Fairfax County Transportation Issues
2024-08-09: Bacon's Rebellion: Metro's Fiscal Train Wreck, by James Bacon
The DC Metro is now the most expensive major heavy rail system to operate in the country. Maybe it's time to think the unthinkable and let Metro go belly up. Or perhaps sell to the private sector liberated from an onerous labor contract and a welter of federal regulations.
2024-02-18: FCTA: Replace DC Metrorail with Buses Only?, by David Swink
Bus mass transit system in three U.S. metro areas examined, and operational costs extrapolated to DC Metro: 41% of the cost of DC Metrorail; costs much less, even if the bus fares were free.
2024-01-12: WJLA: Metro considers 25% increase in rail and bus fares, by Tom Roussey
Members of Metro’s board of directors voted Thursday to consider a 25% increase on Metrobus, Metrorail, and MetroAccess fares starting this summer. If the fare increase is enacted, riders would pay as high as $7.50 for one trip on Metrorail starting July 1.
2023-12-20: WT: Washington Metro's woes show folly of Alexandria arena plan, by David Ditch
The recently announced $2 billion arena project in Alexandria that would be the new home for the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards is a net loser for Alexandria and Virginia, especially since there is not enough parking, and Metro cannot provide the amount of spot service needed for the fans. The primary beneficiary would not be Northern Virginia residents, but billionaire Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards and the Capitals.
2023-12-18: FXX Now: N. Va. officials strive to save Metro from 'catastrophic' budget cuts
Leaders in Fairfax County -- which already faces lean economic times -- say they don't plan to offer up additional funds unless jurisdictional and federal partners can throw some more skin into the game.
2023-10-02: Gazette Leader: Area Leaders Talk Metrorail Funding, by Brian Trompeter
"Metrorail is the country's most expensive legacy heavy-rail system to operate, and spends more on administration and less on operations and maintenance than comparable transit systems. Metrorail must examine its costs, rebuild ridership, ensure safety, scrutinize labor expenses and workforce size and consider using more automation ..." -- Michael Sargent, Va DOT.
2022-12-07: FXX Now: Speed cameras coming to Fx Co school and work zones, by Matt Blitz
Slowing down drivers and improving safety are the objectives of a new pilot program that will see photo speed monitoring devices (speed cameras) installed in nine school zones and one construction zone in Fairfax County in early 2023.
2021-03-26: The Antiplanner: What's the Point of Transit Subsidies?
In many American cities, it would be less expensive to give such people Uber rides to and from work than to keep subsidizing transit. But transit won't change until Congress changes how it funds transit. If Congress is happy to hand money over to transit agencies for running empty buses and trains, then they will run empty buses and trains.
2021-03-16: The Antiplanner: Applying Value Engineering to Transit Projects
The process of determining the appropriate technology to use in any given situation is known as value engineering -- a way to 'focus on the big picture'. But transit agencies don't focus on the big picture. Wedded to expensive rail or other capital-intensive projects, they won't analyze whether buses could have done better than rail in the first place.
2021-02-24: Bacon's Rebellion: Work-at-Home and the Transportation Revolution
It may be time for a major re-think of transportation policy. Alan Pisarski, a Northern Virginia transportation consultant, argues that new technologies and business models, some accelerated by the COVID-19 epidemic, could radically change decades-old travel patterns. So states should refrain for now from expanding their transportation systems and just concentrate on maintenance.
2020-12-01: ZeroHedge: D.C. Metro Faces Massive Cuts To Rail, Bus Service, by Tyler Durden
DC Metro faces a budget hole of nearly a half-billion dollars, with rail ridership down more than 85% most weekdays from 2019 due to the pandemic. Changes proposed: 1) 3800 layoffs; 2) Closing 19 stations; 3) No weekend rail service; 4) Trains run only every half hour on each line; 5) Closing rail stations early at 9 pm weekdays; 6) Reducing bus routes from 60 to 41.
2020-02-07: Fx Times: Using tolls to pay for new rail bridge is a bad idea, by Jim LeMunyon
The law requires that toll payers receive a benefit from the collected toll. Funding transit with tolls to reduce congestion on the I-66 corridor (about $17 million per year) is how this obligation is met. Now NVTC wants to divert approximately half of the I-66 toll revenue for the next 35 years to pay for part of the rail bridge project, which would not benefit toll payers on I-66.
2019-11-27: Fx Times: I-66 tolls too high for working class -- letter by L.J. Wright
If one were to commute on I-66 to/from D.C., it would cost between 73.50 and 112.50 a week, or over $5,000 a year -- just for commuting to and from work on a road that is nearly empty. Why not just charge a straight $2? This would benefit the most number of people -- both in terms of drivers using the road and money coming into the till.
2019-11-22: Sun Gazette: Fairfax supervisors set rules for e-scooters, by Brian Trompeter
Electric scooters and other shared-mobility devices will be allowed in Fairfax County starting next January. The county ordinance limits the devices' speed to 10 mph on all riding surfaces and requires that they be equipped with brakes, bells and lights.
2019-11-12: WaPo: Maryland and Virginia to rebuild and widen the American Legion Bridge
Maryland and Virginia will partner to rebuild and widen the American Legion Bridge in a billion-dollar project to relieve congestion at the Washington region's worst traffic bottleneck, the states' governors announced Tuesday. The new bridge will have four express toll lanes, in addition to eight free lanes as on the current span.
2019-10-29: Patch: More Delays Possible For Reston/Herndon Metro Stations, by Dan Taylor
The contractor responsible for building a new rail yard near Dulles Airport has seen their schedule slip 67 days over the past month, meaning substantial completion of the Silver Line Phase 2 won't happen until late July 2020.
2019-09-18: WAMU: The State of the D.C. Area Commute is... not great, by Jordan Pascale
Main takeaways: 1) Average commute time is 43 minutes; 2) Most drive alone; 3) Teleworking is making a big impact; 4) People are leaving transit for cost, unreliability, distance reasons; 5) Millennial car ownership is UP; 6) HOV and express lanes don't reach many, and only a few said they use them if they are available.
2019-07-20: WaPo: Why Metro's Silver Line Phase 2 is so problem-plagued, by Lori Aratani
(Lots of details. No mention of the original agreement made by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Fairfax County BOS chairman Gerry Connolly in 2007, in which 75% of Dulles Rail cost overruns are to be paid for by Dulles Toll Road users.)
2019-07-17: WTOP: Metro Silver Line rail switch problem continues, by Max Smith
The contractor building the Silver Line rail yard for the Airports Authority has largely completed significant track work fixes to long loop tracks at the yard, but has yet to address the problems with the switches failing to line up properly -- a derailment hazard.
2019-07-09: Fx Co: Status of Transportation Priorities Plan Update
2019-07-04: WT: Maryland slams Metro's 'black hole', 'obfuscation', by Deborah Simmons
Gov. Larry Hogan is withholding Maryland's one-third share ($55.59 million) in capital funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until it open its books and shows that it is acting fiscally responsible with money provided by the three jurisdictions supporting Metro. D.C. and Virginia would be wise to do the same.
2019-06-25: WTOP: Cost jumps to widen I-66 for potential Orange Line extension, by Max Smith
If the Orange Line is ever going to be extended in Virginia from Vienna toward Centreville, bridges over Interstate 66 need to be widened now as part of toll lane construction. But that widening will cost 43% more than initially planned.
2019-05-19: TBE: Bike Lanes to nowhere, by Lou DiLeonardo
Remember that "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska that caused such a stir in 2005? In Fairfax County we don't have bridges to nowhere but we do have 127 miles of bike lanes that very few people use -- not enough to justify such wasteful spending.
2019-05-13: WaPo: Virginia's transportation funding stacked against roads, by Del. Dave LaRock
The Virginia Smart Scale system is supposed to identify projects for funding based on bang for the buck, but the Northam administration is ignoring cost benefits in favor of mass Transit. The governor recommends 92 percent of the $200 million in recommended funding on transit/bike/pedestrian projects. Only a pittance, $16 million, would go to roads.
2019-04-22: NVTA: "Smart Scale" Recommends Funding Metro 88%, Bikes 5%, Roads 7% in NoVa
SMART SCALE is the transportation prioritization process that Virginia uses to determine which projects will be funded in the Six Year Improvement Program ($780 million in Round 3 for FY2024-2025).
2019-02-19: Connection: Tolls Off the Table for Fairfax County Parkways, by Andrea Worker
Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) planner Thomas Burke told the Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee that "tolls were not included in the strategies under consideration" as improvements to the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways at their meeting on Feb. 12 at the Government Center.
2019-01-17: WTOP: What Va. road, bus projects will be funded this year, by Max Smith
With $779.8M available statewide through Virginia's "Smart Scale" process, the recommendations to the Commonwealth Transportation Board include funding three major projects in Northern Virginia with at least $50 million each: 1) New east entrance to Crystal City Metro Station (per Amazon deal); 2) Alexandria's West End Transitway bus rapid transit project; and 3) Fairfax County's Richmond Highway bus rapid transit between Huntington and Fort Belvoir.
2019-01-11: NoVa Mag: Dockless scooters continue rollout across NoVA, by Michael Balderston
Dockless scooters are here to stay, at least for another nine months or so. This new form of mobile transportation, which allows anyone with a license to rent a scooter from right off the street through an app, first began popping up in Arlington last summer, but is traveling down the road and beginning to reach the streets of Alexandria and Fairfax.
2018-11-15: WTOP: Metro hopes riders will like cheaper monthly, weekly passes, by Max Smith
Metro hopes to lure back riders next year with discounted and expanded unlimited-ride passes as a way to head off long-term forecasts of limited rider revenue growth.
2018-11-12: WTOP: Dulles Toll Road toll hikes to be approved this week, by Max Smith
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Board is due to vote Wednesday to raise the mainline plaza rate from $2.50 to $3.25 and ramp rates from $1 to $1.50, effective Jan. 1. For larger vehicles, tolls would range from $6.50 to $10.25 at the mainline plaza and $3 to $4.50 at ramps, depending on the number of axles.
2018-10-09: WTOP: No Metro fare hikes next year, by Max Smith
Metro does not plan to raise fares next year, but it also does not necessarily plan to increase service, even as it hopes riders come flooding back to the system.
2018-09-28: Fx Times: Metro to use contractor for Phase II of Silver Line, by Angela Woolsey
WMATA has opted to seek a contractor for Silver Line Phase II in order to control operating and maintenance costs, including future pension costs that it says "have grown to unsustainable levels."
2018-09-15: WaPo: Behind Metro's diving ridership: A millennial exodus, by Faiz Siddiqui
Just as a new Metro study points to poor service as the key cause of its faltering ridership, an outside analysis paints a profile of the commuters most likely to abandon the system: millennials, the generation said to be killing everything from homeownership to driving to, uh, mayonnaise.
2018-09-10: WaPo: Metro's pension costs threaten future service, by Siddiqui McCartney
"How many times do we have to ask the same question and expect to get a different answer? Metro's liabilities are unsustainable and fundamental changes need to be made. We have had nearly 40 different reports on Metro from the past decade telling us that. This report took over a year and a half to complete to say what has been said before." -- Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.)
2018-08-06: Sun Gazette: VDOT plan for I-495, G'town Pike draws pushback, by Brian Trompeter
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to consider a four-month-long pilot program that would close the northbound I-495 entrance ramp off of Georgetown Pike from 1 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. But when VDOT officials discussed the idea at an Aug. 2 community forum at McLean High School, the overwhelming majority of the roughly 280 people who showed up strongly opposed the proposed ramp closure.
2018-07-07: WaPo: Prince William to encourage van-pooling on I-66, by Luz Lazo
By the time heavy construction begins on the $2.3 billion widening of Interstate 66 outside the Capital Beltway next year, commuters in western Prince William County will be able to sign up and pay for van-pool services through a smartphone app. Others will be able to tap their phones to summon a ride to a commuter bus lot.
2018-05-13: The Hill: Mass transit is collapsing everywhere, by Randal O'Toole
The fundamental problem is that big-box transit -- moving people in 60-passenger buses, 450-passenger light-rail trains or 1,500-passenger heavy-rail or commuter-rail trains -- no longer works in American cities. Modern urban areas have far more jobs scattered across the suburbs than concentrated in downtowns.
2018-05-07: Governing: Why We Need to Stop Subsidizing Public Transit, by Randal O'Toole
The great experiment of socializing public transit has failed. Instead of trying to rescue transit, we should stop subsidizing it, saving taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year. It's obsolete and costs taxpayers billions, yet its ridership and productivity continue to decline. There are better ways to improve urban transportation.
2018-05-02: WTOP: NoVa Metro 2018-Q1 ridership down 1.8% from 2017-Q1, by Max Smith
Metro ridership is down 1.8% in Northern Virginia, even compared with a period a year ago that had major track work disruptions, when part of the Blue Line was shut down for two weeks and then the Blue and Yellow lines were single-tracking for nearly a month.
2018-04-25: NBC4: Major Concrete Issues Found in $2.7B Silver Line Extension, by Adam Tuss
Significant concrete issues have been found in potentially thousands of locations along the second phase of the $2.7 billion Silver Line Metro extension in Northern Virginia, raising serious questions about the durability of concrete and quality control in the largest transportation project in the region.
2018-04-20: WaPo: Robbing highways for Metro funding is a bad idea, by Tracy C. Miller, GMU
About two-thirds of Virginia's new funding commitment comes at the expense of improvements to roads and highways in Northern Virginia. But fewer than 35% of jobs in the D.C. area are accessible to residents by transit in 90 minutes or less, while area residents can reach almost all jobs by auto in less than an hour. And sparse Silver Line usage makes Metro's deficits even worse.
2018-03-21: WTOP: Fairfax Co pushes for changes to Va. Metro funding deal, by Max Smith
Fairfax County supervisors slammed Virginia's landmark Metro funding agreement Tuesday, as they prepared to join other Northern Virginia groups to plead with the governor to avoid taking as much of the $154 million per year out of existing regional transportation projects.
2018-03-21: WaPo: Falling transit ridership poses an 'emergency' for cities, by Faiz Siddiqui
Transit ridership fell in 31 of 35 major metropolitan areas in the U.S. last year, including each of the seven cities that serve the majority of riders, with losses largely stemming from buses, but punctuated by reliability issues on systems like Metro, according to an annual overview of public transit usage.
2018-03-20: Reason: Outsourcing Metro's Silver Line Phase 2 Could Improve Operations
The potential to improve operations through a public-private partnership is a positive move, considering the poor track record of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
2018-02-26: WaPo: How about tolling I-66 drivers going both directions?, by Luz Lazo
Tolls as high as $47.25 one way on the new I-66 Express Lanes have outraged outside-the-beltway commuters and captured national headlines in recent weeks. Now, some Virginia lawmakers say tolling only those commuters traveling in the peak-direction lanes isn't fair, so they want tolling on both sides of the road.
2018-02-08: WTOP: Va. House GOP unveils their Metro funding plan, by Max Smith
The new version of a bill sponsored by Del. Tim Hugo, chairman of the Republican Caucus, was unanimously approved by the House Transportation Committee and will serve as a counter in negotiations with the state Senate over a final Metro funding bill. It would provide Metro $105 million a year, less than the roughly $150 million requested, and would only do so if Metro limits operating spending increases to 2 percent per year.
2018-01-30: WTOP: New bill in Congress promises more money for Metro if..., by Max Smith
Metro would get billions more in federal funding in exchange for a more powerful inspector general and better service under a new proposal to be introduced in Congress by Gerry Connolly. But the bill does not include any of the substantial management, financial or pension reforms advocated on a bipartisan basis by numerous transportation experts and Metro advocates.
2018-01-10: FCNP: Fx Co Kept in Dark About WMATA Plans to Develop W. Falls Church
West Falls Church Metro station site has been losing about $1 million a year since the Silver Line opened, siphoning off passenger traffic from points west on the Orange Line from where it merges with the Orange Line at the East Falls Church Metro station. WMATA's new plans there "plays into the authority's work to monetize its real estate holdings and increase ridership."
2017-12-28: Bacon's rebellion: Do Metro and VRE Really Boost Virginia Tax Revenues by $600M?
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) issued a press release on Sept 5 claiming that Metrorail and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) boost state revenues by $600 million, and that Virginia's investment in rail transit provides a 250% return on investment. The NVTC is charged with the funding and stewardship of those two agencies in Virginia, so this claim may not be completely unbiased.
2017-12-21: House.gov: Metro gets Golden Fleece Award for Wasteful Spending -- Press Release
Dear Mr. Wiedefeld:
I write today to inform you that your agency is this month's recipient of my Golden Fleece Award. I am awarding this to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for its wasteful spending, its failure to its customers, and its institutional lack of accountability. -- Congressman French Hill (R-AR)
2017-12-18: WaPo: Gov McAuliffe proposes higher taxes in NoVa to support Metro - R. McCartney
Northern Virginians would pay higher taxes on real estate sales, hotel stays and wholesale gasoline to provide Metro with long-sought dedicated funding under a proposal to be announced Monday by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). The new tax revenue of $65 million a year would be in addition to $85 million that Northern Virginia already earmarks for Metro.
2017-12-05: WaPo: I-66 express lanes debut with $34.50 toll, among U.S. highest, by Luz Lazo
The I-66 toll lanes opened Monday in Washington's Northern Virginia suburbs with prices so steep they could be among the highest drivers have paid for the privilege of traveling on a state-owned highway in the United States, with tolls of $34.50 -- or close to $3.50 a mile -- to drive the 10-mile stretch from the Beltway to Washington during the height of the morning commute.
2017-12-04: WT: Virginia road grinch steals Christmas, by Deborah Simmons
The Grinch -- ie, Mr. McAuliffe -- decided to begin stealing Christmas 2017 a few years back. Now, as he begins to exit stage left, Mr. McAuliffe reveals how he's been taking money directly out of the hands of his favorite constituency: the hard-working people of Virginia.
2017-11-21: FCTA: DC & NYC Mass Transits on Collision Courses, by Thomas Cranmer
Politicians have ducked and run from recommending what to do with the D.C. Metro and N.Y. subway disastrous conditions. While reports on funding solutions have been proffered in both jurisdictions, the most obvious potential source of funding, the riders, was ignored in both reports.
2017-09-02: WaPo: Region's leaders clash sharply over Metro funding, by Robert McCartney
In a closed-door meeting last week, the region's top three elected officials clashed sharply over Metro funding. Md. Gov. Hogan (R) said Maryland could not afford to give Metro more money and flatly ruled out asking the legislature or counties to raise taxes to do so. Va. Gov. McAuliffe (D) supports a new tax or other dedicated funding but warned that Virginia's Republican-controlled legislature would not approve additional money.
2017-07-20: FCTA: Resolution to fund Metrorail without tax increases, by Arthur Purves
Resolved, that FCTA: 1) urges the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to oppose all tax increases for WMATA; 2) urges the Supervisors to instead recommend funding Metrorail capital needs from rail system tax revenues; 3) urges the General Assembly to allow transportation taxes to be used for capital costs as well as new construction; and 4) urges WMATA to declare bankruptcy if capital needs cannot be funded without yet another tax hike.
2017-07-18: WT: D.C. Metro replaces all old rail cars with safer series, by Jason Tidd
Metro finally has retired its 41-year-old rail cars -- seven years after federal inspectors said they posed "an unacceptable risk" to subway riders and were partially to blame for the transit system's deadliest crash. The transit agency last month removed the last of its 1000 Series and 4000 Series rail cars from the tracks and replaced them with the sleek, safer 7000 Series.
2017-07-07: WaPo: 'Buy America' imposes costly burdens on Metro, by Faiz Siddiqui
Transit agencies across the country are shouldering higher infrastructure costs that strain budgets and make the systems more expensive overall than their overseas counterparts -- and "Buy America" is a likely driver of those expenses, a right-leaning think tank says.
2017-07-04: FCTA: Metrorail, The Poster Child for Democrat Misrule, by Arthur Purves
That is how Democrats govern. Metrorail safety and reliability is secondary. The priority is getting union support at elections with unaffordable raises and benefits. With Democrats, it is government of the unions, by the unions, and for the unions.
2017-06-19: Examiner: Let's face it, DC's Metro is the worst in the world, by Jason Russell
Riders of D.C.'s Metrorail subway system might feel they deserve a reward for enduring more than a year of SafeTrack delays. Instead, riders are getting hit with fare increases and service cuts, effective June 25. Perhaps it's what they should have expected. After all, mismangement is a chronic feature of the subway system in the capital of the richest country in the world.
2017-06-08: WTOP: I-66 toll plans nearly final, by Max Smith
Newly revised plans for Interstate 66 toll lanes between the Beltway and U.S. 29 in Gainesville that will be formally presented to the public next week are nearly final, the private companies designing and building the lanes said.
2017-04-19: WaPo: Metro GM proposes 'new business model', $500M/yr in extra funding
GM Paul Wiedefeld said Metro needs $15.5 billion over the next 10 years for investments to "remain safe and reliable," an average increase of nearly 30% over the agency's previous request. Two funding proposals that have been floated are a 1-cent regional sales tax, which would generate about $500 million a year, and a tax on property close to Metro stations.
2017-03-19: WTOP: Tax increase favored for Va. transit shortfall, by Max Smith
Money keeping Virginia's transit systems from falling apart is set to drop by more than 40 percent over the next three years, and a state panel is preparing to recommend increasing the regional gas tax or other taxes to close the gap.
2017-02-28: WTOP: 24/7 work drives Metro ridership down 41% at Vienna station, by Max Smith
Metro ridership has dropped dramatically at stations affected by 24/7 track work, new numbers show, including a 41.2 percent decline in the last three months of 2016 at the Vienna station.
2017-01-25: FCTA: NoVa Transportation Committee meeting in Reston, by Charles McAndrew
Estimated Metro shortfall $290M for FY18, costing $39M for Virginia and $239.6M for Fairfax County.
2017-01-20: Reston Now: Fx Co Supervisors to Further Discuss Reston Transportation Projects
On January 24, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will discuss a proposed February public hearing on the funding plan for Reston transportation projects. The details ...
2017-01-04: Downsizing Fed Govt: History and Costs of Urban Transit, by Randal O'Toole
American taxpayers can no longer afford costly and inefficient government transit systems, particularly rail transit systems. Federal subsidies ought to be eliminated and local governments should open transit to private and entrepreneurial solutions to relieving congestion.
2016-12-17: WaPo: Local gov'ts alarmed at projected cost of Metro fix, by Robert McCartney
Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld has spent much of his first year studying how much it will cost to fix the region's transit system. The price tag is a lot higher than local government officials say they expected or can afford. The total projected additional cost for the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia exceeds $1 billion over the next three years.
2016-12-15: WaPo: Metro fires six, finds inspectors falsified records, by Siddiqui Powers
Metro fired six workers after determining that nearly half of the agency's 60-person track-inspection department created a pattern of fabrication and negligence that led to the derailment of a Silver Line train in July, the transit agency said Thursday. The fired employees falsified track-inspection records for as long as three years, officials said.
2016-12-06: WTOP: Upcoming I-66 toll lane briefing, vote still has opponents, by Max Smith
Plans to put new toll lanes on I-66 similar to the Express Lanes on the Capital Beltway are moving forward this week, with VDOT is set to close a $2.3B deal with a group of private companies to design, build, and operate the lanes. Del. Bob Marshall, who represents the western end of the area, has long opposed any toll plans and is still hoping for changes to the project.
2016-11-04: Sun Gazette: Fx commuters prefer express-bus service over Metro, by B. Trompeter
Fairfax County officials shuffled some buses around this year to help area commuters cope with Metrorail's SafeTrack improvements. Officials subsequently got a pleasant surprise: Many riders on those bus routes preferred that service to Metro and were keen to see what had been a temporary fix turned into a permanent option.
2016-09-07: WAMU: Steep Transit Losses Continue at Metro, and Nationwide, by Martin DiCaro
The Metrorail and bus systems saw steep declines in ridership in the fiscal year that ended in June, continuing a long downward trend set to cause budget problems for years to come. But even the New York subway system is detecting problems, reflecting a "general pattern of decline in transit ridership (subway and bus) across North America."
2016-08-25: Sun Gazette: Vienna debuts unique new mini-roundabout, by Brian Trompeter
Vienna's first-ever mini-roundabout at Park and Locust Streets S.E., opened to the public during the third weekend of August and motorists so far seem to be getting the hang of negotiating the circle. But one motorist drove straight over the roundabout's mountable curb and through the intersection, as if the circle were not there at all.
2016-08-08: WaPo: FTA blasts Metro track maintenance program, by M. Powers and F. Siddiqui
A new Federal Transit Administration report Monday blasted Metro's track inspection and repair protocol for "systemic safety deficiencies", citing last month's derailment of two rail cars as an example of how the agency continues to prioritize service over safety.
2016-08-02: WTOP: How I-66 toll lanes outside the Beltway will work, by Max Smith
Final plans for new HOV or toll lanes along more than 20 miles of Interstate 66 are due next month, but preliminary documents provide new insight into what the two toll lanes and three regular highway lanes in each direction will look like when the project is complete around 2021.
2016-08-02: WT: Metro GM Wiedefeld moves into Phase 3 (incl job cuts), by Deborah Simmons
Job cuts at the region's Metro system are coming. Metro GM Paul Wiedefeld's goal is to make the beleaguered transit system "fiscally accountable" by restructuring management and downsizing the workforce. Metro faces an $18 billion capital budget deficit, a $2.5 billion unfunded pension liability and a $300 million shortfall in its final 2018 budget.
2016-07-08: WaPo: Transform 66 is yet another transportation mistake, by Stuart Whitaker
Transform 66 is a $2 billion plan to build toll lanes on I-66. Although it would be privately financed, the project requires up to $600 million in state and local funds, and would create a 50-year partnership that would survive long past my lifetime and lock our children and grandchildren into an auto-dependent transportation model from the Eisenhower administration. Bad deal!
2016-06-27: PlanItMetro: Growth Mode or Stuck in Neutral? Or Both?, by Shyam
Population and jobs are up, but regional travel is down. Why? The very nature of trip-making may be changing in this region. More households, more jobs, and trip-making is flat or perhaps down -- regardless of mode.
2016-06-08: Watchdog.org: Light rail runs at heavy price in Dallas, Houston, by Kenric Ward
Houston's Metro rail is catching up to Dallas' DART trains in ridership, but both systems are more dependent than ever on taxpayer subsidies. DART's government subsidies were nearly nine times the amount of its fare revenue of $71,012,000 last year. In Houston, each $1.25 Metro rail ticket is supplemented by $4.75 in subsidies.
2016-06-08: WaPo: Silver Line should never have been born, by Fredrick Kunkle
The Silver Line was Washington's most expensive transportation project ever. Fewer people than projected now pay to ride. And its terminus is still miles from Dulles Airport and it doesn't stop in a transit-friendly walkable community -- and, no, not Tysons Corner. But, hey, those big real estate developers have sure made bank.
2016-06-03: WaPo: Not a dime more for Metro -- yet, by Paul Kupiec & Ryan Nabil
Metro has many problems, but the biggest one is not inadequate taxpayer support. Taxpayers provide a subsidy of $2.02 for each Metro passenger trip. In contrast, New York's system receives a subsidy of $1.92 per ride. Even the wildly inefficient Amtrak system receives only a $0.25 subsidy per passenger mile, compared with $0.42 for Metro.
2016-05-18: WT: Privatize D.C. Metro?, by Deborah Simmons
Many of you do not know and do not remember that public transit used to be privately owned and operated. And it's time to query whether Metro, the D.C. region's public and heavily subsidized transit system, should be privatized.
2016-05-11: WT: The Taking of Pelham Metro One-Two-Three, by Deborah Simmons
Like the transit workers and hijackers in the original 1974 Hollywood flick "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three," passengers and overseers of the D.C. region's system, Metro, are situated between a rock (money) and a hard place (public safety). In "Pelham," the money involves a finite amount; with Metro, not so much.
2016-05-11: WT: Metro faces $18B budget shortfall in next decade, Ryan M. McDermott
Metro faces an $18 billion capital deficit over the next 10 years, news that shook regional lawmakers and prompted one to suggest privatizing the long-troubled transit agency.
2016-04-16: Connection: Reston traffic goes from Difficult to Impossible, by Terry Maynard
Fairfax County's Department of Transportation (FCDOT) has completed a traffic impact analysis, which shows that Reston commuters can routinely expect morning and evening "peak period" traffic delays at intersections along Reston's major streets near the Dulles Corridor, to earn a grade of "F".
2016-04-10: Examiner: Tragic deterioration of DC's Great Society Subway, by Michael Barone
If government is what we decide to do together, Metro seemed to be government at its best. Forty years later, it has come to be government at its dreariest, with employees more concerned about overtime pay and pensions than serving the public.
2016-03-15: Connection: No E-Z Answers on I-66 Inside the Beltway, by Andrea Worker
On March 9, VDOT hosted the third and final Design Public Hearing on their plans to improve I-66 inside the Beltway by the addition of another lane of traffic and by the conversion of the road to a completely tolled thoroughfare during peak morning and evening travel hours. VDOT was woefully unprepared, and many questions remained unanswered.
2016-02-03: WaPo: DC Metro hires top bankruptcy lawyer to help fix troubled finances
"We'll have discussions with the jurisdictions," which have tightened the purse strings on Metro. "We might have discussions with the unions, either in the context of contracts or in the area of pensions and other benefits. There's a potential for a lot of engagement on reducing our expenses." [No kidding!]
2016-02-03: FCTA: Response to WaPo article on DC Metro problems, by Rob Whitfield
Those assigned by Virginia to the WMATA Board, plus members of Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, members of the General Assembly, VDOT Secretaries, the DRPT Administrators and recent Governors of Virginia have ALL totally failed the public in fulfilling their oversight duties for WMATA.
2016-01-12: FCTA: I-66 Tolling Plan Inside Beltway Wrong, by Rob Whitfield prior to Va-GA
The proposed I 66 tolling plan for Inside the Capital Beltway (ITCB) is wrong both as a matter of principle and as a misuse of our principal.
2015-12-09: Washingtonian: The History of How Metro Got So Bad, by Mullins & Gaynor
Here is another take on Metro's severe culture and personnel problems, similar to the 2012-03-26 three-part investigative series by the Washington Times (further down on this page).
2015-12-09: AP: Virginia board approves tolls on I-66 for solo drivers, by Matthew Barakat
McLEAN, Va. (AP) - The Commonwealth Transportation Board unanimously approved a plan Wednesday to allow solo motorists to begin driving on Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway during rush hour if they are willing to pay a toll.
2015-11-20: WaPo: Va. to extend I-95/395 HOT lanes north to D.C. line, by Robert Thomson
The Virginia government and a private partner have reached agreement to expand the I-95 Express Lanes north eight miles to the D.C. line, replacing the High-Occupancy Vehicle system on I-395 up to the area near the Pentagon.
2015-11-02: Connection: The truth behind I-66 inside the Beltway, by Aubrey Layne
Virginia's Secretary of Transportation expresses his understanding of the McAuliffe administration's proposal to improve I-66 inside the Beltway.
2015-11-01: Fx Free Citizen: McAuliffe Lying Again? ...about I-66 tolls, by Ronald Henry
The Governor's claim was certainly untrue when he was trying to impose the toll simultaneously in both directions because the HOV restrictions only apply eastbound in the morning and westbound in the evening, never both ways at once under the current rules.
2015-10-23: Fx Times: I-66 tolling, widening defended by VDOT, by Angela Woolsey
VDOT's I-66 presentation Monday evening at Oakton High School highlighted the ability to move more people, greater travel reliability, reduced daily congestion, and less commuter traffic on local roads among the benefits of the proposed I-66 changes. Residents are still concerned about the price tag, the tolls, and the impact on environment and neighborhoods.
2015-10-21: Bisnow: Til Hazel thinks traffic could kill NoVa office space, by Tania Anderson
NoVa real estate pioneer Til Hazel says transportation is the biggest threat to any future growth in NoVa and will only grow Fairfax County's 18% vacancy rate. He blames politicians for appealing to the "antis" who've opposed any growth for several decades. And he's dubious of the Silver Line and says so far it's only left Fairfax and Loudoun counties $3B in debt.
2015-10-11: Bull Elephant: McAuliffe's I-66 Mega-Toll Madness, by Delegate Dave LaRock
Delegate LaRock adds his voice to the Republican opposition to Governor McAuliffe's plan to levy new tolls without adding new lane capacity on I-66 and use the toll revenue for low-priority pedestrian and bike improvements. And how about that "Tax Pig" pic (with a rather nice supporting cast)?
2015-10-08: Connection: New Tolls on I-66: Will That Help?, by Marissa Beale
New tolls are presented as the first step to reducing heavy traffic on I-66, but some voice doubts. "I am unsure how tolls are going to improve congestion," said Thomas Cranmer, a civil engineer present during the meeting. "[VDOT] provided no cost details. The only reply was it would be about $50 million."
2015-10-06: Fx Free Citizen: VDOT to I-66 Drivers: Abandon Your Cars!, by Tim Hannigan, FCTA
VDOT officials openly stated at a public hearing in its Fairfax facility on Monday evening that its plans for reducing the insufferable traffic congestion on the I-66 corridor Inside the Beltway do NOT call for increasing road capacity but instead encourage travelers to increase their use of "multimodal" transportation solutions.
2015-10-02: Bull Elephant: House Republicans Call on McAuliffe to Shelve I-66 Toll Plan
Republicans outlined their opposition to Governor McAuliffe's plan to levy new tolls without adding new lane capacity on I-66 and use the toll revenue for low-priority pedestrian and bike improvements. This plan completely misplaces priorities and will fail to provide real congestion relief.
2015-09-29: Sun Gazette: Metrorail "maxed out", Pr Wm expansion unlikely, by Jill Palermo
It'll take an Act of Congress to extend Metro to Prince William County -- and that's probably the easy part. Metro tells supervisors that stretching the rail line another 16 miles south toward Potomac Mills is currently not possible because the "core" of the 117-mile rail system is already "maxed out".
2015-09-17: Sun Gazette: VDOT touts HOT-lanes on I-66 to Haymarket, by Brian Trompeter
If you think the Beltway's HOT lanes are a good idea and have improved traffic flow, you're going to love the fact that VDOT has decided to do the same on I-66 between the Beltway and Haymarket. And those additional fly-over "spaghetti" off-ramps from the Beltway will require taking down 11 houses in Dunn Loring.
2015-09-17: Watchdog.org: Traffic between DC and Virginia will worsen with new EPA ozone regs
A new study claims EPA's new ozone limits will be so restrictive that large parts of Virginia won't meet compliance, and the feds may withhold funding for projects such as Virginia's $2-3 billion plan addressing congestion on I-66 outside the Capital Beltway and the capacity extension for VRE if the commonwealth fails to meet emissions targets.
2015-09-09: WT: Cities compete to devise the worst solutions for gridlock -- D.C. vs L.A.
Washington has displaced Los Angeles as the city with the longest commutes. But L.A. is valiantly trying to win back the title by transforming hundreds of miles of automobile traffic lanes into bus lanes and bicycle paths. "What they're trying to do is make congestion so bad, you'll have to get out of your car."
2015-09-03: Sun Gazette: VDOT chief presses case for I-66 tolling, by Scott McCaffrey
2015-08-21: WaPo: VDOT appears to be not interested in carpooling, by Dr. Gridlock
"If Virginia was really interested in supporting carpooling instead of having a cash cow, they would change their HOV3 policy to HOV2, like Maryland." -- George J. Leiby, Middletown
2015-08-03: Sun Gazette: Plan for tolls on I-66 inside Beltway still drawing flak
At an Aug. 1 feedback forum, it seemed VDOT's promises to take into account community concerns weren't turning many frowns upside down.
2015-07-21: Examiner: D.C. metro highlights false beliefs driving transit industry
D.C. Metrorail -- the 17th-largest system in the world -- is unreliable, unpleasant, expensive and occasionally deadly. It has become so because the system through which it operates is outdated and incredibly resistant to any sort of change, from innovation, to private investment to energetic leadership.
2015-07-21: LeMunyon: No I-66 tolls inside beltway! -- letter to VDOT's Aubrey Layne
Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67-Fairfax/Loudoun) has called for a halt to plans to toll and not widen I-66 inside the Beltway. The plans were first announced by Virginia's Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne in March 2015, and have support from certain local government officials in Fairfax and Arlington Counties.
2015-07-21: Connection: Issues over Improving I-66 -- letter from FCFCA's Jeff Parnes
The Fairfax Co Federation of Citizens Associations offers the following recommendations for improving I-66: 1) If tolling is implemented, funds collected should be confined to the I-66 corridor; 2) A Dulles Airport Access Road connector should be included; 3) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) should be implemented west of Vienna; 4) Hours of operation need to be standardized.
2015-06-17: Fx Ti404: Residents skeptical about I-66 tolling plan, by Kali Schumitz
That section of I-66 is currently restricted to vehicles with two or more passengers during peak commuting hours. VDOT would like to change that to HOV-3 while also adding a tolling option for vehicles with fewer passengers, similar to the 495 and 95 Express Lanes.
2015-06-06: Chap Petersen: How proposed I-66 changes affect Commuters and Neighbors
"I am in awe of my Arlington colleagues who have lobbied to keep I-66 narrowed to four lanes inside their jurisdiction. So why are Fairfax County homeowners not given the same deference? Why do we have to accommodate ten lanes, plus a bike lane?"
2015-05-29: Fx Ti404: Residents push for new I-66 alternatives, by Kali Schumitz
VDOT has been forging ahead with its planning process for the highway and transit project, continuing to work toward a 2017 construction start, despite objections from residents. The proposal would widen I-66 to include three general-purpose lanes and two high occupancy toll lanes in each direction between the Capital Beltway and Gainesville.
2015-05-13: Fx Ti404: VDOT reduces property impact of I-66 plans, by Kali Schumitz
With a series of engineering tweaks, the Virginia Department of Transportation has significantly reduced the number of homes that might be claimed by widening Interstate 66. However, the changes are not enough to assuage the many residents and environmental groups that would like to see VDOT take a different approach entirely and not widen the road.
2015-04-29: Fx Ti404: I-66 in spotlight at road funding hearing, by Kali Schumitz
VDOT is proposing to widen I-66 outside the Capital Beltway to three regular lanes and two high occupancy toll lanes in each direction. VDOT is also considering options for improving I-66 inside the beltway, including introducing a tolling option during peak hours and increasing the numbers of people who use transit, bike or walk in the corridor.
2015-04-25: Examiner: Why fixed-rail mass transit is a niche transportation mode
Fixed-rail transit is far less flexible than bus transit and far less attractive except for those traveling to downtown locations.
2015-02-05: Fx Free Citizen: VDOT I-66 Plans Outside Beltway, by FCTA's Charles McAndrews
At a Feb 3 public information hearing at Oakton High School, officials from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) outlined the proposed plan to improve 25 miles of I-66 from the Beltway (I-495) to Haymarket (US Route 15).
2014-12-17: FxCo: "Unfunded" Transportation Projects -- currently being considered
A list of projects Fairfax County has identified as necessary to maintain a safe and efficient transportation network. These projects are currently not funded.
2014-11-27: WaPo: Dulles International Airport struggles to find its footing, Lori Aratani
Washington Dulles International Airport is in trouble. The most alarming evidence: Sometime next year, more passengers will travel through Reagan National Airport than Dulles -- an airport 14 times National's size. For Virginia leaders, as well as the agency that manages both airports, it is a deeply troubling development.
2014-11-26: FCTA: Results of Transportation Meeting with Del. Tom Rust, by Chuck McAndrew
The purpose of this meeting was to emphasize that FCTA wants to see evidence that the additional funding from the recent sales tax increase, grantors tax increase, and transit occupancy tax increase, which is supposed to give Northern Va. 70% of the funds, is being honored. (See LETTER in Fairfax Free Citizen.)
2014-11-20: WAMU: 2,000 Miles Of Bicycle, Pedestrian Projects Recommended By Regional Planners
Thousands of miles of bike lanes and pedestrian pathways are planned for the Washington region over the next several decades. The aim is to get people out of their cars and onto bikes or walking paths for the many short trips they make each day.
2014-11-13: Fx Free Citizen: LeMunyon's Transportation Update -- by Del Jim LeMunyon
Editor's Note: Delegate Jim LeMunyon (R, VA-67) provided the following, very informative "Transportation Update" to his constituents yesterday (November 12). Thanks much to Delegate LeMunyon for keeping the public informed about ongoing activities and plans to improve transportation in this heavily traffic congested area.
2014-10-30: WaPo: In $100M Fx Co Transportation Bond Issue, only $16M for Roads, by Dr Gridlock
But $78M for sidewalks and $6M for bicycle paths.
2014-10-28: FxCo: County Adopts First Bicycle Master Plan -- "key means of transportation"
"This bicycle master plan maps out 1,130 miles in recommended, new on- and off-road bike routes. These new bikeways -- along with the 353 miles in existing bike lanes, shared-use paths and trails -- form a connected network across the county. It will allow bicyclists from age 8 to 80-plus to enjoy a safe, easy way to ride."
2014-09-25: FABB: Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling -- Influential Fx Co lobby group
Ever wonder why we're seeing so much attention being given by Fairfax County to bicycling at the expense of roads? Who knew there was a web site dedicated to further eroding your driving experience with your tax dollars? On Nov 4, vote NO on the Transportation Bond!
2014-09-09: Fx Free Citizen: No Financial Feasibility Studies for No VA Transit, R Whitfield
The McAuliffe administration favors investment in transit projects over highways in the near term. Highways will continue to be subjected to rigorous pre-approval analysis, while no similar feasibility analysis or preview is being required of transit projects.
2014-08-05: The Economist: Why trams are a waste of money
European tramlines tend to be fairly long and isolated from other traffic, which ensures a swifter journey. But in America streetcars travel shorter distances along rails that mix with other traffic, so streetcars invariably inch along. ...it is no solution to America's public transport problems.
2014-07-11: ACTA: Constructing the Columbia Pike Streetcar on Fiscal Sand?
The Virginia Municipal League (VML) told Virginia's local governments that state "general fund revenue collections portend tough times ahead", and the federal "transportation spigot (was) running dry". So Virginia is broke. But that didn't stop it from kicking in an additional $65 million for the Columbia Pike street car project.
2014-06-24: VDOT: Route 7 Widening - Reston Ave to Jarrett Valley Dr
This project proposes to widen a 6.9-mile segment of Route 7 from four to six lanes between Reston Ave and Jarrett Valley Dr, to increase capacity, decrease congestion and improve safety in conformity with the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan.
2014-03-24: Examiner: Facts expose myths of mass transit growth, decline in American driving
Two myths are persistently peddled by mass transit advocates, environmentalists and others who want to restore the 19th Century model of city life. The first myth is that mass transit usage is going up dramatically, which is closely related to the second myth that Americans are driving less.
2014-01-10: FCTA: Transparency in Law Making and Widening Rt 7 from Reston Ave to Tysons
In a letter to Del. Tom Rust, FCTA's Tom Cranmer discusses the lack of transparency in passing the Transportation Tax Bill, lack of candor to the public about funds mostly going to transit projects rather than roads, and lack of a budget item for expanding Route 7 from Reston Avenue to Tysons.
2013-12-xx: GMU: Outlook for Transit Commuting in the Washington Metro Area
George Mason University's Center for Regional Analysis studies current and future transit patterns in the D.C. area. Just one in seven commuters use public transit; this figure is expected to remain constant through 2040.
2013-12-05: PlanItMetro: Proposed 2040 Metrorail Network
2013-02-06: Examiner: Few violators pay Dulles Toll Road fines, by Liz Essley
More than a million violations on the Dulles Toll Road in 2012 never resulted in a ticket being issued, The Washington Examiner has learned. Only 95,269 people got tickets in the mail -- meaning that fewer than one of every 10 violators ever received a ticket.
2012-xx-xx: GMU: Connecting Transportation Investment and the Economy in Metro Washington
George Mason University's Center for Regional Analysis finds that the D.C. area's transportation modes will change very little with the area's economic growth over the next thirty years.
2012-10-15: Sun Gazette: Smart-Growth Group Disputes GMU Transportation Report
Activists pushing for transit and mixed-use development are taking issue with a new Center for Regional Analysis report that predicts automobile usage barely will decline as the region's prime mode of transportation over the next three decades.
2012-03-26: WT: DC Metro, culture of complicity -- Parts 1, 2, & 3, by Luke Rosiak
Part 1: Metro derailed by culture of complacence, incompetence, lack of diversity
Part 2: Even with big salaries, Metro can't fill its jobs
Part 3: Metro transit police: Not quite the region's finest
2010-05-12: GreaterWash: What do Metro employees really make?, by Michael Perkins
WMATA provided data about employee salaries, bonuses, overtime and benefits for fiscal year 2009. Is the $100,000 bus driver a myth, or reality? Does Metro depend on a lot of overtime? Are bonuses incredibly high, or used primarily as a symbolic recognition of a job well done?
2009-04-27: FxCo: Fund 700, Route 28 Tax District - FY 2010 Adopted Budget
Under the terms of the agreement with the state, the District will fund 75 percent of defined Phase I and Phase II improvements and the state will fund 25 percent.
2007-05-29: Examiner: Metro gives staff free ride to retirement, by D. Francis
Unlike most American workers, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority employees receive handsome pensions without ever contributing a penny to their pension fund. The annual pension payments, some unusually generous, are funded entirely by Metro riders and taxpayers.
2004-10-20: WaPo: In Northern Virginia, It's Rail vs Road Repairs, by Steven Ginsberg
Opponents of the rail project say better roads are a cheaper way to move people. They condemn the plan to finance part of the project's cost -- which could be as much as $4 billion -- by raising the cost for motorists who use the Dulles Toll Road.