VDOT discusses Interstate Flyover Dunn Loring Metro station

[chazas]

Unfortunately, this is exactly right.

Even the much lower cost VRE has not been able to make an economically convincing case for an extension to Gainesville/Haymarket.

Originally Posted by jeff22152

Metro is in an accelerated state of decline. Extending it further west along I-66 makes no economic or practical sense. Such a project is bound to cost more than the express lanes (to say nothing of long-term maintenance costs), and it would really only serve commuters bound for Arlington and D.C. The express lanes are able to serve a wider commuting demographic, including those bound for Tysons, Montgomery County, and Alexandria.

I'm not anti-Metro; however, the system is far from capable in handling its current infrastructure.

[Shizzles]

Originally Posted by jeff22152

Metro is in an accelerated state of decline. Extending it further west along I-66 makes no economic or practical sense. Such a project is bound to cost more than the express lanes (to say nothing of long-term maintenance costs), and it would really only serve commuters bound for Arlington and D.C. The express lanes are able to serve a wider commuting demographic, including those bound for Tysons, Montgomery County, and Alexandria.

I'm not anti-Metro; however, the system is far from capable in handling its current infrastructure.

These things come and go. I think the new GM is serious about righting the ship and hopefully doing something about the cost structure. Personally, my plan wasn't to so much as "extend" the Orange Line but to make it more attractive by making parking free and maybe making transit costs tax deductible on both a state and federal level.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Exactly well said. Extend the metro to haymarket and don't mess with adding the express lanes.

smh. Metro to haymarket doesn't make sense. Metro = high frequency urban transit. When you start extending what is meant to be urban transit out, you dilute its capabilities.

That being said, we have a perfectly good train system, which is an alternative to driving, which should be funded more! We need to run better frequencies on that system, upgrade the Long Bridge crossing into DC so that the bottleneck with freight is no longer there, and get a system similar to SNCF where outer suburbs can still have good reliable rail transportation, while inner suburbs and city areas don't lose the quality of their own transit (which in the cities and inner suburbs is more than just commuting, many people don't have cars and need it for all errands).

The hint to the name of that system comes from your handle.