Moving more people on a transportation network of roads, bridges, and rails is tricky business. Additional roads and transit lines are needed, and the existing network must be managed more efficiently.
The latter process is called “transportation demand management (TDM),” and for neighborhoods like Arlington’s Potomac Yard, it can be a crucial factor in eliminating gridlock during times of rapid growth.
Potomac Yard, although situated in a prime location inside the Washington Beltway near the Potomac River, was for years blighted and unbuildable. The former railway hub straddles the Four Mile Run boundary between Arlington (north) and Alexandria (south).
With environmental remediation completed in 1998, both jurisdictions made plans for redevelopment on the former brownfield. Planned transportation upgrades include a Potomac Yard metro station in Alexandria and Arlington’s streetcar, connecting Potomac Yard, Crystal City, and Columbia Pike.
The area within Arlington has seen private development occurring at an agile pace. New high-end mixed-use office, residential, and retail properties have been constructed per the Potomac Yard Phased Development Site Plan (PSDP), which was approved by the county board in 2000. To accommodate the transportation needs of these new Arlington residents and workers, the PSDP stipulated that developers implement TDM strategies to keep the transportation network running smoothly, encouraging use of existing transit, biking and walking, and the creation of new carpools and vanpools.
In response to this requirement, developers created FAST Potomac Yard, which is a program that incorporates a number of TDM strategies. Bus subsidies are distributed to Potomac Yard residents through the FAST Potomac website, which also encourages and facilitates carpooling. FAST Potomac Yard has promoted Capital Bikeshare by sponsoring two area bikeshare stations and marketing subsidized memberships to residents and workers.
Specifically, these programs include:
- Carpool/vanpool subsidy ($100 per quarter national brand gas card for carpools and $200 per quarter national brand gas card for vanpools – carpool/vanpool captains must submit records of their carpools and vanpools to be eligible)
- Subsidy transit benefit for use on the 9S MetroBus (Crystal City-Potomac Yard Shuttle)
- Pedal Free 24-4-Me Program – Get one free 24-hour membership pass for Capital Bikeshare once every quarter.
- Buy One Capital Bikeshare Membership, Get One Free
- CommuterCheck for Bicycling Program (new as of July) – Receive one $20 voucher per month that can be used at local bike shops accepting CommuterCheck for Bicycling.
Worth noting is that the FAST Potomac Yard website was created by Arlington based, Baryonyx Inc. TDM requires ongoing engagement with clients and the company is working to create innovative solutions to customer engagement. Currently, Baryonyx is upgrading the system to allow members to choose alerts via text, email, or voice.
Potomac Yard is on track to become the vibrant, walkable urban village envisioned by Arlington planners, developers and residents. And TDM, in the name of FAST Potomac Yard, is in place to get the most out of the area’s exciting mix of transportation options.
Photo by Bill McNeal and map courtesy of FAST Potomac Yard