Vienna Road Projects Take Step Forward

Town of Vienna:

“The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last week approved $1.4 billion to fund transportation projects for FY 2015 to FY 2020. Among them were two road projects in Vienna, plus one transit project in the local area. In fall 2012, Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) staff held nine public meetings countywide regarding county residents’ transportation needs. It also conducted an online survey.

With the passage of House Bill 2313 by the Virginia General Assembly in spring 2013, Fairfax County was designated to receive an infusion of state transportation dollars. So FCDOT held additional public meetings in fall 2013 to garner community input to prioritize the unfunded transportation projects residents had requested in 2012.

The Supervisors’ approval of these and other transportation-project priorities, last Tuesday, Jan. 28, culminated a nearly two-year outreach called the Countywide Dialogue on Transportation. The Board’s action will move many of these much-needed transportation improvements from the planning stage to the construction phase over the next six years.”

~Writes Bonnie Hobbs of The Connection

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Four Contractors Vie For Silver Line Rail Yard Complex

Northern Virginia:

“The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced today that four construction teams have been approved to bid on the design and construction of the Silver Line rail yard and maintenance facility at Dulles Airport. The teams were selected following based on responses to a request for qualifications. The contractors are:

• Capital Rail Constructors—Clark Construction Group. LL and Kiewit Infrastructure South Co.;
• Hensel Phelps Construction Co.;
• Metrorail Constructors Group JV—Turner Construction Co., Southland Industries, and Freestate Electrical Construction Co.; and
• Skanska USA Southeast Co.

Capital Rail Constructors is the contractor team building Package A of the Silver Line’s Phase 2 extension from Reston to Ashburn. That contract includes construction of the rail line, stations and systems.

The award of the Package B contract, which is expected to cost between $260 million and $280 million, is anticipated in July with completion of the project anticipated in 2018.”

~Writes Leesburg Today

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Does Metrorail or driving work best for commuters starting south of Beltway?

Northern Virginia:

“We invited travelers to suggest commutes we could test for them, to compare routes or travel modes. On Thursday morning, Post reporter Mark Berman and Robert Thomson, Dr. Gridlock, took up a reader’s suggestion to test routes between the Kingstowne area, south of the Capital Beltway in Northern Virginia, and downtown D.C.

As a starting point, we chose a McDonald’s parking lot at the corner of Franconia and Brookland roads. The finish line was the lobby of The Post, at 15th and L streets Northwest. Berman drove all the way. Thomson drove to a Metro garage and took the Blue Line. We’ll be testing other readers’ suggestions and can add a bike route. Send ideas to ­drgridlock@washpost.com.”

~Writes Robert Thomson and Mark Berman of The Washington Post

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Metro Garages Pulled From Dulles Rail Project; County To Finalize Federal Funding Application

Loudoun County

“To help ensure that there will be federal funding for the project, the Board of Supervisors last week voted to remove the cost of constructing the three parking garages associated with Loudoun’s stations on Metro’s Silver Line extension, and find another way to finance them.

During 2011 negotiations on the Memorandum of Agreement between local and federal entities on the Metrorail project, the cost of constructing the parking garages was taken out of the Phase 2 construction program in an effort to cut the project’s overall price tag. Loudoun and Fairfax counties agreed to seek alternative funding for the parking garages, including forming public-private partnerships with area landowners and developers, or paying for them through local capital project budgets. If the funding could not be found, the costs would revert to the overall Metro project.

In meetings with the U.S. Department of Transportation this summer to discuss the potential to secure additional funding through the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, or TIFIA, to help offset the overall costs of the Metro construction project, the federal agency told Loudoun representatives the final decision to remove the garages would have to be made before the application could be submitted.”

~Writes Erika Jacobson Moore of Leesburg Today

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New Blacksburg Transit Mobile App in the works

Town of Blacksburg

“Blacksburg Transit are working with developers at ACI and NOMAD to finish making the final tweaks on the new mobile app called ‘BT4U.’ Blacksburg transit officials have been working with developers since early December of 2013 to make final tweaks to the app. Officials say the app will help commuters plan their trips all from their smart phones without going online to find out bus times. The app is expected to launch on the I-phone or Android in mid to late February.”

~Writes Duke Carter of WSLS 10

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Delays with Silver Line

Northern Virginia
The Metro Silver Line
"The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is again pushing back its expected completion date for construction of the new Silver Line through Tysons Corner."
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Funding for Silver Line in Loudon County

Loudoun County

"Loudoun's Board of Supervisors in the months ahead must decide whether to pursue a federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan to help contain costs associated with Metro's Silver Line extension into Loudoun County."

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Board to decide in 2014 on Metro funding, parking garages

Loudoun County

“Loudoun's Board of Supervisors in the months ahead must decide whether to pursue a federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan to help contain costs associated with Metro's Silver Line extension into Loudoun County. If the county moves ahead with seeking the federal dollars, it will have to include the cost of constructing parking garages in its overall share of the Silver Line project's tab.”

~Writes Trevor Baratko of the Loudoun Times

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