WHAT IS THE BLUEPRINT?

The Blueprint for Better Transportation in Northern Virginia serves as a vision of change over the next decade and a recommendation to local transportation planners. The Blueprint recommends investments in projects that expand transportation choices, reduce pollution and create better communities. By creating more walkable, transit-oriented communities and strategic road connections, we will relieve congestion and achieve a host of other benefits, including cleaner air, cleaner water, cleaner parks for kids to play, better communities and stronger economies.

Groups endorsing the Blueprint include the Sierra Club, Environment Virginia, the Piedmont Environmental Council, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Climate Reality Project: Northern VA Chapter, the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Network NoVA, Friends of Accotink, the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Prince William Conservation Alliance.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

We need more transportation choices in our communities. Making it easier to walk, bicycle and use transit for everyday trips is also critical to solving our problems with traffic congestion and reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.  The decisions we make today about how to address congestion and grow as a region are critical. 

Investments in public transportation create stronger, more attractive communities with cleaner air and vibrant economic centers.  Community members should be able to live, work, play within their towns and neighborhoods to support a strong local economy, clean environment and high quality of life. 



Northern Virginia is a thriving region, expected to grow by 1.6 million people by 2040. We need to utilize these planning strategies that help reduce driving demand and foster healthy, walkable, bikeable, mixed-use areas that protect green spaces, clean air, and clean water.

WHAT DOES THE BLUEPRINT RECOMMEND?

1. Prioritize Transit-Oriented Development and access to regional transit, including on foot and by bike. Revitalize activity centers by building walkable street grids.
2. Expand transit capacity through investing in Metro, VRE, Bus Rapid Transit, and expanded express bus service, supporting a network of transit-oriented development.
3. Make the road network more efficient, by improving street connections and strategically adding capacity at key areas.

Our investment priorities should focus transportation investments around Metro and VRE stations including a connected local street network of “complete streets” to facilitate "first and last mile" access to transit. New residential development should also be focused near existing and planned Metro stations in Fairfax and Loudoun, VRE stations, and in commercial corridors being planned for and transformed into walkable, mixed-use, transit-oriented places, while protecting rural land on the periphery of suburbia

Rebuilding Metro’s rail and bus capital infrastructure and expanding its capacity to support compact development will serve more people., and maintain and strengthen our economic competitiveness. Expanded VRE capacity on existing lines, expand express bus service, maximizing transit use of HOV lanes on I-66, I-95, and create dedicated bus lanes on Route 50, Route 7, Route 28 and other major corridors, will all provide faster, more reliable commute options.  

Improving local bus service from DASH, ART, Fairfax Connector, PRTC Omnilink and Loudoun Transit
 supports all socio-economic demographics, connects people to jobs, and support mixed-use, walkable, transit-accessible neighborhoods.  

We should prioritize road funds to create a more efficient, interconnected street grid and create key connections for transit corridors in existing and emerging walkable, mixed-use areas such as Route 7 from Alexandria to Tysons
, Route 1 in Fairfax and Prince William, Columbia Pike and Gallows Road, Tysons to Inova, with local connection to Annandale.

READ THE BLUEPRINT: 

NORTHERN VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY SIX YEAR PROGRAM

• This Spring, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority selected 44 projects to provide a total $1.3 billion in funding to improve regional transportation. UPDATE COMING SOON! 

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

VOLUNTEER WITH THE TRANSIT FOR ALL CAMPAIGN. Contact Kelsey Crane to get involved kelsey.crane@sierraclub.org

• CONTACT NVTA Members