The corridor between the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station and Marine Corps Base Quantico is a critical link in the Northern Virginia transportation network. The corridor is served by a range of transit services including Metrorail, Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail service, express and local bus service provided by multiple operators, as well as vanpool and carpool options that take advantage of the I-95/I-395 express/HOT lanes and a network of park-and-ride lots. Future growth in population and jobs will continue to increase demand for multimodal commuting options.

A number of significant transit improvements are already planned for the corridor including additional express bus services, VRE expansion, and bus rapid transit (BRT) in the Richmond Highway corridor. The Franconia-Springfield and Huntington Metro stations play an important role as major transfer hubs to the region’s Metrorail system and previous studies have examined extensions of both the Blue Line and Yellow Line into southern Fairfax and Prince William counties.

Given the importance of this multimodal corridor to the Washington metropolitan region and the entire Commonwealth, the Virginia General Assembly approved a 2020 budget amendment directing the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) to conduct a feasibility study for enhanced public transportation services between the Franconia-Springfield Metro station in Fairfax County and the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Prince William County:

"F. The Department of Rail and Public Transportation, in cooperation with Fairfax and Prince William Counties, shall evaluate enhanced public transportation services from the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station to Fort Belvoir, Lorton, Potomac Mills, and Marine Corps Base Quantico in Prince William County, including the cost and feasibility of extending the Blue Line and other multimodal options such as bus rapid transit along Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1. The Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation shall submit a report of its findings to the Chairs of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee by December 1, 2021.“