OPEN HOUSE TO SHARE DESIGN OPTIONS FOR FUTURE ROUTE 7 BUS RAPID TRANSIT
Tuesday, June 9, 5-7 p.m. at the Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
Arlington, Va. – The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), in partnership with the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County, will hold an open house Tuesday, June 9, to share potential design options for bus rapid transit on Route 7 and ask for additional input on the public’s vision for bus service between Seven Corners and Mark Center/Southern Towers.
What: Envision Route 7 Open House
When: Tuesday, June 9, 5 to 7 p.m. (Drop in anytime)
Where: Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304
Members of the public can also share their ideas online through Friday, June 12, 2026.
What is Envision Route 7?
The Envision Route 7 project will enhance bus service with faster, more reliable trips on the heavily congested Route 7. The Metro Bus F20 route, which serves a majority of the project corridor, has the highest ridership route in Virginia.
NVTC leads the planning process for Envision Route 7, which is designed to connect Tysons via Falls Church and Seven Corners to the Mark Center/Southern Towers in Alexandria along the Route 7 corridor.
What is Bus Rapid Transit?
Bus rapid transit is a public transit system that removes buses from traffic congestion by providing dedicated bus lanes, where possible. Benefits of BRT include:
- More frequent and reliable service.
- Shorter commute times.
- Protective bus shelters with safer, easier access for riders.
What’s Happening Now?
Last fall, NVTC's Envision Route 7 team hit the corridor to talk to residents, visitors, business owners and bus riders about their vision for bus service between Seven Corners and Mark Center/Southern Towers. Across hundreds of conversations and online survey responses in five languages, three priorities rose to the top: more frequent service, bus priority and expanded hours.
Our staff, consultants and project partners are currently studying the two items that the Envision Route 7 project can address: frequency and bus priority. We're back in the community to share potential design options and ask for additional input.
This work is funded through the combination of a federal Community Project Funding grant made possible by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer and the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation funds and local matches provided by the Cities of Alexandria and Falls Church and Arlington and Fairfax Counties.
For more information about the Envision Route 7 project, visit novatransit.org/programs/route7.
Two or more NVTC Commissioners may attend the open house. However, this is not a business meeting and no action will be transacted.
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