I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 55 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 5, 2011 Mr. Connolly of Virginia (for himself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To authorize alternatives analysis and preliminary engineering for new Metrorail capital projects in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Northern Virginia Metrorail Extension Act of 2011.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) maintains the second largest rail network (Metrorail) in the Nation. (2)Local governments in Northern Virginia have led efforts to extend Metrorail service, and any future Metrorail extension will be provided only with their collaboration, consistent with local planning objectives. (3)More than 120,000 Federal employees ride Metro to work. (4)Metro takes 580,000 cars off the road each day, eliminating the need for 1,400 lane miles of highway and eliminating 1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. (5)Metrorail stations enable transit-oriented development, which is critical to protecting open space regionally. (6)Metro stimulates economic growth. (7)Real estate near Metrorail stations is worth in excess of $25 billion. (8)The Virginia Department of Transportation and Department of Rail and Public Transit completed a Major Investment Study that concluded that a multimodal transportation strategy is required to accommodate projected travel demand in Virginia along Interstate Route 66 from Interstate Route 495 to Haymarket, the area to be served by the proposed Orange Line Metrorail extension. (9)The population of the area to be served by the proposed Orange Line extension is expected to be 681,000 individuals by 2025, while employment in the area is projected to increase to 362,000 individuals by that date. (10)As a result of military base realignments and closures, thousands of jobs will shift from the area of Crystal City, Virginia, which is served by Metrorail, to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and its engineering proving ground, which are not served by Metrorail. (11)Despite recent road improvements, including the Springfield Mixing Bowl, Interstate Route 495 continues to experience congestion at both Potomac River crossings during normal rush hours. (12)It is critical that extensions of transit service are coordinated with local land use planning, including the use of smart growth principles and transit-oriented development.

3.

Project authorizations for new fixed guideway capital projects

(a)

Alternatives analysis

The following project is authorized for alternatives analysis under section 5339 of title 49, United States Code: Northern Virginia—Metrorail Purple Line extension. (b)

Preliminary engineering

The following projects are authorized for preliminary engineering under section 5309(m)(2)(A) of such title: (1)Northern Virginia—Extension of Metrorail Blue Line. (2)Northern Virginia—Extension of Metrorail Orange Line to Centreville. (3)Northern Virginia—Extension of Metrorail Yellow Line. (4)Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland—Metrorail capacity expansion.