‘SOBERRIDE’ SEES BUMP UP IN INDEPENDENCE-DAY USAGE: The SoberRide initiative of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) saw a major bump up in usage for the Independence Day holiday.
A total of 738 people used the service during a 12-hour period from July 4 at 4 p.m. to July 5 at 4 a.m. That’s up from 447 a year before.
“For its hours of operation this Independence Day, this level of ridership translates into SoberRide removing a potential drunk driver from Washington’s roadways every 58 seconds,” said Kurt Erickson, WRAP’s president.
WRAP also offers its free safe-ride-home service on St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween and the winter holidays through and including New Year’s Eve. It is conducted in collaboration with Lyft.
The program was founded in 1982. Since 1991, it has provided more than 90,700 free rides home.
METRO SYSTEM MOVES TO ‘AUTO-DOOR’ MODE FOR TRAINS: The Metro system on July 8 moved to operating its trains in “auto-door mode,” which will allow for faster door openings and could cut down on delays across the system.
The initiative was launched on the Red Line last December as a pilot program. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission approved service for the entire system.
“Auto Doors on the Red Line has been very successful, with more than 1.3 million safe door openings since launching last year,” said Randy Clarke, general manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. “We’ve achieved better schedule consistency and now we’re excited to bring this safety and convenience improvement to all our customers.”
While train doors now open automatically upon arrival, operators still will close train doors manually for departure after checking outside the driver’s-side cab window, Metro officials said.
GROUND-BREAKING MARKS LAUNCH OF NEW ENTRANCE TO CRYSTAL CITY METRO: Local and regional leaders on July 12 gathered to celebrate the ground-breaking of a project that will provide an additional entrance to the Crystal City Metro station.
When completed, the effort will result in an access point to the station from 18th Street South and Crystal Drive. It will provide increased connectivity to the Virginia Railway Express, Amtrak, local transit and bike options, and the planned connection to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.
The project is a collaboration between the Arlington County government, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Northern Virginia Transit Authority and Federal Transit Administration.
FEDERAL FUNDS TO HELP WITH FAIRFAX BUS PROCUREMENT: Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) officials announced July 10 that the agency had been awarded $50.6 million by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to buy new low-emission, diesel-electric hybrid buses.
The funding will enable FCDOT to switch out older buses as part of its ongoing fleet-replacement plan.
“This grant is a significant step forward for Fairfax County as we continue to work toward a more environmentally sustainable public transportation system and improved service,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay (D).
This funding is part of FTA’s broader initiative, which includes about $1.5 billion in awards to support 117 projects aimed at enhancing public transportation across 47 states. Fairfax County’s project was the only one selected within Virginia.
Federal officials received 477 eligible project proposals totaling $9 billion in requests.
ARLINGTON SEEKS STATE FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS: Arlington County Board members on July 22 are slated to authorize the submission of six requests totaling $85 million for three projects as part of the state government’s “Smart Scale” transportation-funding program.
The County Board vote is needed to beat the Aug. 1 deadline for submissions. Projects selected at the state level likely will be funded in fiscal years 2029 and 2030.
Requests will include:
• $35 million for improvements to the interchange of Arlington Boulevard (Route 50) and Washington Boulevard (Route 27).
• $25 million for safety improvements on Glebe Road from Interstate 66 to Columbia Pike.
• $25 million for upgrades to the Interstate 395 interchange with South Glebe Road, a project submitted in collaboration with the Alexandria city government.
If any or all of the requests are authorized, the county government would not be required to pay any matching funds.
FAIRFAX OFFICIALS ENDORSE ‘SMART SCALE’ SUBMISSIONS: Fairfax County supervisors were expected July 16 to endorse four projects for consideration of funding under the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s Smart Scale Program for fiscal years 2026-2031.
The projects and their maximum funding request, listed in descending order of rank, are:
• The Frontier Drive extension between the Franconia-Springfield Metro station and Loisdale Road ($197 million).
• The widening of Route 7 by one lane in each direction between Interstates 495 and 66 to accommodate bus rapid transit ($296.8 million).
• Phase 2 of the Braddock Road project between Humphries and Southampton drives ($161.6 million).
• The Town Center Parkway Underpass Project in Reston ($363.3 million).
The Smart Scale Program, which was authorized by the General Assembly in 2014, prioritizes transportation projects using a weighted system that factors in congestion mitigation, accessibility, safety, environmental quality, economic development and land use.
If the Commonwealth Transportation Board approves the projects endorsed by Fairfax County supervisors, no local cash match would be required and there would be no general-fund impact.
ARLINGTON GOVERNMENT TO OK SIDEWALKS, CURB-AND-GUTTER: Arlington County Board members on July 22 are slated to approve a $2.07 million project to improve a roadway in the Ashton Heights neighborhood.
The project, recommended by the Neighborhood Complete Streets Commission, would add three blocks of missing sidewalk and curb-and-gutter on North Oakland Street from Pershing Drive to 6th Road North.
If County Board members appropriate the funding, the total left in the Neighborhood Complete Streets budget for the new fiscal year will be $479,000.
FAIRFAX SUPERVISORS SIGN OFF ON FAIRFAX CONNECTOR INCREASE: In tandem with recent fare hikes approved by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for its Metrobus system, Fairfax County supervisors on July 16 were expected to sign off on 12.5-percent fare increases for most Fairfax Connector bus routes.
The new Fairfax Connector fees, set to take effect July 29, will see the base fare for local-bus service rise from $2 to $2.25 and from $4.25 to $4.80 for express-bus service. (Fare increases are rounded to the nearest 5-cent denomination.)
Not everyone will pay that amount. Seniors and disabled customers will pay $1.10 for local-bus service (up 10 cents) and $2.40 for express-bus service (a 30-cent increase). Fairfax Connector circulator services (Routes 350, 423 and 427) will charge 55 cents, a 5-cent hike.
Charges on some routes will go down or remain free. Express service on Fairfax Connector Route 599 will drop from $7.50 to $4.80, which is in line with proposed fares on similar express-bus routes. Seniors and disabled passengers using Route 599 will pay $2.40, down from $3.75.
Fare-free Fairfax Connector circulator Routes 351, 352 and 353 will continue to let passengers ride gratis.
The Fairfax Connector system is a regional partner with WMATA and uses SmartTrip fare cards and digital apps for payment. The Board of Supervisors’ July 16 decision is in keeping with its previous policy of matching regional fare changes, officials said.
The planned fare increases will result in an estimated $1.1 million revenue increase for the Fairfax Connector system, based on ridership projections and projected impacts on ridership because of the fare hikes, officials said.
STATE, CONTRACTOR TO FUND BUS ROUTE: When the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) Project is finished, the commonwealth of Virginia and contractor Transurban will pay for Fairfax Connector Route 798 buses to go between the Tysons West Park Transit Station and Bethesda Metro station.
Fairfax County supervisors on July 16 were slated to have the county’s transportation director execute an agreement to have the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation give the county a $2 million subsidy to implement and operate Route 798 in the I-495 corridor until completion of the 495 NEXT Project.
Doing so will mitigate and minimize impacts from the Express Lanes’ construction and give commuters an alternative to driving that route in single-occupancy vehicles, county officials said.
Fairfax County officials anticipated the Fairfax Connector Route 798 bus funds in the fiscal 2024 revised budget plan and will ask to carry those moneys over to fiscal 2025, which began July 1.
