Today, Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) is sharing the following statement after the Federal Rail Administration’s decision to revisit project planning on the Union Station Expansion Project’s Preferred Alternative, a key win for DC residents and nearby neighbors to have a greater voice in the future of Union Station: 

“The news that the Federal Rail Administration is going to take another look at what Union Station can be is excellent. We get one shot at getting a major transit hub in the heart of the District of Columbia right. We’re expanding rail capacity at a regional transportation hub, but the current proposals give away too much space to parking. Union Station should be an accessible public space for regional and national travelers, but it also needs to fit into a neighborhood. If there’s too much priority and emphasis given to getting cars in and out, you’ll get more of the same: an island cut off from the surrounding area by busy, noisy streets. The FRA needs to work closely with District officials and neighborhood leaders to ensure the Union Station design matches the District’s planning goals and doesn’t induce snarling traffic to a growing, vibrant neighborhood. I think this is a great sign from the new administration that prioritizing public transit and forward-thinking designs will have enormous benefits for the next 100 years. I want to give DC’s warrior on the Hill, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, a lot of credit for listening to her constituents and getting the FRA to take a second look at the preferred alternative.”