Virginia commits to fund the Columbia Pike streetcar
Photo by Fairfax County on Flickr.
The Commonwealth of Virginia will dedicate funding for up to half the cost of the Columbia Pike streetcar project.
Virginia Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne announced $65 million in dedicated streetcar funding today, above and beyond state money Arlington and Fairfax had already hoped to receive.
More state funding means Arlington and Fairfax won’t have to rely on the cumbersome federal New Starts funding process. That will speed up construction by a year, and save at least $25 million in costs.
Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette has repeatedly said that Arlington would not finance the project using homeowner property taxes. This new money guarantees Arlington can stick to that promise.