducing congestion and getting people to their destinations faster. The fully funded projects will receive sufficient funds to advance to construction, while the partially funded projects, such as the Franconia-Springfield Passenger Rail Bypass, will advance to the early phases of project development, but not necessarily completion.

“The adoption of the Six Year Program Update demonstrates an ongoing commitment to a multimodal approach that addresses Northern Virginians’ mobility needs and challenges, and supports the region’s economic vitality, while providing an economic stimulus to the region’s economy,” said NVTA Chair Phyllis J. Randall. “The regional collaboration and ability to look beyond jurisdictional lines is truly remarkable and a benefit to all Northern Virginians, as well as those traveling through the D.C. metropolitan area.”

A full list of projects approved can be viewed on the NVTA website.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.