by JDC
Today I was scouting real estate in Ashburn area and it made me wonder, what was the rationale for the placement - or even the need - for the station now called Loudoun Gateway? Looking at the surrounding area filled with warehouses or data centers, it does not seem that this station really was needed to serve a customer-filled catchment zone; instead, I imagine that nearly all of the customers will be closer to the Ashburn station or Innovation Center station. I know there is often a 'build it and they will come' argument made about stations, but that seems unlikely given the current configuration of the area. To me, it would have made more sense to create 2 stations in the Ashburn area, moving the current one a bit more east and then having a final one closer to route 659. Thoughts?
Living in Broadlands, VA; Working at Half & L SE, DC.