On July 24th, NVC will host the popular Annual State of Transportation event. This year's discussion will feature an esteemed speaker panel of elected and industry leaders whose daily work influences our Region's transportation infrastructure, from planning through execution. They include Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance President, Jason Stanford; Virginia Passenger Rail Authority CEO DJ Stadtler; WMATA Board Member Matt Letourneau; Reason Foundation Senior Managing Director of Transportation Policy Baruch Feigenbaum; and HNTB Vice President, National Practice Consultant, Jane Williams. Their collective expertise on where today's issues lie and the best paths to influence a better Regional transportation future cannot be overstated. We encourage you to join this important and timely discussion.
As part of their panel role, we asked our Annual State of Transportation experts, "What is the greatest transportation challenge facing our Region today"? Read their answers below and register for the event here.
Jason Stanford, President of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance
"Greater Washington is expected to gain 1.3 million new people and 1 million new jobs over the next two and half decades. I think one of the greatest challenges in transportation is figuring out how those people will move throughout our community. Transportation infrastructure often takes decades to plan, develop, fund, and build. We need to identify the transportation infrastructure that is essential to our community’s connectivity and economic competitiveness."
DJ Stadtler, Executive Director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
“Few places in the country face the myriads of transportation challenges we do in Northern Virginia, and this has been true for decades. In particular, our traffic has led to some creative thinking by commuters seeking options. We had slug lines years before ride sharing was a thing. At Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), we’re working on creative solutions that will take vehicles off our roads, rather than adding passengers to cars or lanes to highways.”
Baruch Feigenbaum, Senior Managing Director, Transportation Policy of the Reason Foundation
“I think the greatest challenge facing our Region is the change in commuting/travel patterns in a post-COVID world. Working from home has grown substantially, while public transit usage, particularly rail, has declined. Traffic congestion has increased particularly during middays and weekends. We need an objective analysis of the modes and locate where adding capacity and adding service makes sense.”
Jane Williams, Vice President, National Practice Consultant of HNTB
“Our Region is on the cusp of a transformative breakthrough in transportation, with the key being the development of a unified vision for Greater Washington’s transit system. It’s crucial for our Region to address the issue of insufficient long-term funding and adopt a more comprehensive, Region-wide approach to finance transit services, one that recognizes the evolving patterns of ridership. By fostering collaboration, Greater Washington leaders have the opportunity to create a safe, reliable and efficient transit network that adapts to the dynamic needs of the Region and enhances passenger experience.”
