One of the busiest corridors in Northern Virginia, both in traffic and development, is under consideration for a new transit line.
"The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission is studying whether to build a light rail or bus rapid transit system on a 14-mile stretch of Rt. 7 from Tysons Corner to Alexandria," reports Matin Di Caro.
The planning process is well underway, with a third public meeting happening today in Falls Church. Already NVTC officials are promising that the new route will move riders in "half the time it takes now" along the corridor. Di Caro notes that the proposed project is the latest in a slew of innovative transportation investments in the region, showing that regional transportation planners are thinking beyond the traditional method of expanding highways to alleviate congestion.
The NVTC has produced a video for "Envision Route 7" that pitches the idea in more detail.
Richard Price has also provided coverage of the proposed transit line, digging deeper into mode alternatives—i.e., light rail bus rapid transit, or "enhance bus"—under consideration for the corridor. Price also takes a look at an interactive map showing the still to be determined route and station alternatives for the line.
FULL STORY: Northern Virginia Eyes Light Rail Or Major Bus System For Rt. 7 Corridor
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association