Category: Safe Streets for Biking and Walking

Searching For Transit In I-66 Expansion Plans; Public Funds Give Virginia Options

Posted on by Winstina Hughes

Virginia is thinking about taking a different approach to toll roads.

After ceding future toll revenue on the I-495 and I-95 Express Lanes to the private-sector firm that built those highways in Northern Virginia, officials announced on Tuesday the results of an internal analysis on whether planned toll lanes on I-66 from the Beltway to Haymarket should remain under state control.

By fronting up to $600 million in public money for the estimated $2.1 billion project to build 25 miles of high-speed toll and carpool lanes on I-66 outside the Beltway, the state could reap hundreds of millions in toll revenue over the next 40 years to pay for other transportation improvements, said Aubrey Layne, Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation.

“The private sector is going to build this road. The private sector is probably going to operate this road. I’m not sure if the private sector is going to finance this road,” Layne said in remarks to reporters.

If the state decides to publicly finance the widening of I-66 to 10 lanes (five in each direction: two HOT lanes and three regular purpose lanes), it would mark a significant departure from the policy of previous administrations.

In the multibillion-dollar deals that built the Express Lanes on I-495 and I-95, the state’s financial commitment was small; the international road-builder Transurban took on the risk by financing the projects through a combination of private capital and federal loans. Thus, Transurban received concessions from the state to collect almost all the toll revenue on I-495 and I-95 for the next 70 years.

Such an arrangement is known as a public-private partnership, or P3, and Layne would not rule out another P3 for I-66.

‘We didn’t get transit’

“We didn’t get transit,” Layne said. “We might have made a different decision or the public might have weighed in differently had they known the project would have been different.”
Although the two toll roads may be helping drive-alone commuters and carpoolers, Layne said the benefit is coming at the expense of something else.

Only a fraction of the thousands of vehicles in the I-495 and I-95 Express Lanes are commuter buses. Transurban has little incentive to increase their number because buses do not pay Express Lanes tolls.

The 95 Express Lanes averaged 304 bus trips per day and the 495 Express Lanes averaged 177 in the most recent quarter ending March 31, according to data released by Transurban. These figures include school buses and charter buses.

Ridership remains relatively low on the new bus routes on I-495. OmniRide’s route from Woodbridge to Tysons Corner started in Nov. 2012. Fairfax County Connector launched express bus service to Tysons from Burke in January 2013 and added routes from Lorton and Springfield added two months later.

Two and a half years after opening to the public, 11 percent of all traffic on the 495 Express Lanes was either HOV-3 or otherwise exempt from paying toll (buses or emergency vehicles) during the most recent quarter, up from 8 percent in the April 2013 quarter, according to Transurban.

The future of I-66: buses, trains?

The McAuliffe administration would like to see a larger public transit share on I-66, although it is unclear what shape it would take.

The internal analysis unveiled by Layne before the Commonwealth Transportation Board on Tuesday “demonstrated that of the several available options for procuring the project, a publicly-financed design-build project may save taxpayers between $300 million and $600 million and provide for up to $500 million to be used for future transportation improvements in Northern Virginia,” according to a VDOT statement.

Transit advocates favor public ownership of future tolls on I-66.

“Our community is not going to support any project that does not put transit upfront as a major investment that we need in the I-66 corridor. Public ownership of the tolls may allow us to do that,” said Stewart Schwartz, the executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth and critic of the prior Express Lanes concessions.

“We’ve been disappointed that they failed to look at a transit-first alternative, simply looking at transit, transit-oriented development, rural land conservation, measures to reduce the driving demand overall and to shape land use to encourage more transit use in the corridor,” he added.

State officials are expected to make a decision on the I-66 procurement process this summer.

Updated 8:30 a.m., May 20.

Read the original article here.

Traffic light approved for Clarksburg school

Posted on by Claire Zippel

Parents with children at Wilson Wims Elementary School in Clarksburg finally got what they wanted after years of campaigning for a traffic light and crosswalk across Snowden Farm Parkway. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation announced in a March 13 letter that it will install a traffic signal at Snowden Farm Road and Grand Elm Street by the fall of 2015.

Testimony to restore capital funding to the Bicycle Pedestrian Priority Areas

Posted on by Candace Wilkinson

While Bicycle Pedestrian Priority Areas were first created 20 years ago by state legislation, the program has been slow to start. Now, as driving has begun to decline in the county over the last decade and rates of walking, cycling, and transit use in the county have been on the rise, it’s more important than ever to ensure it is safe and comfortable to walk, cycle, and take transit. Last year, people driving struck 483 people who were walking in the county – 60 more people than in 2013. We have much more work to do.

Fact sheet: Maryland state highway walking and biking safety bills

Posted on by acustis

Between 2003 and 2012, 5,799 people total were killed in traffic-related crashes in Maryland, 1,067 of them while walking. Such preventable, needless tragedies indicate a need for renewed focus on safety for everyone utilizing Maryland’s roadways. As driving continues to decline in Maryland, and walking, cycling, and transit usage rises, there is an urgent need to address the safety of all Maryland traveler

State Transportation Priority Letter to Montgomery Co. Council

Posted on by Candace Wilkinson

State law governing the priority letter process “requires MDOT and the local jurisdictions seeking project funding to demonstrate the relationship between prioritized projects and the long-term goals of the Maryland Transportation Plan and local land use plans.” The goals of the Maryland Transportation Plan focus on safety for all users, system preservation, and environmental conservation.

Aligning the Rockville School Standards with Montgomery County’s School Standards

Posted on by Candace Wilkinson

Young people and families increasingly want to live in walkable, transit-accessible communities like Rockville, with its mix of both old and new walkable neighborhoods. Empty-nesters looking to downsize are looking for new housing options that allow them to stay in and continue to contribute to the community. 

D.C. commits to projects to advance the city’s long-range transportation plan

Posted on by Claire Zippel

Over the next two years, cyclists in the District will have more bike lanes, pedestrians will have more sidewalks and bus riders will enjoy stops equipped with digital screens that show bus arrival times.
In addition, some of the city’s major bridges will begin undergoing repairs and several key studies of the city’s rail infrastructure and the transit needs of the growing 16th Street corridor will be completed or be well underway.

At least that’s the plan of the District Department of Transportation, which last week unveiled a list of projects and initiatives it aims to pursue over the next two years as the first steps in its long-range transportation priorities.

MoveDC, which looks ahead to 2040, envisions a wide transit network that includes a streetcar system, dedicated bus lanes in major commuter corridors, expanded Metrorail service in the downtown core, an active water taxi system and 200 miles of on-street bicycle lanes.

With the plan, the city aims to expand transit options while deterring driving through the use of toll lanes on the city’s gateways and charging a congestion fee to motorists entering downtown.

“MoveDC is about being able to expand choices for all modes or methods of getting around the city and making transportation increasingly safe and accessible,” Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) said in releasing the plan. “It continues to lead us down the path of being greener, healthier and more economically competitive as well as a safe city for everyone.”

To get there, DDOT plans on tackling 36 key steps over the next two years. These include capital investments in critical infrastructure, the advance of several transportation studies and policy changes.

Transportation officials say they plan a major undertaking in repairing critical infrastructure, with a goal to reduce by half the number of structurally deficient bridges. Work began last week on the replacement of the 16th Street Bridge over Military Road, and DDOT says it plans improvements at several other bridges, including the Key Bridge in Georgetown and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge over the Anacostia River. That project will begin next year and includes a new bridge with wide sidewalks and space for bicycles, officials said.

Other key steps over the next two years include:

  • Completion of DDOT’s traffic signal optimization project to improve timing and traffic flow and increase pedestrian safety. The city plans to finish optimizing its 1,600 signals by 2016.
  • Adding sidewalks in at least 25 blocks where they are missing, with priority given to areas near schools, parks and transit.
  • Improving pedestrian safety at 20 or more intersections.
  • Completion of the Klingle and Kenilworth/Anacostia Riverwalk Trail projects and advancing the Rock Creek and Metropolitan Branch Trail projects.
  • Expanding the bike network by installing or upgrading 15 miles of on-street bicycle facilities.
  • Completion of bus priority improvements. DDOT plans to create dedicated bus lanes on Georgia Avenue from Florida Avenue to Barry Place, provide transit signal priority on 16th Street and offer real-time arrival information in bus shelters citywide. DDOT officials say they plan to work with Metro to implement signal improvements in at least 10 locations on high-ridership corridors to expedite bus service.

As part of its short-term goals, DDOT will proceed with several studies, including how to increase bus capacity in the 16th Street NW corridor, where some transit users and advocates have been calling for the implementation of dedicated bus lanes. The agency also plans to advance a study on bicycle infrastructure on the east side of downtown, the federal environmental review process for the streetcar system and a comprehensive rail plan for the city.

DDOT Director Matthew Brown said the short-term action plan will keep DDOT and other agencies on track to advance the big ideas in the plan. Officials say a discussion of the 25-year, $54 billion moveDC initiative and a plan for funding it are still needed. Gray said the plan also recognizes the need to create a reliable long-term revenue source for Metro. And among the most immediate concerns are restoring funding for the proposed 22-mile streetcar network. The D.C. Council voted to sharply roll back Gray’s proposed budget for the streetcar lines. Last week, Gray administration officials announced they will push to spend $800 million for a transit network with only about eight miles of streetcar line within the next decade.

Gray said he has every confidence that the moveDC plan will be carried out. “I don’t know what changes future mayors will make in this document, but I really think the fundamental direction in this plan will be sustained.”
Some transportation advocates say the plan sets reasonable goals and will serve as a strong framework for where the city wants to be in 25 years, and they expect future administrations to follow it.

The plan was crafted after a year-long public process to provide D.C. residents, and nonresidents who commute to the District, a guide to a variety of alternatives to driving.

“The moveDC vision plan sets out the right overall agenda for the city,”said Cheryl Cort, policy director at the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “It’s based on important sustainability goals, like how do we give people better transportation choices by making walking and bicycling safer and more appealing and how do we make transit work more efficient and more reliable.

“The two-year action plan shows us step by step how we are going to move forward,” she said. “We think that this plan is not really the possession of any one administration, but was created through a very thoughtful, inclusive process with the public and we certainly feel that we are owners of this plan and will be pushing on the decision-makers to speed up implementation.”

Read the original article here.

Mayor Vincent Gray kicks off moveDC plan

Posted on by Claire Zippel

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray on Tuesday released an ambitious long-range transportation plan that he said would expand the city’s transit options while deterring driving through the use of toll lanes on the city’s gateways and charging a congestion fee to motorists entering downtown.

MoveDC, looks ahead to 2040 and envisions a wide transit network that includes a streetcar system, dedicated bus lanes in major commuter corridors, expanded Metrorail service in the downtown core, an active water taxi system and 200 miles of on-street bicycle facilities.

To ensure the plan is implemented, Gray launched an action plan Tuesday that lays out 36 key steps the city will take over the next two years to advance the vision. The two-year action plan includes some capital investments in infrastructure, the advance of several transportation studies and some policy changes.

“MoveDC is about being able to expand choices for all modes or methods of getting around the city,” said Gray, whose term ends in January. He said he has every confidence that the 25-year plan will be carried out. “I don’t know what changes future mayors will make, but the fundamental direction in this plan will be made.”

Some of the key steps over the next two years are:

  • Begin construction of a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge over the Anacostia River. Transportation officials project construction will begin next year. A new bridge would provide wide sidewalks and bike facilities and serve as an important gateway for people east of the river into downtown.
  • Complete DDOT’s traffic signal optimization project to enhance the District’s traffic signal network. The city plans to finish optimizing each of the 1,600 signals by 2016.
  • Add sidewalks where they are missing, with priority to areas near schools, parks, and transit.
  • Improve pedestrian safety at 20 or more intersections.
  • Complete the Klingle and Kenilworth Anacostia Riverwalk Trail projects and advance the Rock Creek and Metropolitan Branch Trail projects
  • Continue the expansion of the bike network by installing or upgrading 15 miles of on-street bicycle facilities
  • Complete bus priority improvements: DDOT plans to install dedicated bus lanes on Georgia Avenue from Florida Avenue to Barry Place, transit signal priority on 16th Street, and real-time arrival information in shelters citywide. DDOT officials say they plan to work with Metro to implement signal improvements in at least 10 locations on high-ridership corridors to expedite the bus service.
  • Reduce by half the number of structurally deficient bridges. DDOT officials say in the pipeline are investments for improvements at several of the city’s most used bridges including the 16th Street Bridge and the Key Bridge.

DDOT Director Matthew Brown said the short-term action plan will keep DDOT and other agencies on track to advance the vision. Officials say a discussion and a plan about how to pay for the $54 billion moveDC plan have yet to be addressed. Gray said among the most immediate concerns are restoring funding for the proposed 22-mile streetcar network. The D.C. Council voted to sharply roll back Gray’s proposed budget for the streetcar system, something that he says imperils the system before it even begins service.

“This funding needs to be restored,” Gray said. “It is going to cost the city more money to not have the streetcar program fully in the city.”

As part of the short-term goals, DDOT will proceed with several studies, including how to increase bus capacity in the 16th Street NW corridor where some transit users and advocates have been calling for the implementation of dedicated bus lanes. The agency also plans to advance a study on bicycle infrastructure on the east side of downtown, the federal environmental review process for the streetcar system and a comprehensive rail plan for the city.

Cheryl Cort, policy director at the Coalition for Smarter Growth, said the plan provides a big vision for how the city will move in the future and welcomed the two-year action plan as a good strategy to advance the vision.

“We can check and keep track and see how we are going to move forward,” she said.

Read the original article here.

Supporters keep pushing MoCo for pedestrian-friendly road design

Posted on by Claire Zippel

The Friends of White Flint displayed the designs next to what the Sector Plan recommended. Together with the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Friends group encouraged supporters of a more pedestrian-friendly road design to write to county officials. So far, more than 350 people have written emails calling for an Old Georgetown Road design that matches the Sector Plan, according to the group.

Will Montgomery County botch the streets in a model suburban retrofit?

Posted on by Claire Zippel

Stewart Schwartz of the DC-area’s Coalition for Smarter Growth contested the idea that street redesigns have to be put on hold. ”The traffic engineers are nervous about the interim period,” he said. “They don’t recognize that congestion always provides a feedback signal. If there’s congestion, people change the time of day of their commute; they change the mode of their commute; and you’re likely to see more transit riders. What this points to is the need to move faster in redesigning these places and incentivizing redevelopment.”