Projects Moving at a Crawl

A timeline of major transportation projects in Northern Virginia that have been stalled by recent developments.

Metrorail to Dulles

1964 -- The Federal Aviation Administration's master plan for Dulles International Airport recommends a transit line along the airport's access road.

1990 -- The Virginia transportation board adopts a program for the Dulles corridor that includes rail service.

1992 -- The General Assembly creates a state rail department to help bring rail to Dulles.

1994 -- Virginia and Metro officials initiate a study to evaluate rail options for the corridor.

1996 -- The completed study says heavy rail, such as Metro, would be the best transit option to the airport.

1997 -- The project team, including state, local and Metro officials, publishes a report rejecting an underground route through Tysons Corner because of costs.

2000 -- A federal environmental review of the rail line begins.

2002 -- The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Metro and state officials endorse a mostly aboveground route through Tysons.

2004 -- The Federal Transit Administration approves preliminary engineering for the first phase between Falls Church and Reston. Fairfax County begins collecting a tax from commercial landowners in the Herndon area to pay for the rail line. A final environmental review concludes that rail would have minor adverse impacts.

2005 -- The FTA publishes a report for Congress recommending the Dulles extension.