Moran Scores for F.C.$2 Million Won for Suprise F.C. Transport Center In a surprise development announced last night, a $2 million item was successfully added to a House transportation bill by Rep. Jim Moran to fund an "intermodal transportation station" in the downtown section of the City of Falls Church. The news caught veteran observers in Falls Church off guard, revealing for the first time that plans for such a station were being developed behind closed doors at City Hall here as part of an overall downtown redevelopment strategy. As such, the press release from Moran's office yesterday represented the first public revelation of both the existence and parameters of the proposal, in addition to announcing that Moran had secured $2 million in the transportation reauthorization bill to help build it. According to the Moran release, Falls Church's "intermodal transportation station" will be "located in the City's downtown commercial district. The facility would link multiple modes of transportation providing convenient access and transfer facilities for regional Metro bus, the George bus system, pedestrians, bicyclists, carpools, commuter parking, taxicabs and shuttles to both National and Dulles airports." Plans for the station, the release continues, :"include 400 parking spaces, bike lockers, restrooms, water fountains, changing facilities, a kiosk for the sale of Metro, bus and airport transfer tickets, covered areas to protect passengers from inclement weather, kiss and ride passenger drop-off facilities, parking for ridesharing and a small cafe." The release was received at the News-Press moments before its deadline and it was unable to reach in time City officials successfully for further comment. Moran secured the $2 million for the project as part of a sweeping transportation reauthorization bill, H.R. 3, known as the "Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users" (TEA-LU), and the bill is expected to win wide bi-partisan support in both the House and Senate. "Falls Church will have state of the art transportation hub when this project is completed," the Moran press statement declared. "The $2 million included in the bill will help start the construction phase of the project. When completed, the station will be the nerve center for the City's public transit, providing residents with a convenient, centralized and economically viable hub meeting all their public transportation needs." The statement quotes Falls Church City Councilman David Snyder saying, "Integrating the City Center redevelopment into the region's transit system is a key component of the future economic success of downtown Falls Church City. Rep. Moran has been a tireless supporter of this project, which has both local and regional benefits, and we are most appreciative of his work done on behalf of the City." |
