NVTA advisory committee unanimously recommends TransAction plan, sends 424-project list to Authority

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Planning Coordination Advisory Committee on Nov. 16 voted unanimously to recommend that the Authority adopt the TransAction long-range plan and its associated project list, sending the document to the Authority for final consideration at its December meeting.

The committee—s endorsement covers a final draft that reduces the project list from 429 to 424 entries, updates analytical text and graphics to better reflect scenario uncertainty, and clarifies several project descriptions. The plan—s planning-cost estimate remains about $75 billion. Committee members and staff emphasized that inclusion in TransAction does not constitute a funding commitment but does make projects initially eligible for future six-year programming cycles.

Keith Jasper, the consultant presenting the update, told the committee the team—s work focused on three items: committee and technical-advisory feedback, updates and enhancements to the draft plan and project list, and the requested endorsement. Jasper said the previously highlighted 54% greenhouse-gas reduction figure represented a best-case scenario and was removed from a prominent graphic; the plan text on pages 18—9 now frames outcomes as a range depending on factors beyond the Authority—s control. "The 54% represents the best case scenario," Jasper said, adding the reality is likely to fall somewhere between best- and worst-case assumptions.

Jasper also summarized other substantive edits: removal of three duplicate projects, two transfers of projects from the build network into the no-build (baseline) network because they are funded or under construction, small renumbering changes to maintain traceability, and editorial and formatting work to improve clarity for public readers. He said the team added a short "relevant factors" section to the plan summary to emphasize that the plan uses the Authority—s approved performance measures and cooperative forecasts from regional partners, and that TransAction is not a land-use plan.

The presentation highlighted mode-specific results: the consultant briefed the committee that bus rapid transit and other high-capacity bus projects, which account for roughly $10 billion of the plan—s cost, produce about half of the modeled increase in transit trips and roughly half the transit-related benefits in the analysis.

Committee members asked detailed questions about large, high-cost items included for eligibility. Supervisor Walter Alcorn asked about Project ID 34, a new rail alignment estimate listed around $20 billion, and Jasper explained that large projects with uncertain alignments or costs are included because omission would make them ineligible for NVTA funding should a feasible funding slice emerge before the next TransAction update. Jasper said inclusion creates eligibility, not a funding commitment.

Council Member Sigourney Fredericks moved the committee—s recommendation to the Authority to adopt the TransAction plan and associated project list; another member seconded the motion. The committee conducted a verbal roll-call vote; members announced "aye" or "yes," and the chair declared the recommendation unanimous.

Monica Bachman, NVTA staff, told the committee the Authority is preparing its 2023 legislative program. She said the Authority—s priorities include protecting regional revenue streams and pursuing recovery of the remaining $38.5 million diverted to Metro in 2018. "Number 1, as we continue to state is protect the revenue stream," she said.

Committee members thanked staff and consultants for the multi-year effort to update TransAction and for public-facing clarifications made in the final draft. The committee—s endorsement will be transmitted to the Authority for consideration at its December meeting; no final funding decisions were made at the PCAC session.

The committee adjourned after brief closing remarks and holiday greetings.