Is Faster Bus Service The Answer to Columbia Pike's Cancelled Streetcar?

• January 27th 2016

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Arlington County plans to greatly enhance bus service along Columbia Pike, an effort that is aimed at replacing the streetcar that was cancelled in 2014.

“At the Board’s direction, staff has identified several features that could be part of premium bus service on the Pike that would be similar to the Metroway service already operating in Crystal City,” County Manager Mark Schwartz told the County Board on Tuesday.

The features of the new service would include traffic signal priority and dedicated lanes for buses, off-board fare collection/loading, and more frequent service with limited stops. The new service will be evaluated over the coming months and there will be public meetings in February and March at which the Board’s recommendations for the upgraded service are presented.

The improved bus service is part of the County’s Transit Development Plan update.

“The Transit Development Plan effort is evaluating which of these features would improve travel times, enhance transit reliability, and move more people through the corridor over the next 10 years, and could be implemented during that timeframe,” a press release from the County stated.

The move for enhanced bus service is aimed as a replacement for the 7.4-mile streetcar system for Columbia Pike and Crystal City that was cancelled fifteen months ago. The Columbia Pike line would’ve run from Skyline in Fairfax County along Columbia Pike to Pentagon City.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/premium_bus_service_to_replace_columbia_pike_streetcar/10803.