U r b a n T r e k k e r

Tysons Corner, the "New" Downtown

Fairfax County EDA boss is very confident that with Dulles Metrorail coming in to Tysons, it will make Tysons Corner the new downtown.

 The new Metro line to Tysons "will make the area explode,” Fairfax County Economic Development Authority CEO Jerry Gordon tells us. That’s saying something considering Fairfax already has more jobs than DC. Jerry politely turns the knife a bit more: “We’re the new downtown.” You can make statements like that with less than 5% unemployment (up from 1% in good times) and companies such as VW and Hilton moving their HQs to your community. Speaking of which, Jerry says FCEDA is in talks with a couple other companies “that are either household names or could be in 20 years.”

[via Washington BisNow]

Just fact checking Gordon's statement on jobs.

(click on image for larger view)

So, that's true Fairfax has more jobs than DC. (DC unemployment is twice of Fairfax).

image: Google

Dulles Metrorail TOD Projects (update)

Real Estate Bisnow Washington reports that Comstock Partners planned to build two TOD projects, Reston Station and Loudoun station, both slated along Dulles metrorail corridor. Comstock plan to build Reston Station on top of the 2,300 parking garage over at Wiehle Ave. stop. They've received the development rights but still have to secure rezoning and get site plan approval sometime in 2011. 

The second project, Loudoun Station is a-50 acre mixed-use project at the Silver line last stop, at route 722, connecting Dulles airport and Loudoun county. This one has been rezoned and approved for 3.5M SF that will have 1,500 apartments, 320,000 SF retails, entertainment, a hotel and offices.

[via Real Estate Bisnow DC]

images: Loudoun Station

Study: HOT Lanes Brings 11,800 Jobs to Area

This is why we need HOT lanes..image:VDOT

According to a new study done by Center for Regional Analysis, the 6-year construction of Virginia HOT lanes is expected to bring 11,800 full time jobs and pump $2.7 billion to the economy. This is encouraging news considering that the latest stats for unemployment rate in DC is pushing 10%, Maryland at 6.9% and Virginia is at 6.8%.

Every little bit of thing helps. Via WTOP.

Stephen Fuller, director for the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., says in the short term, that equates to 10 percent of the job growth in the county in 2009.

Of the 11,800 full-time jobs the construction will support, about 600 would be full-time, on-site construction jobs. Other jobs would be indirectly related to construction. Additionally, more than 20,000 other jobs would be supported by HOT lanes construction elsewhere.

Fuller says in the long term, "This project, along with Metro rail through Tysons Corner, is going to create a whole new level of access to a very important part of the region's economy."

The project would help boost the local economy through direct spending, as well as through increased property values. The study projects that each dollar spent on materials and workers will generate $2.25 as the money is re-spent in local stores and restaurants. 

Jobs and housing, are good combo...

Related posts:

Va. HOT Lanes

Virginia HOT Lanes I-495/395/95 and Commuter Lot Proposals

Beltway Minus the Trees..

VDOT ramping up constructions for their mega projects at Tysons area.

By the way, their website just got a makeover. It's 2.0  now. You can check all things construction related in Northern Virginia here at http://www.vamegaprojects.com/

The big picture: this is where we're going with the HOT Lanes project..

Jammin' Tysons Traffic During (Dulles Metrorail & Beltway HOT Lanes) Construction

After the Fed signed the $900M deal for Dulles metrorail. Here comes the traffic nightmare for the area. Construction of two (big) Virginia projects, Dulles rail and Capital Beltway HOT lanes, will converge soon at Tysons Corner. Forget the typical traffic jam at lunch time. This is real.

Capital Beltway HOT lanes

Dealing with one project alone (in addition to the usual lunch crowd traffic) is a nightmare for Tysons. What happens when you lump the two 'mega' projects together? Okay, you get the picture..

Constructions for Tysons suppose to start next month. Hmm, is more like next week. Via WTOP.

The ramp-up in construction leaves traffic planners and Tysons employers with a maddening task: working out how to ferry about 100,000 workers from around the region through an unnavigable network of bottlenecks that will persist for the next few years. Anyone who regularly drives into, around or through Fairfax County's business hub has a stake in that effort.

When the more than 4,000 Booz Allen Hamilton employees who commute daily into Tysons sit in congestion, "they're not going to care whether it's HOT lanes or Metro" causing the delay, said Gary Lance, Booz Allen's senior director of core services.

The traffic tangle has prompted the company to think differently, Lance said. It's bringing in an arsenal of alternatives to the single-occupancy vehicle, offering shuttles, car and van pooling, flexible work hours, and telecommuting.

The construction for Dulles metrorail will take 5 years. You're looking at 2013-2014 time frame. Meanwhile, construction of Beltway HOT lanes from Springfield to Tysons Corner until at least 2012. Some companies in the area have already begun working their schedule (maybe some flex scheduling got into the fold).

Planning your trip to Tysons Corner

A few resources worth checking into:

• Virginia HOT Lanes Commuter Solutions: a web portal courtesy of VDOT that has all the links you can imagine for planning your commute. 
• Access Tysons: a commuter center for shoppers, visitors, mall employees. 
• Live traffic camera via VDOT (image above)
• TYTRAN: for mass transit info, car pooling, real-time ride matching, etc. 
• Dulles Metrorail: for latest updates, i.e. hotspots.

Did I miss anything? Let me know if you have additional sources, send me your email.

Dulles Metrorail Construction Update

Last week Dulles Metrorail officially got the $900 million deal signed. Construction for phase 1 will start pretty soon.

Phase 1 will run from East Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue on the eastern edge of Reston. It will include four stations in Tysons Corner-Tysons east, Tysons Central 123, Tysons Central 7 and Tysons West. Construction will begin in March of 2009 and it will be completed in 2013.

So, what's next? Construction update for phase 1.

  · Construction will start all along the 11-mile Phase 1 alignment, including along the Dulles Connector Road, along Routes 123 and 7 in Tysons Corner, and in the median of the Dulles Airport Access Road/Dulles Toll Road from Route 7 west to Wiehle Avenue.

   · Start of construction along Route 123 at International Drive for the entrance of the 2,100-foot tunnel under the Route 123 & Route 7 interchange.

   · Clearing of trees in the median of the Dulles Airport Access Road from Route 7 to Wiehle Avenue.

   · Continuance of the lane shift on eastbound Route 7 near Pike 7 Plaza, east of Gosnell Road, for approximately 9 months.

   · Additional late night closings from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. along Route 7, in keeping with state regulations.

   · Expanded work at the I-66/Dulles Connector Road split.

   · Tree and shrub clearing near Scotts Crossing Road.

   · Site preparation work in an existing work area on the south side of Route 7 at the Dulles Toll Road west of the Sheraton Hotel.

[via Dulles Metrorail project]

It's Official: On to Dulles!

It's for real now. The signing ceremony for $900 million Fed full funding agreement took place sometime this morning. (Many pols like to claim credit. But, Wolf and Davis were against the funding).

image: Washington Post

Dulles Metrorail to Start Construction in March

Yes! It's finally here.  Construction for Dulles Metrorail project will start next month, via Dulles Metrorail.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) previously announced construction has been approved to start on March 2, 2009 at a renegotiated contract price of $1.63 billion. Ownership of the Dulles Toll Road was transferred from the Commonwealth of Virginia to MWAA on November 1, 2008.

Oh, if you live and work around Tysons Corner, you might want to check the traffic updates often. Because they have started doing construction here and there, especially around the area of Tysons, Leesburg Pike, Route 123.

Dulles Metrorail & Harris Teeter Tysons (update)

OK, now we know that the Feds approved the project. This is the latest update from Dulles Metrorail, via email.

· On Jan. 28, the Fairfax County Planning Commission will  hold public hearings on the proposed Phase 1 stations to determine conformance with Fairfax County's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

· Utility relocations continue in Tysons Corner. The project team continues to work with local businesses to help ease the impact of these relocations.

So, project is really moving forward. For traffic and utility relocation update, here. Oh, and today happens to be: the grand opening of Harris Teeter in Tyson.

The blurb..

Shoppers surrounding the new store are also invited to a special event called Taste of Teeter on Tuesday, January 13 at 5:30 p.m. At Taste of Teeter, shoppers will be able to sample a wide variety of top quality products available at our store including Farmers Market produce; USDA Rancher and Reserve Angus Beef; Fishermans Market and Fresh Foods Market Deli/Bakery items, along with an extensive selection of national brand and private label products.

Food tasting! Yum..

Crossposted at In Tysons Space

Breaking: Feds Approved Tysons Rail Funding

This is great news. Per Gov. Kaine statement via email. 

“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters, FTA Administrator Sherry Little, and the staff of the U.S. Department of Transportation for their time, expertise, and commitment to work with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Metro, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Fairfax County and our other partners on rail to Dulles – linking our nation’s capital to our nation’s international airport.

Partially crossposted at InTysons Space