A report from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) shows that Metro and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) bring in $600 million a year to Virginia’s general fund.
VRE has stops in Woodbridge and Manassas, and a station is currently being built at the Potomac Shores development.
Click here to access the full report.
According to the report, for every dollar Virginia spends on the two transit systems, they make $2.50 in return.
“The additional 85,000 households and 130,500 jobs that the two rail systems make possible in Northern Virginia generate both sales and income tax revenues that flow to Richmond,” stated a release.
The funds are enough to cover Virginia’s annual expenditures for state colleges and universities, as well as the state police, according to the report.
“This study makes clear that the economic benefits associated with rail transit accrue to the entire state, not just Northern Virginia. The analysis is certain to inform our discussions about finding dedicated and sustainable sources of funding for these two vital rail systems,” stated NVTC Chairman Jeffrey McKay in a release.
NVTC ran a transportation model that removed rail transit from the scenario and came up with some startling results.
“56,500 more lane miles of congestion on arterial roadways, 50 percent fewer transit trips in the peak period, 80 percent decrease in jobs accessible by transit for Northern Virginia households; and 130,000 fewer transit trips each weekday,” were listed outcomes if rail transit was not available for area commuters.
“It’s hard to imagine the gridlock that would exist in Northern Virginia without Metrorail and VRE. They are part of the reason our region has become a premier destination to live, work and play,” stated McKay in a release.
