Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Upcoming Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Public Hearing
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| VDOT district office. |
VDOT will be holding a public hearing on various Concession Payment Projects of concern to local cyclists and pedestrians on Thursday, January 4, 2018. There will be an open house at 6 p.m. with the hearing begining at 6:30 p.m. at the VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, in Fairfax.
The purpose of the meeting is for the Commonwealth Transportation Board to gather comments on projects that will be funded by a concession fee to the Commonwealth as part of the financial agreement with Express Mobility Partners for the I-66 Express Lanes Outside the Beltway project. Based on public input, these projects, which are in the Commonwealth’s Six-Year Improvement Program, will be amended. Now is the time to speak up and make sure these new facilities are the best they can be.
Information on the following projects will be presented at the meeting:
- Commuter parking garage at Fairfax Corner
- George Snyder Trail in Fairfax City
- Jermantown Road (widen bridge over I-66 in Fairfax to four lanes)
- Monument Drive bridge pedestrian improvements in Fairfax
- Rt. 50/Waples Mill Road intersection improvements in Fairfax
- Poplar Tree Road (widen bridge over Route 28 in Fairfax to four lanes)
- Lee Highway pedestrian improvements in Fairfax
- Nutley Street Southwest multi-use trail to Metro in Vienna
FABB encourages members and other interested cyclists in the areas around these projects to attend the hearing. If you cannot attend, you can email comments to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov. Please reference “I-66 Concession Projects” in the subject line. You also can mail comments to Maria Sinner at VDOT’s District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 through January 8, 2018.
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, Express Mobility Partners, i-66 outside the beltway, vdot
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Comment on Fairfax Co Transportation Projects on November 16
From VDOT:
Funding the Right Transportation Projects
You are invited to share your input on transportation improvements during pub- lic meetings held by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The meetings will begin with an open house, displaying a list of proposed local and regional projects that will be scored through a new prioritization process under a new law called House Bill Two (HB2). The open house will be followed by a town hall session, where you can engage in discussion and ask questions about the projects. There will be no formal comment period.
Monday, November 16, 2015, 6-8 p.m.
NOVA District Office
4975 Alliance Drive Fairfax, VA 22030
You are invited to share your input on transportation improvements during pub- lic meetings held by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The meetings will begin with an open house, displaying a list of proposed local and regional projects that will be scored through a new prioritization process under a new law called House Bill Two (HB2). The open house will be followed by a town hall session, where you can engage in discussion and ask questions about the projects. There will be no formal comment period.
Monday, November 16, 2015, 6-8 p.m.
NOVA District Office
4975 Alliance Drive Fairfax, VA 22030
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, hb 2
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
VDOT Six Year Improvement Program hearings Thursday evening
Northern Virginia District
Thursday, April 24, 2014, 6pm
VDOT Northern Virginia District Office
4975 Alliance Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, six year plan, vdot
Friday, May 3, 2013
A look at the Commonwealth Transportation Board members
The 17-member Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) is appointed by the governor. They set the "administrative policies for Virginia's transportation system. The CTB allocates highway funding to specific projects, locates routes and provides funding for airports, seaports and public transportation. When FABB ask for funding from VDOT for bicycle projects, those hearings are held before the CTB. The CTB updates the VDOT Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) every year. "The CTB allocates funds for the first fiscal year of the SYIP but the remaining five years are estimates of future allocations." See a summary of this decision-making process in the first part of this presentation.The Tysons Corner recently published "Commonwealth Transportation Board: Who Are They?" a look at the members of the Board:
The CTB is similar to a board of directors for a college, possessing no ability to enact policy or make final budget decisions, but capable of guiding the conversation, acting as go-betweens in the process from public need to master plan to construction. At least that is the intended purpose.
Over the past decade there has been growing discontent from the public that transportation needs are not being adequately met. Some projects which face local opposition are strong armed through politically, while others that enjoy near universal approval (such as a comprehensive plan for the Safe Routes to School project) are ignored or otherwise unfunded.
So who are these appointed members who are meant to make our transportation network work better? And why is Virginia’s transportation network, specifically Northern Virginia’s, continuously ranked below average or near the bottom even though our spending per capita on transportation (at approximately $4 billion per year) is consistently at the top.
Gary Garczynsky
Mr. Garczynsky isn’t just from the home building and real estate industry, he’s a hall of famer. As Northern Virginia’s representative on the CTB he has been silent on popular small scale transit solutions such as Light Rail in Arlington, bus route expansion, or urban development. That might be because when you develop over 6000 houses and serve as president of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association AND president of the Home Builders Association of Virginia, you often find yourself out pushing the fringes of the existing development zones. Which might explain why he is such a vocal proponent of the Outer Beltway, a project that will benefit less than 0.3% of the Northern Virginia population, while using up over $1 billion dollars of much needed funds. The project will come very close to his offices in Woodbridge (a town on the cross roads of the Prince William Parkway and I-95).
Gary Garczynsky
Mr. Garczynsky isn’t just from the home building and real estate industry, he’s a hall of famer. As Northern Virginia’s representative on the CTB he has been silent on popular small scale transit solutions such as Light Rail in Arlington, bus route expansion, or urban development. That might be because when you develop over 6000 houses and serve as president of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association AND president of the Home Builders Association of Virginia, you often find yourself out pushing the fringes of the existing development zones. Which might explain why he is such a vocal proponent of the Outer Beltway, a project that will benefit less than 0.3% of the Northern Virginia population, while using up over $1 billion dollars of much needed funds. The project will come very close to his offices in Woodbridge (a town on the cross roads of the Prince William Parkway and I-95).Labels: commonwealth transportation board, six year plan, vdot
Friday, November 9, 2012
VDOT Six-Year Improvement Program public hearing on Tues. Nov 13
This is an opportunity to let the CTB know that bicycling is an important part of Virginia's transportation system. Accommodations for bicyclists should be included in all VDOT projects. When new projects are planned, they should not make conditions worse for bicyclists.
VDOT has a policy for integration bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. Most new road projects in Fairfax include some bicycle accommodations. However, most large road projects have a negative impact on bicycling and walking. It's important that cyclists speak out in favor of creating a bicycle-friendly Fairfax.
See the Six Year Improvement Program database to find projects in Fairfax.
On that same night is the Transit Network Study public meeting in Vienna. A second meeting is scheduled for Thursday in Springfield.
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, six year plan, vdot
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Virginia Transportation Plan public hearing wrap-up
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| Fionnuala Quinn testifies before CTB |
More than half of the speakers wanted better bicycle, pedestrian, and transit solutions. Roger Deitrick and David Dixon of the Sierra Club testified as did Fionnuala Quinn and myself from FABB, Pat Turner of BikeLoudoun, and Jenifer Madden of the Tysons Metrorail Station Access Management team. Chairman Bulova, Supervisor McKay and several other speakers stressed the need to fund Tysons access projects, including those in the Tysons Bicycle Master Plan.
Folks from the car lobby once again advocated for the sprawl-inducing outer beltway. With our current system badly in need of maintenance funds they and their developer supporters want to build a new north south highway to feed new development in Loudoun County. Carol Welty of the Washington Airports Task Force even advocated for a 6-8 lane freeway circling Dulles airport. Bob Chase of Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance has been the biggest booster of the outer beltway, including a new crossing of the Potomac into Montgomery Co.
See our complete testimony on the Six-Year Improvement Program.
See also Greater Greater Washington's excellent summary of the CTB's reversal of having connected neighborhood streets that was the subject several speaker's comments last night: Virginia turns back toward the 1950s by weakening road connection standards, neglecting populated areas.
Update: See coverage of the meeting in Vienna Patch: NOVA Weighs In On Allocation of VDOT Transportation Funds.
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, six year plan, Tysons, vdot
Monday, October 24, 2011
VDOT Multimodal Transportation Investments hearing
This is a chance to tell the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) how you think they should be spending our transportation dollars. The car lobby will be there to promote spending more money on the "I-66 corridor (inside and outside the Beltway), the Bi-County and Tri-County Parkways, [widening] Routes 1, 7, 9 and 15, as well as new Potomac River bridges."
We'll be asking for more funds to improve bike conditions in Northern Virginia, including funding the recommendations of the Tysons Bicycle Master Plan, improved maintenance, implementing the Bicycle Policy Plan, and providing bike facilities on major roads that cyclists are forced to use since our neighborhoods don't connect. It would be good for the CTB to hear from some new voices. If you can't attend the meeting, you can send comments to Six-YearProgram@VDOT.Virginia.Gov. You can see all Fairfax projects in the plan by visiting the Six-Year Plan database, selecting District: Northern Virginia and Jurisdiction: Fairfax County.
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, six year plan, vdot
Friday, October 1, 2010
Proposed $4M Cut to VA Bike-Ped Project Funding
We received this message from Virginia Bicycling Federation today about proposed cuts to Transportation Enhancement funding for bike/ped projects in Virginia. Please write to the Commonwealth Transportation Board to ask them to oppose this proposed policy change:Proposed $4M Cut to VA Bike-Ped Project Funding
Send a Letter by October 19 to Oppose Changes
Bike Club/Race Team President:
The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) is proposing major policy changes to the Transportation Enhancement (TE) fund that could severely cut funding for bike and pedestrian projects in Virginia. I need you and your members to take a few minutes and send an email or note to the CTB and stop this before it's too late.
We need you to send a note to the CTB opposing this by October 19.
Please ask the Chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton (SEAN.CONNAUGHTON@GOVERNOR.VIRGINIA.GOV) and the entire Board to oppose these changes. Let them know that you want these funds to be used for core bike and pedestrian projects, not to develop scenic highway programs or to pay for tourist brochures.
I have attached a sample note at the end of this email.
Background
Each year, a portion of the federal Surface Transportation Program funds are set -aside for transportation enhancement projects. TE funds are one of the primary sources of funding for bikepaths, sidewalks and trail in Virginia. Normally, this amounts to $15 - $20 million per year
The CTB annually receives 150 - 200 requests for proejects each year but can only fund around 100 of these requests.
In July, the Governor asked that $4M - nearly a quarter of the available funds - be spent on, "high priority statewide initiatives (tourism based initiatives, etc." to build tourist centers, and funding programs such as promoting scenic roads and cultural attractions.
The VBF doesn’t oppose promoting tourism, but Virginia already budgets over $18M for the Virginia Tourism Corporation to do this. They don't need our TE funds to print more brochures.
Please share this with your members and ask them to send a note today.
Thanks for taking the time to make a difference.
Sincerely,
Champe Burnley
President,
VA Bicycling Federation
PO Box 7282
Richmond, VA 23221
804.358.5801
www.vabike.org
Here's a sample note send to the Board:
========================================
Secretary Sean Connaugton and
Members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board
Virginia Department of Transportation
1401 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 233219
c/o
sean.connaugton@governor.virginia.gov
Mr. Secretary and Members of the CTB:
Please share this message with the entire CTB.
I urge the Commonwealth Transportation Board to oppose the proposed changes to the Transportation Enhancement Funding policy but instead prioritize these funds on key projects which build facilities to promote walking, cycling and alternatives to driving our cars.
Riding bicycles and walking benefits the Commonwealth in many ways including:
- health benefits;
- reduced health care costs;
- increasing the number of children who can safely walk or ride their bikes to school;
- decreased smog and air pollution;
- decreased dependence on foreign oil;
- less congestion on our roads by getting people out of their cars;
- tourism income by attracting visitors to ride and hike in Virginia;
- increased revenues by attracting businesses and individuals to relocate to our Virginia and
- a better quality of life for everyone
As a resident of Virginia, I want to have choices in transportation and the Transportation Enhancement Fund should be used to fund alternative transportation facilities.
Please prioritize these limited funds on key projects that benefit the Commonwealth and citizens by moving people, not paper.
Sincerely,
Just last year, under Governor Kaine, the Commonwealth Transportation Board did just the opposite and approved proposed changes to the Transportation Enhancement Program policy that would provide more funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. After McDonnel took office, he decided there was too much money for bike/ped projects and instead suggested that money be used to fund rest stops for motorists.Send a Letter by October 19 to Oppose Changes
Bike Club/Race Team President:
The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) is proposing major policy changes to the Transportation Enhancement (TE) fund that could severely cut funding for bike and pedestrian projects in Virginia. I need you and your members to take a few minutes and send an email or note to the CTB and stop this before it's too late.
We need you to send a note to the CTB opposing this by October 19.
Please ask the Chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton (SEAN.CONNAUGHTON@GOVERNOR.VIRGINIA.GOV) and the entire Board to oppose these changes. Let them know that you want these funds to be used for core bike and pedestrian projects, not to develop scenic highway programs or to pay for tourist brochures.
I have attached a sample note at the end of this email.
Background
Each year, a portion of the federal Surface Transportation Program funds are set -aside for transportation enhancement projects. TE funds are one of the primary sources of funding for bikepaths, sidewalks and trail in Virginia. Normally, this amounts to $15 - $20 million per year
The CTB annually receives 150 - 200 requests for proejects each year but can only fund around 100 of these requests.
In July, the Governor asked that $4M - nearly a quarter of the available funds - be spent on, "high priority statewide initiatives (tourism based initiatives, etc." to build tourist centers, and funding programs such as promoting scenic roads and cultural attractions.
The VBF doesn’t oppose promoting tourism, but Virginia already budgets over $18M for the Virginia Tourism Corporation to do this. They don't need our TE funds to print more brochures.
Please share this with your members and ask them to send a note today.
Thanks for taking the time to make a difference.
Sincerely,
Champe Burnley
President,
VA Bicycling Federation
PO Box 7282
Richmond, VA 23221
804.358.5801
www.vabike.org
Here's a sample note send to the Board:
========================================
Secretary Sean Connaugton and
Members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board
Virginia Department of Transportation
1401 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 233219
c/o
sean.connaugton@governor.virginia.gov
Mr. Secretary and Members of the CTB:
Please share this message with the entire CTB.
I urge the Commonwealth Transportation Board to oppose the proposed changes to the Transportation Enhancement Funding policy but instead prioritize these funds on key projects which build facilities to promote walking, cycling and alternatives to driving our cars.
Riding bicycles and walking benefits the Commonwealth in many ways including:
- health benefits;
- reduced health care costs;
- increasing the number of children who can safely walk or ride their bikes to school;
- decreased smog and air pollution;
- decreased dependence on foreign oil;
- less congestion on our roads by getting people out of their cars;
- tourism income by attracting visitors to ride and hike in Virginia;
- increased revenues by attracting businesses and individuals to relocate to our Virginia and
- a better quality of life for everyone
As a resident of Virginia, I want to have choices in transportation and the Transportation Enhancement Fund should be used to fund alternative transportation facilities.
Please prioritize these limited funds on key projects that benefit the Commonwealth and citizens by moving people, not paper.
Sincerely,
Update: We just sent a message to the above email address and it bounced. We're searching for a better address for the VA Transportation Secretary.
Update II: The correct address appears to be SEAN.CONNAUGHTON@GOVERNOR.VIRGINIA.GOV. We converted it to lower case and that apparently made a difference. I thought email addresses were case insensitive.
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, transportation enhancements
Friday, July 9, 2010
Gov. McDonnell proposes using enhancement funds for welcome centers
At their November 19, 2009 meeting the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) voted to adopt a new policy regarding the use of Transportation Enhancement funds. Instead of using funds for many non-transportation related projects, they would "Apply any funding for new projects to those that promote core transportation functions."Now Governor McDonnell wants to use these funds for tourist and welcome centers: "Regional Tourism and Welcome Center Partnership - Use transportation enhancement grants to further tourism outreach through the establishment of partnerships between tourism entities along Virginia's interstates. These grants will be used to develop scenic/historic highway programs such as locating commercial regional tourist/welcome centers at interchanges."
This is in direct opposition to the new CTB policy. We sent the following email to Commissioner Whirley, vice-chair of the CTB:
Commissioner Whirley,
Today I read that Governor McDonnell is proposing to use Transportation Enhancement funds "...to further tourism outreach through the establishment of partnerships between tourism entities along Virginia's interstates. These grants will be used to develop scenic/historic highway programs such as locating commercial regional tourist/welcome centers at interchanges."
I know that the CTB recently approved a policy to "Apply any funding for new projects to those that promote core transportation functions." To my knowledge, tourist/welcome centers were not included in that definition. Since enhancement funds play a critical role in developing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, it would be unfortunate if these funds are diverted to funding other non-core transportation projects. I urge you to continue to fund much needed bicycle and facility projects that play an important role in solving our congestion and air quality problems and lead to healthier Virginians.
Sincerely,
Bruce Wright
Today I read that Governor McDonnell is proposing to use Transportation Enhancement funds "...to further tourism outreach through the establishment of partnerships between tourism entities along Virginia's interstates. These grants will be used to develop scenic/historic highway programs such as locating commercial regional tourist/welcome centers at interchanges."
I know that the CTB recently approved a policy to "Apply any funding for new projects to those that promote core transportation functions." To my knowledge, tourist/welcome centers were not included in that definition. Since enhancement funds play a critical role in developing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, it would be unfortunate if these funds are diverted to funding other non-core transportation projects. I urge you to continue to fund much needed bicycle and facility projects that play an important role in solving our congestion and air quality problems and lead to healthier Virginians.
Sincerely,
Bruce Wright
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, transportation enhancements
Thursday, November 19, 2009
CTB approves Transportation Enhancement policy change
At their meeting today the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved proposed changes to the Transportation Enhancement Program policy that will provide more funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. Starting in FY2013, VDOT will:Apply any funding for new projects to those that promote core transportation function:
An additional category was added to the list, Acquisition of Scenic or Historic Easements and Sites. The change will reduce the number of possible project categories from 12 to 5 and should significantly increase the funds available for bicycle projects.- Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety and Education
- Landscaping and Scenic Beautification along Transportation Corridors (including streetscape improvements)
- Preservation of Abandoned Railway Corridors and Conversion to Trails (traditional rails-to-trails and rails-with-trails projects)
Later in the meeting the CTB approved a major portion of the Virginia Capital Trail, that will stretch from Richmond to Williamsburg.
Labels: commonwealth transportation board, transportation enhancements
