Fifteen options are now on the table, as regional and state leaders mull ways to establish dedicated funding for Northern Virginia transit operations.
A full range of funding options for Metro and other public transportation systems was presented to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) on Thursday (Dec. 5), including new taxes and fees.
The first major redesign of Metro’s bus operating network since the system’s founding in the early 1970s will help Fairfax County riders and those across the region, local transit leaders say.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) board of directors approved the Better Bus Network redesign last Thursday, Nov. 21. Two years in the making, the changes aim to create a more seamless, easy-to-understand system for riders that’s also more efficient for the transit agency.
It’s something that hasn’t been seen in nearly five years: A large percentage of the federal workforce exclusively back in the office — with many using Metro to get there.
But the incoming Trump administration has signaled it plans a major back-to-the-office push, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) leaders are watching carefully to see how it plays out.
Riders on Metro’s Silver Line and other lines serving Fairfax County could see a number of service improvements coming down the track.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s board of directors got a first look at the transit agency’s fiscal year 2026 budget conditions and, if funding allows, potential service improvements at a meeting of its finance and capital committee last Thursday (Nov. 21).
Efforts to upgrade bus service along the Route 7 corridor from Tysons to Alexandria continue to roll steadily forward, albeit with no recent headline-grabbing advances.
The $518 million initiative dubbed Envision Route 7 appears to be “moving along well,” Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) chair Matt de Ferranti said at the organization’s Nov. 7 meeting.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is planning more service changes for Fairfax Connector, specifically in the Reston, Herndon, Springfield and Centreville areas of the county.
Set to be discussed at two online community meetings this week, the proposals would serve to increase frequency, realign some service and add a new Route 652. Planned for elimination is Route 599, a rush-hour express service that runs between Reston and the Pentagon, Pentagon City and Crystal City areas of Arlington.
Elections have consequences, and now, Northern Virginia leaders are in wait-and-see mode on what those could be for local transit and transportation funding.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) board met Thursday (Nov. 7) for the first time since the 2024 general election, when Donald Trump regained the presidency and Republicans took control of at least one chamber of Congress — an unnerving prospect for Northern Virginia’s mostly Democratic political leaders.
Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman found himself lost in the weeds.
While he might not have been the only person to lose track of the conversation, Bierman was the one who spoke up Thursday (Oct. 3) as the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) discussed regional coordination and the potential of creating a dedicated stream of tax revenue to fund local transit.
Metro’s new inspector general is under no illusions about the perceptions of her office.
“There is a big question about…independence. The thought was we didn’t have independence,” Michelle Zamarin told the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) at its meeting on Thursday (Oct. 3).
A plan to redevelop Van Buren Office Park in Herndon into a mostly residential development could be the first test case of a soon-to-be established zoning district in the Town of Herndon.
Rooney Properties, owner of the office park at 250 Exchange Place, wants to replace the five existing office buildings and surface parking with a 400-unit multi-family residential building and garage as well as 66 townhouse units.
