New bus lanes will soon connect Crystal City and Potomac Yard, nine years after Arlington County and Alexandria first began planning a public transportation option to connect the two jurisdictions. The bus lanes will connect the city and county along Jefferson Davis Highway and various adjacent streets. Bus lanes and stations have all been designed so that eventually officials can easily lay tracks in the lanes for streetcars.
With the help of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Alexandria has been approved for an $8.5 million federal TIGER grant that will fully fund construction of a bus facility on an 0.8-mile stretch of Jefferson Davis Highway, also known as Route 1, between East Glebe Road and Monroe Avenue.
The city could begin construction by the end of the year, according to a memo sent to the city council. The city must first hire a contractor to design the project by the end of the fall in accordance with the federal grant requirements.
“We’re looking forward to being able to enhance the regional transportation system and bring more people to the city,” said Sandra Marks, Alexandria’s transportation planning chief.
Officials hope to have the bus service up and running by 2014, when it should connect with bus lanes built by Arlington County.
The Alexandria City Council is expected to vote on the plan at a council meeting Tuesday.
Arlington workers also plan to break ground on a three-mile stretch of bus lanes running through Crystal City in the spring of 2012, according to Matthew Huston. The $17 million project should be completed by the end of 2012, and buses could begin carrying passengers through Crystal City in early 2013.
Arlington’s share of the bus project is funded through a mix of federal, state and local dollars – about $5.6 million comes from the county’s transportation tax on commercial real estate.
Transportation officials in each jurisdiction have been meeting regularly to coordinate their efforts. They must still agree on an independent organization to operate the bus service once it’s in place. In one scenario, Metro may run the buses, though Arlington and Alexandria would still pay for the system’s operations.
