Arlington Accepts $17.85 Million in Transportation Funds
Published on January 27, 2018
- $850,000 for transportation options along I-66 corridor
- $10 million for Ballston Metro Station West Entrance
- $2 million for Shirlington Road Bridge, Pershing Drive projects
The Arlington County Board today accepted $17.85 million in grant funding from three transportation entities that will be used for transit, bridge renovation and transportation capital projects in the County.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is providing more than $850,000 in funding from I-66 toll revenues for multimodal projects along the I-66 corridor in Arlington that will offer commuters transportation options.
The money will pay to consolidate and improve access to bus stops on two corridors, and to provide multimodal real-time transportation information screens at Metrorail stations, at bus stops and in buildings along the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. The funds also will pay for expanded peak period bus service for the ART 55 route, which parallels I-66 on Lee Highway.
"Arlington is beginning to see some of the funding from I-66 tolls that will help us mitigate the impact of the toll lanes on our community and move more people along the corridor," Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol said. "Working with VDOT and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission," we will continue to monitor the impact of the toll lanes on Arlington and improve transportation options across the region to avoid negative impacts within the County."
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ART 55 bus makes a stop[/caption]
The Board voted unanimously to accept the funding. To read the staff report, visit the County website. Scroll to item No. 27 on the agenda for the Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 Regular County Board Meeting.
Funding for west entrance for Ballston-MU Metrorail station
The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved $10 million in funding from Smart Scale, a state-wide funding program, to help build the west entrance for the Ballston-MU Metrorail station. Another $4 million in DRPT funds will be used to pay for eight 40-foot buses for Arlington Transit and another $500,000 will pay for a mobile commuter store. This funding also includes $500,000 for bus stop accessibility improvements to support the growing ART bus service. The Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is administering funding for these projects.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is providing $2 million toward the Shirlington Road Bridge and Pershing Drive projects. The Shirlington Road Bridge project will improve both the bridge's structure and its accessibility for bicycles and pedestrians. The Pershing Drive project will improve safety and accessibility for all users along Pershing Drive between North Barton and North Piedmont Streets.