Everyone knows the significant focus on Tyson’s. However, Tyson’s is only one stop of a far more important system. A broader perspective may hold the key to understanding the return that will justify a large public investment. Meaning the time, money, and quality of life saved from traveling throughout this region may prove to be beneficial to other’s needs. The Metro expansion will prove to meet the needs of others in many ways. Understanding the broader benefits should increase the support for this public investment.
Media attention focuses mainly on issues relating to costly elements to serve this stop. Attention should focus more on the impact this expansion will have on the region. Visible promoters of the Metro expansion include large real estate investors. Although their interests are significant, the financial impact this expansion will have in the Dulles corridor, and beyond, may be larger. However, human benefit may be greater, because workers from neighborhoods throughout the region will have the opportunity to access their employment.
Opportunities by mass transit offer an alternative to automobiles, roads, and the time lost in traffic, missing the scoring goal of a child’s game. The benefits of employment and maintaining family connections will weigh easily on the return on the investment. The benefits of this piece in the Metro system will allow workers to move between home and work. This missing link will dramatically change the character and opportunities of people throughout the region and the nation’s capitol and improve the quality of the system. Employment opportunities of the residents of the south east neighborhood will impact on the suburban’s need for worker housing.
The value of a train going in two directions is seldom considered. The impact on housing values going in both directions will add a new dimension to housing desirability. Accessing areas with lower housing cost will provide access to an employee base and change the worker housing pressure in the suburbs. Completing the missing link will help to stimulate housing values, and sales.
An efficient alternative to highway congestion will recapture many hours of productive and personal time which will have a large impact on the quality of life. A computation, using the charge rate of the encased commuter, will most likely exceed the investment requests for transportation. Basically saying that time spent on the road in congestion may have a higher value than the expense this Metro transit investment. It is unlikely Tyson’s will be the point of entry to the system from commuters. More outbound stations will attract patrons of the parking lots which are income generators for Metro. An alternative to private autos will allow the entertainment seeking residents of Loudon County to avoid possible traffic fines.
These observations draw upon many years of experience and involvement shaping patterns of human settlement. Without sufficient information, one cannot thoroughly understand the “big picture”. My paper shares the perspective of a visually impaired professional functioning with the support of an SLHS intern. When complete, the Metro expansion will met the Tyson’s objective identified in the 1992 “The Future of Tysons Corner” funded by Umtah and directed by Patrick F. Kane. Tyson’s is only one stop, but the train will keep rolling. |
