More VRE trains, not track needed in Prince William

Prince William County supervisors will vote December 13 on a resolution that could freeze Virginia Railway Express (VRE) service and block future expansion.  If approved, the resolution would prioritize local funding for new road construction instead of expanding commuter rail service.

The resolution is based on the results of the Phase I study of the proposed Gainesville-Haymarket extension. The numbers caught VRE’s staff by surprise.  The projected benefits are far lower than expected.

The projected costs of building 11 miles of new track and three new stations, at Innovation, Gainesville, and Haymarket exceed half-a-billion dollars. VRE personnel have consistently claimed that Federal and state grants can somehow cover those one-time costs, but acknowledge that the annual operating costs are the key constraint.

Local jurisdictions subsidize 50% of the annual operating costs.  Each rider on a VRE train pays only half the cost when they purchase the ticket; the other half is funded by the taxpayers.

Prince William County decided in 2016 to use a portion of its Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVYTA) funding, generated by extra taxes approved by the General Assembly in 2013, to pay for its share. County staff are concerned that the VRE subsidy could grow to the point that the county would have to find another source, beyond the NVTA funding, to match new road construction grants from state and Federal sources.  

The Phase I study revealed that the cost-effective alternative for VRE is to relocate the Broad Run station at the end of the Manassas Line, moving it to Godwin Road.  It would attract over 2,500 more round-trip passengers each day. 

Expanding VRE west to Haymarket would be inconsistent with land use plans to preserve the Rural Area, and would attract only 555 more round-trip passengers/day compared to relocating Broad Run. Local operating costs for the Haymarket alternative would require an additional $9 million/year for just those extra 555 passengers, an annual subsidy of over $16,000/year per passenger.

VRE cannot stay at the current Broad Run station and add more trains. Relocating the station to Godwin Road and removing the existing passenger platform would allow VRE to expand the railyard.

Without relocation, VRE could not add the planned three additional trains in morning and evening rush hours, and park/service them at Broad Run. Without railyard expansion, VRE could never grow in the future to become a transit system offering service throughout the day, rather than just at rush hour.

The “do nothing” alternative might save money in the short run, but the solution to traffic congestion in Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park is not just “build more roads.” Passenger rail is a key option for commuters, especially as the costs skyrocket for using I-66 after tolls are added.  

Expanding VRE to offer service during the day is also a key option for attracting businesses offering high-paying jobs to locate south of the Occoquan River. Those businesses depend upon workers living in the urban core, and those workers depend upon transit.  Economic development of Manassas Park, Manassas, and Prince William would be enhanced by Transit Oriented Development around VRE stations, but that development depends upon increasing the number of trains running throughout the day.

The Phase I study shows that it would be fiscally irresponsible to support extending VRE to Innovation, Gainesville, or Haymarket. The “do nothing with VRE, build roads instead” alternative proposed by County staff would be short-sighted as well.

On December 13, the Board of County Supervisors should support VRE adding more trains rather than more track, and endorse further study in Phase II of the option to relocate the Broad Run station.