Arlington leaders will likely seek regional funding for a major pedestrian/bicycle connector trail in Crystal City.
County Board members on Saturday (Dec. 14) are expected to request $8 million from the pool of $25 million to $30 million that will be available next year from tolling on I-395 and I-95.
The request is one of two being made by Arlington officials for the next round of “Commuter Choice” funding. Final action will be taken next spring by the Commonwealth Transportation Board upon recommendations of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission.
The funding, which would not require a local match, would support construction of a trail running from the Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center to the Crystal City Bike Network along Long Bridge Drive. Planning for the project has been in the works since last year.
It would tie into a number of existing and planned multi-use trails in Crystal City, along Boundary Channel Drive, on Army Navy Drive and via the Mount Vernon Trail. And it ultimately could connect to D.C. as part of a rebuilt Long Bridge spanning the Potomac River.
In a memo to Board members, county staff say the proposal could be a game-changer.
“Considering current and expected growth in Crystal City and Pentagon City and the intensification of residential development, additional active-transportation connections are needed. A direct link from Long Bridge Drive to the regional trail network will dramatically improve multimodal connections in the immediate vicinity and for links between the regional activity centers of Crystal City, Pentagon City, Pentagon, Potomac Yard and the regional trail network.”
The proposal received a 10-0 vote of confidence from the Arlington Transportation Commission at its most recent meeting.
In addition to the $8 million for the trail, county leaders are requesting $1.25 million to finance a two-year expansion of Arlington Transit (ART) Route 87, which runs between Shirlington and Pentagon City, though a number of county neighborhoods.
The Route 87 funding is designated as the county’s secondary request via the Commuter Choice process, with the trail ahead of it.
All submissions are scored by the regional transit agencies on a variety of factors, so Arlington could end up with funding for one, both or neither when the final determination comes in the spring.
