Intersect v8n2, April 21, 2004 A Time to Choose Metro or Outer Beltways Opinion by Stewart Schwartz, Coalition for Smarter Growth The Intercounty Connector, Techway, and Western Transportation Corridor, all components of a potential Outer Beltway around Washington D.C., remain the top transportation priority of many regional business and development industry leaders. Collectively, these projects could cost as much as $8 to 10 billion to construct. The ICC alone will cost at least $3 billion when financing costs are included and will involve borrowing against Maryland's future federal transportation revenues. At the same time, fixing a maintenance backlog and meeting urgent demands from a growing ridership for Metro will require $1.5 billion as soon as possible. Longer-term Metro needs have been estimated to cost billions more. Rail to Tyson's Corner will cost $1.5 billion. Other key projects such as the Purple Line, a circumferential transit line connecting the spokes of the Metro system and near-Beltway job centers, face foot-dragging in Virginia and Maryland. Any one of these major projects will likely require a special federal earmark over and above the share of federal funding given to each of the three jurisdictions. Let's also not forget that VDOT's push for I-81 expansion has it seeking all of the $900 million in national "truck-lane" funds proposed by the House of Representatives. With Virginia and Maryland already the recipients of a $900 million earmark for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, it is highly unlikely that the Washington, D.C. region will be able to win adequate federal funding for all of the mega-projects on its wish list. Beyond federal money, there's clearly not enough state or local money to both maintain/expand Metro and build an Outer Beltway. Something will have to go. The question for the business community and elected officials is, "Will you make Metro or the Outer Beltway your funding priority?" It's about more than transportation dollars. The choice made will determine where and how the region will grow and who will benefit. In a recent study, Professor Robert Cervero concludes that, "the dominant effect of building roads is likely to reshuffle growth within a region, not to add jobs and households." This means that a decision to build the ICC and Western Bypass would be a key determinant of the location of future economic growth. In "A Region Divided," the Brookings Institution documented that the east side of the region represented by Prince George's County, eastern D.C., and Northern Virginia Route 1 corridor, is falling behind the west in school performance, jobs, economic investment, and tax base. The Outer Beltway would further shift jobs and investment outward exacerbating this inequity and directly threatening the economic future of D.C., Prince George's and Route 1 communities. Concurrent failure to invest in Metro would mean declining service, loss of riders, and fewer Metro-oriented development projects. Metro has warned of a "death spiral" without more funding. Washington area residents, public officials and business leaders ought to be concerned. Instead of Outer Beltways, the region should prioritize transit maintenance and investment to take advantage of the amazing economic development potential represented by 114 Metro, MARC and VRE stations. Prince George's and eastern D.C. have two-dozen Metrorail and MARC stations with little to no development. Development at these stations can spark reverse commuting in now-empty Metrorail cars improving economic and transportation efficiency. A study of a regional transit-oriented development future by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Environmental Defense showed real reductions in driving and congestion, not to mention the benefit of increased land protection, reduced air pollution, and improved access to jobs. For suburban areas without rail transit, encouraging more walkable communities with a mix of homes, offices, retail, parks and public services, combined with a better grid of local streets and improved bus service would do more to reduce traffic and improve quality of life than a sprawl-inducing Outer Beltway. It's time to face fiscal reality, we cannot afford both the Outer Beltway and Metro. We cannot afford to leave eastern D.C. and Prince George's behind in economic growth. We cannot afford outer beltways that magnify sprawl without reducing traffic congestion. And we have an obligation to preserve and enhance the economic and social health of our nation's capital. It's time for all of us, but especially the powerful business community to choose.