Around 50 regional business, elected, and transportation leaders will find out this week as part of the Regional Transportation Alliance's leadership briefing and field visit.
Attendees will:
- Gain first-hand experience and insight about transit innovations including bus rapid transit and commuter rail—primary components of the bipartisan, network-based Wake Transit plan and elements of approved plans in both Durham and Orange counties
- Receive briefings from Virginia staff and tour the Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway—the D.C. metro region’s first bus rapid transit system with dedicated lanes—as well as Virginia Railway Express commuter rail and the Capital Bikeshare system
- Learn about a new self-driving electric shuttle known as “Olli,” which incorporates the IBM Watson artificial intelligence platform.
Seeing commuter rail, bus rapid transit, and bike share in a fast-growing, competitive market like northern Virginia will help local leaders better understand key elements of our regional transit future. This experience is particularly timely as our region prepares for an important transit referendum vote this fall in Wake County.