VIDEO: Jeff Speck's visit to Charlottesville

City of Charlottesville:

“City planner and urban designer Jeff Speck is a leading expert on how communities around the country can become more livable, walkable and economically viable.  Speck was the featured speaker at Charlottesville Tomorrow's 2014 Community Conversation held at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center on Sept. 4.

About 210 people attended the event last Thursday including a large contingent of faculty and students from the University of Virginia School of Architecture.”

~Writes Brian Wheeler of Charlottesville Tomorrow

Click here to view a video of this talk

Save the Date - Arlington Bike/Ped Visit

Arlington County:

“TMPD has partnered with CO Location and Design to coordinate an exciting trip to Arlington County to experience innovative bicycle and pedestrian treatments.  The field visit will be held on Tuesday October 28th.

I would like to invite you (and/or your co-workers or staff) to join us for this educational trip, where you will see firsthand how some of their work implementing bicycle and pedestrian treatments on projects.  The meeting will start early in the morning and adjourn after 3pm, so plan on setting aside the entire day.  More details will be provided once you RSVP.

Arlington County has agreed to show us how they have implemented:

 •         Bicycle parking

•         Bicycle Fit-it stations

•         Curb extensions

•         Bicycle lanes

•         Road diets

•         Buffered bike lanes

•         Widened sidewalks and street furniture as a part of development projects

•         Use of green paint in bicycle lanes in conflict points

•         Capital Bikeshare

•         A continuous 24/7 count program for bicycles and pedestrians

This trip will be an educational experience geared towards VDOT and local government designers and planners. It will showcase design treatments and approaches discussed in the DRPT Multimodal Design Standards, the NACTO Urban Bike Design Guide and the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide. This is a timely opportunity to learn about these treatments and approaches.  If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then a site visit is that much better.

To RVSP for this event please sign up using the Google form, here… Sign up early to confirm your space, as VDOT may have to restrict attendance depending on the response. ”

~John Bolecek, VDOT

VDOT is Conducting a Statewide Transportation Survey

VDOT:

“VDOT has released a statewide transportation survey that will help shape the next Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan, VTrans2040.  VTrans2040 represents a transportation vision for the future, and includes guiding principles that will influence transportation investment decisions. VDOT is seeking input from all types of travelers in the state.

The Survey is available at https://www.research.net/s/vtrans, and more information about VTrans can be found at www.vtrans.org. There will be three random drawings for survey participants, with winners receiving a $100 gift card.”

~TJPDC

Introduction to VDOT's TOATG v1.1

VDOT Event:

“BACKGROUND

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), in an effort to improve the overall quality and consistency of traffic operational analysis undertook development of the Traffic Operations Analysis Tool Guidebook (TOATG) v 1.1. This document was the result of a 16 month collaborative effort between VDOT, the FHWA and the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research. This is the first in a series of four webinars detailing VDOT's TOATG v1.1. The remaining webinars are tentatively scheduled for the first Tuesday of each month beginning in September between 1:30 and 3:30 PM EST.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES for Webinar #1 Introduction to TOATG v1.1 - Overview and Project Scoping include:

1). Understand why the TOATG was developed

2). Become familiar with the material covered in the TOATG

3). Understand how the TOATG can be used in a scoping meeting

4). Understand how the TOATG relates to other VDOT documents that impact traffic analysis

TARGET AUDIENCE

The audience for this webinar includes project managers, engineers and traffic modeling staff in both the public and private sector whose responsibilities include VDOT project management and oversight as they relate to navigating the intricacies of operational level analyses including appropriate analysis tool selection, standard tool assumptions & requirements and acceptable VDOT output formats.

You are receiving this invitation as your name was included in one or more of VDOT’s training lists associated with project management and/or traffic engineering analysis.

Webinar size is limited to the first 200 invitees who register. For additional information, please email Mark Richards, Senior Traffic Engineer, at Mark.Richards@VDOT.Virginia.gov.”

~VDOT

Click here to learn more

To register, click here

House passed HR 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act

National News:

“Today, the House passed HR 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 by a vote of 367 Yeas to 55 Nays.  HR 5021 extends through May 31, 2015, expenditure authority for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), as well as, the authorization for MAP-21 programs.  The bill provides almost $11 billion dollars, transferred from the general fund and the LUST Fund, to pay for the extension.   Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, offered a motion to recommit the bill to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and change the duration of the extension to the end of December, in order to keep the pressure on Congress to do a long-term bill in lame duck session after the elections in November.  The motion to recommit the bill failed by a vote of 193 Yeas to 227 Nays and was not adopted.

The President issued a statement in support of HR 5021, but maintained his commitment to working with Congress to passing a long-term bill.

The Senate Finance Committee approved a bill that also provides roughly $11 billion to extend the expenditure authority of the HTF.  However, Senator Boxer, Chairman of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, would prefer that MAP-21 programs expire mid-December to maintain pressure on Congress to pass a long-term surface transportation bill.  The EPW Committee reported a six-year bill early this year.

The Senate has several legislative options, now that the House has passed an extension.  It could simply pass the House bill and send it to the President, or it could take up the House bill and strike the language, and replace it with some version of a Senate bill and send it back to the House.  Given the strong vote in the House for HR 5021, there will be great pressure on the Senate to send the House bill to the President.  However, nothing is easy in the Senate, so stay tuned.”

~American Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations

Click here for aMPO’s website

2014 Bicycle Friendliness by State

League of American Bicyclists:

The League of American Bicyclists released their 2014 rankings for bikeability. Virginia dropped two spaces from last year’s rankings and is now listed as 18^th. “Every year, the League ranks all 50 states on their bikeability.  We do this based on a mutli-faceted Bicycle Friendly State℠ questionnaire that is answered by each state’s Bicycle Coordinator. We look at five categories: Legislation & Enforcement, Policies & Programs, Infrastructure & Funding, Education & Encouragement, and Evaluation & Planning.”

~ League of American Bicyclists

Click here to check out the rankings

Commonwealth Transportation Board calls for more project oversight after Route 460 problems

VDOT:

“The Commonwealth Transportation Board on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution calling for better oversight, transparency and risk assessment on public-private partnership transportation projects in the state. Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne proposed the resolution as a way to prevent a repeat of problems associated with the troubled $1.5 billion Route 460 project.

The resolution directs the Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships and the Virginia Department of Transportation to review all processes, policies and guidelines used to solicit, negotiate and implement such partnerships, called P3s and to more directly involve the CTB in the process.”

~Writes Cathy Grimes of the Daily Press

Click here to read this column

Arlington approves fixes to its ‘intersection of doom’

Arlington County:

“A week after a cyclist was hit at an Arlington crossing bikers refer to as the ‘intersection of doom’ and then ticketed by U.S. Park Police, county officials approved changes to the area. These modifications were in the works before the accident, and do not touch on the primary problem with the intersection — that cyclists on the Custis Trail have a green light at the same time as cars turning from I-66 onto the Key Bridge. But they will improve sight lines and make the bike and pedestrian crossing shorter.

The plan extends the curbs at the intersection to narrow the distance cyclists must cross. It also makes the turn sharper, which slows cars down. It also expands the trail leading up to the intersection, which gives bikes more space to wait, and lowers the buffer alongside it for better visibility. The plan also includes updates to the lights and signs at the intersection. Construction is supposed to begin in the spring of 2015 and end a year later.”

~Writes Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post

Click here to read this column

State considering second Lynchburg-to-D.C. Amtrak route

Amtrak:

“The state is in preliminary discussions about adding a second daily train from Lynchburg to Washington, D.C. The idea, raised during talks regarding U.S. 29 around Charlottesville, has no timeline or complete budget but officials say they will be actively pursuing the possibility.

‘It is something we will work hard to make accomplished,’ Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said during an appearance in Lynchburg last week. The current Amtrak line has been highly popular since it debuted in 2009 and praised for its high ridership and revenues. It is one of two passenger trains that pass through Lynchburg each day, but the only one dedicated to the Lynchburg to D.C. route.”

~ Writes Alicia Petska of The News and Advance

Click here to check out the rankings

In Portsmouth, biking's on a roll

City of Portsmouth:

“Virginia's nationally recognized bike-friendly cities - think Charlottesville, Alexandria and Williamsburg, among a few others - have a new riding partner. Portsmouth received a bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists for its investment in safety, education, infrastructure and pro-cycling policies.

The winners were announced as part of National Bike to Work Week, which culminates today. About one in three communities that apply gets an award. Most other Hampton Roads cities have never tried; Virginia Beach received an honorable mention in 2006.

Four years ago, Portsmouth had just 1.2 miles of bike lanes, Susan Wilson, the city's transportation planning manager, said. That network - including road markings and shared-use trails - now covers about 10 miles. Bike racks have proliferated, and this year, the city changed an ordinance to allow biking along its seawall.”

~Writes Dave Forster of The Virginian-Pilot

Click here to read this column

Metro’s new 7000 series train takes a test run through Union Station

Northern Virginia:

“Much excitement Wednesday for folks hoping to get a glimpse of Metro’s new 7000 series rail cars. A Metro spokeswoman confirmed that folks may see a test train moving through the system this week. But sorry to report: no passengers allowed … yet. The first of the new rail cars are expected to be running later this year, and more than half the fleet will be replaced by them by 2018.”

~Writes Lori Aratani of the Washington Post

Click here to read this column

More streetcar fallout ... but will it amount to anything but talk?

Arlington County:

“It came as no real surprise that Arlington Treasurer Frank O’Leary and Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy yesterday hopped on the small but growing bandwagon of elected officials supporting a referendum on the Columbia Pike streetcar issue. Each is a supporter of the congressional bid of Patrick Hope, who last week (along with County Board candidate Alan Howze) announced their support for the referendum idea. O’Leary had served as Howze’s campaign treasurer in the special election.

What we’re beginning to see is a splintering among elected officials. So far, candidates who are on the ballot this year (Hope in June and Howze in November) and next year (Morroy in November 2015) appear to see the writing on the wall, and are hoping to get out from under the public animosity that is being directed at the County Board. (O’Leary is expected to retire at or before the end of his term at the end of 2015, but he has always been willing and able to stick it to the County Board over the decades.)…

But let’s put it in perspective. Until we see the likes of state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th) or Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49th) – whose districts include the heart of the Pike corridor – come out for a referendum, it’s still a long way from reality. And County Board Democrats, who appear to remain in deep denial of what is going on, could just say no despite mounting pressure.”

~Writes Scott McCaffrey of InsideNova

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Feds Approve Critical Element Of Silver Line Financing; TIFIA Loan To Keep Toll Rates Lower

Loudoun County:

“The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved a $1.9 billion low-interest Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project—an action that will lessen rate hikes on the Dulles Toll Road.

It is the largest loan in the TIFIA program's history and will allow the MWAA  to proceed with its construction plans for Phase II of the 23-mile Silver Line extension to Dulles Airport and Ashburn.”

~Writes  Leesburg Today

Click here to learn more

Proposed budget change could help Beach roads

Virginia Beach:

“A budget change proposed Tuesday would bring long-sought improvements to Princess Anne Road and a quick fix for a dangerous portion of Sandbridge Road. The new expenses would not add to the $1.83 billion budget for fiscal year 2014-15 or increase real estate taxes. Instead, road taxes, fees and other revenue would be shifted from other projects toward what the city is calling greater priorities.

The biggest expense would be $14 million to widen Princess Anne Road to four lanes between General Booth Boulevard and Upton Drive. Land acquisition is nearly complete, and the upgraded road would likely open by summer 2015. The money would come from a combination of state revenue, an existing road fund and $9.4 million in bonds.

Although plans to improve the mile-long stretch of Princess Anne have been in the city's capital improvement plan since 2004, they've been trumped repeatedly by other projects, city officials said.”

~Writes John Holland of The Virginian-Pilot

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Williamsburg budget lays ground work for roads projects

City of Williamsburg:

“Included in the city's proposed fiscal 2015 budget is a slew of road projects that will eventually cost millions but start far more modestly. The total fiscal 2015 budget increases 1.45 percent over 2014, to a total of $50.4 million. Included in that is a $6.49 million capital budget funded primarily through a 1 percent sales tax.

City officials are looking at two big roads projects in the capital budget over the next few years, although neither will be built right away. The first would widen Ironbound Road between Richmond Road and Depue Drive to three lanes, at a cost of $3.5 million, according to the proposed budget. The project includes installing two left-hand turn lanes from Ironbound to Richmond Road, and shifting the intersection of Longhill Road to the west, presumably cutting closer to the front of WJC Schools Central Office at James Blair.

Officials originally believed it would pay to widen Ironbound using grant funds that required a 2 percent match (plus a 50 percent match for underground wiring), but funds dried up in 2010 and won't be again available until 2018, pushing the advertising date for the project to 2021.

In the meantime, the proposed budget includes $50,000 for early planning. The 2015 budget includes a similar $50,000 for preliminary planning at the intersection of Capitol Landing Road at Bypass Road.”

~Writes Cortney Langley of The Virginia Gazette

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Pike ‘Super Stops’ Redesigned, Cost Nearly Cut in Half

Arlington County:

“The county’s plan for ‘Super Stop’ bus stops on Columbia Pike, which led to the much-maligned $1 million Super Stop at the corner of the Pike and S. Walter Reed Drive, has been scrapped in favor of a more affordable design.

The county announced this afternoon that the new plan calls for building the 23 additional transit centers along the Pike for about 40 percent less than the previous budget, dropping the total price from $20.9 million to $12.4 million. The cost of individual stations will be between $362,000 and $672,000.

The freshly-redesigned stops — which were designed by the county and a consultant — will feature six covered, concrete seats, as opposed to the Super Stop’s steel seats. The canopies, which on the Super Stop did little to keep out the elements, will be lowered in height from 13 feet to 10 feet and the angle reduced from 10 degrees to 1.5 degrees. The total canopy coverage will also increase from 243 to 295 square feet on standard transit centers. In addition, side windscreens will be added to enhance weather protection.”

~Writes Ethan Rothstein of ArlingtonNow

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$203 million U.S. 29 recommendation unveiled

Albemarle County:

“A Rio Road interchange and extensions of Berkmar and Hillsdale drives form the heart of a $203 million plan unveiled Thursday as a first step toward unclogging Albemarle County’s main artery. Former Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Philip Shucet presented the package with a request for buy-in from a 10-member advisory panel tasked with finding solutions for the decades-old problem of congestion on U.S. 29. The state’s transportation board must approve the plan, and local officials also must sign off before the work can begin. Among its features:

• $43 million to complete projects included in the county’s Places29 plan
• $81 million for a Rio Road interchange and a total $145 million for new construction
• $10 million for preliminary engineering on a Hydraulic Road interchange”

~Writes K. Burnell Evans of the Daily Progress

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Residents seek ‘completion’ of E. High for safety, development

City of Charlottesville:

“Charlottesville develops a new bike and pedestrian plan, some residents who live off East High Street near the Rivanna River want planners to address obstacles to non-motorized access to the rest of the city.

Jessie Chapman’s home on Hazel Street in eastern Charlottesville is less than a mile away from restaurants in Belmont or on the Downtown Mall, but the architect said incomplete sidewalks prevent her from feeling like she lives in a ‘walkable’ city. ‘We are within walking distance, but we just don’t have a safe route,’ Chapman said.

In February, the City Council adopted a policy calling for ‘complete streets,’ meaning redevelopment should include new sidewalks, bike lanes, street-trees and other amenities.”

~Writes Sean Tubbs of Charlottesville Tomorrow

Click here to learn more

U.S. 29 options still face hurdles

Albemarle County:

“The road to a recommendation on how to unclog Albemarle County’s main artery is paved with big bucks, political turns and stubborn unknowns. A 10-member advisory panel formed earlier this year at the directive of state Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne meets this week for a fourth and final time to discuss how to alleviate congestion on U.S. 29, a riddle that’s lingered for decades.

Looming large over the talks is the prospect of so-called grade-separated interchanges at Hydraulic and Rio roads, both part of two big-ticket concepts being considered by the advisory committee. Those ideas have splintered groups once united – local business leaders and their peers in Lynchburg and Danville, many of whom favored the 6.2-mile Western Bypass of U.S. 29, a $244.5-million project killed earlier this year by the feds.

Panel members from out of town and the Southern Environmental Law Center favor the interchanges, but area business leaders fear the impact. Colorful diagrams presented to the panel do not depict the destruction local businesses could expect to endure, said Charlottesville Area Regional Chamber of Commerce President Timothy Hulbert.”

~Writes K Burnell Evans of the Daily Progress

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Loudoun Supervisors Eye Federal Funds For Park-And-Ride Lots

Loudoun County:

“The Board of Supervisors is interested in using federal funds to pay for the development of four park-and-ride lots in the county. Supervisors last week directed county staff members to submit an application for the 2014 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant program.

According to County Administrator Tim Hemstreet, the minimum TIGER grant amount is $10 million, which prompted the staff to include four different park-and-ride lots in the application. All grant funds must be used by FY21. Consideration was given to apply for money to purchase buses or construct Prentice Drive between the two planned Metro stops in Loudoun, but both were ultimately rejected. If the county had received federal funds for the buses, the entire system would become ‘federalized,’ requiring compliance with a number of federal regulations and procurement processes, supervisors were told.”

~Writes Erika Jacobson Moore of Leesburg Today

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Construction To Begin On Rt. 7 Widening, Interchange Roundabouts

Loudoun County:

“VDOT and Shirley Contracting will hold a pre-construction meeting for planned upgrades to Rt. 7 west of Leesburg at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15 at Loudoun County High School in Leesburg. Construction is expected to begin this month on a new westbound ‘climbing lane’ and roundabouts at the Rt. 9 interchange at Clarkes Gap. The new lane is designed to reduce afternoon rush hour congestion, while the interchange improvements should help with morning traffic flow. The project also includes reconfigured medians with barrier-separated left-turn lanes, and an extension of Fort Johnston Road that will connect Alysheba Drive to Leeland Orchard Road.

During the meeting, residents will get an overview of the project and the construction schedule and plans to manage traffic during the construction period, which continues through October, 2015.”

~Writes Leesburg Today

Click here for the article

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Report says two of Virginia’s worst bridges are on I-264 in Virginia Beach

Virginia’s Bridges:

“A new report ranks two overpasses on Interstate 264 in Virginia Beach among the worst in Virginia when it comes to the most traveled structurally deficient bridges in the state. The report released Thursday by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association says more than 63,000 bridges across the country are in urgent need of repair.

The ARTBA report used data from the 2013 National Bridge Inventory from the Federal Highway Transportation Administration. It also broke down the Top 10 most traveled structurally deficient bridges in each state. In Virginia, 7 of those bridges are in the Richmond area, 2 are in Hampton Roads and 1 is in the Northern Virginia Area.

Number 5 on the Virginia list is along Interstate 264 in Virginia Beach where it crosses over Lynnhaven Parkway. The ARTBA report says 133,892 vehicles cross over it every day. Number 6 on the Virginia list is also along Interstate 264 in Virginia Beach where it crosses over London Bridge Road. The ARTBA report says 105,572 vehicles cross over that span daily.”

~Writes WTKR Channel 3

Click here to learn more

To read the complete report from ARTBA, click here.

To see the Virginia break down from ARTBA, click here.

Valley leaders advocate for six-year plan projects

Shenandoah Valley:

“Representatives of Shenandoah Valley localities came to Harrisonburg Tuesday night to advocate for keeping road projects in Virginia’s six-year transportation plan and to advocate for new projects.

The government leaders participated in the hearing for the Staunton VDOT District. There is nearly $300 million in the six-year plan for the Staunton District, which includes Augusta County and the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro.

The six-year plan is in draft form now, but VDOT Staunton Spokesman Ken Slack said the plan will be finalized by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in June. While Augusta County leaders expressed appreciation Tuesday for the ongoing Interstate 64 improvements and bridge widening at Exit 91 in Fishersville, they also asked for other projects.

 Waynesboro leaders requested a 1.6-mile connector of Shenandoah Village Drive to link existing and new city industrial property in the southern part of the city. The connector would run from Route 340 (Exit 94 of I-64) to Delphine Avenue (Exit 96).”

~Writes Bob Stuart of the News Virginian

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Va. Beach proposes framework for light-rail grant deal

Virginia Beach:

“State Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne told area business leaders Wednesday that Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms had agreed to the general terms for a state grant of $155 million for a light-rail extension into the city. Hours later, the city released a draft two-page proposal that lays the framework of an agreement between the parties. A city spokesman said it reflected Beach officials' understanding of the terms as discussed by Sessoms, Layne and staff members with the city and state.

The document begins by saying it is not intended to be an offer, acceptance or binding agreement ‘of any kind,’ and is only ‘a summary of the basic terms of a possible transaction.’ Council members discussed the proposal in a closed session Tuesday. If the state agrees to the terms, the council would eventually vote on any deal in public, Councilman Jim Wood said.

The proposal says extending light rail to Town Center is estimated to cost $290 million, and that the state would contribute 50 percent of the cost, up to $155 million. It says the city would not request any state money for evaluation of alternative transit technologies, an indirect reference to trains that operate by magnetic levitation.”

~ Writes Dave Forster, Kathy Adams & Philip Walzer of The Virginian-Pilot

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VDOT fast-tracking I-64 widening project, hoping to ease Hampton Roads traffic

Hampton Roads:

“On Tuesday Jim Utterback, Virginia Department of Transportation Hampton Roads District director, and consultant project manager Steven Chapin briefed James City County supervisors on the state of the $144 million Interstate 64 widening project at their monthly meeting.

With both Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne pushing the effort to alleviate congested traffic in Hampton Roads, the project is gathering steam. It will widen I-64 to six lanes from the Jefferson Avenue exit to just south of the Lee Hall exit, roughly 5.5 miles. The new 12-foot lanes will be added inside the existing east and westbound lanes, and the agency will widen six bridges along the route.

Utterback said the department issued a request for qualifications and has had five bidders respond. He told the James City supervisors the department hopes to issue request for proposals this summer ‘with the goal of awarding the contract this December.’ VDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Gwaltney said construction may begin in early 2015. VDOT officials estimate the project will be complete in Winter 2018.”

~ Writes Cathy Grimes the Daily Press

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Rural bridge is model for Richmond Dam Walk

Richmond:

“A majestic pedestrian bridge that brushes through the treetops of Cumberland and Prince Edward counties offers a panoramic preview of the potential of a low-slung walkway above the James River torrents in downtown Richmond.

High Bridge and Brown’s Island are both steeped in Civil War history. The former railroad bridge was a strategic battleground near the end of the Civil War. Brown’s Island was the site of an 1863 explosion that killed at least 41 people, mostly women and children, at a Confederate munitions factory.

High Bridge towers 125 feet above the Appomattox River valley, spanning nearly half a mile. The original wooden bridge, built in 1853, was replaced in 1914 with a steel structure. Two years ago, it was renovated and widened to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and horses, and incorporated into a 31-mile multiuse trail that runs through Cumberland, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties.

The Brown’s Island Dam Walk, only about 17 feet above the James River, would create a 1,600-foot span for pedestrians and cyclists from Brown’s Island to Manchester, as part of a 20-mile cycling network. It would be built above a former Virginia Power dam that is disconnected from a popular footbridge extending about 60 yards from Brown’s Island.”

~Writes Michael Paul Williams of the Richmond Times Dispatch

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Arlington Streetcar supporters: Election results won’t change momentum of project

Arlington County:

“Supporters of the Columbia Pike streetcar say the April 8 County Board special election will not derail their efforts. And they have the math on their side. Arlington Streetcar Now, which supports the planned five-mile line connecting Pentagon City west to Skyline, said it hopes new County Board member John Vihstadt will keep an open mind on the proposal. During the campaign, Vihstadt said his preference was for an upgraded bus network throughout the Columbia Pike corridor.

Vihstadt’s election ‘does not change any of the facts that have led the Arlington County Board to conclude on numerous occasions that the streetcar system is needed,’ Arlington Streetcar Now said in a statement the day after the election. ‘We hope . . . that he reviews with an open mind the voluminous data showing that the streetcar system would do far more to promote the community’s vision than the enhanced bus service that he has favored,’ the group said.

Getting Vihstadt to hop on board the streetcar plan likely will be a hard sell. The special election appears to have taken the form of a proxy referendum on big-ticket spending projects, with the Columbia Pike streetcar proposal front and center.”

~Writes Scott McCaffrey of Inside Nova

Click here for more information

Following one or both tracks to Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach:

“Since proposals began landing on their desks last year, city officials have been weighing whether to extend traditional light rail into Virginia Beach or go with a magnetic levitation system, even though that technology is unproven. Now some officials are thinking, ‘Why not do both?’

A new idea favored by some city staff and council members would involve extending The Tide from Newtown Road to Town Center and creating a Union Station-like transportation hub there, while also moving forward with a magnetic-levitation, or maglev, pilot project at the Oceanfront. The hope is that, if maglev succeeded, it would eventually come to Town Center and branch out to the city’s naval bases, the Norfolk airport and Chesapeake.

Even though any concrete decision on a new mass transit system is far from being made, the dual approach is favored by Deputy City Manager Dave Hansen, Vice Mayor Louis Jones and At-Large Councilman Brad Martin. It’s helped along by the fact that American Maglev Technology and ACS Industrial Services, which are behind the maglev proposal, have offered to pay for the pilot project and, if it failed, remove the tracks.”

~ Writes Kathy Adams of the The Virginian-Pilot

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New Routes Studied for Harrisonburg Public Transit

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The CSPDC and the Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation, along with the consultant team from Renaissance Planning Group have been coordinating a Harrisonburg Transit Study through the Harrisonburg Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization (HRMPO). The purpose of the Study is to examine a new route to Rockingham Memorial Hospital and to reconfigure existing routes to improve efficiency. Harrisonburg currently has five city lines and would like to add a sixth. Route 1 is the busiest bus line in the city and serves downtown, the James Madison University (JMU) campus and the south and eastern portions of the city, including the Valley Mall and frequently experiences delays. Route 2 serves Rockingham Memorial Hospital and covers from downtown Harrisonburg and the JMU campus throughout the east and south of the city.

Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation (HDPT) is proposing to add a new route which will be referred to as Route 0. This line will likely service both the Valley Mall and Rockingham Memorial Hospital covering downtown, JMU and along Port Republic Road. The existing Routes 1 and 2 will be reconfigured slightly, and all three lines will provide increased coverage throughout the city and surrounding neighborhoods. This spring HDPT will hold a public workshop to present the new route and take comments on the proposal. The Harrisonburg Transit Study is expected to be completed in June and approved changes to the transit system go into effect sometime in the late summer.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Job Posting: Transit Program Coordinator/Transportation Planner.

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“As a professional member of a regional planning staff this position would primarily be responsible for the planning and administration of a regional transit service program and performing transit planning work for the rural transportation program and two metropolitan planning organizations within the district. Duties include writing and administering grants through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), providing oversight and project management of a contracted regional transit provider, developing and managing budgets for the public transit programs, conducting various planning studies related to transit, and managing a transportation demand management program for the region.  Effective knowledge of TDM strategies, FTA/DRPT operations, and MPO planning is desirable. Employee will also be required to provide staff support to advisory boards, councils, and committees.  Duties may include preparing reports and making presentations to elected officials, boards, committees, and outside organizations, including outreach and coordination to transit funding partners.  Applicants must possess the ability to carry out planning projects independently and to work well with local, state, and federal staff and the general public. Strong oral and written communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc. is required.  Master’s degree in planning or related field preferred, equivalent combination of education and work experience accepted. Local and/or regional planning experience and knowledge of FTA and DRPT grant programs a plus.  Salary:  $48,000-56,500 depending on qualifications.

To apply, send a resume with references to Bonnie S. Riedesel, Executive Director, Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, 112 MacTanly Place, Staunton, Virginia  24401 or bonnie@cspdc.org.  Position opened until filled.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Crews Mark City's First Buffered Bike Lanes on Rose Hill Drive

Charlottesville:

“Extra space will separate drivers from bicyclists on one stretch of street in Charlottesville. City crews are marking out the new buffered bike lanes on Rose Hill Drive. They'll be the first in Charlottesville. Striped pavement markings will create a buffer between the car traffic and bike lanes between Preston and Madison avenues. The city hopes cyclists will feel safer with that extra room.

‘The design for bike lanes has really evolved, and we're really excited we're able to implement something like this in our city. What it is basically is a three-foot buffer that provides extra breathing room between cars and bikes on the road,’ said Amanda Poncy, Charlottesville bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.

The city reminds drivers that the same rules of the road apply in the buffered zones - that includes always looking for and yielding to cyclists. Work will continue on Rose Hill through the week.”

~ Reports nbc29

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Heated Words Abound Following Bike Lane Vote

City of Alexandria:

“City councilors ended months of debate when they unanimously approved adding bike lanes to a section of King Street earlier this month, but at least one resident remains up in arms. F.H. Buckley, a professor at George Mason University, lambasted the controversial decision in the American Spectator last week. One of several nearby homeowners opposed to the project from its inception, Buckley blasted Alexandria’s top elected officials as well as cyclists for their behavior during the contentious deliberations…

The project, discussed at multiple public hearings before city councilors gave it the green light earlier this month, will see bike lanes installed from Janneys Lane to West Cedar Street. Pedestrian safety improvements also are slated for the short section of road. To make room for the lanes, 27 on-street parking spots will be removed. The loss of parking sparked the initial protest to the plan, though safety concerns took center stage as the project wound its way through City Hall.

The contentious debate eventually garnered national media attention. Buckley was among those stoking the fire last year, penning a letter to the editor published in the Wall Street Journal warning of impending ‘bike wars’ in communities across the country.”

~ Writes Derrick Perkins of the Alexandria Times

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Critics: McDonnell pushed ahead on U.S. 460 project despite regulators’ concerns

Route 460:

“An opponent of a controversial highway project in southeast Virginia said Monday that former governor Robert F. McDonnell (R) committed hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ and bond investors’ dollars even as federal regulators said the road faced serious environmental hurdles. Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s abrupt decision to put the expansion of U.S. 460 on hold in March has brought new scrutiny to a project that has cost Virginia $250 million without moving so much as a shovelful of dirt.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had expressed concerns about rebuilding U.S. 460 for years before McAuliffe (D) pulled the plug. But McDonnell and his transportation secretary kept pushing ahead so aggressively that the corps felt the need to remind the state in February 2013 that it had not yet applied for a permit for the $1.4 billion project, much less received permission to move ahead.

Now, critics say McDonnell and his administration appear to have misled bond investors about the project’s status to keep it alive. Project boosters dispute that assertion.”

~ Writes Laura Vozzella of The Washington Post

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VDOT Park and Ride Lot Finder Online

VDOT:

“Currently there are 21 Park & Ride lots in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District.  However, if you are traveling in other areas of Virginia, you may be interested in the Park & Ride resource center provided by VDOT. This resource center was created by VDOT in close partnership with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Virginia’s commuter resource agencies to better serve commuters, travelers and the communities across the Commonwealth. There are over 300 Virginia P&R lots available for your use, including state-owned, privately-owned and informal lots.

On their website, VDOT provides tools for easily locating Park & Ride lot locations and information as well as tips and resources on ridesharing. Users can search for a lot using an interactive map, clicking on a region in Virginia or searching by ZIP code.”

~ Thomas Jefferson PDC

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Mayor: Governor will help fund Va. Beach light rail

Virginia Beach:

“Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne have committed to help pay to bring light rail to Virginia Beach, Mayor Will Sessoms announced Thursday during his annual State of the City address. City officials have been eager to move forward with the transportation system. Hampton Roads Transit has estimated it would cost $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion to extend The Tide from Newtown Road to the Oceanfront, depending on the route.

During the lunchtime address at the Convention Center, Sessoms said the McAuliffe administration has given a ‘firm commitment’ to help pay for a Beach light-rail system. The mayor did not provide details of how much money or where it would come from. The remarks seemed to catch the governor’s office off guard. His staff said that while McAuliffe supports the concept of extending light rail, the governor needs to review a specific proposal. He has not committed any money, they said.”

~Writes Kathy Adams of the The Virginian-Pilot

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Planners Survey Bike Route 76 for Improvements

Thomas Jefferson PDC:

“Central Virginia planners are surveying 136 miles of a cross-country bike route that runs through the region. Bike Route 76 directs riders on some of the area’s busiest, curviest roads. One trouble spot planners have identified is Route 53, which winds its way from Route 20 to Monticello. There are no shoulders, the drop-offs are steep, and it has become a busy commuter road. But a study is looking at ways to make it safer for cyclists to pedal through our part of the cross-country bike route.”

~Writes NBC29

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Click here for another story from November 2013

Click here for the project website

VDOT Park and Ride Lot Finder Online

VDOT:

“Currently there are 21 Park & Ride lots in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District.  However, if you are traveling in other areas of Virginia, you may be interested in the Park & Ride resource center provided by VDOT. This resource center was created by VDOT in close partnership with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and Virginia’s commuter resource agencies to better serve commuters, travelers and the communities across the Commonwealth. There are over 300 Virginia P&R lots available for your use, including state-owned, privately-owned and informal lots.

On their website, VDOT provides tools for easily locating Park & Ride lot locations and information as well as tips and resources on ridesharing. Users can search for a lot using an interactive map, clicking on a region in Virginia or searching by ZIP code.”

~TJPDC

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TIGER Grant

Department of Transportation:

“The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER Discretionary Grant program) has up to $600 million available for capital projects related to highways, bridges, public transportation, rail, ports, and intermodal projects. A primary selection criterion specifically mentions addressing stormwater through natural means, avoiding impacts to water quality, and providing benefits like groundwater recharge, brownfield redevelopment, and stormwater mitigation including green infrastructure. Of this funding, $35 million is available for project and regional-level planning that include factors like stormwater and future risks and vulnerabilities like extreme weather and climate change. Eligible applicants are State, local, and tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, other political subdivisions of State or local governments, and multi-State or multi-jurisdictional groups applying through a lead applicant. TIGER applications are due April 28, 2014.”

~DOT

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Sustainable Transportation Summit

The Cabell Brand Center:

“Thursday March 27 – Sustainable Transportation Summit

The Cabell Brand Center and RIDE Solutions will host an all-day summit on the economic, environmental, and social value of implementing and encouraging transportation choice in the region. Keynote speakers include Nicholas Donohue, Virginia Deputy Secretary of Transportation; and Walter Kulash, Livable Transportation Movement. Full agenda is available on the website: www.cabellbrandcenter.org.  

Where: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute

When: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Cost: $25; seating is limited. Register@ www.cabellbrandcenter.org

Registration closes on March 24.

Contact: Jeremy Holmes, jholmes@rvarc.org”

~Cabell Brand Center

Court ruling in land dispute could threaten bike trails

U.S. Supreme Court:

“The Supreme Court's ruling in an obscure Wyoming land dispute Monday could result in the loss of thousands of miles of bicycle trails or cost the government millions of dollars in compensation. The justices ruled 8-1 that government easements used for railroad beds over public and private land in the West expired once the railroads went out of business, and the land must revert to its owners.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the case was decided based on an 1875 act of Congress and a 1942 Supreme Court decision involving Great Northern Railway. That ruling confirmed that the government merely had received easements without any long-term land rights, he said. The establishment in 1983 of the federal ‘rails to trails’ program didn't change the court's interpretation for easements that expired earlier. ‘We're going to stick with that today,’ Roberts said from the bench.

The decision could jeopardize the ‘rails to trails’ program, responsible for creating more than 1,400 bike and nature trails, many of them built along railroad rights-of-way.”

~Writes Richard Wolfe of USA Today

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Belmont Bridge replacement designs previewed

City of Charlottesville:

“Charlottesville officials have two new design concepts to mull as replacements for the Belmont Bridge. Local engineers from MMM Design presented the options Friday to a city design task force. The bridge proposals feature bike lanes and wide sidewalks and would provide space for new development.

‘The things that we heard at that meeting were to try to make the bridge shorter, keep it two lanes, integrate bike and pedestrian use well, and to try to bring the buildings along the street up to create a street edge in the future,’ said Jim Tolbert, the city’s director of Neighborhood Development Services.

The new work is the latest in a process that dates back to November 2010, when a design effort to replace the existing 1960s-era structure began. The Commonwealth Transportation Board has allocated $14.5 million to replace the bridge, which carries Route 20 over two city roads and railroad tracks. The original design created by MMM Design was not well received by some in the Belmont neighborhood, but fell within parameters laid out by the city.”

~Writes Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Our view: Pedal harder on bike safety

General Assembly:

“Biking enthusiasts were only one for three this year in lobbying the General Assembly for traffic safety laws that would cut their risks of injury when sharing the road with far heavier, faster motor vehicles.

The Virginia Bicycling Federation focused on three bills, reasonable measures all, that might have passed on a surge of goodwill this year, what with Richmond preparing to host one of the world's premier cycling events in 2015. Except that, well, there will be races for a couple of open congressional seats in November.

Though avid bicyclists might fall anywhere along the political spectrum from far right to far left, lawmakers are ever mindful with every piece of legislation in election years of where partisan advantage might lie. And in Virginia, every year is an election year. Republican Del. Barbara Comstock of Fairfax, not known as a bicycle friendly legislator in the past, sponsored a bill this year (HB 82) to apply the state's prohibition against following too closely to tailgating non-motor vehicles - e.g., bikes.

The bill passed in the usually hostile House, only to die in committee in the Democratic-controlled Senate, where, The Washington Post reports, Transportation Committee Chairman Creigh Deeds voted to pass it by indefinitely, despite his past support.”

~Writes Christopher Chung in an editorial of The Roanoke Times

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Rudee Inlet path will connect to Va. Beach Boardwalk

Virginia Beach:

“Picture walking to the Boardwalk from the Rudee Inlet marina district without dodging cars on Atlantic and Pacific avenues. Then, imagine catching a ride on a water taxi to visit the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. That vision is expected to become a reality in June. Construction is to begin the week of March 17 on a 10-foot-wide path connecting Rudee Loop, the gem of the resort’s south end, to the Boardwalk. The $1.4 million project includes a dock for a water taxi and a park where those waiting for the boat can relax.

The taxi, to be managed by the city, will take passengers from Rudee Inlet through Lake Rudee to the aquarium, on Owls Creek. It may be expanded in the future to include destinations along the marina district and Marsh View Park, said Dan Adams, city project manager.The handicapped-accessible path will meet the Boardwalk near 1st Street and Grommet Island Park, a playground with equipment for people with disabilities. A metal guardrail that runs along Rudee Loop will be replaced with wood, and LED pedestrian and street lights will be installed. Carolina Marine Structures is the general contractor on the project, which is scheduled to be completed some time in June.”

~Writes Stacy Parker of The Virginian-Pilot

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Parkway project attracts supporters

Town of Front Royal:

“The long-awaited Leach Run Parkway project likely could affect many area residents and property owners when complete. More than two dozen people showed up to a public information meeting for the project on Wednesday at the Warren County Community Center. Representatives with the project engineer, Pennoni Associates, as well as officials from Front Royal, Warren County and Economic Development Authority provided information and answered questions.

Plans call for the four-lane, divided parkway to connect Happy Creek Road to John Marshall Highway (Va. 55). The design includes sidewalks and bicycle paths as well as a median and trees. The project does not include a section to the north of Happy Creek Road and extending to the Shenandoah Shores area as shown in earlier designs. The Virginia Department of Transportation covers half of the $12 million cost. The county covers 66 percent and the town 34 percent of the remaining cost.

Most of the those attending spoke favorably about the project, saying the town and county have needed the north-south bypass for a long time. Michael Henderson lives on John Marshall Highway at the corner of the proposed intersection with Leach Run Parkway. Henderson said he bought the property about 12 years ago. The Virginia Department of Transportation must acquire his property to make way for the road, a retention pond and to create the sight distance needed for the intersection.”

~Writes Alex Bridges of the NV Daily

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