With a multi-year environmental process drawing to a close, Alexandria and WMATA are close to selecting a site for a new infill Metro station on the Blue and Yellow lines at Potomac Yard. The site they pick will have an impact on how much new development could come to the area.

Rendering of Alternative A. Image from City of Alexandria.

Earlier this month, the project team released their draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The lengthy document is a necessary part of the federal approval process, and it defines alternative station locations, projects costs and revenue streams. It works toward solutions relating to construction, land ownership, and scenic easements.

Alexandria is holding a series of open houses, including one on Monday, April 13th, to brief the public about the options and their tradeoffs. Alexandria will select its preferred alternative after a public hearing by WMATA on April 30 and another by the City Council on May 16.

The final approvals for the project are expected in early 2016, and the new station could open in 2018.

The station will transform Potomac Yard

The proposed Potomac Yard station would be located on the Blue and Yellow Lines in northern Alexandria, between the National Airport and Braddock Road stations. If built, it will be Metro’s second infill station, following NoMa station, which opened in 2004 along the Red Line.

Currently, Potomac Yard is developed with low-intensity residential and retail development. However, the project will bring Metrorail service to the Potomac Yard area, which is currently only served by buses.

Alexandria sees the Metro station as essential to attracting higher density mixed use development at the north end of Potomac Yard. The southern portion of the Potomac Yard development in Alexandria is decidedly low- to mid-rise residential, so redevelopment at the north end represents a major opportunity to expand the city’s tax base — with revenue increases of up to $2.0 billion in the next 30 years, according to city projections.

Route 1 is already congested, and increasing the share of transit trips by providing better access to the regional rail system will help manage the congestion and improve air quality. The station will provide additional transportation choices for workers and residents, will increase the share of transit and other non-auto trips, and will support the City of Alexandria’s redevelopment plans.

In fact, current estimates peg potential transit use, walking, or bicycling at 34% of total daily trips if Potomac Yard redevelops into a dense neighborhood of shops, residences, and offices. Ridership forecasts at the station range from 10,000 to 11,300 average daily boardings by 2040. In comparison, King Street currently sees about 9,000 boardings per day.

Four station site options remain

Soon, the city of Alexandria will select a preferred alternative for the station site.

The EIS initially included three build alternatives, but a fourth was added to potentially to minimize adverse impacts to the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Throughout the EIS study period, lengthy negotiations were carried out with CSX railroad and the National Park Service.

The four alternatives that remain on the table. Image from the City of Alexandria.

Alternative A would put the station at the north end of Potomac Greens. Land here was reserved for a future station in 1999. This option is the farthest south of the alternatives. Because it’s so far from the developable portions of Potomac Yard, development potential is significantly less than the other options.

Alternative B is south of the existing movie theater complex and between the CSX Railroad tracks and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. A 1.71-acre portion of the site is within the Greens Scenic Area administered by the National Park Service. Alternative B would allow for the most development, but it’d also have an impact on nearby wetlands.

Alternative B-CSX was designed to avoid impacts to National Park Service property and scenic easements, but would require realigning a portion of the CSX railroad tracks to the west. It would also require acquisition of 14.4 acres of land. This alternative has a strong development buildout forecast but would take three years longer to build because the track relocation work would cause a delay in construction.

Alternative D is west of the CSX tracks and more accessible from the potential new development. It is the only option that would be an elevated station, rather than at ground level. It would require acquisition of 10 acres of land, increase impervious surface by 9.24 acres, and have more impacts to the George Washington Memorial Parkway during construction.

The four potential locations for the Potomac Yard station, relative to one another. Image from the City of Alexandria.

Next steps

If you can’t make it to any of the open houses or public hearings, you can still submit written testimony until May 18. Alexandria will select a preferred station location based on their analysis and public testimony.