A Multi-Modal Rapid Rail Transit Network Should Be in DC's Transportation Future

8/4/2019 A Multi-Modal Rapid Rail Transit Network Should Be in DC's Transportation Future

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AMulti-ModalRapidRailTransitNetwork

ShouldBeinDCsTransportationFuture

September2011

J.OtavioThompson

Washington,DCInfoCenter

[email protected]


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Summary

ImportanceofTransitInfrastructureAsa cityaspiring toraiseitsstatustoa levelonparwiththeworlds leadingglobalcities,Washington,

D.C.wouldbenefitenormouslybymodelingitsfuturemass transitexpansionplansaftertop-tierglobalcitieswithextensivemulti-modaldedicatedright-of-wayrailnetworks.Whilebuildingastreetcarsystem

in Washington, D.C. is to be applauded and will undoubtedly provide a higher quality and more

environmentally-friendlymode ofmass transit than bus service, there is still a growing need for the

developmentofamulti-modalrapid-railtransitsystemtocomplementtheexistingheavy-railnetworkin

thecity. InorderforD.C.tobeabletoreachitsfullresidentialandemploymentgrowthpotentialover

the next 40 years and retain its competitive advantage in the D.C. region with regard to transit

infrastructure, the city should increase its financial commitment to Metrorail to remedy its critical

maintenancebacklog,becomemore proactive inthe planning process toidentifyandimplementlong-

termsolutionstocurrentMetrorailcongestion,expanditsrapid-railmasstransitnetwork,andestablisha

permanenttransitinfrastructureenhancementandexpansionfund.

Thegoalsofrapid-railmasstransitexpansioninD.C.shallbe: Tomatchthefrequency,breadth,andeaseofmasstransitservicealreadyfoundintop-tiercitiesaroundtheglobe

ToexpandmasstransitcapacityinthecoreoftheD.C.regionsexistingheavyrailnetwork Tointroducerapid-railmass transitservice incorridorswherenone currentlyexistand also topopulardestinationswhererapid-railmasstransitshouldalreadyexist

Tofacilitateeconomicdevelopmentandpopulationgrowthinunder-developedcorridorsinanefforttosignificantlyexpandthecitystaxbase

TobecomealeaderamongU.S.citiesthataspiretodevelopfirst-ratemasstransitnetworksthatproperlyaligntransitneedswithappropriatetransitmodes.

Afullyurban-focusedrapid-railnetworkwouldbeawiseandforward-thinkinginvestmenttoaugmentthe

D.C. regionspartiallycommuter-focusedMetrorailservice. A lightormedium-capacitynetworkwould

addcapacityandspeedypoint-to-pointtravelthatmixed-trafficstreetcarservicecannotprovide.

Complementarylightormedium-capacityrailservicewouldprovidemuchneededcapacityexpansionand

redundancy to the core ofthe regionsheavy rail networkwhilemoreproperly aligningthe needsof

individualcorridorstothetransitmode.ThecityshouldconsidertheGeorgiaAvenueandWoodleyPark-

Brooklandcorridorsithasidentifiedforstreetcarserviceandplantobuildthemasdedicatedright-of-way

lightormedium-capacityraillinesinstead.

Going forward, theadequate andtimelymaintenanceof current transit infrastructure inWashington,

D.C., along with thoughtful planning for mass transit expansion and enhancement, will be critically

important to and most certainly will affect the economic viability of the city and the mobility of its

residents,employees,andvisitors.


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Demographics

ResidentialWitharesidentialpopulationnowover600,000,

1Washington,D.C.isgainingmomentumasanattractive

placetolive,work,andvisit.Washington,D.C.isthecommercial,cultural,andentertainmentheartoftheD.C.regionwithgreataccesstoamenitiesnoteasilyfoundincitiesofthesamesize.D.C.spopulationis

expectedtorisetoabout650,000residentsby2015.2Butevenwiththisgrowth,thecityhasahigher

potential that isnot being realized. The city needs to significantlyexpand its tax base to become a

financiallysustainablecityinthelongterm.

Washington,DCaccountsforabout11percentofthetotalD.C.areapopulationyetholds24percentof

thejobsintheregion.3Withtrafficcongestionandcommutetimesintheregionrankingamongtheworst

intheentirenation,thereisanopportunitytoencouragemorepeopleintheD.C.regionwhoalready

workinWashington,DCtoalsoliveinthecity.Thereissurelyenoughunder-utilizedandvacantlandand

properties in the city to accommodate another 300,000 residents within 40 years for a total D.C.

populationofaround900,000residentsby2050.D.C.spopulationreachedapeakof802,178residentsin

1950

4

,andthecityshouldendeavortobecomeoneofthe15largestU.S.citiesby2050.

Oneofthecitysprimarycompetitiveadvantagesisaccesstomasstransitascomparedtothesurrounding

jurisdictions.D.C.couldeasilymanagesomeofthisnewpopulationgrowthbycarefullyincreasingdensity

arounditscurrentMetrorailstationswhilesimultaneouslydevelopingalong-rangeplantoexpandaccess

tohighercapacitymasstransitinmoreareasofthecityasthecitygrows. Thesenewlightormedium-

capacityrapid-raillinesshouldconnectseamlesslyanddirectlywiththeexistingheavyrailnetwork.

Former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, in 2003, began his second term in office with a lofty goal of

attracting100,000netnewresidentstothecitywithin10yearsbyinstitutinganaggressivehousingpolicy

andcallingonthetensofthousandsofresidentswholeftthecitytoreturn.Thecurrentadministration

couldbuildon MayorWilliams lofty goal by seeking to add 300,000 net new residents by2050and

aligning that goal with a complementary land-use and re-zoning effort for the areas immediately

surroundingMetrorailstations.D.C.mustbeabletoleveragethesignificantinvestmentmadetobuilditsheavyrailtransitnetwork. ThecityshouldalsosetagoalthatMetrorailstationslocatedincommercial

andresidential zones shouldhave atleast12,000residentslivingwithin ahalf-mile radius. Numerous

Metrorail stationswithinD.C. still fall well short of this very reasonable goal, such as theDeanwood,

Anacostia,CongressHeights,BenningRoad,Takoma,andTenleytownstops,tonameafew.5

ThecitymustplaceitselfinapositiontocaptureahigherpercentageofresidentsmovingtotheD.C.

region.TheD.C.regionisforecasttoaddnearlytwomillionnetnewresidentsby2040.6D.C.leadership

shouldimmediatelycraftaplantocaptureatleast13%ofnewDCarearesidentsthrough2040.Basedon

current guidance, D.C. is forecast to capture only about eight percent of net new DC area residents

through2040.

1U.S.CensusBureau,ResidentPopulationData,1910-20102MetropolitanWashingtonCouncilofGovernments,Round8.0Forecast,Fall20102MetropolitanWashingtonCouncilofGovernments,Round8.0Forecast,Fall20103U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics,USCensusBureau,GeorgeMasonUniversityCenterforRegionalAnalysis4U.S.CensusBureau,ResidentPopulationData,1910-201052011NeighborhoodProfiles,Washington,DCEconomicPartnership,www.wdcep.com/dc-profile/neighborhoods6MetropolitanWashingtonCouncilofGovernments,Round8.0Forecast,Fall2010


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Table1. PopulationDensityofSelectNeighborhoodsWithinOne-HalfMileof

D.C.MetrorailStationsMetroStation Avg.Weekday

Ridership

7

Centerof

Half-MileRadius

2010

Population

8

2015

Population

2020

Population

Anacostia 7,719MLKAveandGood

HopeRoad,SE6,176 7,512 9,144

ColumbiaHeights 11,990 14thandIrving,NW 37,181 40,016 41,528

DuPontCircle 47,925 DuPontCircle 19,797 20,332 21,002

FortTotten 14,259SouthDakotaand

Galloway,NE7,416 9,075 11,103

FriendshipHeights 19,117Wisconsinand

MilitaryRoad,NW9,209 10,105 10,356

GalleryPlace 53,331 7thandH,NW 9,777 14,304 15,115

NavyYard 15,292 3rdandI,SE 5,819 9,014 12,208

NewYorkAvenue 8,812 FirstandK,NE 8,761 12,570 18,584

CommercialThe Districtof Columbia is the largest employment center in the D.C.metropolitan region with over

700,000 jobs.9 The citywill remain the largest employment center in the region for the foreseeable

future.10Thecitycurrentlycontains,however,disproportionallymorejobsthanitsresidentlaborforce.

Washington,D.C.containsabout107millionsquarefeetofleasablecommercialofficespace.11Thisranks

D.C. ashaving the thirdlargestofficemarket in the country,behindNew York Cityand Chicago. Bycomparison,SeattleinWashingtonState, a city of similarresidential population asD.C., hasabout 45

millionsquarefeetofleasablecommercialofficespace.12

Inessence,Washington,D.C.hastheofficebaseofalargecitylikeChicagobutaresidentialpopulationof

amedium-sizedcity likeDenver.With totalD.C.employmentincreasingtoaroundonemillion jobsby

2040,13thecityshouldbeginnowtodevelopa long-termplan forrebalancingthedisparitybetween its

officeandresidentialmarkets.Withoutamoreaggressive,coordinatedhousingpolicy,thedisparitythat

existsnowwillmostlylikelyremainthesameevenasthecitygrows.Thisdisparitywillundoubtedlyput

an even greater strain on the Metro system, as well as streets and highways, to efficiently move

commuters in and out of the city. An urban-focused, rapid rail network, aswell as better land-use

planning, zoning,betterpublic schools,moreefficientpermittingprocesses, designreview,andfurther

crime reduction all shouldbe thecornerstoneofa long-term, concerted effort tomakethe citymore

attractivetocurrentandfutureresidentsandemployers.

7WashingtonMetropolitanAreaTransitAuthority8NeighborhoodProfiles2010,WashingtonDCEconomicPartnership9D.C.DepartmentofEmploymentServices,WageandSalaryEmploymentbyIndustryandPlaceofWork201010MetropolitanWashingtonCouncilofGovernments,Round8.0Forecast,Fall2010

11Grubb&Ellis,OfficeTrendsReportFourthQuarter2010,WashingtonDCMetro

12Grubb&Ellis,OfficeTrendsReportFourthQuarter2010,Seattle,WA13MetropolitanWashingtonCouncilofGovernments,Round8.0Forecast,Fall2010


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Isthereadifferencebetweenlightrailandstreetcars?Yes,thereis.Whilethevehiclesusedonstreetcarandlightrailsystemsaremoresimilarthannot,the

mostimportantdeterminantishowthevehiclesareused.Streetcarsarenotaformoflightrail,andthe

two termsshould not beusedinterchangeably. The term light rail should beused for transit that is

attemptingto berapid inat leasthalf ofitsroute length. Light railis a companion toheavyrail and

medium-capacitysystems.Lightrailcoverslongdistancesfasterthanstreetcarsbecauseitisoperatedin

adedicatedright-of-wayandwithlongerdistancesbetweenstops.Streetcarsoperateinmixedtrafficbutmayalsobeoperatedin quasi-dedicatedright-of-way. TheK StreetCenterwayproposalin downtown

D.C.isanexampleofaquasi-dedicatedright-of-waywherethestreetcarwillshareitsrightofwaywith

localMetrobusesbutwillstillhavetocrossstandardintersectionswherevehiculartrafficisinoperation.

Streetcars, evenwhile having stops farther apart than busses, still provide a low-capacity, local-stop

service. Longer trips are more sensitive to speed and reliability, and this is what makes streetcars

unattractive for longer trips. Streetcars are more suited for connecting neighborhoods, meaning

neighborhoodsthatcloselybordereachother,ratherthanforcrosstownservice.

DistrictofColumbiaAlternativeAnalysis(DCAA)TheDistrictDepartmentofTransportation(DDOT)conductedtheDCAAtoidentifytransitimprovements

that would enhance mobility options for DC residents, accommodate population and employmentgrowth,andconnectneighborhoodsandactivitycenters. Theanalysiswasfirstcompletedin2005and

thenupdatedin2008and2010.

Thedocumentstates, insection2.2,thatthereisaneedforhigh-capacitytransit servicethatcanoffer

crosstowntrippatterns.Thebasicproblemwiththeanalysisisthatitdoesntseriouslyconsidertheforms

ofmasstransitthatwouldbegintosatisfytheneedforhighcapacitytransit.Streetcarsandenhancedbus

servicewillundoubtedlyimprovethequalityofthetransitnetworkinthecity,buttherearedefinitelimits

tothelevelofservicetheycanprovidegivenourcurrentstreetgrid.Ifthereisaneedformorehigh-

capacity transitin thecity,thenmass transitoptions thatcanenablehigh-capacityridershipshouldbe

whatareconsidered.Astreetcarlineabsolutelydoesnotandcannotprovidehigh-capacitytransitnoris

itasubstituteforheavyrailservice.

TheDCAAalsostatesthatthereisaneedtoprovideMetrorailcoverageandrelieftocorecapacity.The

tunnelthatcarriestheBlueandOrangelinesbetweenD.C.andArlington,VAisnearingcapacityandwill

mostlikelyexceedcapacityby2025.14Alow-capacitystreetcarlineinD.C.willdoverylittletorelieve

congestiononthiscorridorbecauseitsimplydoesnotprovidethesamelevelofservicethatisindemand.

And,whatisindemandisforarapid,high-capacitymodeoftravelbetweenthejurisdictions.Ultimately,

thecapacityproblemsoftheRosslyn-FoggyBottomtracksegmentwillhavetobesolvedwiththefunding

andconstructionof anotherhigh-capacitylinethroughthecenterofthecity.WMATAsOfficeofLong

RangePlanningisalreadyconductingmodelinganalysisandevaluationforaseparatedBlueLineaswellas

other long-term options to relieveMetrorail congestion.15 The study to produce the findings for the

RegionalTransitServicePlan (RTSP)shouldbe complete inthespringof 2011andwillincludetimefor

publicengagementtodiscusstheresultsandfuturesteps.

DDOTshouldupdatetheDCAAsoas toprovidea full-scopeanalysisofcurrentandfuturetransitissuesandneedsacrossalltransitmodes. Thedesire toenhanceaccesstoqualityandefficienttransitfor all

D.C. residents is admirable, but DDOT must adequately address transit connections to surrounding

jurisdictions and ways to provide speedy crosstown service. For instance, a dedicated east-west

crosstownroutewouldbeespeciallyusefultothenorthofthedowntownservicearea.

14MetrorailStationAccessandCapacityStudy,April2008,WMATA

15OfficeofLongRangePlanning,WMATA,October21,2010PresentationtotheTechnicalAdvisoryGroup


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LightRailSystemsLight rail lineshave thelowestcapacity forboardings in thefamilyof rapid-railtransitsystems. They

usuallyoperateindedicatedright-of-waysforatleasthalfoftheirroutelengthandwithmulti-cartrain

sets.Thetermlightrailwasdevelopedinthe1970sspecificallytobetheantithesistoheavyrail.

Streetcars predate theexistence of light rail. Nevertheless,lightrail,medium-capacity, andheavy rail

systems are in the same family because they all provide rapid-rail transit but with differing levels of

boardingcapacity.

Thereare27systemsthatareclassifiedaslightrailintheU.S.currently.16

Table2. ProjectedWashington,D.C.AreaMassTransitModeShareby2030

Mode Boardings PercentageofTotal

Mass-TransitUsage

Metrorail 1,100,000 51%

CommuterRail 50,000 2%

LightRail 100,000 5%

Streetcar 164,000 8%

Metrobus 540,000 25%

OtherBus 190,000 9%

Total 2,144,000 100.00%

16AmericanPublicTransportationAdministrationFourthQuarter2010TransitRidershipReport,www.apta.com

Metrorail

51%

CommuterRail

2%

LightRail

5%

Streetcar

8%

Metrobus

25%

OtherBus

9%

DCAreaTransitModeShareby2030


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Medium-capacitySystemsAmedium-capacitysystem,alsoknowninEuropeasLightMetro,hasaboardingcapacityinbetweenlight

rail and heavy rail and almost always operates in its own dedicated right-of-way. Medium-capacity

systemsareusuallydesignedtoboardbetween15,000and30,000passengersperhourperdirectionwith

servicefrequenciesasfastas60seconds.Thesesystemsusuallyoperatewith3-or4-carconsists.Some

medium-capacitysystemusedriverless,fullyautomatedtrains.And,asubsetofthesehaverubber-tired

vehiclesinsteadofsteelwheels.

Therearemorethanadozencitiesaroundtheglobethatusemedium-capacitytransitsystemsforsome,

ifnotall,oftheirdedicatedfixed-guidewaymasstransitrequirements.Manyglobalcitieswithextensive

masstransitnetworksdosupplementtheirheavy-railnetworkswithmedium-capacityandlightraillines

wheredemandforheavy-railisnotjustifiedbutfutureridershippotentialexceedsthecapacitythreshold

ofstreetcarorbusservice.

Table3. Comparison of Mass Transit Modes by Same Level of Frequency

(Theoretical)Mode Max

passengers

Vehicle

configuration

Headway Maxcapacityper

hourperdirection

Maxcapacity

5amto12am

Standard40ftBus 70 Singlebus 90 2,800 53,200

Articulated60ftBus 105 Singlebus 90 4,200 79,800

Bi-ArticulatedBus 200 Singlebus 90 8,000 152,000

Streetcar 168 Singlecar 90 6,720 127,680

LightRail 175 Twocars 90 14,000 266,000

Medium-capacity 175 Threecars 90 21,000 399,000

Medium-capacity 175 Fourcars 90 28,000 532,000

HeavyRail 180 Eightcars 90 57,600 1,094,400

HeavyRail 180 Twelvecars 90 86,400 1,641,600

InTable3above,theactualnatureoftravelisnotassumed(dedicatedright-of-way,mixedtraffic,etc.).

The modeswere comparedusing the same level of frequency with eachmodes vehicle consistently

arriving every 90 seconds. Factors suchas fleet size, fare collectionmethod, andoperation inmixed

trafficordedicatedright-of-wayallservetomakeahugeimpactonactualcapacity.

InEurope,Copenhagensmasstransit system inDenmarkincorporatesa 12.7-mile, two-line driverless

LightMetrothatsupplementstheirlargerS-trainrapid transitsystem. TheLightMetro inCopenhagen

currentlyregistersabout137,000ridesperday.Thereareatotalof22stations,ofwhichninestationsare

locatedunderground.Thetrainsareusedina3-carconfigurationwithheadwaysanywherebetweentwo

andtwentyminutes. Expansionplanning isunderwayin Copenhagenfor theimminentconstructionof

two9.6-miletunnelstobeusedforacirclelineunderneaththecenterofthecity.


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LightMetroinCopenhagen,DenmarkPhotoCredit:Eugenia

HeavyRailSystemsHeavyrailsystemshavethehighestboardingcapacityinthefamilyofrapid-railtransitsystems.Thereare

15suchsystemsinoperationacrosstheU.S.17Heavyraillinesareusuallydesignedtoboardinexcessof

30,000passengersperhourperdirectionwithservice frequenciesas fastas60secondswithadvanced

technologies.

These systems operate in right-of-ways that are completely separated from other uses. Heavy rail

systemsarepoweredwithathirdrailalongsidethetraintracks,andthetrainlengthsrangefromsixto12

carslong.Thestationsarebuiltsoastoallowpassengerstoenterandleavethestationsandboardthe

trainsveryquicklyandinlargegroups.Dwelltimesinstationsarelowandthetrainscanaccelerateand

deceleratequickly.

HeavyrailinNewYorkCityPhotoCredit:NaokiTai

17AmericanPublicTransportationAdministrationFourthQuarter2010TransitRidershipReport,www.apta.com


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CurrentD.C.AreaRapid-RailExpansionThemostprominenttransitexpansionprojectunderwayintheD.C.regionisaheavyrailextensiontothe

DullesCorridor.18The23-mileextensionwillinclude11newstationsandbebuiltintwophases.Thefirst

phasewilltaketheextensionfromtheEastFallsChurchMetrostopontheOrangeLinetoWiehleAvenue.

ThesecondphasewillextendthelinefromWiehleAvenuetoAshburninLoudounCountyandconnects

DullesInternationalAirporttotherapid-railtransitnetwork.

TheMarylandTransitAdministration(MTA)isplanninga16.3-milelightrailline,dubbedthePurpleLine

totravel inaneast-westroutefromtheBethesdaMetrorail stationinMontgomeryCountytotheNew

CarrolltonMetrorail station in Prince Georges County.19 Revenue service on this line is expected to

commencearound2018.Direct,seamlessconnectionstoMetrorailstationsarecriticaltothesuccessofa

multi-layeredrapid-railtransitnetwork.ThelocallypreferredalternativeforthePurpleLineincorporates

adirectelevatorconnectiontotheMetrorailRedLineattheBethesdametrostop,agoodbutless-direct

connectiontotheSilverSpringMetrorailstopatthe futureSilverSpringTransitCenter,andagoodbut

less-directconnectiontotheOrangeLineattheNewCarrolltonmetrostop.

Table4. AverageSpeedComparisonofDifferentMobilityModes

Mode AverageSpeed

Walking 2.5to4m.p.h.Jogging 6m.p.h.

Bus 9m.p.h.

Streetcar 9m.p.h.

LightRail 20m.p.h.

HeavyRail 33m.p.h.

Theaveragespeedofthemasstransitmodeslistedaboveincludesstationstops.

FutureD.C.Rapid-RailExpansionPossibilitiesAccesstomasstransitisoneofthecityscompetitiveadvantagesinthisregion.Tokeepthiscompetitive

advantagewellintothefuture,thecityshouldplantobuildatleastfournewrapid-raillinesby2050,and

theplanningforthemshouldgetunderwaynow.

Asafirststepinthisdirection,thecityshouldbemoreproactiveintheplanningprocesstoidentifylong-

termwaysto relievecongestionontheRosslyn-FoggyBottomtrack segmentthattheOrangeandBlue

Linesshare.Forinstance,buildingaseparatetunnelfortheBlueLinethroughthecenterofthecitywould

opennewareasofthecitytorapid-railtransitinadditiontofindingalastingwaytorelievecongestionon

trainsbetweencentralD.C.andnorthernVirginia.Whilethisprojectwouldundoubtedlybeexpensive,

thecitycannotaffordto ignoretheproblemgoingforward. Streetcarscannotsolvethisproblem. The

cityshouldplantohaveaseparateBlueLinebuiltandinoperationby2028.ThereismorethanenoughtimebetweennowandthentosolidifytheplanningthatWMATAhasalreadystarted,identifythefunding

sources,andbuildthenewlineifthecityisseriousaboutsatisfyingthedemandforhigh-capacitytransit

asstatedintheDCAA.ThisnewlinewoulddramaticallyimprovedirectaccesstoUnionStation,increase

redundancy and capacity at the core of theMetrorail system,andprovide rapid-rail transit access to

Georgetown,theAtlasDistrict,andneighborhoodsinnearNortheastD.C.

18MetropolitanWashingtonAirportsAuthority,www.dullesmetro.com

19MarylandTransitAdministration,MarylandDepartmentofTransportation,www.purplelinemd.com


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AftertheseparatedBlueLineisinoperation,D.C.shouldthenturnitsattentiontowardbuildingthefirst

dedicatedlightormedium-capacityrapidraillineinthecity.

DDOT should study the transit usefulness of an urban-focused, light or medium-capacity rapid rail

underground linealongGeorgiaAvenue. The5.7-mile linewouldbeanorth/southbranch connection

withanorthterminusattheSilverSpringMetrorailstopandasouthterminusattheShawMetrorailstop.

Thelinewouldprovidea localroutefortravelersontheGeorgiaAvenuecorridoraswellasa rapid-railalternate route intodowntownD.C.fromMontgomeryCountyinMaryland. TheWalterReedcampus,

prominentlylocatedalongGeorgiaAvenue,currentlyhasmoretransitdemandthanavailablecapacity.20

ThislinewouldalsoprovideHowardUniversitywithatransitstopclosertothecenteroftheircampus.

Figure1. MetrorailMapwith SeparatedBlueLine, Purple Line,CommuterRail,

andDulles(Silver)Line

20DCsTransitFutureSystemPlanFinalReport,April2010,DistrictDepartmentofTransportation


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AlthoughthestreetwidthofGeorgiaAvenueismostlikelynotsufficientenoughtoinstallsurface-based

dedicatedlanes,thecitycanstillplantoputalightormedium-capacityraillineunderground.Although

the cost would be higher than a surface-running line, the benefits to the city and region would be

substantial.Washington,DChasanalreadydense,tightstreetgridinmanyofitsmajorcorridors,butthis

shouldnotprecludethecityfromplanningforundergroundrapid-rail.

DDOTshouldalsostudythetransitusefulnessofanurban-focused,rapidrailundergroundlinethroughsomeofthedensestneighborhoodsinthecity.This3.7-milelinewouldhaveawestterminusatthe

DuPontCircleorWoodleyParkmetrostopandaneastterminusattheBrooklandmetrostop. Thisline

wouldconnectto both sidesof the Red Lineand wouldsatisfythe need for a rapid, higher capacity

crosstownroutetothenorthofdowntownD.C.AdamsMorgancurrentlyhasninetimesgreatertransit

demand than available capacity,19 soD.C. should strive to connect this neighborhood to its rapid-rail

transitnetworkassoonaspossible.

D.C.slargestmedicalcentercomplex,comprisedoftheChildrensNationalMedical Center,Washington

HospitalCenter,andtheWashingtonDCVAMedicalCenter,currentlyhasfivetimesmoretransitdemand

thanavailable capacity.19 ChildrensNationalMedicalCenterhas about 5,300employees andreceives

about190,000outpatientvisitsperyearatthislocation.21WashingtonHospitalCenterhasabout7,600

staff and associates and receives about 400,000 outpatient visits per year at this location.22 The

WashingtonDCVAMedicalCenterhasabout1,700staffandreceivesover500,000outpatientvisitsper

yearatthislocation.23Withacombinedemployeebaseofnearly15,000,over3,000-outpatientvisitsper

day,andnumerousotherdailyvisits, itisunfathomable that there isnota higher-capacitymasstransit

optionservingthisveryimportantmedicalcentercomplex.AdamsMorganandthemedicalcenterwould

beincorporatedintotheWoodleyPark-Brooklandrapid-railcrosstownconnector.

A direct, platform-over-platform transfer between the two aforementioned rapid-rail lines could be

providedwithastationinthevicinityofGeorgiaAvenueandColumbiaRoad,NW.

WMATAsOfficeofLongRangePlanninghasrecentlyconcludedayearlongseriesofanalysesthatfocused

onenhancedsurfacetransit, newMetrorail lines through thecore, andMetrorail extensions, andthe

officehasjuststartedpresentingtheirfindingstotheMetroBoardaspartoftheorganizationsstrategic

planning process.24

Part of the research included model analyses of separated blue and yellow linescenariosandhowtheycouldimproveMetrorailcongestionandrelievestressonthekeytransferstations

locatedinthecoreoftheMetrorailsystem.

Table5. PossibleMaintenanceandRapid-RailExpansionTimeline

Project Completion

EliminateMaintenanceBacklog 2016

St.ElizabethsCampusIn-FillStation 2018

SeparatedBlueMetrorailLine 2028

WoodleyPark-BrooklandLRRTorMCTLine25 2035

GeorgiaAvenueCorridorLRRTorMCTLine 2040

SeparatedYellowMetrorailLine 2050

21ChildrensNationalMedicalCenter,www.childrensnational.org/about/Facts/

22WashingtonHospitalCenter,www.whcenter.org/body.cfm?id=556522

23WashingtonDCVAMedicalCenter,www.washingtondc.va.gov/about/

24WMATAOfficeofLongRangePlanning,http://planitmetro.com/2011/09/22/metro-board-kicks-off-strategic-

planning-process/25LLRTisanacronymforLightRailRapidTransit;MCTisanacronymforMedium-capacitytransit


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PotentialIn-FillStationsD.C.hasalreadyhadtremendoussuccessfromaddingastationtoapre-existingMetrorailline.Thecity

starteddevelopingplansinthemid-1990sforanewMetrorailstationinthevicinityofNewYorkand

FloridaAvenuesasawaytospurgrowthinthisrun-downindustrialareaofthecity.Propertyowners

withinahalf-mileradiusofthenewstationagreedtopayforsomeofthecostofaddingthisnewstation.

Withafinalcostofabout$104million,theD.C.governmentpaidabout$54millionofthetotalcost,and

thefederalgovernmentandprivatelandownerseachcontributed$25million.Thistypeofpublic-privatepartnershipshouldbereplicatedasD.C.lookstoidentifyfundingsourcestoexpandandimprovetransit

infrastructureacrossthecity.TheNewYorkAvenue-FloridaAvenuestationopenedinlate2004,andthe

NoMaBusinessImprovementDistrictwasestablishedafewyearslatertoboosttheimageandeconomic

viabilityofthearea. Today,NoMaispresumablythefastestgrowingresidentialandbusinesscenterin

theentirecity.

Building uponthe successof theMetrorail systemsfirst in-fill station, thecity shouldplan to identify

fundingsourcestoconstructanin-fillMetrorailstationonthecampusoftheoldSt.ElizabethsHospital

by2018.Thisin-fillstation,tobelocatedontheGreenLinebetweentheAnacostiaandCongressHeights

stops,shouldsatisfytheneedforhigh-capacitytransitservicetothenew$3.4billionheadquartersforthe

DepartmentofHomelandSecurity.About14,000employeeswilldescenduponthenewcampusdailyin

southeastD.C.whenconstructioniscompleteonthe4.5millionsquarefeetofofficespace.Ifamajorityoftheseemployeesopttodrivetoworkduetoalackofacentrallylocatedmasstransitoptiononthe

campus, the efficiency of traffic circulation patterns the roads around this facility shall most likely

deteriorate.

RapidRailTransitasaCompetitiveAdvantageD.C.hasheldacompetitiveadvantagefordecadeswithrespecttomasstransitaccess,butthisadvantage

willnotlastunlesselectedofficialsanditsresidentsgetbehindrapid-railexpansion.LeadersinNorthern

Virginia pushed hard to bring the Dulles Line to fruition. Business leaders and elected officials

representing Tysons Corner, amajor business and retail district along the future Dulles Line, seek to

repositionitasamoredenseandurbandestination. Rapidrailwillundoubtedlybethecenterpieceof

thateffort.TheDullesLinewill,however,putanevengreaterstrainonthecoreoftheMetrorailsystem

thanexiststoday.TheDullesLineshouldhavebeenplannedinconjunctionwithaseparateBlueLineor

itsequivalentinordertoincreasecapacitythroughthecenterofthecity.But,thatisnotwhathappened.

The leaders of Northern Virginia successfully pushed for the Dulles Line, irrespective of the regional

consequenceswithintheMetrorail systemasawhole,whilethe leadersofWashington,D.C. remained

largelysilent.WMATAsMetrorailStationAccessandCapacityStudyfromApril2008revealedthatthe

trunkbetweenArlington,VAanddowntownD.C.wouldbeoverburdenedasearlyas2020.

Over thenextfewdecades,D.C.scompetitiveadvantageinmass transitshall slowlyerodewhilebeing

replicatedacrosstheregion.NorthernVirginiaspushforrapid-railtransitwillmostlikelynotceasewhen

theDullesLineiscomplete.Congressionalmembersfromthecommonwealth,eventoday,arepushing

for extensions to existingMetrorail lines. There is acknowledgement in the original D.C. Alternative

Analysis and System Plan, completed in 2005, that there is indeed a need for high-capacity transit

expansionwithinthecity.D.C.shouldproceedwithbuildinganetworkofstreetcarlineswhileplanningto

expandaccesstorapidrailtransitinmoreareasofthecity.

D.C.s Transit Future System Plan should include short and long range plans for expansion and

improvementacrossalltransitmodes,notjustsurface-basedtransit.

Documents

A Multi-Modal Rapid Rail Transit Network Should Be in DC's Transportation Future