Car Culture Wars

With plans for new Metrorail stops in car-oriented Tysons Corner in Fairfax County, the pressure is on for the big-lot car dealerships there to sell out and give way to transit-oriented development.

The Wash Post has a story on it, which says that Fairfax officials "envision turning Tysons' entire charmless mix of office buildings and shopping-strip retail into a thriving downtown for Northern Virginia, with high-rise housing, big city blocks and a vibrant night life."

'But few will probably be as affected as the auto dealers. There is the symbolism; one of the goals of bringing rail through Tysons to Dulles International Airport is to reduce reliance on vehicles. A row of auto dealerships doesn't exactly fit with the new ethos of a transit- and pedestrian-friendly Tysons liberated from the car culture.'

The business owners who sell their land will make some money; even more if the stick around until rail is in place.