D.C.-Area Transportation Studies and Plans
New transportation infrastructure and improvements to existing infrastructure are usually discussed and planned for months or years before a final plan is approved and construction begins. Keep up with the planning process and express your thoughts and concerns with these web sites and reports.
2005 Studies
TransAction 2030
Arlington Master Transportation Plan Update
Comprehensive Evaluation of Rail Transit Benefits, April 2005
Texas Transportation Institute 2005 Urban Mobility Report
Transit-Oriented Development: Strategies to Promote Vibrant Communities
January 2005 MaryPIRG Foundation (Maryland)
WMATA 2005 Development Related Ridership Survey (DRRS)
Earlier Studies
Arlington Metro Station Access Studies
Baltimore Light Rail Double-Track Project
Baltimore Region Transit Plan
Baltimore-Washington Maglev Project
Capital Beltway Corridor Study- Maryland
Capital Beltway Study - Virginia
Columbia Pike: PikeTransit Initiative
Columbia Pike Transit Forum, October 18, 2002
Community-Oriented Transit Best Practices
Commuter Connections Telework Demonstration Project
I-66 Multimodal Transportation Study
Intercounty Connector (ICC) Project Study
Managing Demand Through Travel Information Services (Federal Hwy Admin.)
Measuring Sprawl and Its Impact
Metro System 10-Year Capital Improvement Program.
MoveMontgomery
Northern Virginia 2020 Transportation Plan
Purple Line Rail Transit
The Region - Facing the Transportation Funding Crisis
Regional Bus Study by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
Smart Growth Begins at the Local Level (MWCOG)
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
Texas Transportation Institute 2004 Urban Mobility Report
VDOT Springfield Interchange Improvement Project
Washington Post Transportation Series, The Road Ahead: Solutions For Now
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) Current Projects
Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities Forum
Where Are We Growing? Land Use and Transportation in Virginia
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project
2005 Studies
TransAction 2030
Sumary report of the long range transportation plan for Northern Virginia.
Arlington Master Transportation Plan Update
Arlington 's MTP was last comprehensively rewritten in 1986 but has subsequently been amended on many occasions. The MTP is comprised of five element plans: the Streets element (adopted in 1986), Transit element (adopted 1976), the Paratransit element (adopted in 1989), Bicycle Transportation element (adopted in 1994) and the Pedestrian Transportation element (adopted in 1997). The plan update is expected to take two years to complete. The new plan is expected to guide the County's decision-making and investment in its transportation system over the next 25 years.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Rail Transit Benefits (PDF)
Published April 2005 by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute. "This report evaluates rail transit benefits based on a comprehensive analysis of transport system performance in U.S. cities. It discusses best practices for evaluating transit benefits. It finds that cities with larger, well-established rail systems have significantly higher per capita transit ridership, lower average per capita vehicle ownership and mileage, less traffic congestion, lower traffic death rates and lower consumer transportation expenditures than otherwise comparable cities."
Texas Transportation Institute 2005 Urban Mobility Report
Nationally known study of mobility and traffic congestion on freeways and major streets in 75 cities. The Annual Urban Mobility Report provides an easy-to-understand view of urban transportation congestion issues.
Transit-Oriented Development: Strategies to Promote Vibrant Communities. January 2005, MaryPIRG Foundation. "Maryland could strengthen its efforts to control sprawl and provide a high quality of life for the state’s residents by encouraging more transit-oriented development near rail stations."
WMATA's 2005 Development Related Ridership Survey (PDF, 20 MB)
This 2005 survey updates a survey last conducted in the Washington Metropolitan Region in 1989. Forty-nine sites comprised of high-density office and residential, retail, hotel and entertainment land uses in 13 Metrorail station areas participated in the survey. Survey findings show that rail transit use is more than competitive with the automobile now than it was in 1989 in those areas where WMATA provides good rail service and access. In addition, survey results suggest that high-density, mixed-use development environments with good transit access generate more transit and walk trips, especially for midday trips from and visitor trips to office buildings. Results also continue to show that walking distance to a Metrorail is a major factor affecting transit ridership. Both office commute and residential figures show higher Metrorail (and overall transit) mode shares the closer a building is to a rail station. WMATA encourages readers to fully explore survey results and findings to better comprehend the relationship between land use and transit ridership.
Earlier Studies
 Arlington Metro Station Access Studies. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) recently completed studies of pedestrian and vehicle access for three Metrorail stations in Arlington County. These studies look at current and future access patterns at the East Falls Church, Rosslyn and Crystal City stations and suggest potential improvements at each station. The studies are in the draft report stage and will be undergoing a formal public review and comment period in the near future. Details will be provided at a later date. The studies have not yet been presented to the Arlington County Board or the Transportation or Planning Commissions and do not reflect official County policy or projects at this time. Public comments are invited and should be provided to rhartm2@arlingtonva.us. These studies are in PDF format. East Falls Church Station (file size: 3.3 MB). Rosslyn Station (file size: 4.5 MB). Crystal City Station (file size: 3 MB). About PDF files.
Note from WMATA: These reports have been prepared to demonstrate the feasibility of the concepts presented. All concepts are subject to further refinement and may be revised during future planning and/or engineering design phases of the project. Environmental planning processes may include one or more of these alternatives along with others prior to any decision regarding implementation of a specific plan, which will be subject to professional engineering design principles.
Baltimore Light Rail Double-Track Project
Mass Transit Administration (MTA) site. "When the system was originally built, funding was critical, and a less expensive, single-track system was sufficient. Adding another track will help increase ridership by making the light rail system faster and more efficient. Governor Glendening committed funds to allow the MTA to proceed with the Double Track Project."
Baltimore Region Transit Plan
MTA Maryland is taking the lead in studying two priority sections of the Baltimore Region Transit Plan: the Green Line, extending today's Metro Subway from Johns Hopkins Hospital to Northeast Baltimore near Morgan State University, and the Red Line, a new transit line, between Woodlawn and Patterson Park.
Baltimore-Washington Maglev Project
In January 2001, the Federal Railroad Administration's Maglev Deployment Program named the Baltimore-Washington corridor one of two finalists for future development of magnetic levitation technology. This 40-mile long project links downtown Baltimore and Baltimore-Washington International Airport with Washington, D.C. Possible future connections include Philadelphia, New York and Boston to the north, and Richmond, Raleigh and Charlotte to the south. Originally one of seven corridors under consideration, Baltimore is now competing with Pittsburgh, PA, for no more than $950 million to develop a Maglev system in the Baltimore-Washington region.
Capital Beltway Corridor Study
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), the Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA) and the Washington Metropolitian Area Transit Authority (WMATA) maintain a public Web site for this study. The study was initiated in the early 1990s to investigate the feasibility of introducing HOV lanes on Maryland's 42-mile section of the I-95/I-495 Capital Beltway from the American Legion Bridge to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The study was reinitiated in late 1994 with a new focus on multimodal transportation improvements. Includes information about proposed Purple Line rail transit - click on alternative packages and scroll to Alternative 4: Transit.
Capital Beltway Study
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) initiated the Capital Beltway Study to study the current transportation problems on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Virginia and find solutions to meet future transportation needs.
Columbia Pike: Pike Transit Initiative
The Pike Transit Initiative is a 12-month study effort sponsored by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) . The study will analyze alternatives for a new high-capacity and environmentally friendly transit service along Columbia Pike from the Pentagon/Pentagon City area to Baileys Crossroads.
Columbia Pike Transit Forum, October 18, 2002.
This forum was a follow-up to the successful Columbia Pike Design Charette held in early September to define the community's vision for development along Arllington's Columbia Pike corridor. The panel of experts described the transit services being considered for the corridor, such as light rail, tram, streetcar and bus rapid transit. Choose a link below to download a PowerPoint presentation from the forum.
Community-Oriented Transit Best Practices (PDF)
Revised November 5, 2004. Study by the Transit Resource Center of best practices of U.S. local transit systems.
Commuter Connections Telework Demonstration Project
As part of an on-going effort to encourage area employers to initiate telework policies and programs, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) sponsored a comprehensive telework demonstration project in 1997-98. The eight participating employers represent a range of worksite sizes, business types and geographic locations within the region. The purpose of the pilot project was to work with these employers as they establish or expand telework programs at their worksites and closely monitoring their activities in order to learn as much as possible that can provide a base of learning about telework that will be subsequently shared with other employers. The following documents related to the project are in PDF format.
Focus Group Reports. As part of the monitoring process, COG conducted four focus group meetings with the eight designated telework coordinators as a mechanism for keeping in touch with each company's progress and providing participants an opportunity to discuss the challenges and concerns they encounter in the development and implementation of their programs.
Case Studies. Participating sites were required to have top-level support, and they had to designate a telework coordinator and telework team to work with the consultant on developing and implementing the site's pilot program. Key program objectives for each site included developing written telework policy, conducting training for teleworkers and managers, and evaluating the program.
Final Report. This report consolidates information on various aspects of the Telework Demonstration Project including project background, information on the participating sites, and the four project phases (telework policy development, training and implementation, program evaluation, and measurement and analysis).
I-66 Multimodal Transportation Study
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) , have initiated the I-66 Multimodal Transportation and Environmental Study for improving mobility along the I-66 corridor from just west of the I-66/I-495 (Capital Beltway) interchange in Fairfax County to the I-66/US Route 15 interchange near Haymarket in Prince William County. This Study will examine possible improvements to I-66, Metrorail, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), and express bus service.
Intercounty Connector (ICC) Project Study
Maryland State Highway Administration site. View project information, provide comments, receive project status updates and learn about the public involvement process.
Managing Demand Through Travel Information Services
US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Brochure highlighting the opportunities and benefits for using traveler information services to manage transportation demand. "Information can influence transportation decisions in some very clear ways – time choices, mode choices, path (i.e., route) choices, and location choices. With better ways to learn how emergencies and other incidents affect travel times, workers can start for work and return home at times more responsive to actual traffic patterns than a fixed schedule. Better information can also influence the choice of the path to work or other destinations, specifically for private vehicles. As the effects of congestion become clearer to people, they are more able to consider alternate paths to their destination."
MEASURING SPRAWL AND ITS IMPACT, The Character & Consequences of Metropolitan Expansion
The study underlying this report, the product of three years of research by Reid Ewing of Rutgers University and Rolf Pendall of Cornell University, represents the most comprehensive effort yet undertaken to define, measure and evaluate metropolitan sprawl and its impacts. This report is the first in a series of findings to be issued based on the ongoing analysis of that work.
Metro System 10-Year Capital Improvement Program.
The 10-Year Capital Improvement Program addresses the region's needs to adequately recapitalize the system and keep its assets in a state of good repair, to increase its rail and bus capacity to meet demand and to serve new markets and to expand fixed-guideway service to portions of the region that are not adequately served by public transportation at present. The links below provide detailed information.
MoveMontgomery
A web site created to support the public involvement goals of the Montgomery County Transportation Policy Task Force. The Task Force is preparing the Transportation Policy Report Phase II, a Countywide initiative to identify what's needed to improve mobility in Montgomery County to enhance the livability of our neighborhoods and promote the vitality of our business centers. .
Northern Virginia 2020 Transportation Plan
This study has looked at the short, medium, and long-term transportation needs in Northern Virginia, and has identified specific improvements that should be pursued.
Purple Line Rail Transit - see Capital Beltway Corridor Study.
The Region - Facing the Transportation Funding Crisis
This is the year 2000 annual report for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's Transportation Planning Board, in PDF format.
Regional Bus Study Final Report, September 2003 (PDF)
In May 2000, Metro launched a region-wide bus study to explore the efficiency of its current bus service to enable the transit authority to improve bus service in the future. The need for the study was brought about, in large part, due to the implementation of a series of recommendations made in 1997 by a blue ribbon Regional Mobility Panel comprised of 33 business, government, labor, and community leaders.
Smart Growth Begins at the Local Level (MWCOG)
"This multimedia video and Web site was developed to inform and educate elected officials, civic groups, the development community and citizens about the land use and transportation challenges currently facing the region. The accepted principles of “Smart Growth” are candidly introduced and discussed in the context of the varied and distinct communities across the region."
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and the Transportation Divisions of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have joined together to form a four-state coalition to plan, develop and implement the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor (SEHSR).
VDOT Springfield Interchange Improvement Project
Web site focusing on ongoing and planned construction on the Springfield Interchange, AKA "the Mixing Bowl."
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) Current Projects Page
Links to sites about current programs and projects.
Washington Post Transportation Series
The Road Ahead: Solutions For Now. Some of the best transportation reporting and thinking I've seen in The Washington Post are contained in nine recent articles by staff writers Lyndsey Layton and Katherine Shaver in October, November and December. While so many of us look to the big-ticket items to reduce gridlock - extend Metro, widen the Capital Beltway, build bypasses around the area - these reporters looked at the little picture, describing fixes that could be made in our transportation system at comparatively little cost. (Ron Shaffer, Dr. Gridlock)
Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities Forum July 15, 2002
Arlington County transportation planners present their strategies for giving people increased mobility, businesses more customers and neighborhoods less traffic. Topics included Arlington's transportation demand management (TDM) programs, the Ballston Pedestrian/Bicycle corridor, pedestrian greenway ("Walk Arlington"), and expanded community transit--linking residents to nearby Metro stations and business districts. PowerPoint presentations from the forum are available for download.
- Introduction - Chris Zimmerman Chairman Arlington County Board (1.5 MB)
- Transit Elements - Jim Hamre, Transit Coordinator. Arlington County Department of Public Works (9.7 MB)
- Bicycle & Pedestrian Elements - Charlie Denney, Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Manger. Arlington County Department of Public Works (3.5 MB)
Where are We Growing? Land Use and Transportation in Virginia. Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) study released June 27, 2002, compiles data from a variety of souces and presents a fresh look at growth trends, impacts, and alternatives in Virginia. (776 KB, PDF format)
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project
Web site focusing on ongoing and planned construction on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
|
