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FY2020-2025 Six Year Program

Application

During the application phase (from July 1, 2019 – September 27, 2019), 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 July 1, 2019, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority posted a Call for Regional Transportation Projects for FY2024 and FY2025 regional revenue consideration as part of the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program Update. The Authority expects to allocate at least $400 million towards projects across the Northern Virginia region when the Six Year Program Update is adopted in June 2020. 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, NVTA Executive Director, announces the Authority’s FY2024-2025 Six Year Program Update Call for Regional Transportation Projects.

Initial Evaluation Process

The applications for Regional Transportation Projects for FY2024 and FY2025 regional revenue consideration were due on September 27, 2019, marking the start of NVTA’s initial evaluation process. All projects considered for regional revenues are subject to a comprehensive evaluation process. Part II of our Six Year Program Update video series below.

Monica Backmon, NVTA Executive Director, explains the FY2024-2025 Six Year Program Update evaluation process.

Verification

During the verification phase (from September 30, 2019 – early December 2019), 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 are included in the TransAction project list, which is the source document NVTA staff used to verify project eligibility. Since TransAction is geographically unconstrained, some of the 352 projects included in the current 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 and Available Funding

On October 10, 2019, the Authority was presented the latest update on the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program, including an overview of total applications received. Thirteen Northern Virginia jurisdictions and agencies submitted 46 applications to NVTA for funding consideration, with a combined request of approximately $1.7 billion. NVTA expects to allocate at least $400 million on projects throughout Northern Virginia when the Six Year Program Update is adopted in June 2020. Although $400 million is a significant amount of money, this funding cycle will likely be NVTA’s most oversubscribed program to date. To view a summary of project applications and funding requests by each jurisdiction and agency, please see the tables below. Also, check out Part III of our Six Year Program Update video series for more details.

Monica Backmon, NVTA Executive Director, discusses the number of regional transportation project applications received and resources available.

Table 1: Summary of Applications by Jurisdiction/Agency

Jurisdiction/
Agency
Applications
(#)
Continuation Projects
(percent)
Funding Request
($)
Counties
Arlington 5 20 68,884,000
Fairfax 10 70 846,895,330
Loudoun 4 0 96,599,000
Prince William 11 27 237,500,000
Cities
Alexandria 1 100 75,000,000
Fairfax 5 60 26,320,000
Falls Church 2 0 15,200,000
Towns
Dumfries 1 100 78,000,000
Leesburg 1 100 120,400,000
Vienna 2 0 5,982,400
Commonwealth
DRPT 1 0

100,000,000

Regional Agencies
NOVA Parks 1 0 5,646,000
VRE 2 50 18,051,537
 
Total 46

39

1,694,478,267


Table 2: Comparison of Requested and Approved Funding (all NVTA Funding Programs*)

Funding Program Amount Requested
($)
Amount Approved
($)
Approved/Requested
(percent)
FY2014 339,693,000 185,884,185 55
FY2015-2016 467,124,215 336,944,000 72
FY2017 297,949,000 166,043,951 56
FY2018-2023 2,470,139,861 1,285,273,281 52
  3,574,906,076 1,974,145,417 55
 
FY2020-2025 1,694,478,267 400,000,000**

24

*Adjusted for approved projects subsequently withdrawn
**Current estimated regional revenues available for the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program

Evaluation

During the evaluation phase (November 2019 – February 2020), NVTA staff will conduct detailed reviews of each application and prepare summaries of quantitative and qualitative evaluations. During February 2020, NVTA staff will share initial findings with selected NVTA committees for review and comment. All meetings are open to the public:

The deadline for eligible jurisdictions and agencies to respond to the Call for Regional Transportation Projects was September 27, 2019, and to submit the governing body resolutions was November 29, 2019. NVTA staff have been reviewing the project applications, conducting eligibility verifications, requesting clarifications, and preparing information for the modeling and other analytical work, including congestion reduction relative to cost calculations.

For the first time in any NVTA funding program, the project application process was automated, enabling jurisdiction/agency staff to submit applications through an online portal. This greatly streamlined the application process for both NVTA and jurisdiction/agency staff. Another first for the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program was inviting staff from each jurisdiction/agency to meet with NVTA staff to present their respective applications and to provide an early opportunity for NVTA staff to request clarifications.

The candidate project list includes 41 applications from 13 jurisdictions/agencies, with a combined request of approximately $1.44 billion. These candidate projects will now 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 is provided on Table 3 below. Please note that the projects may support other modes too.

Table 3: Summary of Applications by Primary Mode

Primary Mode Applications (#)
New roadway capacity and/or alignment 21
New or improved intersection/interchange 6
Improvement/Access to Metrorail/VRE Commuter Rail 4
New or improved bus/BRT facility 2
New or improved pedestrian path/trail and bicycle lane/path 7
New or improved bicycle facility 1
TOTAL 41

 

View the FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project List.

View a hi-res PDF of the FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project map.

View the interactive FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project map.

FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project Evaluation Summary.

FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Projects TransAction Ratings.

FY2020-2025 SYP Modeling Process.

Individual Project Description Forms.

Six Year Program Update Frequently Asked Questions.

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).

Take a look at Part IV of our Six Year Program Update video series for more details on the FY2020-2025 SYP Evaluation Process.

Monica Backmon, NVTA Executive Director, announces the release of the regional transportation candidate project list and evaluation process.

Public Engagement

During the public engagement phase (March 13, 2020 – May 24, 2020), the Authority made available the project list and evaluation summary, as part of the public comment process. During the public comment period, the Authority hosted a Public Hearing on May 14, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 situation and Governor Northam’s Stay at Home Order outlined in Executive Order Fifty-Five, it was strongly encouraged Northern Virginians provide comments electronically or via postal service. During the public comment period, public comment submission details were found at www.TheNoVaAuthority.org/SYP-comment.

The Authority invited the public to learn more about and comment on the 41 candidate transportation projects under consideration for funding. The projects evaluated covered multiple modes of transportation, including roadways, transit and pedestrian/bicycle pathways.

Below you will find a detailed project list, individual project description forms, maps and detailed analyses that were available for public review and comment.

While the Public Hearing commenced at NVTA’s offices at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2020, directly following a brief presentation on the Six Year Program Process, the Hearing could also be viewed remotely via Facebook Live on the Authority’s page (@TheNVTA). There was an opportunity for the public to provide testimony in-person, but again, due to COVID-19 concerns, it was strongly encouraged that Northern Virginians provide comments electronically or via postal service.

Residents who chose to attend the Public-Hearing in person could sign up in advance in one of the following three ways:

All speakers were asked to sign in by 7:15 p.m. and present in front of a laptop computer for live-streaming purposes. Safe social distancing practices were enforced. Please click here to learn more about safety protocols that were in place.

If interested in providing public testimony over the phone during the Public Hearing, participants had to pre-register by contacting NVTA at 703-642-4652 or email SYPcomment@TheNoVAAuthority.org by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 11, 2020.

Due to the pandemic, NVTA took an abundance of caution and cancelled the Open House, keeping your safety top of mind. Instead, all materials that were to be on display at the previously scheduled Open House, in addition to detailed Frequently Asked Questions, were accessible below.

The Authority did not act on the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program after the Public Hearing on May 14, 2020, but continued to receive comment through 11:59 p.m. May 24, 2020. At the conclusion of the public comment period, NVTA incorporated public comments into the project evaluation summary. The Authority adopted the Six Year Program Update at the Authority Meeting on July 9, 2020.

Public input is an important part of the Six Year Program Update process. Feedback was encouraged and all public comment provided was reviewed and considered.

View the FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project List.

View a hi-res PDF of the FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project map.

View the interactive FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project map.

FY2020-2025 SYP Candidate Project Evaluation Summary.

Individual Project Description Forms.

Six Year Program Update Frequently Asked Questions.

Six Year Program Update Process: Public Hearing Presentation Slides.

The public was invited to provide comment on 41 multimodal transportation projects submitted by 13 jurisdictions and agencies across Northern Virginia, for regional funding consideration. A virtual Public Hearing was held for the first time on May 14, 2020. Public comment runs through 11:59 p.m. on May 24, 2020.

As part of the Six Year Program Update Video Series, Erica Hawksworth, Communications & Public Affairs Manager, NVTA, thanks everyone who provided feedback during the Public Comment Period (March 13 – May 24, 2020), and outlines next steps in the update process.

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Below is a compilation of the public comments received, any attachments that supplemented these comments, and letters directly submitted to Authority members and NVTA’s Executive Director.

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program Full Public Comment Submissions

Below is a Public Comment Summary, complete with summary of comments by project, a description of projects that received the most comments, and a breakout of those in support or opposed to specific projects within the Six Year Program Update.

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program Public Comment Summary (Revised June 16, 2020)

Recommendation and Adoption

During the recommendation phase (June – mid-July), 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 is posted below, and will be considered by the full Authority at its regularly scheduled business meeting on July 9, 2020. The Authority is anticipated to take action to adopt the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program during the July meeting.

Scheduled Committee Meetings:

For the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program, NVTA staff recommended fully funding 15 of the 41 candidate transportation projects. This recommended funding provides sufficient funds for these projects to advance to construction and be completed without any additional funds.

NVTA staff also recommended partially funding an additional four candidate projects. This recommended partial funding enables these projects to advance to early phases of project development, but not necessarily to completion.

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program: NVTA Staff Recommendations (Original Staff Recommendations)

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program: NVTA Staff Recommendations Project Location Map (Original Staff Recommendations)

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program: NVTA Staff Recommendations Presentation

Overall, this package of 19 recommended projects, using $522 million in NVTA’s regional revenues, demonstrates an ongoing commitment to a multimodal approach that addresses Northern Virginians’ mobility needs and challenges, supports the region’s economic vitality, and, as an added bonus, provides an economic stimulus to the region’s economy.

More specifically, the package of recommended projects demonstrates:

  • Continued emphasis on road/rail/transit in the Route 1/VRE Fredericksburg Line corridor
  • Continued emphasis on the Fairfax County Parkway corridor
  • Continued emphasis on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) solutions
  • Synergies with other NVTA-funded projects in Crystal City and western Falls Church
  • Increased focus on grid network solutions
  • Increased focus on active transportation solutions

The FY2020-2025 Six Year Program is the Authority’s fifth (and most competitive ever) funding program. Having issued a Call for Regional Transportation Projects in July 2019, NVTA staff has reviewed/evaluated 41 candidate projects, conducted a Public Hearing and Public Comment Period, and reviewed/summarized approximately 1,000 public comments.

UPDATE ON AFOREMENTIONED RECOMMENDATIONS (as of June 22, 2020):

NVTA’s Planning and Programming Committee (PPC) met on June 19, 2020 to consider the NVTA staff recommendations for the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program.  The PPC endorsed the NVTA staff recommendations to fully fund 15 projects and partially fund four other projects, using approximately $522 million in regional revenues.

The PPC also conditionally recommended fully funding two additional projects and increasing the partial funding for one of the four partially funded projects. These conditional recommendations are subject to the withdrawal/cancellation of two existing VRE projects that can no longer use $17.0 million in previously approved NVTA funds due to significant project schedule changes.

The following list and map show the PPC recommendations, including conditional recommendations, which the full Authority will consider at its meeting on July 9, 2020. 

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program: PPC Recommendations (as of June 22, 2020)

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program: PPC Recommendations Project Location Map (as of June 22, 2020)

July 1, 2020 update

41 applications were evaluated as part of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s FY2020-2025 Six Year Program. Information on these submitted applications is summarized on this web page under the Evaluation Phase. Specifically, the TransAction Project Ratings (previously HB 599 ratings), and associated ranks, are summarized in this document, and more fully in this document.

Project recommendations, taking account of a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors, together with public comments, were developed by NVTA staff and posted on June 9, 2020.  Following review by the Authority’s two Statutory Committees (Planning Coordination Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee) and the Planning and Programming Committee (PPC) in mid-June, the PPC developed final recommendations that were posted on June 22, 2020.

The Authority will consider the PPC final recommendations at its meeting on July 9, 2020, at which it is expected to adopt the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program.

NVTA ADOPTS $539M FUNDING PROGRAM TO REDUCE CONGESTION THROUGHOUT THE REGION:

On the evening of July 9, 2020, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority adopted the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program, the Authority’s fifth funding program and the most competitive to date. $1.44 billion in multimodal transportation funding was requested by 13 Northern Virginia localities and agencies, with $539 million in Authority regional revenues available.

The Authority unanimously voted to fund 21 of the 41 transportation projects submitted for funding consideration, for full or partial funding. The fully funded projects will receive sufficient funds to advance to construction, while the partially funded projects will advance to the early phases of project development, but not necessarily completion.

Regional Impact. The SYP continues NVTA’s regional, multimodal approach:

  • Continued emphasis on road/rail/transit in the Route 1/VRE Fredericksburg Line corridor
  • Continued emphasis on Fairfax County Parkway corridor
  • Continued emphasis on Bus Rapid Transit solutions
  • Synergies in Crystal City and western Falls Church
  • Increased focus on grid network solutions
  • Increased focus on active transportation solutions, such as bike/pedestrian facilities

Through the new funding Program, the Authority is investing $539M in regionally significant projects located across Northern Virginia, benefiting the region at large.

Learn more:

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program Adoption Press Release.

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program Adopted Projects and Updated Project Description Forms

21 Adopted Projects and Funding Chart.

41 Projects for Funding Consideration and Requested Amounts.

FY2020-2025 Six Year Program Adopted Projects Location Map.

Monica Backmon, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, announces the Authority’s adoption of the Six Year Program Update, on July 9, 2020. This is the last video of the Six Year Program Video Series.

Reporting

During the reporting phase (summer 2020), NVTA staff will prepare a final report on the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program, including a schedule for appropriating funds to each project.