Fairfax County Makes Space for Bus Rapid Transit

A recent decision by the Fairfax, Virginia County Board of Supervisors will ensure that any widening of Route 7 will be reserved for bus rapid transit (BRT).

1 minute read

August 3, 2023, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

A diagram showing the street lanes for a proposed bus rapid transit route.

A cross section with bus rapid transit median lanes planned for Route 7. | Northern Virginia Transportation Commission / Envision Route 7

Fairfax County has amended its comprehensive plan to ensure a priority on bus rapid transit along the Route 7 corridor from Tysons to the West Falls Church Metro Station. The amendment also enables to county pursue funding for the project.

“The Tysons portion of the Route 7 BRT — which is intended to provide faster, more direct service than a traditional local bus route — is part of a regional system that the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission has been planning for a decade now,” reports Angela Woolsey for FFX Now. “The finished route will extend into Falls Church City and Seven Corners, ending at the Mark Center in Alexandria.”

“The comprehensive plan recommends expanding Leesburg Pike from four to six lanes between Haycock and the Capital Beltway (I-495) and from six to eight lanes between the Beltway and Route 123. Funds have already been secured to design the Beltway to Route 123 segment,” adds Woolsey. The source article below includes a lot more detail about the planned project, including station locations and the politics of the project.

FULL STORY: Future Route 7 lanes officially set aside for Tysons bus rapid transit

Monday, July 31, 2023 in FFX Now

Infrastructure Transportation Virginia Fairfax County Route 7 Envision Route 7 Northern Virginia Transportation Commission Bus Rapid Transit Transit Planning Public Transit Bus Transit View More

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