Pre-COVID-19 and Metro’s shutdown of the Silver Line Stations, Tysons was a key economic engine for Fairfax County. Taxes collected from Tysons provided 7.2% of the County’s General Revenues and 17.7% of private sector jobs. In fact, in the DMV, only Washington, DC employed more individuals than Tysons!
Metro provided a convenient way for workers, visitors and others to travel to and from Tysons and helped to reduce traffic congestion in the surrounding communities. Metro’s closure until the fall upended the contribution of public transportation. It also means that as businesses reopen, there will need to be concerted efforts to encourage a return to public transportation and it may take some time to return to pre-shutdown levels of usage.
COVID-19 closed businesses large and small. While some individual businesses and sectors were able to adjust, others are struggling. The pandemic also has shined a light on the desirability of increasing affordable housing, green space, and data driven analysis for Tysons’ future.
On June 11, Sol Glasner, President of the Tysons Partnership, explored these and other Tysons matters with the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition via Zoom. We recorded the meeting – our first ever effort at recording! To view the video of the meeting, click here.