Arlington and Alexandria are working on a dedicated transitway that will run in from Pentagon City Metro to Braddock Road Metro. The Crystal City – Potomac Yard Transitway project is comparable in many ways to DC’s K Street Transitway. They will both provide dedicated busways, and both will probably be upgraded to streetcar eventually.

There is one key difference, however: The CCPY transitway is much closer to reality. In fact, large portions of its right-of-way are already in place, having been dedicated by developers of recent new buildings.

The transitway isn’t ready to be used by actual buses or trains, but the portions on the ground today are nonetheless a fascinating preview of what’s to come. Looking at this picture – or standing there in person – it’s easy to imagine the next generation of transit rolling down this grassy strip: