Virginia Advocacy on Transportation
Examples of the Chamber’s advocacy in Virginia on issues related to transportation include:
The Arlington Chamber supports the overall design of the 2025 Better Bus Network, but asked WMATA to retain the 3Y bus service, or create a comparable service along Langston Boulevard.
The Arlington Chamber joined a coalition as part of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, supporting the Southside Express Lanes project before the Transportation Planning Board. The Arlington Chamber joined a coalition of business organizations endorsing the appointment of Jason Stanford, President of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, to serve on the technical working group to study Northern Virginia Transit, as a representative of the business community.
Letter to the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, January 30, 2020 The Chamber encouraged the Virginia General Assembly to support HB 1414 and SB 890, bills which would implement Governor Northam's transportation package. The package includes critical infrastructure projects such as a new Long Bridge and improvements to the Rosslyn Metro station. The improved connectivity across our region will help Virginia to remain and economic leader in the decade to come. The Chamber sent a letter to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission encouraging it to adopt the Commission’s proposed work plan for 2020-2021. The NVTC works to increase capacity, accessibility, connectivity, and safety of our regional transit network by maximizing and broadening transit revenues, and engaging with the community to make the system as effective as possible for commuters. We particularly appreciate the work plan’s inclusion of engagement with chambers of commerce and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the NVTC. The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board requesting that they defer a request to advertise public hearings on modifications of bonus density and height provisions. While the first review of the proposal indicates that it includes many positive changes, particularly those related to housing affordability, we believe that the best result will come from taking some extra time to study the potential impact of the amendments. As a result, the Chamber has requested a month’s deferral in consideration. The Chamber sent a letter to WMATA encouraging the transit authority to advance plans for second entrances and the Ballston-MU and Crystal City Metrorail stations. These second entrances will aid economic development as planned growth in both neighborhoods is closer to the proposed entrance locations than to the existing portals. Having these access points will make it easier for workers and residents to get to Metro and will help them see Metrorail as the most convenient way of to and from these locations. The Arlington Chamber joined area chambers and other business organizations in calling on lawmakers to provide $154 million in annual capital funding for Metro's needs, along with achievable reform measures to ensure Virginia’s quality of life and continued economic growth are preserved for years to come through a fully funded, well-governed, and efficiently operated Metro system.
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