In 2013 and 2014, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) conducted a Multimodal Alternatives Analysis for an approximately 16-mile segment of Route 1, from I-495/Huntington Metro to Woodbridge. This study followed on an earlier 2011 study, directed by the Virginia General Assembly, which instructed DRPT to review and evaluate all previous studies and determine feasibility of transit improvements in a 27-mile long segment of the Route 1 corridor.
The DRPT Multimodal Alternatives Analysis study was conducted in coordination with Fairfax County, Prince William County, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI). In October 2014, the 15 members of the project Executive Steering Committee adopted a resolution in support of the study's final recommendations. The final report was completed January 2015.
The study recommended a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to be constructed in the short term and a three-mile extension of the Metrorail Yellow Line to Hybla Valley in the long term. The collective approach to implementing the recommendations from the DRPT study (including land use and roadway changes) in Fairfax County is called Embark Richmond Highway. The Fairfax Board of County Supervisors approved a Comprehensive Plan Amendment on March 20, 2018, which recommends implementing a BRT system and widening and improving Richmond Highway.
BRT is a high-quality public transportation system designed to be fast, reliable, and more convenient than traditional bus routes. It operates much like rail service, with a dedicated transitway, but uses bus vehicles.
The proposed Richmond Highway BRT system will have nine stations, constructed in two sections, and will connect to major employment centers, shopping centers, and residential communities along the Richmond Highway corridor, from Huntington Metrorail Station to Fort Belvoir. The project will include pedestrian and bicycle facilities as well as other amenities to support the proposed system.
Timeframes and durations for design, utilities, ROW, vehicle procurement, and construction will vary depending on the availability of funding. View previous schedules:
- BRT Revised Project Timeline Announced - Sept. 19, 2024
- BRT Project Enters Engineering Phase - June 26, 2024
- BRT to be Branded as "The One" - Feb. 25, 2022
