In+Motion_Spring 2014

Washington D.C. Metrorail Extension continued from p 1

Phase 2 includes the remaining 11+ miles of guideway, the procurement of an additional 64 railcars, six new stations, five new parking structures, and a new Metrorail operations and maintenance facility. The line, systems and stations are being designed and built by Capital Rail Constructors (CRC), the joint venture of Clark Construction Group and Kiewit Infrastructure South. A second contract will be awarded later this year for the design and construction of the new operations and maintenance facility. In an unusual division of responsibilities, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is leading this Design-Build transit project while the transit agency, WMATA, is an active supporting partner and the ultimate owner and operator. Phase 1 runs from a newly constructed junction with WMATA’s Orange Line near West Falls Church Station, through the commercial center of Tysons Corner where four of the stops are located, to its terminus at the Wiehle-Reston East Station. It was designed and constructed by Dulles Transit Partners, LLC, (DTP), made up of Bechtel and URS. Phase 2 will continue from there and travel farther west, through Dulles International Airport and on to eastern Loudoun County near Route 772. When finished in 2018, the system will offer one-seat rides between Washington, D.C. and the Airport – fulfilling a vision that has been long held and faced many challenges. More information is available at WMATA’s Silver Line website at http://silverlinemetro.com. Two years after completion of the main terminal at Dulles International Airport in 1962, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed a Master Plan for the Airport that recommended reservation of the median of the Dulles International Airport Access Highway for a future transit line. Time passed, and serious plans for the rail system started about 25 years ago, involving

Lea+Elliott leads Dulles Metrorail’s effort toward LEED certification

The WMATA Board passed a resolution that new facilities, including stations, would have a goal of seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. While other types of transit facilities have achieved LEED certification, there are few examples of buildings similar to the six Dulles Metrorail Phase 2 stations which have done so. The Metrorail stations are primarily unenclosed structures with limited conditioned spaces. This characteristic combined with cost and schedule impacts to the project will make LEED certification a challenge. Lea+Elliott Transit Planner Brian Lutenegger, AICP, LEED Green Associate is coordinating the efforts to determine whether LEED is suitable for the design of the stations as well as whether it fits into the time and schedule constraints of the project. He has looked at the specific LEED requirements as they relate to the station design, worked with the Design-Build contractor on this issue, and is responsible for coordinating meetings between key project decision makers as well as with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to move the process forward. He has also edited LEED specification sections for the Project’s Yard and Shop facility, where certain buildings will be required to achieve LEED Silver and is being procured under a separate Design-Build contract. Whether LEED is feasible and ultimately achievable for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project still remains to be seen due to the unique design characteristics of the station facilities. If it is successful, the Metrorail stations could serve as a model for transit agencies in other jurisdictions. However, regardless of the outcome, it is clear that green design principles are of increasing importance to transit facilities as well as across the building industry as a whole. LEED is a green building standard offered by the USGBC which both new and existing buildings may seek to achieve. It considers factors such as site location, energy and water consumption, and construction materials utilized in determining whether a building meets its standards. After meeting specific program requirements and prerequisites, a project earns LEED certification at a specific level based on the number of points it is able to earn off a list of options. LEED is becoming increasingly popular among both commercial and residential buildings. For more information on LEED, visit www.usgbc.org

WMATA Metrorail map showing Phases 1 and 2 of the Silver Line Image courtesy of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

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