Columbia Pike Transit Stations

Construction Update – August 2020

The platforms for the westbound Glebe Road, westbound Oakland Street and westbound Buchanan Street stations are complete, but the contractor still needs to install electrical meter bases at these locations.

Crews are scheduled to return to the eastbound Four Mile Run station site to perform corrective work during the week of Aug. 17, weather permitting.

See a list of bus stop relocations during this work

Construction process

Constructing the first four stations is a two-step process. First, the contractor builds the supporting infrastructure for each station, then they will return to each site to install the shelters and other station features. It will take several months to construct each location’s supporting infrastructure, which includes an 85 to 120-foot-long station platform with higher curb, the shelter foundation, a concrete bus pad in the roadway and electrical connections.

Installation of the station shelters is expected to start in spring 2021, once the fabricator, which is manufacturing the shelters for all 23 station locations, begins production. This schedule is weather dependent.

Location

Columbia Pike

View Map

Status

Construction

On July 16, 2019, the County Board approved a $1.6 million contract with Sagres Construction Corporation to build the first 4 of 23 transit stations planned for Columbia Pike.

The first four stations will be located at:

South Four Mile Run Drive eastbound
South Buchanan Street westbound
South Oakland Street westbound
South Glebe Road westbound

What to expect during construction

Normal work hours will be 7 am to 9 pm, Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend work.
During station construction, signage will direct bus riders to temporary stops located nearby.
Since the stations will be built on the sidewalk, signage will direct pedestrians to detour around or across from each construction area.
There will be traffic disruptions and lane closures during the project; lane closures will be limited to non-rush hour periods and weekends.

Anticipated construction timeline:

Winter 2020 - Begin construction for first phase (4 stations)
Winter 2021 - Complete construction for first phase
2020 through 2024 - Construction of the remaining 19 stations will be coordinated with the Columbia Pike Multimodal project

Columbia Pike improvements are moving forward in phases. As work begins on each section of the Pike, the first step is to underground utilities, followed by improvements to the streetscape, and then installation of new transit stations.

Press Release

About the Project

New transit stations along Columbia Pike will serve two purposes: accommodate riders on the busiest bus transit corridor in Virginia, and serve the community’s vision of transforming the Pike into a more transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly “Main Street.” New stations will make transit along the Pike easier, safer, more attractive and accessible – encouraging more people to use it.

Transit stations are designed to shelter more passengers than a typical bus stop and will be fully accessible. Each station platform will be 90 to 120 feet long to accommodate two transit vehicles. The stations will include:

Large patterned glass roof and side windscreens to help protect from bad weather
Real-time bus arrival displays
Higher curb for easier boarding
Lighting for safety
Seating

Learn about project changes and improvements since the prototype station at Walter Reed Drive opened.

Bringing premium transit to Columbia Pike

The transit stations are a major feature of the County’s planned premium transit network connecting Columbia Pike, Pentagon City and Crystal City. The network will offer service that is fast, frequent, reliable and easy to use, with simplified bus routes, increased weekday and weekend service, and a new “one-seat ride” from Skyline to Pentagon City-Crystal City.

The first phase of service was implemented in June 2018 with a Metrobus 16 Line restructuring that streamlined 11 route patterns into five, while providing a net increase in service. Future phases will include a new Metrobus 16M, replacing the 16G/H/K, which will offer high-frequency service connecting Skyline, Columbia Pike, Pentagon City and Crystal City.

As part of the Columbia Pike premium transit network, the County plans to allow prepaid fare payment at the transit stations, which will allow for faster bus boarding. Arlington is working with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and other Northern Virginia jurisdictions on a uniform approach for this technology to allow seamless movement between transit systems.

Public art

Arlington Public Art is a partner on this project and is funding the fabrication and installation of a film that will be applied to the patterned glass roofs of the first four transit stations. Per the Public Art Program, Guidelines for County-Initiated Projects, Public Art staff will convene an Art Advisory Panel for the selection of an artist and the design of the film.

Public Process

January 2020 construction open house

This open house provided information on two Columbia Pike projects that have entered new phases of construction: Multimodal and Transit Stations.

View the open house display boards - in English or Spanish

Summer 2019 outreach

County staff attended community events to inform residents about current and upcoming construction for the Columbia Pike multimodal and transit stations projects.

Read the flyer - in English or in Spanish - which summarizes both projects

April 2015 open house

An open house was held on April 28, 2015, for members of the community to review the 50 percent design and provide input on the importance of various station amenities and the proposed placement of station features.

Funding

The County's Fiscal Year 2019-2028 Capital Improvement Plan provides a total budget of $16.9 million for the 23 stations. This includes the above-ground structures and supporting infrastructure, site design, project management and construction costs.

The transit stations program is funded primarily by federal and state funds and local commercial real estate tax revenues that can only be used for new transportation projects.

The estimated cost for each station is comparable to stations for the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway and other light rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit systems across the nation.