Presented by
Letter to the Editor
We, the undersigned, having studied the alternatives analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of the Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit Project, recommend that the Commonwealth of Virginia select as the locally preferred alternative the rail option that produces the most ridership and has the most flexibility for increasing ridership in the future. To optimize ridership, continuing planning efforts should focus on improving station access and transit-oriented development around the stations.
While we will testify at the hearings on issues of particular concern to our individual organizations, we are united in our support of bringing rail transit to a corridor of the region that is the second only to the District of Columbia in terms of employment and contains several major activity centers. Rail would serve Tysons Corner and is able to accommodate the projected growth in corridor transit trips.
We applaud Fairfax and Loudoun counties for adopting Comprehensive Plans in 2001 that support increased mixed-use development around the rail stations. We recognize that much work needs to be done to realize the walkable, mixed-use communities envisioned by the transit-oriented development (TOD) criteria in the plans and to make the rail extension a reality.
The Coalition supports rail now! We will work with the region’s elected leadership to bring rail to the Dulles Corridor by 2010, sooner if feasible.
Dulles Rail Now Coalition
American Lung Association of Virginia
Coalition for Smarter Growth
Committee for Dulles
Dulles Area Transportation Association,
Dulles Corridor Rail Association
LEADER (The Landowners Economic Alliance for the Dulles Extension of Rail)
LINK
National Wildlife Federation
Reston Citizens Association
Sierra Club
Washington Airports Task Force.
Dulles Corridor Rail Association, 118000 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 338, Reston, VA
Phone 703-716-5750 Fax 703-716-5751 www.dullescorridorrail.com
