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6/7/2024
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) this week approved 15 projects — including two that involve the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) — designed to reduce traffic congestion in the Interstate 66 corridor.
The nearly $30 million in projects will be funded as part of NVTC's Commuter Choice program, which reinvests toll revenue into projects that demonstrate the ability to move more people through two of northern Virginia's most congested corridors.
One project calls for reinstatement of a program that lets VRE passengers ride select Amtrak trains on the Manassas Line, while another would help fund a new VRE station in Crystal City, according to an NVTC press release.
The $8 million Crystal City station expansion project would relocate and expand the station to enable simultaneous boarding of two full-length trains and support potential future Amtrak service at the station. The station expansion would support commonwealth plans for expanded rail service.
The project received a portion of its total funding request from I-395/95 Commuter Choice in 2023 and the remainder would be fulfilled under I-66 Commuter Choice, given that the project also benefits travel along VRE’s Manassas Line, a portion of which parallels I-66.
The $537,420 VRE Manassas Line project would reestablish the Amtrak “Step-Up” program along the line to allow VRE multimedia pass holders to travel between Manassas, Burke Center and Washington Union Station on select Amtrak Northeast Regional trains.
The project would complement a recent I-395/95 Commuter Choice award to reestablish the program on the VRE Fredericksburg Line and would allow riders to acquire and use step-up tickets through VRE’s mobile app at nominal charge. The project would subsidize VRE’s payments to Amtrak for each step-up boarding for 24 months.
Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to approve the Commuter Choice projects when it meets June 18.