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FY2022-2027 Six Year Program

Application

During the application phase (from July 1, 2021 – October, 1 2021), Northern Virginia jurisdictions and agencies were able to apply for NVTA regional funds. Eligible applicants include the region’s counties, cities, five largest towns, transit agencies and other state/regional governmental entities. Individual applicants follow their own local processes for selecting candidate projects and determining how much funding to request. This may include coordinating with other jurisdictions/agencies depending on project location.

Call for Regional Transportation Projects

On June 10, 2021, the Authority unanimously approved the Call for Regional Transportation Projects (CfRTP) for the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program (SYP) Update.

Nearly a month later, on July 1, 2021, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority posted the official CfRTP for its FY2022-2027 Six Year Program. Once again, the CfRTP encouraged applicants to consider how well candidate projects support the regional coherence philosophy integral to TransAction. In anticipation of a high demand for regional revenues, the CfRTP further encouraged applicants to highlight how well their candidate projects complement one another and those in adjacent jurisdictions. Applicants were encouraged to consider NVTA’s core values of equity, sustainability, and safety when submitting applications. All projects considered for regional revenues are subject to a comprehensive regional evaluation process that uses multiple inputs and does not rely on a single metric.

Please check out additional details in a series of short videos that will be posted here to keep you informed about the Six Year Program Update review process, each step of the way.

Monica Backmon, CEO (previously recorded as Executive Director), Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, announces the next Six Year Program Update and official Call for Regional Transportation Projects for NVTA’s FY2022-FY2027 Six Year Program.

Initial Evaluation Process

The applications for Regional Transportation Projects for the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program were due on October 1, 2021, marking the start of NVTA’s initial evaluation process. All projects considered for regional revenues are subject to a comprehensive evaluation process.

Verification

During the verification phase (from October 2, 2021 – early December 2021), NVTA staff met with applicants individually and conducted multiple eligibility reviews for each application:

  • Virginia Code requires for a project to receive NVTA regional funds, it must be included in TransAction, the long-range transportation plan for Northern Virginia. Eligible projects will be included in the TransAction project list, which is the source document NVTA staff uses to verify project eligibility. Since TransAction is geographically unconstrained, some projects included in the current TransAction project list extend beyond Northern Virginia because they are important to mobility within Northern Virginia. Under exceptional circumstances, NVTA may fund projects that extend beyond Northern Virginia using regional funds. However, projects included in TransAction that are located outside Northern Virginia are generally ineligible.
  • NVTA’s process for accepting applications necessitates that each applicant’s governing body, typically a County Board of Supervisors or a City/Town Council, has officially endorsed them. The requested amount can be either a precise amount or a ‘not to exceed’ value. Applications that do not include a governing body resolution, or that request a higher amount than that stated in the governing body resolution, are ineligible. Projects that are located in multiple jurisdictions require a governing body resolution from all jurisdictions.

Submitted Regional Transportation Project Applications

On December 9, 2021, the Authority was presented the latest update on the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program, including an overview of total applications received. Nine Northern Virginia jurisdictions and localities submitted 26 applications to NVTA for funding consideration, with a combined request of more than $1.2 billion. To view a summary of project applications, modal breakouts, and funding requests by each jurisdiction and locality, please see the linked chart and map below. You can also check out Part II of our Six Year Program Update video series, providing additional information.

Summary Chart of FY2022-2027 Six Year Program Candidate Projects

FY2022-2027 Six Year Program Candidate Project Map

Monica Backmon, NVTA CEO, provides an update on the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program, discusses candidate projects and outlines next steps.

Table 1: Summary of Applications by Jurisdiction/Locality

Click to Enlarge

Evaluation

During the evaluation phase (November 2021 – March 2022), NVTA staff will conduct detailed reviews of each application and prepare summaries of quantitative and qualitative evaluations. During March 2022, NVTA staff will share initial findings with selected NVTA committees for review and comment. All meetings are open to the public:

NVTA staff will review the project applications, conduct eligibility verifications, request clarifications, and prepare information for the modeling and other analytical work, including congestion reduction relative to cost calculations.

The project application process will be automated, enabling jurisdiction/agency staff to submit applications through an online portal. This greatly streamlines the application process for both NVTA and jurisdiction/agency staff. Additionally, staff from each jurisdiction/agency will be invited to meet with NVTA staff to present their respective applications and to provide an early opportunity for NVTA staff to request clarifications. Candidate projects will advance to the detailed project evaluation phase. It is noted that project details may change during the evaluation phase to reflect any updates that are received by NVTA staff. A breakdown of applications based on the primary mode for the project applications will be provided once ready. Please note that the projects may support other modes too.

A variety of materials are listed below, as part of the Public Comment Period phase of the Six Year Program Update. 

For more information on how NVTA evaluates regionally significant transportation projects, please visit our NVTATransAction.org website to learn more about TransAction Project Ratings (previously HB 599 ratings).

Public Engagement

During the March 10, 2022 Northern Virginia Transportation Authority business meeting, the NVTA unanimously approved the Public Hearing and Public Comment Period for the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program (SYP). As part of the NVTA’s SYP Update, the public was invited to provide feedback on a list of 26 candidate transportation projects submitted by nine Northern Virginia jurisdictions and localities for regional funding consideration, with a combined request of more than $1.2 billion. The projects being evaluated cover multiple modes of transportation, including railway, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), roadways, pedestrian/bicycle pathways, and transportation technologies.

The Public Comment Period began April 15, 2022 and concluded May 22, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, with the SYP Public Hearing held on May 12, 2022 at 7 p.m. 

The following materials were made available for public comment:

Please reference our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), for further clarification about the aforementioned packet materials for comment and the Six Year Program Update process.

Monica Backmon, NVTA CEO, explains the FY2022-2027 Public Comment Period and how to participate.

The public was invited to provide comment on 26 multimodal transportation projects submitted by 9 jurisdictions across Northern Virginia, for regional funding consideration. A hybrid Public Hearing was held on May 12, 2022, along with a Six Year Program Overview presentation just prior to testimony.

As part of the Six Year Program Update Video Series, Erica Hawksworth, Communications & Public Affairs Manager, NVTA, and Abigail Hillerich, Communications & Marketing Coordinator, NVTA, thank everyone who provided feedback during the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program Public Comment Period (April 15 – May 22, 2022), and outline next steps in the update process.

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Below is a compilation of the public comments received.

FY2022-2027 Six Year Program Full Public Comment Submissions

Below is a Public Comment Summary, complete with an at-a-glance summary of comments by project, a breakout of those in support or opposed to specific projects within the Six Year Program Update, and an overview of the 1,600 plus comments received.

FY2022-2027 Six Year Program Public Comment Summary

Recommendation and Adoption

During the recommendation phase (June – mid-July 2022), NVTA staff developed and presented project recommendations to three committees, which in turn, provided final comments and their own recommendations in June. An updated recommendation will be considered by the NVTA Board at its regularly scheduled business meeting on July 14, 2022. The Members of NVTA are anticipated to take action to adopt the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program during the July 2022 meeting. Keep an eye on upcoming Committee meetings, here on this webpage, or on the individual Committee Meeting webpages, complete with packet materials.

Scheduled Committee Meetings:

NVTA staff is recommending 20 of the 26 transportation projects submitted for the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program, totaling $624,883,714, for full or partial funding.

FY2022-2027 Six Year Program: NVTA Staff Recommendations

FY2022-2027 Six Year Program: NVTA Staff Recommendations Presentation

Regional Impact. The Six Year Program project recommendations continue NVTA’s regional, multimodal approach:

  • Multimodal/Corridor Focus
    • Continued emphasis on roadway/Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the Route 1 corridor
    • Continued emphasis on Fairfax County Parkway corridor
  • Transportation Technology
    • Intelligent Transportation Systems deployment in the Route 7 corridor
    • Continued commitment to decarbonization of transit fleets
  • Geographically and Modally Balanced
    • Includes projects for all primary modes requested (roadway, transit, intersection,  bike/pedestrian, transportation technology)
    • All transit, bike/pedestrian, and transportation technology projects recommended for full funding
    • Most roadway projects have a pedestrian/bicyclist component attached, and many projects have more than one modal component

UPDATE ON AFOREMENTIONED RECOMMENDATIONS (as of June 23, 2022):

NVTA’s two statutory advisory committees, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Planning Coordination Advisory Committee (PCAC), met on June 14, 2022 and June 22, 2022 respectively, to consider the NVTA staff recommendations for the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program, and unanimously endorsed the NVTA staff recommendations.

On June 23, 2022, NVTA’s Planning and Programming Committee (PPC) met and unanimously endorsed the NVTA staff recommendations to fully fund 17 projects and partially fund 3 other projects, using approximately $625 million in regional revenues.

The following list shows the PPC recommendations, which the full Authority considered at its meeting on July 14, 2022. 

FY2022-2027 Six Year Program: PPC Recommendations (as of June 23, 2022)


**NVTA ADOPTS $624M FUNDING PROGRAM TO REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION THROUGHOUT THE REGION**:

On the evening of July 14, 2022, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority adopted the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program, the NVTA’s sixth funding program investing in regional multimodal transportation projects located throughout NoVA. More than $1.2 billion in funding was requested by nine Northern Virginia jurisdictions who submitted 26 transportation candidate projects for regional funding consideration. The candidate projects evaluated and open to public comment included railway, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), roadways, pedestrian/bicycle pathways, transportation technologies, and an electric bus fleet.

The NVTA unanimously voted to adopt 20 multimodal transportation projects, for full or partial funding, totaling nearly $625 million.

The newly adopted Six Year Program will impact the region through:

  • A Multimodal/Corridor Focus, including a continued emphasis on roadway/Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the Route 1 corridor and a continued emphasis on the Fairfax County Parkway corridor;
  • Transportation Technology, including a continued commitment to decarbonization of transit fleets and Intelligent Transportation Systems deployment in the Route 7 corridor (first NVTA-funded technology project outside of Arlington and Alexandria); and
  • Geographical and Modal Balance, which includes projects for all primary modes requested and all transit, bike/pedestrian, and transportation technology projects recommended for full funding, with most roadway projects having a pedestrian/bicyclist component attached and many projects having more than one modal component.

Learn more:

Monica Backmon, CEO, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, announces the Authority’s adoption of the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program, on July 14, 2022. As of this adoption date, the NVTA is advancing 122 regional multimodal transportation projects, totaling nearly $3.12 billion. This is the last video of the Six Year Program Video Series.

Reporting

During the reporting phase (summer 2022), NVTA staff will prepare a final report on the FY2022-2027 Six Year Program, including a schedule for appropriating funds to each project.