Where, exactly, is money for redeveloping Tysons?
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Tysons Land Use Task Force Chairman Clark Tyler argues in support of a massively larger Tysons Corner that “under the current comprehensive plan and zoning, Tysons could well double in size and intensity without achieving any of the transit-oriented community benefits mentioned above.”
Mr. Tyler’s statement needs clarification. Today’s comprehensive plan would not automatically permit landowners to double Tysons’ size or intensity; the existing built density is 45 million square feet, the 1994 plan is capped at 74 million square feet, so there is no "doubling of Tysons" involved in full build-out of the '94 plan. Also, that additional development is specifically conditioned on the full implementation of a much more robust transportation network.
The plan specifically states: “To accommodate the amount of traffic likely to be generated by this level of development, the planned transportation system would need to be fully implemented. This would include providing for 18 additional lanes of roadway capacity, and rail service in the Dulles Access Road Corridor along the periphery of Tysons Corner. To accommodate higher levels of development (significantly above the current zoning), not only would the planned roadway system have to be implemented, but rail transit service serving the core area of Tysons and other transit enhancements would need to be provided.”
While Dulles rail has made progress, final funding is not certain. More significant, most of the required 18 additional lanes of roadway capacity have not been constructed. Many projects have not even been funded, and some do not yet have cost estimates. We do know, however, that these projects will cost a minimum of $580 million, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Finally, the projects are not even in Virginia’s 2030 transportation plan nor on Northern Virginia Transit Authority’s “wish list.” There is no assurance that they will be constructed.
Therefore, unless the Board of Supervisors chooses to ignore its established policy, Tysons cannot be doubled in size and cannot even be built to the level proposed in the '94 plan without massive and expensive improvements to the transportation network. To suggest otherwise is misleading.
Darren T. Ewing
McLean
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