Tysons is Virginia’s leading jobs center and a critical retail hub, with 120,000 jobs and two malls and 17,000 residents. it is an automobile destination dominated by eight-lane highways and acres of parking. Local and state leaders hope to change that to improve its appearance and make it more pedestrian-friendly, while also reducing the run-off pollution and carbon emissions associated with heavy congestion.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is planning to construct a 23-mile extension of the existing Metrorail system, which will be operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority from East Falls Church to Washington Dulles International Airport west to Ashburn, Virginia.

The purpose of Dulles Metrorail is to provide high-quality, high-capacity transit service in the Dulles Corridor. New Metrorail service in the corridor will result in travel time savings between the corridor and downtown D.C., expand the reach of the existing regional rail system, offer a viable alternative to automobile travel and support future transit-oriented development along the corridor.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has propelled the project into its “Final Design” Phase after many years of study and preparations. In the Fall of 2008 the FTA transferred $159 million to the project to be used for;

 
• Final design work

• Project administration
•  Right-of-way acquisitions
• Maintenance of traffic programs
• Engineering and design of rail cars
• Third party engineering cost reimbursement

The FTA has also released $14 million to be used for site preparation work for a 2,100 foot tunnel that will be built under the intersection of Route 7 and 123, the highest natural point in Fairfax County. Today, the construction team is involved in the
relocation of 21 different utilities in the Tysons Corner area to prepare for project construction next spring. That work is being done primarily in the busy Route 7 corridor between Route 123 and the Dulles Toll Road.

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the project was completed in June 2002. This Draft EIS evaluated several alternatives, including three Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) options, a combined BRT/Metrorail alternative and a full Metrorail extension. Public hearings on the Draft EIS were held in July 2002. Based on extensive public comments and input from local jurisdictions, the full extension of Metrorail was recommended as preferred option or Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).

This Dulles Metrorail project was approved by the WMATA Board of Directors in November 2002 and the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) in December 2002. The Project was also endorsed by the Fairfax County, Loudoun County and MWAA Boards. Following these approvals, a Final EIS was published in December 2004 and the FTA issued its Record of Decision approving the environmental process in March 2005.