The Metropolitan Washington, D.C. region suffers from the worst traffic congestion in the nation. As a fellow commuter, Congressman Moran is keenly aware of the negative effects gridlock has on the region's economy and loss of personal time that would be better spent with family and friends. Understanding that we cannot pave our way out of this crisis, Moran has advocated for a variety of transit-oriented solutions. Congressman Moran believes that forward-thinking transportation policy will have long-term benefits for the economy, quality of life and environmental sustainability of Northern Virginia and the nation as a whole.
In line with this belief, Congressman Moran has been a strong supporter of Metro. Years of neglected infrastructure improvements and systemic underfunding have taken their toll on our Metro system, as evidenced by delays, breakdowns and, tragically, the Red Line crash of June 2009. Significant improvements must be made for Metro to be the safe, modern, and efficient system riders deserve.
Given that Metro was created largely to serve the needs of the federal government and the 40 percent of Metro’s peak ridership are federal employees, a federal role ensuring the system runs well is both necessary and appropriate. Congressman Moran has led federal efforts to enact and protect a new long-term federal/state funding source for Metro’s capital improvements. In recognition of its special relationship with the Federal Government and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) urgent need for additional capital funds, the Congressman helped enact the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 which authorized $1.5 billion for WMATA's capital and preventive maintenance projects, to be matched dollar for dollar by the jurisdictions WMATA serves.
In the 112th Congress, Moran stood up for Metro in the face of Republican attempts to eliminate all federal funding for the system. He also helped secure $150 million in federal funding for Metro in the FY11 budget. To bring needed safety reforms to the system, Moran also joined with fellow D.C.-area Members of Congress to reintroduce the National Metro Safety Act of 2011 which would establish federal safety standards for heavy rail systems such as Metro.
To encourage greater use of the Metro system, Congressman Moran has supported legislation to provide transit benefits for federal employees. Due to the Congressman's efforts, federal employees in the Washington Metro region are eligible to receive up to $115 each month to defray the cost of their commute. These benefits were increased to the current level of $230 by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus bill). To fix an inequity in transportation benefits and improve and encourage use of public transit, Moran also joined with colleagues to introduce the Commuter Relief Act, a bill that would expand benefits for employees, both public and private, to use more environmentally-friendly modes of transportation.
One of the Congressman's top transportation priorities is to extend Metro Rail through Fairfax County out to Dulles Airport. Working in a bipartisan manner with the Northern Virginia delegation, Representative Moran has helped shepherd rail to Dulles through Congress, successfully securing more than $366 million in federal funds for the project. Currently under construction and on track for a 2016 final completion, Phase I of the new rail line will run from Falls Church through Tyson's Corner, and out to Reston. Phase II of the project will take it out to Dulles International Airport. The Dulles rail project promises to help transform one of the most congested business districts into a vibrant, new, urban corridor that will connect Northern Virginians to Washington, D.C. and one of the nation's largest air terminals
Under Moran’s leadership, a number of local bus transit services have also been launched. The services include the "Transportation Association for Greater Springfield" or "TAGS" in Springfield, Fairfax County's "Richmond Express or "REX" service and the Georgetown-Rosslyn "Connector," now part of the “Circulator” system. These recent bus lines were all created with the help of earmarks secured by Congressman Moran.
One of the largest transportation concerns for the region is the September 2011 move of more than 20,000 DoD personnel to Ft. Belvoir and the Mark Center in Alexandria [link to BRAC issue page] as part of the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Recommendations (BRAC). Moran voted against the recommendations and has been working since to reduce the impact of the move on Northern Virginia roadways. While funding has been secured for widening of I-395 exit ramps and the construction of an HOV ramp into the Mark Center facility, these road improvements will take years to complete. In the meantime, 6,400 workers are slated to be moved into the Mark Center in September, a move which will create a traffic nightmare. As the clock ticks down to September 2011, Rep. Moran continues to meet daily [link to BRAC page] with constituents and DoD officials taking an “all options on the table” approach to find solutions before time runs out.
Other recent transportation projects funded by Representative Moran include:
- $150 million for widening Rt. 1 through Ft. Belvoir.
- $3 million for the Alexandria Transit Center to improve Alexandria's Metro stations.
- $10 million to design and build the Potomac Yard Transit Way that will provide express transit service between Pentagon City, the Pentagon and Braddock Road Metrorail Station.
- $ 28 million to construct a replacement road restoring East-West access between Route 1 and Telegraph Road by extending Old Mill Road through Fort Belvoir.
- $5 million to develop express transit service along the Columbia Pike corridor connecting the Pentagon to Skyline.
- Over $10 million to secure new Virginia Railway Express rail cars.