Top Northern Virginia elected officials on Wednesday called for urgent action to build two major transportation projects to deal with the region’s congestion, but both proposals face obstacles likely to cause years of delay.
The two-hour roundtable touched on economic issues but was dominated by a lively and sometimes contentious discussion of what the region’s priorities should be for big-ticket transportation projects to relieve traffic.
The event illustrated most Northern Virginia politicians’ continued strong support for Metro, despite its abundant problems, and their desire to fix the American Legion Bridge.
But the politicians admitted that they had no idea how to raise the minimum $2.5 billion needed to eliminate one of Metro’s choke points by adding a tunnel between Rosslyn and the District.
And they said they could do nothing about the American Legion Bridge except wait for Maryland to take action — because it is Maryland’s bridge.
Metro’s only vocal critic onstage was Corey A. Stewart (At Large), chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, who also was the only Republican and the only politician whose jurisdiction does not include a Metro station.
Stewart said the region should focus less on Metro’s fixed-rail system, which he dismissed as “19th-century technology.” Instead, he said, the area should invest more in “smart car” technology to improve the driving experience.
The discussion seemed likely to disappoint backers of a new Potomac crossing north of the American Legion Bridge. The chambers of commerce that organized the event strongly support such a bridge, but the only elected official to describe it as a top priority was Phyllis J. Randall (D), chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.
Because of Loudoun’s location along the river, north of the American Legion Bridge, Randall’s constituents would benefit most from such a bridge.
Three of the five elected officials stressed first the need to build the Rosslyn tunnel to ease traffic for Metro’s Orange, Blue and Silver lines. They were Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D), Arlington Board Vice Chair Jay Fisette (D) and Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg (D).
Bulova and Fisette also pressed to expand the capacity of the American Legion Bridge, the Capital Beltway’s link between Fairfax and Montgomery counties, where traffic regularly backs up for miles.
“If you’re going to make choices about where to put your $1 billion or $2 billion, look at the Metro tunnel at Rosslyn, look at the American Legion Bridge,” Fisette said.
Fisette and Bulova conceded afterward that they did not know where the region would find money for a new tunnel.
They said they were not even sure where Virginia and the other jurisdictions that support Metro would find up to $100 million apiece that Metro board Chairman Jack Evans says the agency will need to cover its budget shortfall expected in fiscal year 2018.
But Bulova said private conversations are underway among the region’s officials about how to increase investment in Metro once it has improved its record on safety, transparency and accountability.
“Behind the scenes, I can tell you, everyone is asking how continued revitalization and reinvestment can be funded,” Bulova said.
Asked to comment, the top transportation officials in Virginia and Maryland said it was not the right time to be discussing adding a tunnel.
“Because of Metro’s current problems, we think it would be premature to start preparing for another tunnel,” Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn’s objection was stronger. “I can’t see in the foreseeable future where Metro would have funding adequate to build a $2.5 billion tunnel,” Rahn said.
Layne said he and Rahn had discussed the American Legion Bridge several times and that he was waiting for Annapolis to act. Maryland is responsible for the bridge because it owns almost the entire Potomac River in the Washington area, under legal agreements dating to the 18th century.
Rahn said Maryland agrees that the American Legion Bridge is “inadequate” and that“something needs to happen.” The state has appropriated money to study how to improve it, he said, but nothing will happen soon.
“None of this is fast. It takes time to go through all of the processes with environmental documents,” Rahn said.
Rahn also said it was too early to say whether the bridge, a new Metro tunnel or a proposed third span across the Chesapeake Bay would be the state’s top priority.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), announced Tuesday that the state is studying building a third bridge across the Chesapeake Bay, from Annapolis to the Eastern Shore. The four-year, $5 million study is slated to begin this fall.
At the Northern Virginia summit, Stewart of Prince William County struck a dissident note by challenging Metro’s importance.
Metro, the nation’s second-busiest subway, carries upward of 700,000 passenger trips daily.
“Metro is not the backbone of Northern Virginia’s transportation infrastructure. It is still roadways. It always will be roadways,” Stewart said.
The other political leaders disagreed, saying the region’s traffic would only worsen if Metro were neglected.
