Does Tysons Need Metro?

Metro in Tysons Corner is fast becoming in danger of being termed a myth. For decades people have been talking about how the Metro transit system would soon start work on an extension of the Orange Line from Vienna through Tysons Corner and eventually stretching 23 miles all the way up to Dulles Airport. Dulles is currently one of the only airports in the region (which includes National and BWI) that does not have rail access. I mean even the oldest continuously operating airport in the world, College Park Airport, has access by rail (the Green Line stop at College Park is less than a quarter mile from the airport). That being said, I am beginning to wonder why it is becoming so hard to get funding for a worthwhile project.

Now that 'going-green' has become the catchphrase and mantra of every major industry and politician, it's obvious that a mass transit project like Metro would do wonders for the transportation situation in and around the Tysons area. If one were to look at the way Fairfax County has literally exploded in the last decade or so, you wouldn't be suprised to find that traffic has become a bear. I have lived in Tysons Corner for several years now and I can tell you, if you are looking to go anywhere out of Tysons on a Friday evening... you best be prepared to hit some traffic. Though I have learned to live with the heavy traffic volume associated with incoming workers in the mornings and the mass exodus of workers in the evening, I find that it's a hassle getting anywhere out of the area after about 3:00 PM on weekdays. Trips into Vienna take me no more than ten minutes (counting stopping at all traffic lights) on a normal day. During rush hour, that same journey can take upwards of 45 minutes. Why? Simply because there are too many commuters, too small roads and not a great infrastructure to handle it all.

People opposed to the project in Tysons altogether argue that there is no real proof that the Metro will do anything to alleviate traffic problems or such. I can tell you this, if I had to option of catching the train to Dulles or driving I'd catch the train every time. An average cab trip to Dulles from Tysons can run you about $30. For that much, I can probably ride the train several times. Plus from a driving perspective, if I am simply going to drop someone off at the airport it's fine, I can get off by paying a couple of bucks for tolls and getting on the express lanes but if I'm picking someone up, I can be almost certain to pay $4 at a minimum to deal with parking. After all, Dulles has a 'smart' system of giving you up to 20 minutes of free parking before nailing you with parking fees. Unless your party is already there you rarely ever leave before that 20 minute window expires and if you do, you end up in a mad dash to get out before the time expires. I've once seen the machine tell me I had three minutes to exit before being charged. I ran and drove like a madman. Is that necessary?

Metro fares may be on the rise but I can tell you that it will probably help save money for a lot of people in the long run if they have the option of taking the train vice a cab. But airport travel isn't the only reason to do it. All along the Dulles Toll Road are literally a "who's who" of major companies and industries. From Microsoft to Oracle, Fairfax and Loudoun County are literally becoming the hotbeds for tech companies in the region and the growth only continues. Just along the edge of the Toll Road in the last two years there has been such a tremendous growth in the number of offices being built that it's an indicator of just how big the area is for companies of this sort. That being said, not everyone taking the train lives in the area. There are people from Maryland and elsewhere coming to the area for work. Many of them are leaving before the crack of dawn in order to beat traffic and get to work on time. Wouldn't it be appealing to them as well to take the train, save gas money and frustration by making the journey out that way for what will likely be less cost?

Already there have been so many compromises on this project. I had always been in favor of a tunnel underneath the Tysons area for the metro but since that idea was more or less shot down last year it's moot to continue to argue for it. Nonetheless, now this new call by Congress to say that this money would be better spent elsewhere is a surprise. Rather than looking at the positive results that would come from doing something so needed and environmentally beneficial, I can't help but wonder where their reluctance is coming from. Have you been to Tysons at Christmas time? It's a mad house! So many people coming to do their shopping and fighting for parking. If they could take the train to the mall wouldn't they do it? That one season would probably help pay the cost of the addition in no time. Tysons and its surrounding area continues to grow and gain in popularity and unfortunately the infrastructure for the area is not keeping pace. We have such gridlock on weekdays that I sometimes dread getting out of the area in the evenings. Have you seen the Metro in the mornings leaving Vienna? It's packed to the gills! The system will be used; they just need to fund the damn thing.