Columbia Pike Transit Stations
S Oakland Street Transit Station Opening March 27
The Columbia Pike transit station at South Oakland Street will open on March 27.
See more details below.
Location
Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204 View Map
38.8595371,-77.0986946
Columbia Pike ,
Arlington, VA 22204
Columbia Pike ,
Arlington, VA 22204
StatusConstruction
Project Update - March 2023
The transit station on westbound Columbia Pike and South Oakland Street will open on Monday, March 27. The temporary stop across South Oakland Street will remain open for service until then.
Project Update - January 2023
The transit stations on Columbia Pike at South Dinwiddie Street (westbound), South Four Mile Run Drive (eastbound), and South Buchanan Street (westbound) will open for service on Monday, January 30. This will impact routes ART 41, 45, 75 and Metrobus routes 16ACEGH. The temporary stop at South Wakefield Street will remain open to serve passengers impacted by the construction on Columbia Pike between South Buchanan Street and South Taylor Street.
These transit stations, as well as the transit stations at South Greenbrier Street will be electrified in the coming months.
Project Update - December 2022
The transit stations on Columbia Pike at South Greenbrier Street will open for bus service on Wednesday, December 28. This will affect the routes serving the routes ART 45 and Metrobus 16ACEGH. Other stations on the corridor will open as they are completed.
Project Update - November 2022
The transit stations between the County line and South Glebe Road are nearing substantial completion, and the steel structures for all stations have been installed. Next, contractors will install electrical wiring, followed by glass installation, on which artwork will be installed. All stations will be powered at around the same time once all components are complete.
These stations are expected to be open for service in late 2022. Passengers will be alerted through the Columbia Pike bus stop relocation page, ART Alerts and other media. In the meantime, all stations are serving passengers at temporary locations.
Project Update - June 2022
In preparation for the installation of the first four transit stations, four bus stops on Columbia Pike will be relocated temporarily starting Friday, June 10. See the affected bus stops and their new temporary locations on the Columbia Pike bus stop relocation page.
Project Update - May 2022
Arlington County contractors will be installing eighttransit station shelters throughout the month of June 2022. In preparation for installation, concrete pads will be poured at the location of each new station. Electrical components will be installed after all transit stations are secured in place; this phase is expected to be completed in early August 2022.
Project Update - January 2022
Arlington County has executed a contract amendment for the fabrication and delivery of the first eight transit shelters and amenities. Shelter installation is anticipated in the spring/summer of 2022 and reflects the new path forward for the Transit Stations first identified in July 2021.
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 to begin in 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/summer 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
October 2022 presentation to Columbia Pike Presidents
County staff provided an update on the project, including the public art, to the Columbia Pike Presidents' group.
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.
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.
- Project 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.