Washington Region Transportation Coalition Announces 2023 Priorities
After 35 years of partnering with business and civic organizations across Northern Virginia to advance regional transportation solutions, the Transportation Alliance is expanding our transportation goals, priorities, and partnerships to support more transportation improvements throughout the Greater Washington region.
The Washington Region Transportation Coalition – a partnership of business and civic organizations from Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. – is supporting transportation upgrades across our region that will improve our quality of life and allow our community to grow and thrive.
According to the Alliance’s 2022 Regional Transportation Survey, nearly 40% of DC area residents said they would consider moving in the next five years if transportation and transit options do not improve. At the same time, office vacancy rates are climbing, nearly 180,000 jobs remain unfilled, and the overall population of our community is declining.
We need to invest in multimodal transportation improvements including roadways, transit, bike and pedestrian facilities, and new technology to keep our region moving forward. These improvements generate billions in economic activity and return millions to state and local coffers. In addition, they make it easier for DC area residents to access jobs, opportunities, goods, and services throughout the region.
We need elected leaders to continue investing in an all-of-the-above strategy to address the transportation challenges of the DC area, and prioritize transportation improvements that:
- Reduce congestion and travel time between major regional employment centers;
- Move the greatest number of people throughout the region;
- Increase region-wide network reliability; and
- Promote regional economic opportunity and growth.
The Washington Region Transportation Coalition’s top priorities include:
- Competing the region’s express lanes network including the American Legion Bridge and I-270;
- Sustainable funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority;
- Regional Rail Expansion for MARC and VRE; and
- A new Potomac River Crossing between Virginia and Maryland.
In addition, the Coalition supports other key regional improvements including the Route 355 BRT project in Montgomery County, the Southern Maryland Rapid Transit System in Charles County, and a Suburban Maryland Transportation Authority with dedicated regional funding to build needed transportation improvements in Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Charles Counties.