FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2018

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Fairfax County will hold two public information meetings on the Richmond Highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project:

• Tuesday, April 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m., in the cafeteria of West Potomac High School, 6500 Quander Road, Alexandria; and
• Wednesday, April 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m., in the cafeteria of Mt. Vernon High School, 8515 Old Mt. Vernon Road, Alexandria.

Members of the public are invited to attend either meeting, where representatives from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) and project consultants will provide background information, discuss next steps, answer questions and take public comments related to the planning and design of the BRT system. The same material will be presented at both meetings.

The meetings will feature an interactive open house from 6:30-7 p.m., a presentation at 7 p.m. and a continuation of the open house until 8:30 p.m. Spanish translation will be available at the meeting, including for the presentation. Community members who would benefit from additional translation services should contact FCDOT at 703-877-5600, TTY 711, no later than seven days prior to the meeting. Transportation will be available from Sacramento Neighborhood Center, South County Government Center, and Hybla Valley Elementary School. On-site childcare is also available, per request, for children over the age of 3. Requests for transportation and childcare accepted until April 12 by contacting Maria Franco-Nativi at 703-704-6700, TTY 711, or by email at maria.franco-nativi@fairfaxcounty.gov.

What is BRT?

BRT is a high-quality public transportation system that operates much like rail service, but uses buses on a separate, dedicated transit way. While the Richmond Highway BRT system has not yet been designed, key elements of BRT systems may include:

• dedicated lanes and traffic signal priority that allow free-flow travel, minimize traffic-related delays, reduce overall travel times, and enhance reliability;
• information technology systems with features such as real-time bus tracking and innovative fare collection;
• stations that offer enhanced customer experiences, including all-door boarding to improve accessibility, off-board fare collection to expedite entry, and high-quality pedestrian connectivity to enhance safety and access; and
• new buses designed for improved passenger comfort and additional passenger capacity.

“The Richmond Highway BRT provides an efficient transportation solution for the corridor. It will ease congested roadways, provide people with a convenient option to travel where they need to go and add a distinctive component to a vibrant and energized community,” said Fairfax County Department of Transportation Director Tom Biesiadny.

Project Background

The Richmond Highway BRT Project is implementing recommendations developed during a 2013-2014 Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) study, which recommended a BRT system be constructed in several phases in the relatively short term, and a three-mile extension of the Metrorail Yellow Line to Hybla Valley in the longer term.

There are two initial phases of the project which runs approximately 8.6 miles along Richmond Highway (Route 1) and North Kings Highway from Huntington Metrorail Station to Fort Belvoir. Phase I of the project includes 0.7 miles along North Kings Highway from the Huntington Metrorail Station to Richmond Highway, and 2.4 miles along Richmond Highway to Hybla Valley. Phase II extends 5.5 miles along Richmond Highway from Hybla Valley to Fort Belvoir.

The BRT project is part of Fairfax County’s Embark Richmond Highway program, which also includes road widening, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities and facilitates increased development as a result of the recently adopted comprehensive plan amendment aimed at preparing the corridor for the BRT system.

Stay Involved

Interested residents are encouraged to attend public information meetings, keep up with the latest news and information about the project and give feedback. Below are ways to stay engaged:

• Sign-up for updates via Fairfax Alerts, and select the category Richmond Highway-BRT
• Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/transportation/richmond-hwy-brt to stay informed with the latest news and information
• Follow hashtag #RichmondHwyBRT on Facebook and Twitter.
• Contact the project team via email.

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