Max Smith, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – A new study for Fairfax County is suggesting three Circulator bus routes to move people around Tysons Corner in 2050.
The draft study is based on projections from George Mason University that suggest Tysons will have more than 200,000 jobs by then and just shy of 100,000 residents, double the current number of jobs and more than quadruple the current number of people living in the area.
The study recommends three routes that would carry people to and from the four Silver Line Metro stations slated to open in Tysons in about a year. One route would run from the McLean station to the Spring Hill station, another would be a central loop that passes both the Tysons Corner station and Greensboro station and the third would run from near the Tysons Corner station to just south of the Dulles Toll Road.
The study also recommends changes at several intersections that would help the buses move more quickly, such as short stretches of bus-only lanes and traffic signals.
The long-term plan is based on the growing development plus expectations of new transportation projects being completed around the region.
Some of those projects are well on their way, including the HOT Lanes on the Beltway and phase one of the Dulles rail project. But other projects used as part of the baseline for 2050 analysis include a proposed Orange Line extension from Vienna to Centreville and a rail corridor from Bethesda to Centreville via the Silver Line stops in Tysons Corner.
In the short term, the draft study generally suggests keeping the existing plans for the Tysons Link system in place, with careful reviews when new development is approved or traffic worsens.
The plan is to have four Tysons link routes after the first phase of the Silver Line opens, with each of the Metro stations within the Tysons Comprehensive Plan border served by at least one line.
The public can comment on the draft plan until Dec. 15 by sending an email to dot- tysonscirculatorstudy@fairfaxcounty.gov.
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