[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 147 (Friday, September 20, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      COMMEMORATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA 
                       TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 20, 2024

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 60th 
Anniversary of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC).
  In 1964, 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 suit 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.
  Today, NVTC serves as a regional forum for discussion and analysis of 
transit issues. NVTC is charged with the funding and stewardship of 
WMATA and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), which it co-owns. 
Northern Virginia is also home to six bus systems, for which NVTC works 
across jurisdictional boundaries to coordinate transit service.
  Over the last six decades, NVTC has been instrumental in transforming 
transit in the Northern Virginia region. From establishing the WMATA 
compact in 1966 to working with the Virginia General Assembly to create 
a bus rapid transit (BRT) system connecting Tysons and Alexandria, NVTC 
has taken big steps to connect our region in innovative ways. NVTC 
represents a jurisdiction of 2 million people, with 740,000 households, 
and over 1.3 million jobs, which is no small undertaking. The half mile 
of property around Metrorail stations is just 3 percent of the region's 
land, but it contains 30 percent of the property value, 40 percent of 
the jobs, and 50 percent of the new apartments. Promoting well-
connected and expansive transit creates opportunities for growth, and 
NVTC has embraced that mission on behalf of our region.
  As NVTC begins its next 60 years, the organization is striving to 
meet its goals for the region. Increasing the capacity of the regional 
transit network by expanding and improving the quality, coverage, and 
frequency of new and existing systems is a top priority. NVTC is also 
continuing to look for ways to improve access and mobility throughout 
Northern Virginia by connecting regional and local transit systems.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating this 
milestone for the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission. 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.

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