Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area/Largo Metrorail Extension

Description

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is the lead local agency in management and development of a proposed 3.1-mile heavy rail extension of Metrorail Blue Line. The proposed Largo Metrorail Extension will be from the existing Addison Road Station to Largo Town Center, located just beyond the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The project follows an alignment that has been preserved as a rail transit corridor in the Prince George’s County Master Plan. The 3.1-mile alignment includes at-, above- and below-grade segments, and will be underground or covered between Central Avenue and the Capital Beltway. Two new stations will be constructed at Summerfield and Largo Town Center. The stations will provide a total of 2,700 park-and-ride spaces, including “kiss-and-ride” spaces and bus bays. In addition, existing WMATA and Prince George’s County bus routes will be re-routed to serve the new stations. Shuttle bus service between the new stations and FedEx Field will also be provided. The project will also provide direct service to USAir Arena, a former major sports complex that will be redeveloped for entertainment and retail uses. The Maryland Mass Transit Administration managed the project through preliminary engineering; WMATA is undertaking final design and construction of the design-build project. Total capital costs are estimated at $433.9 million (escalated dollars), including the procurement of 18 heavy rail cars, and will be entirely funded by the State of Maryland. Average weekday boardings are estimated at 28,500 in 2020, including 16,400 daily new riders.

Status

The project is included in the National Capital Region’s Constrained Long Range Plan.

Preliminary engineering for the Largo Metrorail Extension was initiated in February 1996 and completed in June 2000. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was completed in October 1996. WMATA’s Board of Directors approved the Largo Extension as an addition to the 103-mile Metrorail Adopted Regional System in February 1997, applying WMATA Compact funding arrangements, contingent upon requisite FTA approvals. A Final EIS was completed in September 1999. FTA issued a Record of Decision for the Largo Extension in February 2000 and approved the project into final design in July 2000. WMATA and FTA entered into a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) in December 2000, which committed $260.3 million in Section 5309 New Starts funds to the project. The non-Federal share for the project will be provided by the State of Maryland through a funding agreement, which was executed on May 26, 2000. Per the FFGA, revenue operations are scheduled to begin on December 31, 2004.

TEA-21 Section 3030(a)(94) authorizes the “Washington, DC – Largo Extension” for final design and construction. Through FY 2001, Congress has appropriated $13.07 million in Section 5309 New Starts funds to the project.