A planning effort kicking off next year could determine the future of a major transit project in the West End.
Envision Route 7 is an ongoing plan to build a bus rapid transit (BRT) system connecting the Mark Center in Alexandria, through Bailey’s Crossroads and Falls Church, out to Tysons. An update headed to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission tonight spells out some of what’s ahead for that plan in 2025.
The NVTC report said the next stage of the study will kick off next year and will examine the segment from Seven Corners in Fairfax to the Mark Center in Alexandria, the last stage of the project.
“This phase supports the Plan’s strategy to identify near-term targeted enhancements to existing bus service on Route 7 and detail opportunities for funding those improvements,” the report said, “while continuing to lay the groundwork for the more capital-intensive work to implement true BRT service on Route 7 in the future.”
Part of that will entail determining the terminus of the Alexandria bus-rapid transit line, whether that will be Southern Towers of the Mark Center. The plan is, from there, the Route 7 BRT will be integrated into the City of Alexandria’s proposed West End Transitway BRT, which is scheduled for completion by 2027.
The project currently has $3 million in funding dedicated to planning and analysis through a combination of grant funding, contributions from local governments, and federal funding.
