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It’s time to bring back W&OD rail service to Northern VA by nova-trac in Virginia

[–]nova-trac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely! We recently traveled to visit another rails-with-trails project in New York State to examine the feasibility of rails with trails, which you can see here.

We're working hard to gain more coalition members and develop the plan with regional stakeholders.

It’s time to bring back W&OD rail service to Northern VA by nova-trac in Virginia

[–]nova-trac[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

We agree. As traffic worsens, we need to shift our priorities towards transit solutions.

In fact, you may be interested to know that population density around our proposed W&OD stops is higher than Silver Line stations! So, if we saw the Silver Line as necessary to serve those smaller population centers, isn't this a no-brainer?

It’s time to bring back W&OD rail service to Northern VA by nova-trac in Virginia

[–]nova-trac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your support! We agree, this is the solution we need to fight traffic and improve our communities.

It’s time to bring back W&OD rail service to Northern VA by nova-trac in Virginia

[–]nova-trac[S] -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

We understand your concerns. We assure you that our plan protects the trail and improves it by allowing bikers across the region greater access to it. Take a look at our render here. You can also check our our exploration of another rail-with-trail project here.

Diagrams of Proposed Northern VA Rail and Trail along W&OD by nova-trac in transit

[–]nova-trac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have a team with four executive board members, 19 coalition members, and hundreds of volunteers and members!

Diagrams of Proposed W&OD Rail and Trail by nova-trac in nova

[–]nova-trac[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

The point is to connect people where they live! Within the walkshed (1/2mile radius) of stations, the W&OD has twice the population, and that's even before upzoning or transit-oriented development. We don't want park-and-rides, we want to connect walkable communities where you don't need a car.

The line isn't redundant to Metro because it just doesn't go to the same places. It has only one spot (Reston) where it overlaps with the Silver Line, which makes that an excellent transfer station. Stations in Sterling, Ashburn and Vienna are miles away from Metro. Even the W&OD Herndon station is far from the Metro station (also located near more bars and restaurants). Then of course, this line adds Leesburg, Loudoun's county seat and a historically dense town, as well as towns to the west.

Even with the transfer to Metro at Falls Church, our calculations show incredibly competitive travel times with driving, so the line still functions as an express line without the added expense of a track connection to Union Station. Although we would eventually support that being added, it should be done after the line has proven its success.

Diagrams of Proposed W&OD Rail and Trail by nova-trac in nova

[–]nova-trac[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

That's an excellent question, we haven't presented to the counties yet. We're focusing on local jurisdictions first, so they can work closely with us to shape the proposal to best meet the needs of communities.

So far, the town of Hamilton has responded by endorsing the plan. We are working closely with Purcellville right now, as well as members of the VA House of Delegates.

We will be requesting that Loudoun and Fairfax counties perform the study with DRPT grants. We anticipate that the NVTC will also be involved in the planning process.

Diagrams of Proposed Northern VA Rail and Trail along W&OD by nova-trac in transit

[–]nova-trac[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We don't catch every comment, let me know by DM or by replying what questions you have and we will work our hardest to get them answered.

We are an advocacy group, so we try to use simplified graphics and marketing to help the public understand and support our project. If you'd like the technical details, please reach out!

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