Even more parking appears to be on the way for the Vienna Metro station, which already has the most park-and-ride spaces of the 86-station system.
A Metro planning committee recently gave initial approval to build a new 1,300-vehicle parking structure at the station on the Orange line as the agency begins girding for the soon-to-be-built MetroWest development.
Construction of the controversial MetroWest complex — a blend of residential, retail and office space adjacent to the station — was approved last month by Fairfax County. Metro officials said the proposed improvements will ensure that the station, already one of the busiest in the transit system, has the capacity to meet future demand.
Other improvements include expansion of the station’s commuter bus facility and installation of a new stairwell.
The developer of the MetroWest project, Pulte Homes, said it expects to start making road and infrastructure improvements next spring.
The first residential units, a blend of town houses and condominiums, are not expected to go on the market until early 2009, officials said.
Board Member Chris Zimmerman, who represents Arlington, said the new parking structure should be constructed in a way that it can be expanded or added to.
Zimmerman said it was possible to add several floors to the parking garage at Ballston Mall, including two full-size ice rinks to be used as a practice facility for the Washington Capitals, because of supports built in as part of the original design.
