Route 1 BRT Station Designs Receive Approval

Alexandria’s Planning Commission signed off on station design plans for the Route 1 Bus Rapid Transitway last week, but also urged city staff to find more bike parking opportunities near stations.

Construction of the Alexandria’s 0.8-mile section of bus-dedicated lanes in the middle of Route 1 began in July 2012. The Alexandria section is expected to be completed in late 2013 and operational in early 2014.

The BRT will ultimately traverse a 5-mile route connecting Braddock Road Metro station with Pentagon City Metro station. About 80 percent of the route will be in dedicated right-of-ways.

Buses will stop at uniquely designed and well-lit platform stations that allow near-level boarding on all vehicle doors. The Alexandria shelters will look similar to Arlington stations, but will have blue roofs representing the Potomac River and textured concrete and each stop with a design invoking the old rail ties of Potomac Yard (See the attached photos above). The stations will display real-time arrival information and fares will be collected at station kiosk machines.

The seven Alexandria stations will cost about $200,000 apiece and will be located in the following locations:

• E. Glebe Road – southbound (northbound station will be located in Potomac Yard)
• E. Swann Avenue – Two stations, far side of intersection
• E. Custis Avenue – Two stations, far side of intersection
• Potomac Avenue – 2 stations, north side of intersection

City planners said there is no intention to sell advertising on the stations or vehicles, which Metro has branded as “Metro Way” with uniquely labeled blue buses. The plan includes a new route 9X traveling the entire transitway and the extension of the current 9S to the Potomac Yard Shopping Center.

With quicker boarding and dedicated lanes, Metro and city officials believe the transitway could transport more people quicker, boost ridership and potentially reduce the number of cars on Route 1 and other portions of the corridor.

Jerry King of the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee told planning commissioners that more bike parking is needed near the BRT stations. Project planners said there’s not enough room on the platforms for bicycle racks.

“Big picture, BRT should be part of an overall transportation system,” King said. “What that includes is walkers and bikers going to transit stations. … I’m not sure if they’ve included much of any consideration of how they’re going to get there. … People are going to chain [their bicycles] to trees and stuff like that. We need a facility.”

The commissioners urged staff to examine bicycle parking opportunities.

“We’re looking at how to make that easier,” said Marti Ann Reinfeld, division chief of transit services with Alexandria’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services. “Given the number of people that bike, we know it’s critical to incorporate it.”

When the BRT was approved by the city in March 2012, council urged city staff to look into creating parking districts in adjacent Del Ray neighborhoods to prevent BRT users from parking vehicles in residential streets near the stations. 

The busway project is receiving local, state and federal funding. Alexandria’s segment is expected to cost $20 million, while the Arlington portion is estimated to run $17.5 million, according to the report.

In June 2012, Alexandria and Arlington County reached an agreement to potentially bring streetcars to the Arlington section of the transitway by 2019 and the Alexandria section by 2021.

Editor's note: The initial post inaccurately referred to the WMATA routes operation on the transitway.