Agency envisions bus rapid transit along Columbia Pike and across the Potomac
ARLNow / By Dan Egitto and Scott McCaffrey
A new long-term “blueprint” to dramatically expand Northern Virginia’s bus rapid transit lines calls for significant investment along core Arlington routes.
A draft Bus Rapid Transit Action Plan, unveiled yesterday (Wednesday) is meant to guide agencies throughout the region as they consider future transit investments. A proposed map of possible BRT lines envisions two routes connecting Columbia Pike to Crystal City and D.C., and another route running east from Falls Church into Rosslyn, across the Potomac River and into Georgetown.
According to Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) estimates, all three of these routes would be some of the most heavily trafficked in the entire region.
A full build-out of the proposed BRT network is estimated to cost about $4.2 billion — but the action plan won’t obligate agencies to invest any funding. Instead, NVTA spokesperson Abigail Hillerich said that it’s meant to provide a region-wide vision forming the basis for future investment.