Northern Virginia Considering a New Light Rail or Bus Rapid Transit Line

"The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission is studying whether to build a light rail or bus rapid transit system on a 14-mile stretch of Rt. 7 from Tysons Corner to Alexandria," reports Matin Di Caro.

The planning process is well underway, with a third public meeting happening today in Falls Church. Already NVTC officials are promising that the new route will move riders in "half the time it takes now" along the corridor. Di Caro notes that the proposed project is the latest in a slew of innovative transportation investments in the region, showing that regional transportation planners are thinking beyond the traditional method of expanding highways to alleviate congestion.

The NVTC has produced a video for "Envision Route 7" that pitches the idea in more detail.

Richard Price has also provided coverage of the proposed transit line, digging deeper into mode alternatives—i.e., light rail bus rapid transit, or "enhance bus"—under consideration for the corridor. Price also takes a look at an interactive map showing the still to be determined route and station alternatives for the line.