Today, I am issuing a statement about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Washington Union Station Expansion Project (Project), in order to support community stakeholders and partners who seek to submit comments to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) by the deadline of September 28, 2020. The statement summarizes DC Office of Planning’s (OP’s) analysis of the DEIS and summarizes more detailed DEIS comments that OP will submit by the deadline.

The statement analyzes how the Project as proposed in the DEIS falls short of what District residents, workers, visitors and stakeholders deserve. It is essential that the Project focus on the Station’s relationship to the surrounding neighborhoods, its historic context, its impact on the District’s transportation network, and its anchoring position in the District and the Eastern Seaboard. OP agrees with the strong and broadly-supported feedback provided by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) which made clear that the Project as outlined by the DEIS would not be approved and major changes are required in order to achieve an approvable and successful project.

The full statement, as well as other OP documents related to this process, can be found at planning.dc.gov/washington-union-station.

Sincerely,

Andrew Trueblood

Director, DC Office of Planning

Click here to view the full Statement from Director Andrew Trueblood on the District of Columbia Office of Planning’s Key Comments and Concerns on the Washington Union Station Expansion Project DEIS.