There has been a lot of discussion through the years about extending Metrorail from Springfield through Woodbridge to Dale City/Potomac Mills area. Three main reasons why this is a bad idea for the residents of Prince William County include:
- Limited economic benefit relative to the high capital and operating costs
- Long distance from the core of the Metrorail system
- Excessive amount of transportation options available to residents of Prince William County.
If you examine most end of the line Metro stations, most include similar land use configurations already existing in Eastern Prince William County. Limited non-residential development would occur in Prince William County due to Metrorail.
Prince William County currently allocates zero dollars to public transportation (Omniride and Virginia Railway Express) from their general fund. All local funding (~$20M) comes from a 2.1% regional gas tax or the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority 30% funding allocation.
In comparison, by 2025, Loudoun County will be paying over $80 million a year just to support Metrorail operating and capital costs. This would be much higher if the drivers on the Dulles Toll Road were not covering half of the cost of the Silver Line Extension. The tax district surrounding the Silver Line stations in Loudoun County will not cover the ongoing required subsidy.
It should be noted WMATA’s only goal between now and 2045 is to maintain a state of good repair and expand infrastructure to allow for all eight-car trains. If additional funding becomes available core capacity upgrades will be the first on the list.
A better solution is to continue to invest in the Virginia Railway Express 2040 system plan. The Commonwealth of Virginia, through the Atlantic Gateway Project, has committed to implementing a fourth track between Arlington/Crystal City and Alexandria and a new third track between Springfield and the Occoquan River.
The next step is finalizing the Long Bridge Expansion across the Potomac River. The state and federal delegation should be focused on securing funding for the Long Bridge expansion so VRE service could be doubled between Prince William County and Washington DC.
Along with VRE improvements, a mix with OmniRide service expansion, Fast Ferry and Slugging are the most time and cost effective solutions for the residents of Prince William County for the next thirty years.
Based on this information, Prince William County should remove all references to Metrorail extensions (Blue and Orange) during the planned update to the Transportation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan and other relevant planning documentation and reject any planning funding to study this idea.
Mark Scheufler
Prince William County
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