It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the overall projected cost of $900 million, but the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission has agreed to kick in $20 million to support creation of a bus-rapid-transit system between Fort Belvoir and the Huntington Metro station in the Route 1 corridor.
Commission members on June 1 ratified a staff recommendation to fund the project through the Commuter Choice program, which funnels some tolling revenue from Interstates 95/395 into transit projects.
Final say on the funding rests with the Commonwealth Transportation Board, but it is likely to follow the recommendations of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
The bus-rapid-transit effort would provide dedicated lanes for buses between the two terminal points, as well as “high-quality stations and improved pedestrian and bicycle access,” commission staff said.
The project would be funded through a combination of federal, state, regional and local funds. The $20 million in commission funds would be made available in two $10 million chunks, one in fiscal 2024-25, the other in fiscal 2026-27.
A similar planning effort is in the works to create a bus-rapid-transit network in the Route 7 corridor between Tysons and Alexandria.
