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November
29, 2017
Ms. Susan Shaw, P.E., Megaprojects Director
VDOT Northern Virginia District
4975 Alliance Drive
Fairfax VA 22030
Re:
I-66 Trail in Prince William County
I’m
writing, as a founding board member of Active Prince William, to comment on the
proposed bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the Transform I-66 Outside
the Beltway project, including the provision of a continuous, high-quality
shared-use path (aka the “I-66 Trail”) closely parallel to all widened portions
of I-66 in Prince William County. Active
Prince William, a local grassroots organization, advocates for multimodal
transportation alternatives to driving personal motor vehicles in the Prince
William County area.
Active
Prince William sincerely appreciates the efforts of the Transform 66 project
team to develop a concept plan for a continuous shared-use path along I-66
outside the Beltway. In Prince William
County, most of this “I-66 Trail” will likely eventually be built—typically as
part of other road expansion projects—as future sidepaths along nearby
parallel roads, including Balls Ford Road, Groveton Road, Pageland Lane,
US-29/Lee Highway, and Heathcote Boulevard.
I-66
Trail Crossing of Bull Run
Unfortunately, the proposed I-66 Trail concept plan has a very serious implementation gap in the vicinity of Bull Run. Any effort to create this I-66 Trail connection across Bull Run in the future as a separate project is likely to be stymied and delayed for many years by a need to acquire the right-of-way for this trail segment from sensitive historic federal and/or regional parkland, to avoid or mitigate “adverse environmental impacts” to historic and natural resources, and to construct a separate bridge structure in the historic Bull Run floodplain. Moreover, unlike the Transform 66 project, in which VDOT already owns all necessary right-of-way, the required environmental study would likely lack the powerful backing of the Federal Highway Administration. Thus, if an I-66 Trail crossing of Bull Run is not incorporated as an integral component of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway construction project, it seems likely that no I-66 Trail connection between Fairfax and Prince William Counties will be created for decades to come.
According
to the engineering displays at VDOT’s November 13-16, 2017 Design Public
Hearings, VDOT already owns adequate I-66 right-of-way in the vicinity of Bull
Run and to the east at least as far as Cub Run and probably to Compton Road so
that a shared-use path could be attached to at least one side, if not both
sides, of I-66 in this area within VDOT’s existing right-of-way. Since I-66 will continue to lack noise walls
in this area, the excessive air and noise pollution associated with closely
sandwiching the I-66 Trail between the I-66 travel lanes and a noise wall would
not apply at this location.
On
the west side of Bull Run, VDOT owns considerable right-of-way in the vicinity
of the two I-66 rest areas to readily allow routing I-66 Trail segments on each
side of I-66 to connect to the eastern ends of Vandor Lane (on the north side
of I-66) and Balls Ford Road (on the south side of I-66). The connection to Vandor Lane would provide
vital non-motorized access from western Fairfax County to the Manassas Campus
of Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) and to other regional destinations
near Sudley Rd on the north side of I-66.
Without any—much less adequate—bicycle and pedestrian accommodations to cross
I-66 in the vicinity of Sudley Rd (Business Route 234), the NVCC campus and
other nearby destinations will remain inaccessible except by motor vehicle and
infrequent PRTC bus service.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1)
At a minimum, a shared-use path adjacent to I-66 should be constructed
concurrently with--and as an integral design element of--the construction of
the two new I-66 bridges over Bull Run, to provide I-66 Trail connections
between each I-66 rest area and the reconstructed Bull Run Drive overpass of
I-66.
2)
This Transform 66 construction project should incorporate the
construction of shared-use paths connecting the shared-use paths built on the
new I-66 bridges over Bull Run, through the two I-66 rest areas, to Vandor Lane
and to Balls Ford Road, on the north and south sides of I-66, respectively.
3)
Since the Fairfax
County Comprehensive Plan, Countywide Trails Plan element, has called for a
major regional shared-use path along I-66 for nearly two decades,
VDOT should integrate the construction of this long-planned shared-use path,
within VDOT right-of-way, adjacent to at least one side of the rebuilt and
widened I-66 in Fairfax County, between Bull Run Drive and Compton Road.
Non-Motorized
Access Across I-66 at Sudley Road and Elsewhere
The
Sudley Road (Business Route 234) underpass of I-66 has lacked much-needed
pedestrian or bicycling accommodations to cross I-66 for decades, and the
failure to specify and provide any improvements for crossing pedestrians and
bicyclists at this location is a serious deficiency of this project.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1)
In the short-term, as part of the current project, build continuous
sidewalks along both sides of Sudley Rd and through the underpass of I-66,
between Balls Ford Rd and Battleview Parkway, with marked crosswalks and “Yield
to Pedestrians” signs installed at all roadway crossings.
2)
A separate project to construct a relatively direct, grade-separated
crossing of I-66 for pedestrians and bicyclists in the vicinity of Sudley Rd,
to connect Balls Ford Rd and Battleview Parkway, should be developed in the
near future. Such a project should be
eligible for funding from part of the future I-66 toll revenue.
3)
As western Prince William County continues to develop, suitable
pedestrian and bicycle facilities should be added at other I-66 road crossings,
including Groveton Rd, Catharpin Rd, and Jefferson Street/Old Carolina
Road. Such accommodations could be
incorporated into concurrent road widening projects or funded as separate,
standalone projects, potentially with future I-66 toll revenue.
Future
Improvements to the I-66 Trail in Prince William County
Most
of the proposed I-66 Trail in Prince William County does not yet exist and will
not be built or funded as part of the Transform 66 project or as part of the
proposed upcoming widening of some Balls Ford Road segments.
As
proposed, the I-66 Trail in Prince William County would have unpleasant,
hazardous, and delaying signalized at-grade crossings of several major arterial
roads, including Sudley Rd (Bus 234), Groveton Rd, and Rte 29, as well as
at-grade crossings of several local roads. With future development along
this route, additional and wider at-grade road crossings seem likely.
The
future I-66 Trail extension segment--along Heathcote Blvd between Gainesville
and Haymarket—would also have similar at-grade crossings of both arterial roads
(Heritage Hunt Dr, Catharpin Rd, Old Carolina Rd, and Rte 15/James Madison Hwy)
and local streets and driveways.
Similarly,
the short I-66 Trail segments that Express Mobility Partners will build along
University Blvd and Rte 29, as part of the massive new Gainesville park &
ride lot, will have at least three at-grade crossings of busy roads (Rte 29 at
University Blvd and the express-lane entrance and exit ramps at University
Blvd).
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1) Use future I-66 toll revenue or other funding
sources to design and construct all missing I-66 Trail segments, even in the
absence of concurrent road widening. A
short-term priority is to retrofit the I-66 Trail along the segment of Balls
Ford Road east of Sudley Road.
2) Use future I-66 toll revenue or other funding
sources to design and construct grade-separated I-66 Trail crossings of busy,
high-speed roadways, such as to cross Sudley Road at Balls Ford Road.
Thank
you for considering our comments as you finalize the design of the Transform 66
Outside the Beltway project.
Sincerely,
Allen
Muchnick, founding board member
Active
Prince William
allenmuchnick@yahoo.com
703-997-6667
land
703-625-2453 mobile
703-625-2453 mobile
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