Metro and City of Alexandria Announce Potomac Yard Station Opening Date

The opening day for Metro’s newest station, Potomac Yard, is set for Friday, May 19, 2023. The station, located in the fastest growing area of Alexandria, is between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Braddock Road stations serving the Blue and Yellow lines. Potomac Yard will be Metro’s 98th station and is Metro’s second infill station, built between existing stations.

The station was initiated by the City of Alexandria and funded by tax revenues and developer contributions generated by planned new development in the Potomac Yard neighborhood, as well as state grants, loans, and regional sources. The addition of the station enhances connectivity to and from Alexandria, which has seen substantial population growth and new development in the last few decades.

The station provides a wide range of benefits for Alexandria and the surrounding communities, including walkable access to regional transportation systems for residents in the city’s northeast area. The station is expected to generate billions of dollars in new private sector investment over the long term and eventually support 26,000 new jobs and 13,000 new residents. New development immediately adjacent and north of the station is a mix of retail, residential and commercial development, including the new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus.

Work to tie-in the station and new tracks with the rest of the Metrorail system concluded in November 2022, and trains have passed through the station without stopping as the remaining work continues. Metro and its safety partners will complete critical safety reviews and provide staff training before opening for passenger service on May 19, 2023.

Potomac Yard will be one of the first rail stations in North America to receive Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

-via Press Release

MTA Reaffirms Balanced Budget for 2026 As Increased Operating Efficiencies Further Reduce Out-Year Deficits

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today released its final 2026 operating budget and four-year financial plan, introducing a new round of operating efficiencies over the next four years that significantly reduce out-year deficits announced in the July Financial Plan by a total of $418 million. New cost savings of $675 million are the primary driver of this achievement and raises the cumulative total to more than $2 billion in operating savings through 2029.