crystal city streetcar project: purpose and need statement

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Crystal City Streetcar Project Purpose and Need Statement DRAFT October 4, 2012 Prepared by URS Corporation

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Crystal City Streetcar ProjectPurpose and Need StatementDRAFTOctober 4, 2012Prepared by URS CorporationTable of Contents1.01.1 1.2 1.3 1.4INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1Project Description ....................................................................................................................................................1 Project History and Planning Context ....................

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Crystal City Streetcar Project: Purpose and Need Statement

Crystal City Streetcar Project Purpose and Need Statement

DRAFT

October 4, 2012

Prepared by URS Corporation

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Table of Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Project Description .................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Project History and Planning Context ................................................................................................................. 3

1.3 Project Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

1.4 Project Need .................................................................................................................................................................. 3

2.0 CORRIDOR CHARACTERISTICS ...................................................................................... 4

2.1 Population and Employment .................................................................................................................................. 4

2.2 Existing and Future Land Use .............................................................................................................................. 14

2.3 Travel Patterns and Markets ............................................................................................................................... 15

2.4 Transportation Facilities and Services ............................................................................................................ 15 2.4.1 Street and Highway Facilities ............................................................................................................................................. 16 2.4.2 Transit Service and Facilities ............................................................................................................................................. 16 2.4.3 Railroad Facilities .................................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.4.4 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities ...................................................................................................................................... 18

3.0 TRAVEL DEMAND AND TRANSPORTATION DEFICIENCIES ........................................... 18

3.1 Land Use and Economic Development ............................................................................................................. 18

3.2 Increasing Travel Demand ................................................................................................................................... 19

3.3 Transit System Demand and Conditions ......................................................................................................... 19

3.4 Sustainability/Quality of Life .............................................................................................................................. 20

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Route 1 Preliminary Streetcar Alignment ..................................................................................................... 2

Figure 2: 2010 Population Density ..................................................................................................................................... 6

Figure 3: Projected 2035 Population Density ................................................................................................................. 7

Figure 4: Population Density: 2010 - 2035 Percent Change ...................................................................................... 8

Figure 5: 2010 Employment Density .................................................................................................................................. 9

Figure 6: Projected 2035 Employment Density .......................................................................................................... 10

Figure 7: Employment Density: 2010 - 2035 Percent Change ............................................................................... 11

Figure 8: Number of Households without a Car within a Half-Mile of the Preliminary Alignment ......... 12

Figure 9: Percentage of Population below the Poverty Line within a Half-Mile of the Preliminary Alignment .................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

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Table of Acronyms

AA Alternatives Analysis

BRAC Base Realignment and Closure

BRT Bus Rapid Transit

CCPY Crystal City/Potomac Yard Transitway

FTA Federal Transit Administration

LEHD Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics

LRT Light Rail Transit

LPA Locally Preferred Alternative

MWCOG Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

O&M Operating and Maintenance

PTN Primary Transit Network

SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

STN Secondary Transit Network

TIGER Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery

VDOT Virginia Department of Transportation

VRE Virginia Railway Express

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List of Referenced Documents Arlington County

Master Transportation Plan (2008) Crystal City Multimodal Transportation Study (2010) Crystal City Multimodal Transportation Study (2010) Crystal City Sector Plan (2010) Pentagon Centre Site Guiding Principles (2008) Pentagon City Master Development Plan (1976) Potomac Yard Design Guidelines (2000)

City of Alexandria

Transitway Corridor Feasibility Study (ongoing)

Other documents

District of Columbia Department of Transportation, DC’s Transit Future System Plan: Final Report, April 2010

Jeffrey Joerres and Jill Moran, “Transit key to attracting creative talent here,” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, September 23, 2009

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, Priority Bus Transit in the National Capital Region: A Proposal for Bus Transit, Bike-Sharing and Intermodal Connections for Metropolitan Washington, September 15, 2009

Transportation Research Board, TCRP Synthesis 86: Relationships Between Streetcars and the Built Environment, A Synthesis of Transit Practice, Washington, D.C., 2010

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Crystal City/Potomac Yard Corridor Transit Alternatives Analysis, 2003

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1.0 Introduction

1.1 Project Description The Crystal City Streetcar Project (the “Project”) study area is located within Arlington County, Virginia, as shown in Figure 1. The Project builds on work completed as part of the Crystal City/Potomac Yard Corridor Transit Improvement Project (CCPY Bus Transitway) to meet new transportation demands resulting from rapid development and redevelopment occurring in the corridor. New commercial and residential buildings are going up in Crystal City and Pentagon City with further growth planned for the immediate and long-term future. Transit improvements are being phased in to accommodate new development being planned in the area. The Crystal City Streetcar will generally follow the alignment of the CCPY Transitway, which began construction in Summer 2012. The CCPY Transitway will provide an exclusive roadway for buses throughout portions of the corridor. It will also develop station stops that will initially be used for bus operations but will eventually be used for both buses and streetcars. The Crystal City Streetcar Project will provide streetcar service that will both share the CCPY Transitway with local bus service and operate in mixed traffic in some locations.

The geographic limits of the study area are I-395 to the north, George Washington Memorial Parkway to the east, Four Mile Run to the south, and South Arlington Ridge Road to the west. Route 1 is the major north-south roadway through the corridor, and Reagan National Airport is located in the northeastern corner of the corridor. The corridor includes existing and emerging residential and employment centers of regional importance, and serves as a connector for regional north-south travel. The Project will introduce streetcars into the Route 1 corridor within Arlington County as a complement to and extension of the existing transit network, which includes Metrorail, Metrobus, OmniRide, and Virginia Railway Express (VRE). Crystal City Streetcar could potentially be integrated into a regional streetcar network, elements of which are undergoing planning in Arlington County and neighboring jurisdictions.

The Crystal City Streetcar Project will establish a fixed rail streetcar line from the vicinity of Potomac Avenue and South Glebe Road to the Pentagon City Metrorail Station in Arlington County, VA. The project will include both a northbound and a southbound track extending the approximate 2.5-mile length of the corridor. The northern terminus of the Project is proposed to be in the vicinity of 12th Street South and Eads Street in Pentagon City and would coincide with the eastern terminus of the Columbia Pike Streetcar project. Should the Columbia Pike Streetcar project be delayed, the Crystal City Streetcar Project will be extended two blocks west to the vicinity of 12th Street South and South Hayes Street. The southern terminus would be in the vicinity of Potomac Avenue and South Glebe Road. Tracks will be standard railroad gauge embedded into the pavement, and there will be an overhead contact system suspended over each track to provide power to the streetcars. The power system will include power substations which are small structures that will be located at approximately ½ mile intervals throughout the corridor. There will be approximately 9 stops along the route, each consisting of a raised boarding platform, an open shelter, and supporting elements such as benches, trash cans and ticket vending machines. The project is likely to include a vehicle storage and light maintenance facility for the 8 streetcar vehicles that will be operated on the line. Potential operators for the system will be considered as part of the Environmental Assessment for the Project.

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Figure 1

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1.2 Project History and Planning Context Shifts in development dynamics and densities within the Project area and region, including the US Department of Defense’s 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendations and positive redevelopment momentum in the Crystal City/Potomac Yard area, have drawn attention to the need for additional transit capacity in the Route 1 corridor. Master and small area plans have been completed by Arlington County to guide dense, mixed-use, market-driven redevelopment activity, including Arlington County’s Master Transportation Plan (2005, with appendices completed 2007-2011) and Crystal City Sector Plan (2010). Several million square feet of residential, retail, commercial, office and institutional development are currently planned within the Crystal City and Pentagon City area.

Over the past decade, the City of Alexandria, Arlington County and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) have been analyzing the feasibility of high-capacity service in the Route 1 corridor to support increased development activity. A 2003 Alternatives Analysis (AA) found that implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, a Light Rail (LRT) line and a new Potomac Yard Metrorail station were all feasible; further planning work for a transitway to support BRT and/or LRT was pursued. In 2009, the City of Alexandria, with support from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), successfully applied for federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to construct a 0.8-mile portion of the CCPY Transitway. Arlington County will also commence construction of a transitway segment. Complementary planning work, including City of Alexandria’s Potomac Yard Multimodal Transportation Study (2009), Arlington County’s Crystal City Multimodal Transportation Study (2010) and the City of Alexandria’s Transitway Corridor Feasibility Study (ongoing) have each demonstrated a demand for increased transit capacity within the Route 1 corridor.

1.3 Project Purpose The purpose of the Crystal City Corridor Streetcar Project is to:

Serve planned development Complement existing transit service Link Arlington County activity centers Increase transit mode share Improve mobility for the transit-dependent population Support environmental sustainability Contribute to community identity Accommodate future travel demand

Streetcar service will be responsive to planned development patterns by linking emerging activity centers in the study area. This frequent, high-capacity service will increase transit mode share by attracting new riders while improving the mobility of the corridor’s transit-dependent population. This will, in turn, reduce congestion by shifting existing mode shares and mitigating future demand for auto travel, which will support the corridor’s environmental sustainability. The Crystal City Sector Plan includes a policy directive to reach “operational carbon neutrality in Crystal City through actions such as… [the] provision of exceptional access to transit” (pg. 44). Implementation of a transit mode that is unique to this corridor will also support the creation of a cohesive community identity.

1.4 Project Need The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)-induced changes and redevelopment in Crystal City present a unique opportunity for Arlington County to shape the land use pattern, transportation

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network and economic development framework of the Route 1 corridor for the next several decades. Investment in a high-capacity transit mode is needed to support changing inter- and intra-corridor travel patterns, attract choice riders, and strategically focus the significantly–increased density of planned mixed-use development in accordance with the community-adopted vision for sustainable growth. The existing transportation network does not have the capacity or characteristics to attract additional choice riders and increase transit mode share to mitigate projected travel demand increases.

Route 1 Corridor Travel Markets Will Change As a Result of Planned Development. Route 1 is a major north-south travel corridor that links commuters to corridor-based employment (Pentagon City, Crystal City and National Airport) and adjacent employment centers (commuters from Fairfax County and points south to Washington, D.C.). As the corridor redevelops and intensifies as both a residential and employment activity center, the demand for travel to and within the corridor can be expected to increase. While the volume of existing Route 1 corridor travel patterns is projected to increase, it is the accommodation of emerging intra-corridor travel markets that are driven by increased mixed-use development which will require streetcar investment.

The Existing Transportation Network Will Be Unable to Meet Increased Demand. Increased vehicular travel demand growth in the absence of attractive, high-capacity transit investment will strain the existing transportation network. Significant peak period capacity issues currently exist within the Route 1 corridor and there is limited ability to increase roadway capacity to meet projected demand. An extensive transit network exists within the corridor (including multiple local and regional bus routes, heavy rail and commuter rail), but their service characteristics (external connectivity with limited linkages between intra-corridor destinations) are unlikely to attract sufficient choice riders to mitigate increases in corridor travel demand.

Streetcar Investment Will Support the Local Vision for Growth. Local leaders have recognized that unplanned growth will threaten the corridor’s long-term viability as an attractive place to live, work and visit, and could hurt the corridor’s competitive position within the Washington, D.C. region’s market. Multiple corridor-specific land use and transportation plans, as well as Arlington County’s Master Transportation Plan (2008), have recognized the vital role of increased transit capacity in supporting the community-approved vision for redevelopment in the Route 1 corridor.

2.0 Corridor Characteristics

2.1 Population and Employment The Route 1 Corridor is in the heart of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, located directly across the Potomac River from the downtown core. As previously mentioned, the corridor includes existing centers of population and employment density, as shown in Figures 2 and 5. Despite the maturity of some existing development, redevelopment sites throughout the corridor will drive a significant increase in both employment and population densities by 2035. Figures 3, 4, 6 and 7 demonstrate that the highest employment and population densities will be found in the development that is immediately along the preliminary streetcar alignment. High-capacity transit investment within the corridor will be necessary to meet the increased travel demand that will be generated by these densities; mitigating a corresponding increase in vehicular traffic would contribute to increased congestion, reduced travel times, negative environmental impacts, and a reduced quality of life for residents and employees.

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As Figures 8 and 9 demonstrate, the corridor also contains concentrations of households that do not have access to a car, as well as concentrations of households that are living below the federal poverty line. These types of households are typically dependent on transit service for mobility and access to jobs and services. Streetcar investment will not only serve the existing and emerging centers of population and employment density, but will also increase the mobility of households that are reliant on transit service.

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Figure 2

Data Source: MWCOG

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Figure 3

Data Source: MWCOG

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Figure 4

Data Source: MWCOG

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Figure 5

Data Source: MWCOG

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Figure 6

Data Source: MWCOG

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Figure 7

Data Source: MWCOG

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Figure 8

Data Source: 2010 US Census

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Figure 9

Data Source: 2010 US Census

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2.2 Existing and Future Land Use The existing land uses within the Route 1 corridor range from major transportation facilities to large planned developments to residential neighborhoods and supporting retail. The corridor is characterized by hubs of activity anchored by large-scale developments: office uses at the Pentagon, regional shopping destinations and mixed uses at Pentagon City, office uses and shopping at Crystal City, and Reagan National Airport. Numerous lower-density, established neighborhoods abut these major developments, particularly to the west of Route 1 in Arlington County.

The current population and employment densities that have resulted from these existing land uses have been sufficient to support a robust network of transit service. However it is the future land uses that will drive the demand for a high-capacity local transit service. As previously mentioned, several million square feet of residential, retail, commercial, office and institutional development are currently planned within the study area. Table 1 shows the anticipated increases in various types of development in Crystal City, as documented on page 17 of the Crystal City Multimodal Transportation Study.

Table 1: Crystal City Development Totals

Type of Use 2007 2030 2050

Office 10,800,000 sq. ft. 12,900,000 sq. ft. 15,900,000 sq. ft.

Office Increase 19% 47%

Residential 9,300 units 14,700 units 22,000 units

Residential Increase 58% 137%

Hotel 4,700 rooms 4,900 rooms 5,500 rooms

Hotel Increase 4% 17%

Retail 850,000 sq. ft. 1,500,000 sq. ft. 1,750,000 sq. ft.

Retail Increase 76 % 106%

Total* 24,700 sq. ft. 32,900,000 sq. ft. 43,310,000 sq. ft.

* Totals assume an average of 1,000 square feet per dwelling unit and 757 square feet per hotel room

In Arlington County, the Project corridor is included in the County’s Jefferson Davis Corridor, which includes the Crystal City and Pentagon City and Potomac Yard planning areas. Land uses within each of these areas are guided by an adopted land use plan and concept:

Crystal City concept: A place where the existing multi-modal transportation network will provide enhanced access and mobility with improved surface transit service and a more pedestrian-friendly urban street network; streets and public spaces are lined with active retail and civic spaces; upper story uses provide a Class A office environment and expanded array of residential offerings; and its sense of place will be strengthened through high-quality architecture, open spaces, streetscape treatments and public art.

Pentagon City concept: Mixed-use development with special emphasis on residential development and regional shopping facilities.

Potomac Yard concept: Urban mixed-use campus, in which several intense compact centers of activity are set in and connected by a linked system of carefully sculpted, richly landscaped open spaces. Implementation of a transitway is integral to the concept.

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These targeted development areas within Arlington County are bordered by residential neighborhoods, including Arlington Ridge and Aurora Highlands. Existing land uses within the corridor currently support a high level of transit service. As these uses intensify and diversify in conformity with adopted plans, a different set of trip origins and destinations will emerge. The new travel patterns that will result from these emerging origins and destinations will increase the demand for higher-capacity intra-corridor transit service while still supporting existing transit service for trips outside the corridor.

2.3 Travel Patterns and Markets Travel patterns in the Route 1 corridor are strongly influenced by the presence of the Pentagon, Pentagon City and Crystal City at the northern end of the corridor and Washington, DC. The corridor’s proximity to Washington, in combination with the regional congestion on the Capital Beltway (I-495) and Shirley Highway (I-395), results in the diversion of car trips though the corridor, which contributes to Route 1 congestion in the peak periods.

An analysis of the percentage of the population commuting in/out of the study area (known as inflow/outflow analysis) is shown in Table 2, More than 98 percent of the 33,814 jobs (excluding the Pentagon) located in the Route 1 corridor are filled by people living outside of the corridor. Of people living in the corridor, a slightly smaller proportion (almost 95 percent) travel outside of the corridor for work. The number of people living and working within the corridor is currently small, but intra-corridor travel markets can be expected to increase as planned mixed-use development is constructed through the corridor.

Table 2: Inflow/Outflow Analysis (2010 data)

Total Number of Jobs Proportion (Share)

Employed in the Selection Area 33,814 100.0%

Living Outside the Selection Area 33,266 98.4%

Living in the Selection Area 548 1.6%

Living in the Selection Area 10,699 100.0%

Employed Outside the Selection Area 10,151 94.9%

Employed in the Selection Area 548 5.1%

Note: Selection area for this analysis was the Census Block Groups in Arlington County that are proximate to the potential streetcar route; Census Block Groups representing the Pentagon were not included.

Source: Longitudinal Employment-Household Dynamics, US Census Bureau, 2010

The proposed streetcar would serve the following travel markets:

Inbound and reverse commute work trips; Intra-corridor trips; and Trips to and from other transit corridors and services.

Corridor streetcar service would provide an important “last mile” link for corridor-bound employees that travel via the Metrorail, while supporting the emerging intra-corridor travel market.

2.4 Transportation Facilities and Services

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The Route 1 corridor transportation system consists of the street and highway network, transit services and facilities, freight and passenger railroads, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. A brief overview of the various components of the transportation network is included in the sections below.

2.4.1 Street and Highway Facilities North-south local and regional vehicular traffic is centered on Route 1, which consists of between four and six through lanes along the length of the corridor, features dedicated turns lanes at selected intersections, and includes a planted median or physical barrier along selected sections of the corridor. Route 1 width and configuration varies significantly along the length of the corridor.

Arlington County’s roadway network between South Glebe Road and 23rd Street South is a combination of grid arterials and curvilinear residential collectors; this pattern transitions to a more uniform grid arterial and collector network between 23rd Street South and Crystal City. The Crystal City and Pentagon City areas are characterized by a super-block configuration that encourages higher traffic volumes on a comparatively smaller number of higher-capacity streets. The Pentagon, Reagan National Airport and railroads limit the number of public roadways in the northern and northeastern portions of the corridor.

The George Washington Memorial Parkway runs along the eastern edge of the study corridor, and provides a direct north-south connection into Washington with comparatively limited local access within the corridor. I-395 approaches the corridor from the west and crosses through the corridor along its northern boundary. I-495 runs parallel to and just outside of the corridor’s southern boundary. Both interstates provide access to and from regional activity centers, as well as the broader interstate highway system.

2.4.2 Transit Service and Facilities The Route 1 corridor is served by a robust mix of transit service providers, modes and facilities:

Local and regional bus service (Metrobus, Arlington Transit, and OmniRide); Heavy rail (Metrorail’s Blue and Yellow Lines serve the Pentagon, Pentagon City, Crystal

City and Reagan National Airport stations; a Metrorail station is planned for construction in the Potomac Yard area); and

Commuter rail (Virginia Railway Express station at Crystal City).

Bus service includes a combination of fixed-route local, express, circulator, demand response and paratransit services. Much of the service is commuter-oriented (particularly for non-Metrobus service) and connects surrounding residential areas with Route 1 corridor and Washington employment centers and Metrorail stations. Metrobus Route 9S was launched by Arlington County as a looped circulator within the Crystal City/Potomac Yard area that provides connections between 15th Street South and South Glebe Road. This route was designed as interim transit service in anticipation of potential future streetcar service within the Route 1 corridor.

Metrorail’s Blue and Yellow heavy rail lines operate and serve four stations within the corridor: Pentagon, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. An infill Metrorail station in the Potomac Yard area is currently in planning stages. North of the corridor, the Blue Line travels along the Potomac River through Arlington County before turning east and serving the Washington, D.C. core and continuing east to a terminus at Prince George’s County’s Largo Town Center. The Yellow Line crosses over the Potomac River immediately north of the corridor and serves the core of Washington, D.C. before continuing northward to a terminus at Fort Totten. In June 2012 WMATA introduced Rush+ service, which extended yellow line service to

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Greenbelt and Franconia-Springfield in addition to its usual termini, during peak periods. The Blue and Yellow lines each serve major Metrorail transfer stations and provide direct connections to additional transportation modes, including VRE, Amtrak and Reagan National Airport. Connections to local and regional bus service are also available at all stations on the Blue and Yellow Lines. Park-and-ride facilities are available at the terminal stations on both the Blue and Yellow Lines, and at select stations along their routes. There are no park-and-ride facilities within the Route 1 corridor.

VRE provides commuter-oriented rail service to the Crystal City station in the Route 1 corridor during weekdays in the peak period direction. The station is served at 30-minute headways by trains operating on both the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. There is no parking provided at the station, but riders can access Metrorail and Metrobus service.

2.4.3 Railroad Facilities Two Class I railroads operate within the Route 1 corridor: CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern. In addition to freight transport, these lines host VRE and Amtrak passenger trains though the Project corridor.

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2.4.4 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Arlington County outlined non-motorized transportation policies and plans in its Master Transportation Plan – Pedestrian Element and Bicycle Element (2008). The County has also launched WalkArlington and BikeArlington, two initiatives designed to encourage people to utilize non-motorized transportation options.

Capital Bikeshare, established in 2010, is currently the largest bicycle sharing system in the United States. The program was launched in Washington, D.C., and Arlington County with 1,100 bicycles located at 110 stations. Bicycle sharing is a service in which public bicycles are made available for rent on an hourly or daily basis. There are 14 Bikeshare stations within the Arlington County portion of the Route 1 corridor.

The corridor includes a network of off-street trails, bike lanes and sharrows, and on-street bike routes. Sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities (signalized intersections and marked crosswalks) exist throughout the corridor; this network will be expanded and reinforced through the redevelopment of Potomac Yard.

3.0 Travel Demand and Transportation Deficiencies This section summarizes the challenges and opportunities facing the corridor and the need for high-capacity transit improvements.

3.1 Land Use and Economic Development The Route 1 corridor is undergoing an intense infill and redevelopment cycle. More than 1,000,000 square feet of office space, 175,000 square feet of retail, 625 hotel rooms and 865 residential units were completed in the Arlington County portion of the Project corridor in 2010. An additional 2,380,000 square feet of office space, 500,000 square feet of retail, 2,150 residential units and 250 hotel rooms had approved site plans (but had not yet begun construction) at the end of October 2011. The scale of this development and its diversity of uses will increase existing inter-corridor travel demand and shift existing travel markets to include a greater share of intra-corridor trips. Attractive, high-capacity transit investment (like streetcar) will be necessary to increase transit’s mode share and mitigate vehicular congestion that could otherwise result from this density of development.

Case study evidence from communities across the country has shown that streetcar investment, as compared to bus-based investment, has sent a stronger signal of public sector commitment to targeted corridor investment to the development community. The Washington, D.C. Department of Transportation estimates that implementation of its planned 37-mile streetcar network would result in more than $268,000,000 in residential development and more than $3,500,000,000 in commercial development by 2030. An FTA-sponsored Transit Cooperative Research Program report published in 2010 found that “almost all representatives [of existing streetcar systems] interviewed believed that streetcars positively affect the built environment, particularly in attracting new development or enhancing revitalization, although the degree of impact varies.”1 Case study research, expert projections and anecdotal evidence from the development community combine to demonstrate that streetcar investment in the Route 1 corridor is likely to support planned development and generate additional development activity more effectively than bus-based transit investment.

1 Transportation Research Board, “TCRP Synthesis 86: Relationships Between Streetcars and the Built Environment, A Synthesis of Transit Practice,” Washington, D.C.: 2010, p. 2.

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Local leaders and community stakeholders have spent the past several years working to develop integrated land use and transportation plans at both the corridor level and at a regional scale. The comprehensive plans, master transportation plans, sector plans, small area plans and neighborhood plans for the City of Alexandria and Arlington County are unified in their vision for the Route 1 corridor: comparatively high-density, mixed-use development that is supported by a layered, multi-modal transportation network.

3.2 Increasing Travel Demand Increased transit system demand will result from the redevelopment of the northern portion of the corridor (Crystal City). The density and types of uses included in this planned development will shift existing travel markets to include the following emerging travel markets:

Intra-corridor trips: Planned development will increase the number of origins and destinations within the corridor. Industry research shows that choice riders (those who have access to a car but choose to use transit because it is a more attractive option) are more likely to use streetcar than bus service. Attracting choice riders will increase corridor transit mode share, which will help to mitigate congestion resulting from planned development. Increased transit mode share is consistent with the goals outlined in Arlington County’s Crystal City Multimodal Transportation Study. Increased levels of transit service (frequency, span of service, etc.) will also improve the mobility of the corridor’s transit-dependent population.

Corridor-bound trips: As shown in the inflow/outflow analysis, existing demand for corridor-bound, employment-based trips is high. As planned development is completed and additional office and commercial space is constructed throughout the corridor, high-capacity, local transit service will expand the reach of existing Metrorail service.

Visitors: Out-of-town visitors can be intimidated by local bus service; rail-based service (with its comparatively fewer routes, more easily-understood maps and more easily-identified station locations) can be less anxiety-inducing and more attractive to tourists. Crystal City streetcar service will support occupancy rates at the hundreds of planned (and thousands of existing) hotel rooms within the corridor by providing easy connections between the Metrorail and intra-corridor hotel destinations.

Increased travel demand from existing and emerging travel markets will require a high-capacity local transit service to complement the regional reach of the existing transit network.

3.3 Transit System Demand and Conditions The implementation of the Crystal City Streetcar will result in a more robust transit system that:

Complements existing transit service, Supports the planned high-density, mixed-use development that will generate additional

demand, and Increases transit capacity to meet this future demand.

The Route 1 corridor is currently served by a dense network of rail and bus lines that experience comparatively high rates of ridership. The 2010-2011 change in average weekday passenger boardings at Metrorail stations in the corridor (1.9 percent) exceeded Metrorail’s system-wide average (-4.8 percent). Two of the three highest ridership Virginia Metrobus routes operate within the Route 1 corridor: 16A, B, D, E, J, P (Columbia Pike line) and 16G, H, K (Columbia Heights West – Pentagon line).

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According to the Crystal City Sector Plan, Arlington County is anticipating a 70 percent increase in the number of housing units within the Crystal City planning area by 2030. This significant increase in the number of residents will shift the existing portfolio of land uses and generate new travel markets that the existing transit network is not currently oriented to effectively attract and serve.

Commuter transit mode share is currently high in some densely-developed portions of the corridor: according to the Crystal City Multimodal Transportation Study, 40 percent of Crystal City-based employees use Metrorail to get to work, with additional commuters using the Metrobus and VRE. These high rates of commuter-based ridership resulted in an overall 28 percent transit mode share in 2007 in Crystal City; this share is expected to increase to approximately 35 to 38 percent by 2030.

Arlington County’s Master Transportation Plan identifies the increase of transit service options as one of six general policy sections; a supporting policy of this section is the implementation of a primary transit network (PTN) and a secondary transit network (STN). The PTNs are designed to provide high-quality, high-frequency service in high-density corridors. This Project’s preliminary alignment is an element of the PTN. Implementation actions of the Plan include:

The implementation of the CCPY with bus service as an interim step towards streetcar service between Pentagon City and Braddock Road Metrorail stations, and

Implementation of the Columbia Pike streetcar project to link the Pentagon City Metrorail station with the Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County.

Local leaders in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County, VA, in addition to Arlington County, are in the process of planning or constructing streetcar lines. The starter alignment of the DC Streetcar (H Street/Benning Road) is expected to begin revenue service in Summer 2013. Columbia Pike Streetcar is projected to begin revenue service in 2017. Both of these lines are envisioned as not only a high-capacity transportation solution, but as an economic development tool that can be used to promote transit-supportive development patterns. The siting of the Route 1 corridor’s northern terminus is contingent on the selection of the Columbia Pike streetcar’s eastern terminus. A co-terminus of the two streetcar lines would enable easy transfers, or through operation, and effectively expand the travel market for each streetcar line.

High-capacity transit investment within the corridor will function as an extension of and complement to existing corridor transit service. Existing bus service operates in mixed traffic, which results in long travel times for local service. Metrorail and VRE provide faster options, but the reduced travel time can be attributed to the limited number of local stations; few stations result in limited local access. Streetcar will effectively manage future Route 1 corridor transit demand while complementing (rather than replicating) existing corridor transit service.

3.4 Sustainability/Quality of Life Implementation of this Project would not be the first time the Route 1 corridor has been served by streetcars. Between 1892 and 1932 the Washington-Mt. Vernon line of the Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Electric Railway connected Fairfax County and downtown Washington, D.C. through the City of Alexandria and Arlington County along Commonwealth Avenue and Eads Street. Streetcar service was discontinued when buses became the dominant form of public transportation. Modern Route 1 Corridor streetcar service would be consistent with historic precedence and build a cohesive corridor identity, which will be particularly important as new and infill development draws new residents, employees and visitors to an area with which they may not be familiar.

Page 26: Crystal City Streetcar Project: Purpose and Need Statement

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Driven by the guidelines contained in Arlington County’s Crystal City Sector Plan, Pentagon Centre Site Guiding Principles, Pentagon City Master Development Plan, and Potomac Yard Design Guidelines, the corridor’s planned development will be transit-supportive because of its mix of uses, density of uses, building design, and site orientation. The outcome of this transit-supportive environment, in combination with streetcar service, will be a reduced dependence on cars for both inter- and intra-corridor trips.

Increasing transit mode share among existing and future corridor users will help to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts that could be associated with higher-density development in the absence of new high-capacity transit. Streetcar service will help to mitigate an increase in roadway congestion, which will help to avoid an increase in vehicle emissions and fuel consumption.