Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of Public Policy Issues and Headlines from around the Northern Virginia Region, the Commonwealth and on Capitol Hill.
1. Supervisors put another nail in the Bi-County Parkway's coffin
Reports of the revival of the Bi-County Parkway in Prince William County were premature, at least for now. During its meeting Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors put another nail in the parkway’s storied coffin, directing county staff to no longer consider the road in the ongoing update to the Comprehensive Plan. The parkway proposes to extend the Prince William Parkway, or Va. 234, to connect with U.S. 50 through the county’s western end. Like a cicada colony, parkway buzz comes and goes every few years.
2. Silver Line extension opening date pushed once again to summer 2022
The long-delayed 11.4-mile Silver Line extension to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County will not open until this summer. Last month, the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) maintained that trains would run this spring, but at a Tuesday meeting with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, transportation officials said they anticipate a summer 2022 opening.
3. Legislation lays out a plan for affordable broadband
Legislation creating a plan to expand affordable broadband access across the commonwealth is on the way to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk with broad bipartisan support. HB 1265, by Del. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, charges the state Department of Housing and Community Development with creating a plan to deliver recommendations to the General Assembly and Youngkin by Dec. 1. Designing a map and blueprint to establish the areas in the state that are in most need of broadband access is among the tasks agency will have to tackle before the end of the year.
4. Metro to receive additional $120 million in federal pandemic relief
Another $120 million in federal pandemic relief money is being released to Metro to keep the transit system running and its front-line workers on the job, congressional leaders announced Thursday. The money is a significant boost for the transit agency, which faces years of financial challenges amid steep ridership losses, particularly from its customer base of federal workers who are increasingly working from home.
5. Budget Town Halls, Ways to Give Input on the FY 2023 Budget Proposal
On Tuesday, Feb. 22, County Executive Bryan Hill presented his proposed budget to the Board of Supervisors. There are many ways to get more information and provide input on the budget between now and its adoption on Tuesday, May 10, including at a Budget Town Hall meeting in your district, and during the budget public hearings, scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, April 12-14.