Columbia Pike Transit Stations
Location
Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204 View Map
38.8595371,-77.0986946
Columbia Pike ,
Arlington, VA 22204
Columbia Pike ,
Arlington, VA 22204
StatusConstruction
Bus stop changes in September 2021
During station construction, bus service has been moved to temporary bus stops. On Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, the temporary stops are scheduled to close and bus service will return to the following locations:
- westbound Columbia Pike at S. Glebe Road
- westbound Columbia Pike at S. Oakland Street
- westbound Columbia Pike at S. Buchanan Street
- eastbound Columbia Pike at S. Four Mile Run Drive
Temporary shelters are being added at the first eight station locations until the new transit station shelters are ready for installation.
Project Update – July 2021
To date we’ve completed foundations and platforms for the first eight transit stations, but there have been delays with the new station shelters. The first eight stations will be located at:
- eastbound and westbound Greenbrier Street
- eastbound Columbus Street
- westbound Dinwiddie Street
- eastbound Four Mile Run Drive
- westbound Buchanan Street
- westbound Oakland Street
- westbound Glebe Road
In November 2020, our shelter manufacturer Future Systems identified stability issues with the prototype shelter, and efforts to revise the design have raised concerns about its constructability.
New path forward
Initial design rendering of the prefabricated shelter with modifications that will be used for the transit stations
Due to the schedule delays and risk of increasing costs, the County is moving forward with a new approach for the transit station shelters. We plan to use a prefabricated shelter, a proven design available from Future Systems, with modifications that incorporate elements of the current design. The shelters will include high-quality durable materials (stainless steel and glass), real-time bus arrival displays, lighting and expanded seating.
The prefabricated shelters will be easier to install – they are bolted to the sidewalk, instead of requiring foundations – and will cost significantly less. And they can be delivered sooner, with installation of shelters and amenities for the first eight stations now expected in winter to spring 2022, compared to one year later if we continued with the current design.
The second half of this presentation gives an overview of the station shelter issues and the new path forward. Additional details will be provided in the coming months as details for the new shelters are finalized.
About the Project
New transit stations along Columbia Pike will serve two purposes: accommodate riders on the busiest bus transit corridor in Virginia, and serve the community’s vision of transforming the Pike into a more transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly “Main Street.” New stations will make transit along the Pike easier, safer, more attractive and accessible – encouraging more people to use it.
Transit stations are designed to shelter more passengers than a typical bus stop and will be fully accessible. Each station platform will be 90 to 120 feet long to accommodate two transit vehicles. The stations will include:
- Large patterned glass roof and side windscreens to help protect from bad weather
- Real-time bus arrival displays
- Higher curb for easier boarding
- Lighting for safety
- Seating
On July 16, 2019, the County Board approved a $1.6 million contract with Sagres Construction Corporation to build the first 4 of 23 transit stations planned for Columbia Pike.
Anticipated construction timeline:
- Spring 2022 - Complete construction for first 8 stations
- 2023 through 2025 - Construction of the remaining 15 stations is being coordinated with the Columbia Pike Multimodal project
Columbia Pike improvements are moving forward in phases. As work begins on each section of the Pike, the first step is to underground utilities, followed by improvements to the streetscape, and then installation of new transit stations.
Bringing premium transit to Columbia Pike
The transit stations are a major feature of the County’s planned premium transit network connecting Columbia Pike, Pentagon City and Crystal City. The stations will be the gateways to a network offering bus service that is fast, frequent, reliable and easy to use, with simplified routes, increased weekday and weekend service, and a new “one-seat ride” from Skyline to Pentagon City-Crystal City.
Public art
Arlington Public Art is a partner on this project and is funding the fabrication and installation of a film that will be applied to the patterned glass roofs of the transit stations. Learn more on the Public Art website
Public Process
January 2020 construction open house
This open house provided information on two Columbia Pike projects that have entered new phases of construction: Multimodal and Transit Stations.
View the open house display boards - in English or Spanish
Summer 2019 outreach
County staff attended community events to inform residents about current and upcoming construction for the Columbia Pike multimodal and transit stations projects.
Read the flyer - in English or in Spanish - which summarizes both projects
April 2015 open house
An open house was held on April 28, 2015, for members of the community to review the 50 percent design and provide input on the importance of various station amenities and the proposed placement of station features.
Funding
The County's Fiscal Year 2019-2028 Capital Improvement Plan provides a total budget of $16.9 million for the 23 stations. This includes the above-ground structures and supporting infrastructure, site design, project management and construction costs.
The transit stations program is funded primarily by federal and state funds and local commercial real estate tax revenues that can only be used for new transportation projects.
The estimated cost for each station is comparable to stations for the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway and other light rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit systems across the nation.