MANY STUDENTS have experienced the frustration of trying to travel from the University to Northern Virginia and Washington D.C., especially those of us who live in the area.? Whether it is trying to find a ride or dealing with the traffic on Route 29, the transportation infrastructure connecting Charlottesville to Northern Virginia is clearly not adequate to meet the needs of these two expanding regions.
The creation of a commuter rail line connecting Charlottesville to Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. would provide a cheap and convenient mode of transportation to help ease these travel problems. This new commuter rail line would not only be convenient, but would also help the environment, the economy of the Albemarle County and the University.
The idea of a commuter rail going all the way from Washington D.C. to Charlottesville may seem far fetched, but two similar commuter rail lines already exist in the Northern Virginia area. The Virginia Railway Express runs two commuter rail lines connecting Manassas and Fredericksburg to Union station in Washington D.C. These lines transport 3.3 million riders annually in Northern Virginia in a convenient and environmentally responsible way.
Currently, the only rail transportation out of Charlottesville is through a limited AMTRAK rail schedule that is often expensive and extremely unreliable. Meredith Richards, Chairman of the Piedmont Rail Coalition, notes that much of the infrastructure for such a commuter rail line is already in place: "for centuries [the Piedmont] line provided for commerce and human mobility between our Central and South-Central Virginia communities and helped forge our identity as a region." Richards is also actively involved with Cville Rail, an advocacy group dedicated to creating this commuter rail line using current rail infrastructure.
While Manassas and Fredericksburg are closer to Washington D.C., the railroad tracks necessary for a new commuter rail line already are in place. A new commuter rail line could use the same train tracks that the AMTRAK trains currently use and continue as an extension of the Manassas Virginia Railway Express line. A new commuter rail would have the advantage of having frequent trips to Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. with reasonable rates; something which AMTRAK cannot provide.
Along with the convenience of easy transportation from Charlottesville to Northern Virginia, a new commuter rail line would also be good for the environment. Today, most people travel between Charlottesville and Northern Virginia by car contributing both to traffic and pollution. According to the Sierra Club, a trip by train rather than car reduces chemical emissions into the atmosphere along with reducing traffic.
A new commuter rail line would further integrate Charlottesville into the growing Northern Virginia metropolitan area. Northern Virginia is among the fastest growing regions in the country and it would benefit Central Virginia to increase its connection to this growth. According to population estimates produced by the University's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Northern Virginia grew twice as fast as the rest of the state. A commuter rail line would allow workers to live in the Charlottesville region and take a commuter train to work in Northern Virginia thus leading to more balanced growth in the rest of the state. Other major metropolitan areas such as New York City and Boston have similar commuter rail infrastructure and they have contributed greatly to the growth of those regions.
A new commuter rail line also makes financial sense when looking at the current demand for rail travel in Charlottesville and record high gas prices. According to Cville Rail, Charlottesville has one of the highest number of passengers per scheduled weekly train in Virginia. Given the record high gas prices and the increased cost of driving, there is certainly a demand for rail travel so it is the perfect time to begin a commuter rail line.
Finally, this new commuter rail line would greatly benefit the University because it would allow easier transportation to Washington DC. Already, many professors and lecturers at the University spend much of their time in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. A new commuter rail would help to attract many more distinguished individuals to visit the University by providing a more convenient mode of transportation. It would also give students easier transportation to Washington D.C. to do research or work in the public or private sector. Many current students and alumni also live in Northern Virginia; a new commuter rail line would help connect the University community to the place so many of us call home.??
Clearly something has to be done to improve transportation between Charlottesville and Northern Virginia. The future positive environmental and economic consequences along with the benefits offered to the University make a commuter rail line an essential for the future growth and prosperity of the region and the state as a whole.
Sam Shirazi's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at sshirazi@cavalierdaily.com.
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