Regional Coordination
Transportation networks do not start and end within a single jurisdiction. In Northern Virginia, there are many regional bodies with representation from the City. Staff also coordinate with these bodies on a variety of initiatives and projects.
Regional Projects
Learn more about projects in the region sponsored by our partners.
Regional Partners
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA or Metro)
WMATA provides Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess paratransit service in the region. The Metro Board of Directors determines agency policy and provides oversight for the funding, operation, and expansion of transit facilities within the Transit Zone. The Metro Board of Directors is composed of eight voting and eight alternate directors. Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and the federal government appoint two voting and two alternate directors each.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC)
NVTC serves as a regional forum for discussion and analysis of transit issues that are critically important to our economy and quality of life. Founded in 1964, in part to represent the interests of the Commonwealth during the establishment of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency (WMATA), NVTC is charged with the funding and stewardship of WMATA and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), which it co-owns. Because Northern Virginia is also home to six bus systems, NVTC works across jurisdictional boundaries to coordinate transit service. Two of Alexandria's Council Members sit on the NVTC Board, Sarah Bagley who serves as Vice Chair of the Board, and Canek Aguirre.
Northern Virginia Transportation Authority
The Authority is responsible for long-range transportation project planning, prioritization and funding for regional transportation projects in Northern Virginia. The NVTA’s policies and priorities are guided by two overarching goals: reduce congestion and move the greatest number of people in the most cost-effective manner. Per Virginia Code, NVTA distributes its revenues between the Regional Revenue Fund (70 percent of revenue) and the Local Distribution Fund (30 percent of revenue). NVTA funds the Six Year Program from the Regional Revenue Fund deploying 70 percent of revenues received to projects determined solely by NVTA. NVTA allocates the Local Distribution Fund revenue to member jurisdictions (counties and cities in Northern Virginia) for transportation purposes of their choice and are integral funding partners for the City. In just under a decade, NVTA has invested $3.8 billion toward advancing 139 regional transportation projects located throughout the Northern Virginia region. Alexandria's Mayor, Alyia Gaskins serves on the board of NVTA.
VRE provides commuter rail service into Alexandria and Washington, D.C. The VRE Operations Board draws its members from each of the nine jurisdictions that fund the commuter rail service, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Those jurisdictions are the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Prince William, Fairfax and Arlington, and the cities of Manassas Park, Manassas, Fredericksburg and Alexandria. Sarah Bagley, the City's Vice-Mayor serves as Chair of the Board.
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for metropolitan Washington. Working with local, state, regional, and federal partners, the TPB coordinates future plans, provides data and analysis to decision makers, and coordinates regional programs to advance safety, land-use coordination, and more. The TPB is housed at and staffed by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG). One Alexandria's Council Members sit on the TPB, Canek Aguirre.