[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1432-E1433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ON ITS 50TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend and congratulate my 
friends and colleagues at the Northern Virginia Transportation 
Commission (NVTC) on the occasion of the Commission's 50th anniversary. 
When it was first created, the Commission's primary task was to develop 
and manage a transportation system for Northern Virginia, but over the 
years, it has evolved and accomplished so much more than that.
   NVTC has become a champion for commuters across the region, an 
advocate for sustainable transit funding, and a leading voice on 
transportation policy throughout the Commonwealth. One shudders to 
think what Northern Virginia might look like if not for the persistent 
efforts of the Commission to bring local, state, and federal leaders 
together to promote transit solutions that have made commuting more 
convenient and removed cars from our roads. Just as important, NVTC has 
become a training ground for staff and elected leaders, helping to 
inform policy makers and the public about the value of and urgent need 
for investing in transit choices. For example, the ranks of the 
Commission's past chairmen include our colleague, Representative Jim 
Moran, who served on NVTC during his tenure as the Mayor of Alexandria, 
my predecessor, Tom Davis, who served as chair during his tenure on the 
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and, yes, me. I was pleased to 
serve on the Commission throughout my tenure on the Fairfax Board of 
Supervisors.
   Let me take just a few moments to recount some of the major 
milestones that have shaped the success of the NVTC and the growth of 
our region. Two major actions in 1964 laid the groundwork for NVTC to 
flourish. First, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson passed the Urban 
Mass Transit Act, which pumped $375 million over three years into 
public transit projects across the nation. The Virginia General 
Assembly followed by creating the Northern Virginia Transportation 
District to plan and construct a transportation network that promoted 
safety, convenience, and economic growth.
   The Commission did not waste time, starting work on a rapid transit 
system that first year.

[[Page E1433]]

Two years later, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (or 
Metro) compact, a partnership among the regional jurisdictions, was 
created, and planning began for bus and future rail routes. Momentum 
increased during the 1970s. NVTC received a federal grant to build the 
nation's first transit way, the Shirley Highway Bus Project. Metro 
broke ground with Blue, Orange and Yellow Line service to Virginia 
starting in the late '70s. NVTC launched a new program known then as 
Computeride, which later became Commuter Connections, to help commuters 
plan their trips to work and establish carpools.
   NVTC secured a major victory in the early 1980s when it worked with 
the Virginia General Assembly to pass a 2 percent regional gas tax to 
support Metro bus and rail service. Planning also began for a new 
commuter rail service extending to Prince William and Stafford 
counties. Transit service continued to expand during the 1990s with the 
new Virginia Railway Express (VRE). In 1996, NVTC was awarded the 
American Public Transportation Association's Outstanding Government 
Agency Award. During the past decade, NVTC has been actively planning 
the next generation transportation network to meet the challenges of 
Northern Virginia's growth and working with elected leaders at all 
levels to provide the dedicated funding that will be necessary to 
deliver those improvements.
   It is fitting that NVTC marks its 50th anniversary with one of the 
largest expansions of the Metro system with the opening of the new 
Silver Line with service to Tysons and Reston earlier this year. There 
are now 156 million transit trips in Northern Virginia. Metro, with 91 
stations across the region, including 25 in Virginia with six more 
under construction with phase 2 of the Silver Line, serves more than 
750,000 rider trips a day. Metro bus now has 335 routes and 15,000 bus 
stops throughout the region. VRE, which now operates 30 trains from 18 
stations, carries 20,000 passengers daily. Of course, all of that is 
supplemented by the cities and counties with their own transit 
services. Demonstrating the tremendous reach and success of NVTC's 
collective efforts, transit and ridesharing now carry nearly 50 percent 
of the region's peak travelers.
   Mr. Speaker, the success of NVTC has fueled the success of not only 
Northern Virginia, but also the National Capital Region. The tradition 
of collaboration and shared investment that has characterized NVTC will 
serve our communities for generations to come. NVTC's collaborative 
success gives witness to the fact that our politics can work to serve 
our constituents. I was proud to be a part of it for 14 years, and I 
ask my colleagues to join me in commending the staff and leadership, 
both past and present, of the Northern Virginia Transportation 
Commission for their commitment to providing a world-class 
transportation system and improving the quality of life for those who 
live and work in the National Capital Region.

                          ____________________