At the June TPB meeting, board members received updates on Intercity Bus and Rail Travel, the COG military installation resilience review, and TIP amendments to support Northern Virginia transportation projects.  

Meeting agenda, materials, and recording

ACTION ITEM

FY 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program Update for Northern Virginia Transit Projects 

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), on behalf of the Virginia Passenger Railway Authority (VPRA), requested additional funding for the Alexandria 4^th Track project and $25.5 million for the Long Bridge Virginia-DC project. In addition to the two projects proposed for amendment, the effort—called the Northern Virginia Core Capacity (NVCC) project—also includes the acquisition of rolling stock and related service expansion for Virginia Railway Express (VRE) trains, the Long Bridge Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge project, and improvements along the RF&P railroad corridor between the City of Alexandria and the District of Columbia.  

Arlington County Board Member Takis Karantonis commented that both investments are foundational and transformational. Karantonis encouraged TPB members to not underestimate the importance of the 4^th track, which provides more capacity and a critical connection to Reagan National Airport. TPB Staff Director Kanti Srikanth noted that the project also includes a pedestrian bridge that is an element of the National Capital Trail Network.

The TPB adopted Resolution R12-2023 to amend the FY 2023 - 2026 TIP as requested by Virginia DOT. In addition to R12-2023, the TPB Board received notice that VDOT will update their section of the FY 2023-2026 TIP to change funding levels in the TIP to align funding with VDOT’s Draft FY 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

Intercity Bus and Rail Travel Overview

Andrew Meese, TPB Systems Performance Planning Director, and Pierre Gaunaurd, TPB Transportation Planner, presented an update on the status of intercity bus and rail travel to and from the metropolitan Washington region.

TPB staff has begun planning for further research on intercity travel, expanding the scope to include rail services. TPB staff plans to conduct a regional survey in FY 2024 to gather usage information on intercity buses, commuter buses, rail transit, and commuter rail. This work updates the previous study completed in 2016.

Highlights from the 2023 Overview:

• The region hosts 34 intercity bus stops, nine Amtrak stops, and offers intercity bus service to more than 50 destinations.
• 15 intercity bus operators serve the region with over 200 Friday bus trips to New York City.
• As of February 2023, intercity bus ridership had returned to 70 to 75 percent of pre-pandemic totals.
• Amtrak routes currently call at these regional stops: New Carrollton, Rockville, Alexandria, Burke, Manassas, Woodbridge, Quantico, and Lorton (Auto Train)
• As of April 2023, Amtrak ridership has reached 89 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

The findings reveal that Northeast corridor routes are the most heavily frequented by travelers in the region with Fridays being the busiest travel day. Both bus and rail have recovered ridership since the pandemic. Similar to other sectors of the economy, bus companies are facing workforce shortages.

In addition to the upcoming FY 2024 survey, which will look at intermodal facilities, the TPB plans to invite presenters from Amtrak, the American Bus Association, and Union Station to discuss their recent activities during a fall 2023 TPB session.
 

(COG/TPB)
 

Prince George’s County Councilmember Eric Olson asked if there are projections for ridership at New Carrollton and other stations when Union Station undergoes its upcoming renovation. Srikanth said that insight into projections and impacts will be discussed when the TPB invites the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Amtrak to a fall TPB intercity travel session to talk about their plans for service and impacts on stations throughout the region. 

Karantonis asked if the study will look at the fare structure of intercity travel. Meese said that TPB staff will look into pricing as part of the analysis.

Gary Erenrich, Montgomery County Department of Transportation Special Assistant to the Director, said that the Silver Spring Metro station has a dedicated bay for intercity bus, and the county has worked with Peter Pan and Metro for years to provide service at that location. Erenrich asked if the upcoming study could address coordinated service at Metro stations. Meese commented that the TPB will look into coordination efforts between Metro and intercity service providers.  

Military Installation Resilience Review

Jeff King, COG Director of Climate, Energy and Air Programs, provided a refresher on the U.S. Department of Defense’s Military Installation Resilience Review (MIRR) program and the program’s role as a community-led planning initiative that provides vulnerability and risk assessments and identifies strategies to bolster resilience. The MIRR program also funds planning and engineering feasibility studies. The TPB shared information on the program and work that COG has completed around Joint Base Anacostia Bolling, the Naval Research Laboratory, and Fort McNair in February 2023. The February meeting recap includes more detail.   

Chris Landgraf, Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) Program Manager, presented an update on three installations that NVRC is working with: Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall, and Quantico. NVRC’s MIRR project focused on the impacts of high temperatures, energy demand, and flooding. NVRC’s asset and vulnerability inventory identified 100,000 assets among the installations that could be affected by natural hazards. As seen in the graphic below, over 100 strategies for addressing hazards have been identified; most of these relate to coastal/inland flooding and energy demand.
 

(NVRC)

Region-specific recommendations from the assessment include:

• Updating roadway design guidelines
• Pursuing a study to model impacts and risks of future flooding events on I-95, I-395, Fairfax County and George Washington Memorial parkways, U.S. 1, and Washington Boulevard
• Comparing future flood elevations with bridge components
• Updating Transportation Demand Management Plan
• Evaluating Metro tunnel and stations to assess potential flood impacts
• Advocating for expanded transit service options including Metro access and ferry services
• Incorporating cool or permeable pavements into roadways and parking lots

Next steps for NVRC include sharing the MIRR report and identifying funding sources for project planning.

TPB Chair Reuben Collins commented that the NVRC presentation references Joint Base Andrews’ lack of rail accessibility. Collins noted that one of the projected stations for the proposed Southern Maryland Rapid Transit light rail alignment is a stop serving Joint Base Andrews, and NVRC may want to consider this as part of projections for future projects.

Steering Committee and Director’s Report Highlights

Kanti Srikanth reported the following:

• On June 2, the TPB Steering Committee approved joint letters of comment with the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (MWAQC) and COG’s Climate Energy Environment Policy Committee on two proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy Duty Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Emissions Standards and Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles. Both rules are considered by the TPB to be helpful to the region for attaining and maintaining 2015 ozone standards and attaining greenhouse gas reduction goals.
• Steering Committee members adopted two resolutions approving TIP amendments requested by the District DOT for Southern Avenue SE and by VDOT for roadway projects on I-66, Fairfax County Parkway, Belmont Ridge Road, a Connector Bridge between Crystal City and National Airport and funding for several maintenance projects.
• COG has announced the 2023 grant solicitation period for the Enhanced Mobility (Section 5310) program will be open August 1 - September 30. Additional information will be shared on the COG website and through TPB News in the coming weeks. 
• The TPB is accepting applications for the Transit Within Reach (TWR) technical assistance program. TWR funds design and preliminary engineering projects to help improve bike and walk connections to existing high-capacity transit stations or stations that will be open to riders by 2030. The application deadline is August 4.
• VDOT announced that the Virginia Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program pre-application period is open through June 30. The TA Set-Aside is a federal program that funds smaller-scale capital improvement projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, trails, safe routes to school (SRTS) projects, environmental mitigation, and other community improvements.

Note: Due to time constraints, Item 10 UPWP Projects Update will be presented at a future TPB Board meeting.

NEXT MEETING

The next TPB meeting is scheduled for July 19 at 12:00 P.M. A YouTube livestream option is available for all TPB board meetings. There is no August board meeting.