A New Metro Station in Georgetown?


Could a new Metro station be coming to Georgetown?

Since the summer of 2019, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has announced proposals that aim to lessen the overcrowded burden of the Blue, Orange, and Silver (BOS) Lines. A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is currently underway to create a feasible solution that could be implemented over the next 10 to 20 years.

Six options have been discussed but the one gaining the most momentum is a Blue Line route that will travel from a new and second station in Rosslyn before arriving into a new Georgetown stop most likely underground on M Street NW via a Potomac River tunnel. The route will then move riders to Union Station, Waterfront, Navy Yard, a new National Harbor station, and cross back over into Virginia on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge heading northbound to Pentagon Station.

It is estimated that cities and counties in the path of this new line could project 37 percent more people, 30 percent more jobs, and roughly 180,000 weekday trips by 2040, according to a two-year study conducted by WMATA. With development flourishing, other new stops are expected to be implemented at Buzzard Point and near St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.

It will cost between $20-25 billion to build with an estimated $175-200 million in annual operation costs. A cheaper alternative is to increase bus line activity to eliminate the option of building onto the BOS Lines. A CBA will be presented to the Metro Board this month and later open to public comments throughout the fall. In the winter of 2022, the board will vote on the preferred new route.

 

tags

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *