Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11th District) and Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th District) have re-introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday to study the extension of Metrorail into the Richmond Highway corridor.

The Northern Virginia Metrorail Extension Act (H.R. 907), cites three potential Metrorail projects:

• Extension of the Blue Line along the I-95 corridor, including the Engineer Proving Grounds, through Woodbridge to Potomac Mills in Prince William County

• Extension of the Orange Line to Centreville in western Fairfax County

• Extension of the Yellow Line along the Route 1 corridor, including Fort Belvoir, in Fairfax and Prince William counties.

“Residents in Prince William and western Fairfax County already experience some of the longest commutes in the nation, and these communities will experience continued growth,” Connolly said in a statement issued Tuesday. “We need to look at solutions that take cars off the roads and provide viable transportation alternatives for our citizens. Whether or not we determine that Metrorail is the best solution, we must begin the conversation now.”   

“Northern Virginia has the worst traffic in the nation, impacting the quality of life for the hundreds of thousands of commuters who sit in traffic hours each day,” Moran said in a statement. “Public transit is the answer to this unrelenting congestion. It’s better for commuters, our economy and the environment. Every $1 invested in public transit yields $4 in economic benefits. As the population in this region continues to grow, so must our public transportation infrastructure.” 

The legislation corresponds with the comprehensive plans for both Fairfax and Prince William counties, which identify the need to develop alternative transit concepts.     

Moran and Connolly have introduced this legislation twice before, The Washington Examiner reports.