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Northern Virginia officials are preparing a statewide appeal for $400 million in new annual transit funding, arguing that the investment would strengthen Tysons and the broader commonwealth. But even with Democratic majorities in both General Assembly chambers, approval is far from certain.

“Transit in Northern Virginia is cool again,” Tysons Community Alliance CEO Katie Cristol said during a Dec. 15 legislative forum in Arlington hosted by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission.

Cristol, the forum’s keynote speaker, said riders are regaining pride in the region’s transportation network. She backed a General Assembly subcommittee’s proposal to support Metro, Virginia Railway Express and local bus systems, including Fairfax Connector and the City of Fairfax’s CUE.

The plan from the Northern Virginia Growing Needs of Public Transit Joint Subcommittee offers “a blueprint for the future we want,” Cristol said.

Lawmakers are expected to consider the package after the General Assembly convenes Jan. 14. The 60-day session will determine whether the state allocates the money and establishes revenue sources to sustain it.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said supporters must sharpen their message to legislators outside Northern Virginia.

“We really need to figure out how to tell this story,” McKay said during the forum.

Cristol said advocates should emphasize that investments benefiting Northern Virginia’s urban centers also benefit the entire state. Tysons, where redevelopment is centered on four Silver Line stations, demonstrates how transit can guide growth across the region, she said.

Cristol also pointed to Arlington, where she served nearly eight years on the County Board, as evidence that transit-oriented development can limit sprawl while expanding the tax base. Metro corridors occupy 11% of Arlington’s land but generate half of the county’s tax base, she said.

“People want to be near other people,” Cristol said.

During her time in elected office, Cristol served on both the NVTC and PRTC boards. Falls Church City Council member and NVTC Chair David Snyder praised her ability to bring ideas, energy and sustained effort to regional issues.

A legislative opening emerges

Local officials have spent months preparing their case in Richmond, but Del. Mark Sickles’ resignation creates uncertainty around who will lead the funding effort in the House of Delegates.

Sickles, a Democrat representing District 17, participated in a roundtable at the Dec. 15 forum. About a week later, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger selected him to become Virginia’s next secretary of finance.

He had planned to introduce transit-funding legislation in the House, while state Sen. Adam Ebbin, a Democrat representing District 39, pursued the issue in the Senate.

Del. Adele McClure, a Democrat representing District 2, could become a leading House advocate. The Arlington-area legislator serves on the House Transportation Committee and helped develop the funding recommendations as a member of the joint legislative subcommittee.

“This dedicated funding would mean improvements in reliability, in service,” McClure said. “We need to make sure we are dedicating the resources necessary.”

Speaking to an audience of transit advocates, planners and elected officials, McClure acknowledged that those in the room already supported the effort.

“I feel like I’m preaching to the choir,” she said.

The harder task will be persuading legislators elsewhere in Virginia who may be focused on different budget priorities.

McKay called the funding proposal a rare opportunity after a year of planning. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has endorsed the recommendations, which could raise revenue through measures such as a higher sales tax.

He described the projected $400 million need as “a doable number” and said the investment would benefit the region in numerous ways.

Metro CEO and General Manager Randy Clarke said the agency’s work to improve never ends. He characterized the dedicated-funding decision as a pivotal choice for Northern Virginia.

“We’re very good,” Clarke said of Metro. Additional money could produce further gains, he said, while failure to secure it could send service back toward periods of less consistent performance.

McKay stressed that the Richmond campaign cannot focus exclusively on Metro. Any legislative agreement must be presented as a solution for Northern Virginia’s full transit network, he said, including commuter rail and local bus service.

“Whatever solution we come up with in Richmond, we need to talk of it as a transit solution, not a Metro solution,” McKay said.