Fairfax Sees Streetcar as Development Driver in Skyline Area

By William Callahan

Fairfax County officials see the the planned Columbia Pike Streetcar line out of Arlington as a potential economic development driver for the Skyline area.

Fairfax officials are hoping to entice businesses with the line, according to the Sun Gazette. The project could cost $250 million and would run 5 miles from the Skyline/Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County to Pentagon City in Arlington.

Skyline 7, a large building near what would be the line’s westernmost stop, could be prime real estate. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could potentially move from Ballston into the building, according to the Gazette.

The Arlington County Board is scheduled to vote on an agreement on the next step in the streetcar project on Saturday, though sometimes controversial decisions are held until the following Tuesday.

Local officials have worked on the project for years, though opposition has grown increasingly loud in the past several months.

Under the agreement, Arlington will manage the next step in environmental planning and design work for the line. The Arlington County government will pick up about 80 percent of the tab, while Fairfax County pays the other 20 percent.

Consultants at a meeting on the streetcar design in late June called the line a “100-year investment” and said that cars last 30 to 35 years and cost about $4 million each.

A policy committee comprised of Arlington and Fairfax elected officials will work with the consultants to develop preliminary design recommendations that both counties will need to approve.

Transit use along Columbia Pike is projected to increase to 20,710 by 2030 — without factoring in a streetcar or increased housing in the area.

A streetcar system, working in tandem with buses, will see ridership grow to 30,457 by 2030 — about half of that using each form of transit.