VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS CRYSTAL CITY STATION EXPANSION CONTRIBUTES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
APTA Rail Conference
By Sonali Soneji, AICP VRE Planning Program Administrator
VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS June 25, 2019
1 VRE OVERVIEW VRE OVERVIEW
PURPOSE & NEED A commuter rail system running on existing railroad tracks SITE SELECTION Serving Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia STATION DESIGN carrying long-distance commuters to DC, Arlington and Alexandria COLLABORATION Two lines, 96 miles DISCUSSION adding peak capacity to I-95/I-395 and I-66 corridors* 20,000 daily passenger trips that commuters otherwise would have taken alone in cars*
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* Source: Texas Transportation Institute, Virginia Railway Express Congestion Relief Contribution; 2014 2 VRE OVERVIEW PEAK HOUR TRIPS (6:30 to 7:30 AM) PURPOSE & NEED across the Potomac River SITE SELECTION from Virginia to DC
STATION DESIGN
COLLABORATION OTHER 11% 1%
DISCUSSION VRE 13% BUS AUTOMOBILE METRORAIL 58% 17%
VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS 21,900 TOTAL TRIPS
Source: Transportation Planning Board 2013 Central Employment Core Cordon Count 3 VRE OVERVIEW VRE OVERVIEW . Busiest origin stations are at the PURPOSE & NEED end of the lines
SITE SELECTION . L’Enfant Station is our busiest destination station STATION DESIGN . Crystal City and Union Station are next busiest destination stations COLLABORATION . Most VRE riders:
DISCUSSION – Work for the government – Ride five days per week
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4 CRYSTAL CITY RIDER DESTINATIONS
. Crystal City . Pentagon City & Pentagon . Arlington & DC
STATION EGRESS MODE 69%
WALK OTHER
7% BUS METRORAIL 6%
18% VRE Trip Destinations VRE Crystal City Station Other VRE Stations WMATA Metrorail Stations VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS
Source: 2016 Virginia Railway Express Master Agreement Survey Destinations 5 VRE OVERVIEW PURPOSE AND NEED
PURPOSE & NEED One of our busiest stations with the shortest platform and one entrance SITE SELECTION . Reduce platform crowding and train dwell time . STATION DESIGN Improve passenger safety & convenience Side platform served by one track COLLABORATION . Improve operational flexibility . Support future bidirectional service DISCUSSION Declining ridership and hidden location . Improve visibility & multimodal connectivity . Support Crystal City sector plan . Potential walkway to airport
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6 VRE OVERVIEW DESIGN OBJECTIVES
PURPOSE & NEED . New island platform between Tracks 2 & 3 ‒ Serve 8-10 cars ‒ Two grade-separated access points SITE SELECTION . Not preclude a new 4th mainline track STATION DESIGN . Stay within existing railroad right-of-way . Enhance local & regional connectivity COLLABORATION ‒ Metrorail, Metroway, Buses, Shuttles ‒ Bicycle and walk access DISCUSSION . Support Crystal City’s vision for growth . Build a sustaining relationship with the community
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7 FACTOR DEFINITION MEASURES Proximity to jobs, • Jobs within 1/2 mile from center of platform Local • VRE rider destinations within 1/2 mile from center of platform Transportation residences, and • Residents within 1/2 mile from center of platform bicycle network • Distance to bicycle network from closest point on station platform Connections Proximity to Metrorail • Distance to existing Metrorail station entry from closest point on platform Regional • Distance to expected new Metrorail station entry from closest point on Transportation and Metroway platform • Number of street crossings to existing Metrorail station Connections • Distance to Metroway station from closest point on station platform Changes to Existing • Noise and Vibration impacts to sensitive receptors Community and • Property acquisition impacts to residential property Environmental Conditions • Impacts to Historic, Cultural, and/or Recreational resources (Built and Natural • Impacts to environmental justice (EJ) populations Impacts • Impacts to Visual Resources environment) • Impacts to water resources and floodplains
EVALUATION FACTORS EVALUATION Anticipated cost • Length of track relocation Major Cost • Grade-separated Access to the local roadway network Elements relative to other • Construction Sequencing options • Impacts to Railroad Infrastructure • No. of Culverts NOTE: Economic Development and Land Use Benefits were not Ranked
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8 VRE OVERVIEW Pentagon City PURPOSE & NEED Pentagon
Metroway (BRT) SITE SELECTION
STATION DESIGN Crystal City
COLLABORATION ❶
To Alexandria To ❸ ❷
DISCUSSION To Washington Washington DC To
Reagan National Airport
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9 VRE OVERVIEW SUMMARY OF RANKINGS
PURPOSE & NEED EVALUATION FACTOR OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3
Local Transportation SITE SELECTION Connections STATION DESIGN Regional Transportation Connections COLLABORATION Community and Environmental Impacts
DISCUSSION Major Cost Elements
OVERALL RATING
Legend: High Medium Low
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10 VRE OVERVIEW St S St S PURPOSE & NEED th th 20 18 Proposed New Metrorail Entrance Crystal Drive SITE SELECTION Metroway Stop Capital Bikeshare Station Metroway Stop
Crystal City STATION DESIGN Ramp Water Park
COLLABORATION Track 3 Track 2
Existing DISCUSSION Bridge Bicycle/Pedestrian Tunnel Underpass Ramp
Locomotive Stairs Elevator
N George Washington Memorial Parkway
VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS CONCEPT DESIGN – PREFERRED SITE 11 . Proposed mid-block crossing across Crystal Drive aligns NORTH ENTRANCE with paths to VRE station and Mount Vernon trail . Access to Underground and proposed Metrorail entrance . Separate pedestrian and bicycle paths reduce conflicts and makes existing trail ADA accessible . Minimized impact on existing Water Park design
Existing Tunnel Proposed Existing Water Park Station Entrance
ADA Access
VIRGINIA RAILWAYNew EXPRESS Mid-block Crossing
12 . Elevated covered walkway to terrace SOUTH ENTRANCE . Stairs to street/platform level; ADA accessible by elevators; . Path aligns with existing crosswalk across Crystal Drive . Parking removed and driveway narrowed for wider walkway
ADA Access
Station Entrance
Existing Crosswalk
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13 VRE OVERVIEW
PURPOSE & NEED
SITE SELECTION VRE Station
STATION DESIGN
COLLABORATION
DISCUSSION ADA Access Station Entrance Crystal Drive Crossing
VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS PROPOSED WALKWAY TO AIRPORT 14 VRE OVERVIEW
PURPOSE & NEED
SITE SELECTION
STATION DESIGN Community Outreach: Technical Advisory Group: . Arlington County Staff COLLABORATION Public Events – 2017 and 2018 . VRE Rider Survey JBG-Smith / Vornado Equity Residential . DISCUSSION VRE Operations Board Crystal City Civic Association . Arlington County Board and Crystal City BID Commissions MWAA National Park Service WHS Transportation (Pentagon) CSXT (host railroad) FRA & FTA VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS VA Dept. of Rail & Public Transportation
15 VRE OVERVIEW VRE Project Manager: SONALI SONEJI Phone: 703.838.5432 Email: [email protected] PURPOSE & NEED
SITE SELECTION
STATION DESIGN
COLLABORATION
DISCUSSION
PROJECT WEBSITE www.vre.org/development/crystal-city-station-improvements
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