In This Edition

While those of us in Alexandria have always felt there is something magical about Four Mile Run and something mythical about crossing the Beltway, most people in this region pay little attention to the borders between jurisdictions. 

Very few residents and visitors of this region have much appreciation for the differences between Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County. This reality makes regional cooperation all the more imperative. 

When a resident of Alexandria wishes to go to Crystal City or Shirlington or Tyson's Corner, they don't consider what jurisdiction these areas are in, and neither should our transportation network.

That's why in three weeks the opening of the region's first dedicated transitway is so important. 

On August 24th, the Metroway service will commence on the Route 1 corridor. Utilizing the dedicated transitway from Potomac Avenue to E. Glebe Road, the new Metroway service will provide connection from Braddock Road Metro to Crystal City Metro. The service will run every 6 minutes during the rush-hour, every 12 minutes off-peak, and every 20 minutes on the weekends. 

While the service will connect to Crystal City Metro when it begins operating, further enhancements are underway. Last month, Arlington began construction of their portion of the transitway. Further enhancements are actively being discussed between Arlington and Alexandria. 

Yet this is not the only new multi-jurisdictional transit connection we have to celebrate. This past week, DASH launched the new AT9 service, which links the West End of Alexandria with Shrlington and Potomac Yard. 

In addition to bringing new transit connections to job centers in Alexandria and Arlington, this new service brings transit to Alexandria neighborhoods that have been historically underserved. 

It is now done. 

Late last month, the Old Dominion Boat Club voted to accept the final agreement with the City. With 81% of their members voting to support the deal, the Club and the City can now move forward together to implement the vision of a publicly accessible waterfront, safe from the risk of nuisance flooding.  

In March, the membership of the Club voted to accept a negotiated settlement which provided the entire base of King Street on the water as a new City park, while providing the Club with a brand new boat house on the waterfront nearby.

Incorporated in the approved deal was the City's intended purchase of 204 and 208 Strand Street. These properties are existing parking lots on the waterfront. 

Late in June, the City also executed contracts to purchase both of these properties. The acquisition of these properties allows for expansion of park land, as well as an exchange with the Old Dominion Boat Club as envisioned by the agreement. 

This is an exciting time for Alexandria, as we move forward with the vision of bringing new open space, new vitality, and sustainability to our precious waterfront, while incorporating the history and arts that should never be lost.

With the June approval of the initial concepts for the public spaces being created, we can leave the acrimony of the past behind as we move forward.

Let me know if you have any thoughts. 

On Saturday, I joined hundreds of officials from across the region in launching the new Metro Rail Silver Line service. With the completion of Phase 1, Metro Rail is now connected to Reston, with a Phase 2 under way which would extend the connection to Loudoun County, including Dulles Airport. 

This is a major improvement for our region, unlocking economic growth and easing congestion. However, it has not come without trade-offs, and for Alexandria those trade-offs are significant. 

From the early days of the Metro Rail system, the tunnel under the Potomac River, connecting the Rosslyn Metro Station in Arlington with the Foggy Bottom Metro Station in Washington, has been the most significant chokepoint in the system. Today, the tunnel can carry 26 trains per hour in each direction. 

As the areas of Fairfax County at the end of the Orange Line have grown, so have the demands on this sole tunnel connection to our nation's capital. With the opening of the Silver Run, the situation reached a breaking point. 

In preparation for the opening of the Silver Line, Metro implemented a series of changes to the Blue Line to free up capacity in the Rosslyn tunnel to allow the Silver Line service to operate. 

As a result, the Blue Line which previously provided rush-hour service every 6 minutes to Alexandria residents boarding at Van Dorn, Braddock Road, and King Street Metro, now runs every 12 minutes. In the event of a service disruption, this frequency can be much less. 

To provide alternatives for these riders, Metro has expanded Yellow Line service. It utilizes the other, above ground, Potomac River crossing between the Pentagon and L'Enfant Plaza. As a Yellow Line commuter myself, this additional service has been a nice improvement. They have also deployed longer eight-car trains during rush hour on the Blue Line, as well as expanded some regional bus service to ease the crunch. 

While these alternatives certainly help, they do not address the underlying issue, which is a lack of a capacity in the system, most acutely in the tunnel under the Potomac River.

Overall, Metro's answer to the long-term challenges that ail the system is the Momentum Plan. The ten year Strategic Plan laying out a significant list of improvements to allow continued growth in the region's flagship transit system. 

Most significant for Alexandria is the Momentum Plan's vision for new Blue Line connections. These additional connections, coupled with a future plan to add a new crossing, represent the only concrete ways to relieve the pressure on the Rosslyn tunnel.

However, as with anything of this magnitude,  the cost for implementing most of the Momentum Plan is immense. Metro is unique among transit systems around the country in that there is no dedicated funding source. Metro must rely on contributions from the federal, state and local governments that it serves. 

In the current fiscal year, the City will provide $31.5 million to Metro to fund our portion of its overall operations. Additionally, we provide another $5.3 million in support of their capital budget.  

Many jurisdictions, including the Alexandria City Council earlier in the year, have endorsed the Momentum Plan. However, obtaining funding to implement it will be challenging during this difficult financial time. 

Ultimately, it will require new investment to ensure that Alexandrians can continue to use the Blue Line for their commute.