The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) approved the region’s new long-range transportation plan, Visualize 2045.
The plan consists of more than 600 highway and transit projects totaling $291 billion that the region expects to fund through 2045. It includes the cost of new projects and operations and maintenance of the current system. The new major additions to the plan include:
- In Maryland, managed toll lanes on I-495 and I-270 and widening of US 301, MD 201, and MD 97.
- In Montgomery County, five additional segments to its Bus Rapid Transit network.
- In Virginia, widening of US 15; and changing the completion date and the number of HOT lanes in each direction on the northern portion of I-495.
- In the District of Columbia, six additional segments to its bicycle lane network.
- For WMATA, improvements to add capacity to the Metrorail system, such as running 100 percent 8-car trains during peak periods.
During discussions before adopting the new plan, some local Maryland jurisdictions expressed concerns about the impact of the I-495 and I-270 managed toll lanes project on their communities. In response, the Maryland Department of Transportation provided a description of how they will address the concerns. The board also voted to approve the air quality conformity analysis, which found that the projects meet air quality standards and that future vehicle-related emissions remain below approved regional limits.
For the first time, the TPB’s long-range plan also includes a set of aspirational initiatives that the board identified for their potential to address some of the region’s biggest transportation challenges in the future. Transportation agencies in the region are urged to develop projects, programs, and policies to advance these initiatives. The seven initiatives are to:
- Bring jobs and housing closer together
- Expand bus rapid transit and transitways
- Move more people on Metrorail
- Increase telecommuting and other options for commuting
- Expand the express highway network
- Improve walk and bike access to transit
- Complete the National Capital Trail
“Over the last four years, members of the TPB, transportation agencies, and COG have worked hard to put together Visualize 2045, a long-range plan that aims to provide affordable, sustainable, and multi-modal transportation options for the residents and businesses of this region,” said TPB Chair Charles Allen. “The plan goes above and beyond previous plans by also featuring unfunded initiatives that have the potential to significantly improve the region’s transportation system and that the region agrees are worth pursuing.”
Many board members commended the extensive public outreach by staff about Visualize 2045 and the new features of the plan through surveys, forums, and community events across the region, which generated input from more than 6,000 people.
MORE: View the Visualize 2045 plan document and the meeting materials.
MEDIA CONTACT: Laura Ambrosio, lambrosio@mwcog.org, (202) 962-3278