Arlington County, Va., has selected HDR Inc. for preliminary design and engineering work for its 7.4-mile Columbia Pike Streetcar Line, serving both Arlington and Fairfax counties.
The $26 million contract, approved narrowly by the Arlington County Board in a 3-to-2 vote late Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014, remains contentious as streetcar opponents continue to insist the project isn't necessary, and that future transit ridership growth can be handled exclusively through bus use.
Omaha, Neb.-based HDR Inc. is no stranger to the region or to U.S. streetcar projects, having participated in the nearby H Street streetcar project in Washington, D.C., now striving to begin revenue service before year's end.
The Columbia Pike streetcar line, projected to cost roughly $330 million, would run 7.4 miles from the Skyline section of Fairfax County to Pentagon City and eventually Crystal City Metrorail station. The state of Virginia has signaled its intent to contribute $65 million toward the project.