Fairfax County elected officials are still threatening not to build Metrorail stations at Reston Parkway, Herndon-Monroe, and Route 28. However, the Washington Business Journal reports that landowners along the Metro extension to Dulles, who have been fighting a special taxing district because they’re not guaranteed increased density, are seeing some positive movement by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Board is now conducting a special study of the increased density requests for each land parcel.
There are two elements to this situation that should be addressed:
First, haven’t we learned our lesson from the Vienna Metro Station? Higher density development is necessary within one-quarter to one-half mile of a Metro station to fill the demand for walkable residential neighborhoods (i.e. Transit Oriented Development) and employment centers.
Second, building this rail line without these stations would be a travesty that will live on for decades. One primary reason to build the line is to alleviate traffic along the Dulles Toll Road - Route 7 corridors — and the residents who live beyond Wiehle Avenue are those who need it most.
Our housing market is undergoing a seismic demographic shift. Home builders and developers, being part of a demand-driven industry, have met the needs of the aging Baby Boomers for the last several decades. This massive population have demanded suburban single family home development — until now. Now this population demands closer-in, walkable, more lifestyle-oriented communities.
There is only one way to build the Silver Line: with the three stations and with increased density. Otherwise, Metro and Fairfax County are building a monumental missed opportunity.
