Metroway in Alexandria and Arlington, VA opened in September 2014 as the Washington, DC, region’s first BRT line. In anticipation of redevelopment at the decommissioned Potomac Yards, Alexandria and Arlington worked with regional transit service provider WMATA and local developers to create a comfortable, high-capacity transit line that can support growing ridership.
Between Potomac and East Glebe stations, Metroway operates in an exclusive median transitway along Route 1. The transitway was constructed as a fully separated two-way 24-foot concrete bus running way, with planted medians on either side. Lanes narrow from 12 to 11 feet at stations to allow for wider platforms. Left turns across the transitway are managed in protected phases from dedicated lanes, using transit signals to distinguish the through bus phase from through motor vehicle phases. The mile-long center transitway was designed and implemented by the City of Alexandria, with a dedicated-lane extension planned by neighboring Arlington County.
Using right-boarding median stations, Metroway is an open BRT line, continuing in a right-side alignment and allowing the local bus route to use the center transitway. Station platforms are 10 inches high to allow fast near-level boarding, and are compatible with a new low-floor bus fleet and other buses. Off-board fare collection is planned. An important element of the project was to design stops as places, creating high-quality stations along the transitway. The large shelters double as public art, with distinctive blue patterned glass; in Arlington, canopies completely shade the transitway. Station area investments created an inviting walking environment around stations, with plantings and trees in wide medians, full median pedestrian refuges to break up crossings, distinctive concrete in the transitway, and much more visible crosswalks.
To reconstruct the street and procure new branded buses, the two jurisdictions shared funding responsibility, combined with FTA and TIGER funding. With a final project cost of under $8 million per mile, Metroway is a cost-effective investment, providing an established and visible transit service. Ridership is up 23% compared with the preexisting route, with six-minute headways during weekday peak periods. Metroway demonstrates the power of BRT, when linked with economic development, to create a lasting transit advantage for a growing place.