Why
We Support Good Development Near Vienna Metro
We
can all work together to make the Vienna Metro project the best
that it can be. In fact, many people have already had input that
created a better project than when it was first proposed.
But
blocking transit-oriented development and mixed-use, walkable
communities will result in more traffic and less open space in
Fairfax. And specifically blocking access to the Metro station
for the Vienna project is a certain guarantee of more traffic
and a waste of the multi-billion taxpayer investment in Metrorail.
Metro
stations are appropriate locations for well-designed, mixed-use,
and higher density development. Without this shift to transit-oriented
development and mixed-use neighborhood centers at a range of density
levels, Fairfax County’s already terrible traffic will become
truly intolerable for everyone.
Too
much of what is being built in northern Virginia is more scattered
housing development without walking access to transit, to schools,
stores and parks, and with mammoth drives to work. With at least
230,000 more residents coming to Fairfax alone over the next 20
years, we need to make effective use of our transit infrastructure,
to provide housing closer to jobs and to provide more choices
and opportunity to move around including walking, bicycling and
shorter car trips.
Moreover,
many people are looking for a change from their “drive-everywhere”
lives. Demand to live near transit and in great walkable communities
is increasing. Most households today are singles and young professionals
without children, empty nesters and seniors, many of whom are
looking for mixed-use, vibrant and walkable urban and town center
living. Now, with rising gas prices, there is even more need to
provide the transportation option of walkable communities near
transit.
Developing
near our rail transit stations, and creating mixed-use, walkable
communities out of our thousands of acres of parking lots in strip
shopping and office parks, will reduce traffic and allow us to
save land for parks, forests, wetlands and stream valleys. That’s
why you will find the region’s leading environmental groups
continuing to support this kind of development.
