Engineering plan outlines concept for Route 7 bus rapid transit

A conceptual plan for the Route 7 bus rapid transit system. [Envision Route 7]

A bus rapid transit (BRT) system along Route 7 – between the Mark Center in Alexandria and Tysons – has moved a tiny bit closer to reality as the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission formally accepted an engineering report on Nov. 14.

The report lays out the location of 18 stations along the 10.5-mile route, shows where the buses would have their own lanes, and where the stations would be in the middle of the street or at the curb.

The estimated cost of the Envision Route 7 project is about $350 million in today’s dollars. In 2030, when it is anticipated to be completed, the cost would equate to $450 to $500 million.

The study determined that small portions of 100 parcels of private land would be needed when the existing right-of-way isn’t big enough to support the project.

During the past few years, the Envision Route 7 study explored various mass transit options and identified BRT as the best method.

According to the engineering report, the BRT route, which it refers to as the “running way,” should be exclusively for transit vehicles when possible. In other cases, BRT buses and turning vehicles could share a lane or the BRT buses could use a regular travel lane.

The study envisions the BRT line making use of a new Ring Road at Seven Corners. Although Fairfax County approved a Ring Road in the Seven Corners Comprehensive Plan, funding hasn’t been approved. That project would be contingent on future development.

The East Falls Church section of the BRT line would extend from the central business area in Falls Church at the intersection of Route 7 and Washington Street/Lee Road to the East Falls Church Metro station, the report states. It would then go through Seven Corners along future streets, such as a Ring Road that would connect Wilson Boulevard and Route 7.

“It is expected that the Envision Route 7 corridor will be routed using the new Ring Road to connect from the terminus of Roosevelt Boulevard at Wilson Boulevard to Route 7 at Castle Road,” the report states. “This section of the corridor is likely to function like a downtown street and can be expected to be a vibrant, urban street.”

The report proposes a North Seven Corners BRT station near the Eden Center that would be just over half a mile from the East Falls Church Metro station. This station would necessitate the installation of a traffic signal north of the Wilson Boulevard and Roosevelt Boulevard intersection.

A South Seven Corners BRT station would be on the new Ring Road, connecting Roosevelt Boulevard and Castle Road, near the existing transit center at the Seven Corners shopping center.

If the Ring Road is not constructed before the BRT project is completed, the report says an interim alignment might be necessary, using Wilson Boulevard and Route 7.

Because there is so much development near the curb line in the Seven Corners area, the report states, “the runningway will have to fit into the context of the existing streets,” except for the Ring Road.

Closer to Bailey’s Crossroads, there would be a BRT station in the center of Route 7 between Row Street and Rio Drive.

There would also be a BRT station at Glen Carlyn Road and another near the Crossroads Shopping Center in Bailey’s Crossroads.

At the end of the line, at the N. Beauregard Street intersection, the Route 7 BRT would be aligned with the West End Transitway being designed by the City of Alexandria.

The conceptual layouts for the Envision Route 7 project would preserve the existing configurations at major intersections. A sidewalk or shared-use path would be added on both sides of the street unless there is an existing sidewalk. The BRT route would make use of existing service roads when possible.