TyTran hopes to work with local employers and property managers to increase mass transportation use. Photo by Reena Singh.
The number of single occupancy vehicles in Tysons Corner will be reduced as more people take the bus, metro or carpool to work.
That’s what Tysons Partnership sees for the future of the urban center.
The organization was unanimously appointed the Tysons Transportation Management Association by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at the July 1 meeting.
“I think people are sick and tired of being sick and tired of the traffic, so they’re ready to use other options,” said Tysons Transportation Administrator Moira Bindner.
Tysons Partnership is branding Tysons Transportation as TyTran. The association, with employers, residents and property managers, will look into the promotion of mass transportation to reduce traffic in the area and get people to where they need to go in a timely manner.
The Fairfax Connector bus system will play a big role in keeping people from driving to the metro stations to get to work.
“The Fairfax Connector will have a new bus system to drop people off at their offices,” said Bindner.
Before the stations open, Tysons employers will meet to find out how they can offer Metro-related benefits to their employees, giving some incentive to use the bus system and Metro to get to work and back home.
She says TyTran does not have a goal of what percentage of people they hope use public transportation. She does not expect that many will choose to walk or take the bus to the office every day.
“If people made the choice a couple days a week or a couple days a month, that’s still less wheels on the road,” she said.
The next step for the newly named association is to do some market research and find out what can be done in the few weeks before the four Metro stations in Tysons Corner open.
Although the motion passed unanimously, several of the Supervisors had questions about the proffers funding the TMA and whether the metrics proved it would be an effective method to improve transportation in an already highly congested area.
“We continue to burden our citizens with the cost of [transportation demand management], but there is no hard evidence that they’re working,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity. “They don’t have the metrics that say that.”
County Department of Transportation Director Thomas Biesiadney said metrics have shown that TDMs are cost effective and he could present those findings to the board at a later date.
Before any transportation plans are finalized, it will be brought before the board to review again.
“If we do not capture people at the beginning of service, we’re going to be playing catch-up,” said Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth.