As the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority prepares to approve a slew of taxes and fees expected to yield $300 million a year, the first new projects in the pipeline are coming into view. According to the Fairfax County Times, a $102 million list of projects for Fairfax County include:
- $10 million for pedestrian upgrades to the Route 1 corridor
- $6.1 million for upgraded signs at Virginia’s 20 Metrorail stations
- $2.5 million for gutter, sidewalk and bike lane improvements at Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place
- $29 million for the Fair Lakes interchange with the Fairfax County Parkway.
Pedestrian upgrades? Metrorail signage? Bike lanes? Wow. It’s nice to know that something other than mega road projects are getting funding. What I’d like to see in addition to the list of projects, though, is some kind of return on investment analysis. Inquiring minds want to know.