Outer Beltway Presentation 02-11-13

The Outer Beltway
What’s Being Proposed,
What’s the Impact?

Chris Miller, President of
The Piedmont Environmental Council

Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of
The Coalition for Smarter Growth

PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

December 2012 VDOT Map

Rt. 50 Rt. 28

Rt. 15

Rt. 66


The section in red is what’s currently being discussed:


Brings up a lot of questions:

• Where exactly are we talking about?
• What kind of road would it be?
• Would it make my commute easier? Would it help with
daily trips like getting to school, grocery shopping, etc.?
• How is safety being addressed?
• How would this impact my property?
• How would it change the place that I’ve chosen to live?
• How much would it cost? How would it impact other
projects?

What, if anything, can I do about it?


A little background on the ‘Outer Beltway’

The road has been repeatedly proposed and then
rejected, because of cost and ineffectiveness in
addressing real transportation needs:

• 234 Bypass Extended—1988
• Washington Bypass--1989 (a full outer beltway study)
• Western Transportation Corridor--1997
• Tri-County Parkway—2005
• Bi-County Parkway—2011
• North-South Corridor of Statewide Significance—2011
• Northstar Blvd and Belmont Ridge Rd—2012
• 234 Bypass—2013 (name has returned)

All compose elements of an Outer Beltway


Over time, there
have been many
potential routes…


A VDOT Plan
from 1990


A VDOT Plan
from 1997


In 2011, the State
designated a:

‗Corridor of
Statewide
Significance‘


Once designated, these corridors are considered statewide
priorities for funding.

December, 2012


VDOT’s Public Rationale (from Dec 2012 presentation)


VDOT points to Airport Demands & Freight


The Airport benefit may be over-stated

Only 0.1% of the Northern Virginia freight weight
comes through Dulles now.
While that is a real number and expected to grow –
should it be a priority over other regional
economic drivers?


As VDOT points out

―Almost 57% of all new jobs
and 32 % of new households
will be located in activity
clusters throughout the
Washington region.‖

But note that most
of the ‗activity
clusters‘ are east.


Growth Projections Undercut VDOT Position (Dec. 2012)


Our biggest traffic problems are east-west.


Where People Live


Where People Work (Va Employment Commission 2013)


The proposal would come with major impacts

Credit Carey Pohanka


It would cut through a National Park

Staging area of the
confederate troops.

150th anniversary
reenactment took
place on this farm.


Major Impact on the Battlefield


Environmental Impact

An Environmental Protection Agency analysis estimates that a
new highway, when compared to alternatives, will cause:
– 2.5x the impacts to threatened and
endangered plants

– 10x the impact on
wetlands

– 10x the impact on the
floodplain area

– And potentially threaten the
Lake Manassas public water
supply


Environmental Impact


Experience tells us:

New highways also lead to:
• Speculative development
• Land is easily rezoned to accommodate such
development


Land Speculation Along the
Outer Beltway Route


In Prince
William, the road
would put
intense
development
pressure on the
Rural
Crescent, openin
g up 80,000
acres.


In Loudoun, the 22,813
acre Transition
Area, already under
assault in the
past, would feel the
pressure to develop at
suburban densities once
again.


But Everyone Agrees Our Transportation System Needs Work

Virginia ranks among the nation’s most congested regions

What Are Other Options to Reduce Traffic?

What Are the Other Options to Reduce Traffic?


By Enhancing Existing East-West Corridors
Potential Solutions:
• Additional lanes on Rt. 50, Rt. 7 and I-66 (Suburban Area)
• Intersection improvements -- e.g. at I-66 and I-28
• Completing Suburban Area Interchanges on Rt. 50 & 7
• Bus Rapid Transit/Metro
• Better local road connections
• Better land use
• Extend traffic calming to Lenah & Willowsford


Fund Multimodal Options

Silver Line—Metro to Loudoun
Funding needed from State?

VRE to Gainesville
Funding needed from State?


Metro
Metro, MARC & VRE:

114 Stations

= Being Planned

Encourage Full Utilization


Localized Congestion Solutions: Gilberts Corner

Completed: Roundabouts at Gilbert‘s Corner
Traffic Calming in Aldie


Fund Original Plans
VDOT has a 6 Year Plan

It includes 900+ statewide projects such as:
– additional lanes on I-66
– additional lanes on the Rt. 7 bypass in Leesburg
– additional lanes on Rt. 28
– intersection improvements at Rt. 215 and Rt. 29
– many badly needed bridge rehabilitations
– Route 606 expansion to four lanes

(the list did not include the Outer Beltway proposal)


Fund Original Plans
Loudoun has a Plan

Missing links and
bottlenecks in County Plan
add up to $1.46 Billion
according to County’s
Eastern Loudoun
Transportation Study.


Fund Original Plans
Prince William has a Plan

• Improvements to I-66
• Improvements to Rt. 28
• New Rt 1 & 123
Interchange
• Transit Improvements
– Expanded PRTC Routes
– New Park and Ride Lots
– Extending VRE to
Gainesville


What’s the best use of limited funds?

One Billion for….

OR

Completion of North- Localized
South Corridor Improvements Along
Heavily Used Routes


Alternatives Presented


Still in the Public Process—Input Critical to Outcomes


Proposed Access Corridor Alternatives to Dulles

Alternative 1- No Build


Proposed Access Corridor Alternatives to Dulles


Still in the Public Process—Input Critical to Outcomes

• Dulles Access Road
– Next meeting due in
March
– Decision by June
regarding location


Next up

(Photo by Cindy Vasko) PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

What Can You Do?
Contact:
• Congressman Frank Wolf, Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim
Kaine, Board of Supervisors

Action:
– Speak out at public input opportunities
– Oppose this one billion dollar project
– Ask for focus on your current commuter problems
– Local congestion solutions
– Oppose more State funding for VDOT with reform and better priorities
– Talk to your neighbors and spread the word
– Continue to participate in local planning
– Sign up for Land Use & Transportation alerts so we can keep you
informed as new information becomes available: www.pecva.org

Spread the word about this waste of transportation funding!


Outer Beltway Presentation 02-11-13

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