Transportation News for the Crosspointe Area!
Transportation News for the Crosspointe Area!
To see about transportation policy alternatives">
To see about transportation policy alternatives, go to: http://endgridlock.policy.net/ To keep up with the latest developments at the Springfield Interchange, include road and lane closures, please click on: http://www.springfieldinterchange.com/du.htm. To see a listing of transportation links for Northern Virginia, go to: http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/comm/trans/Direct.htm OK Slugs! There is now a web site dedicated to your needs at:
The Slugging Homepage Transportation News
Times Community Newspapers - Fairfax / Annandale - 04/13/2006 - New Bridge Opens
Va. Rail Riders Resigned To Latest Price Increase (washingtonpost.com)
Ox Road Squeezes Past Budget Cuts - News - Springfield Connection - The
Connection Newspapers (9/6/2001) The following article from The Springfield Times discusses the designation of part of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway as the "Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr., Parkway." Arcom Publishing Inc. - Fairfax/Fairfax Station/Burke/Springfield/Annandale Times (4/30/2001) The following article came from The Springfield Times: (11/9/2000) The following is an article from the Washington Post: The Springfield Circulator was born a year ago as a short-term transportation fix, a way to ferry shoppers and workers between the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station and Springfield's commercial heart during the road congestion triggered by the massive Springfield
Interchange project. But as it celebrates its first anniversary, the circulator bus is so successful, Fairfax County and state officials have talked of expanding the service and making it permanent, and Metro planners hold it up as a model solution to parking crunches at their other suburban stations. "It's a long-term solution to a short-term problem," said Nancy-jo Manney, executive director of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. "To be honest, the reason we got the funding is because we have a major construction project in our back yard. But since it's been running, we've shown there's a demand
for it. Everyone we talk to is very happy with the service." Since it started rolling in October 1999, daily ridership on the circulator has grown by about 60 percent, from 210 passengers to 337 passengers, said Jim Hughes, Metro's director of planning. Ridership is exceeding Metro's projections, he said. "It's a great success," said T. Dana Kauffman, who serves on both the county Board of Supervisors and the Metro board. "The area is an urbanizing area, and we need a transportation system that makes it possible to get not only to the Metro but in and around it without having to take your car. And what's most
amazing about the circulator is we haven't been able to advertise it--the ridership that we're seeing is all word-of-mouth." The circulator bus also connects the commercial area with the Virginia Railway Express depot next to the Metro station. That link has opened up central Springfield as a job and retail center for travelers coming from as far south as Orange, Va., Kauffman said. "They can ride the VRE, hop on the circulator and
take it to the malls, hotels and offices," he said. Fairfax County, which reimburses Metro for the $650,000 annual operating cost of the bus, has drawn on a combination of state, federal and private funds. The program is administered through the Transportation Association of Greater Springfield, or TAGS. Two 30-foot long TAGS circulator buses run continually on weekdays from 6:16 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. The ride, which costs passengers 25 cents, connects the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station with the Springfield Mall, Springfield Hilton, Springfield Plaza, Brookfield Plaza and Backlick Center. The complete loop
takes about 30 minutes. "It's a wonderful service," said Melissa Hendrickson, director of marketing at the Springfield Mall, who said that the buses carry customers as well as the mall's employees. Slightly more than half of the daily passengers ride the circulator bus to or from the Metro station, while the rest are local passengers, using the circulator to get around central Springfield, Hughes said. A second shuttle bus run by Metro ferries commuters between the train station and the Springfield Mall, where they can park free in 500 spaces set aside for them near Macy's. Ridership on that 15-minute shuttle, which was created in July 1999 as a solution to a parking crunch at the Metro station, has soared
nearly 153 percent, from 180 passengers a day to 455 passengers a day. The shuttle is free of charge. The circulator and the free shuttle are creative solutions to a parking crisis that plagues Franconia-Springfield and other suburban Metro stations, Hughes said. "We are constrained by parking," Hughes said, referring to Metro's ability to absorb new subway riders. "But shuttles and circulators are the types of things we can do to increase access to rail." To test the waters for weekend service, the TAGS circulators will run on Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 25 through Dec. 31. Passengers will get a TAGS button good for discounts at more than 100 mall merchants and can enter drawings for a $500 spending spree at the Springfield Mall and free Amtrak trips to New
York and New Orleans. If the weekend runs are popular, they may become permanent, said Steve Titunik of the Virginia Department of Transportation. "We will find ways to get the money [for weekend service], either through sponsorship from the businesses or VDOT or user fees," he said. "It just makes sense. On Saturdays, getting
around the mall area is a bear. If there's some way to do that without using your car, that's truly great." The circulator is likely to become a permanent part of the transportation system in Springfield, well beyond the reconstruction of the Springfield Interchange, Titunik said. "The real future of this program rests squarely on members of the community," he said. "The people at TAGS, the people in the community want these TAGS buses to have legs and live on." (10/2/2000) The following article was in the Fairfax times. The Franconia/Springfield Metro station is undergoing a 'restriping' that will add 250 additional spots. "By shaving just 6 inches off each space, we can add
an additional 250 places," said Lee District Supervisor Dana Kauffman. These spots should become available in two weeks. (9/21/2000) The following is from a report in today's Washington Post. The six-year spending blueprint, which earmarks $10.3 billion statewide, includes money for several major new projects in Northern Virginia, notably improvements to the interchange of Interstate 66 and the
Capital Beltway and the widening of three miles of Route 28 in Prince William County. (4/6/2000) Fairfax County will conduct two public meetings to receive residents' comments on proposed bus changes in Springfield and Lorton. The a djustments affect Fairfax Connector routes 204, 303 and 383. Following approval by the Board of Supervisors, implementation of the changes is
scheduled for this summer. The meetings are set for 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, APR 11 at Key Middle School, 6402 Franconia Road, Springfield, and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, APR 12, at Lorton Community Library, 9520 Richmond Highway, Lorton. For information on the proposed bus route changes, contact the Department of
Transportation at (703) 324-1172 or TTY (703) 324-1102, or visit the Web site at www.fairfaxconnector.com. Comments may also be provided by phone or in writing by April 21. Mail comments to: ATTN: Comments for Service Change Proposals, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1034, Fairfax, Va. 22035, or call the Department of Transportation. For current Fairfax Connector route and schedule information, call the Information Center at (703) 339-7200, TTY (703) 339-1608. (4/1/2000) The I-95 northbound lanes are slightly narrower and shifted to the right for approximately one-quarter mile under and beyond the Commerce Street Bridge. (3/11/2000) The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has approved a measure designed to help reduce light pollution in the county. Effective immediately, new county-funded ``cobra head" street light installations will use a fixture with ``cut-off" lighting. The new fixture has an
optic system with a ``flat plate lens" to direct all light downward to the area to be lighted. By limiting the spread of light, providing glare control and minimizing the amount of light projected upward, the new fixture will help reduce undesirable sky glow or light pollution in Fairfax County, the county says. The
colonial style and other approved street light fixtures will continue to be used in accordance with existing approved street light criteria. The previously approved "semi-cutoff" cobra head fixture will continue to be used on a limited basis at locations where it is necessary to light major roadways and/or to avoid installing
new poles where existing power poles can be used for lighting purposes. For information, call the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services' Planning and Design Division, Street Light Section, at (703) 324-5800. (4/3/99) GOV Gilmore has approved $104,000,000 in bonds for road improvements including Route 1 in prince William County, Lee Highway in Fairfax City, Route 123 between Burke and Occoquan. (3/25/99) The Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority has approved the move of the local Grayhound bus terminal from Spring Garden Drive to the Franconia-Springfield Metro Center. Bus service starting in June will be available for the following places: Dulles
Airport, Richmond, Charolettesville, Winchester, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Starting on 16 MAY 99, two Amtrak trains will be stopping daily at the Metro Center. (3/25/99) 30 emergency call boxes will be added to the garage at the Metro Center as an added safety feature. (3/25/99) State Police will be having extra patrols on the local highways this Sunday, 28 MAR 99 as part of a traffic safety operation. (3/4/99) The Virginia DOT will be making the following efforts to relieve the traffic stress at the Mixing Bowl during the There will be 1,200 more parking spaces at the commuter parking lots. A van pool incentive program will be introduced by 1 JUL 99 to reduce the cost of van pooling in Northern Virginia. Commuters can call Commuter Connection at 1-800-745-RIDE for car poolfor car & van pool and ride sharing information. Beginning this summer, private bus services will be subsidized by VDOT to carry people to work. Employers will be providing parking areas for buses. The subsidies will be discontinued once enough riders are found to pay for the services. Bus pools will also qualify for the MetroCheck
tax incentive program. The VRE will add a 3:45 p.m. train starting 16 MAY 99. Additional commuter parking will be added to the VRE's LeLand Road and Fredericksburg stations. A morning rush-hour shuttle service will be added between the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station and the A new discount program will begin on 1 JUL 99 which offers commuters $10 off one week bus and rail passes. It A Virginia State Police contingent of 23 troopers will be stationed at a double wide trailer at the intersection of There will be several tow trucks station near the interchange to respond to accidents quickly. You can keep with construction work and lane closings by calling 1-877-95-95-222 or #211 (on cellular phones) or go to: http://www.springfieldinterchange.com. (2/28/99) Here are the latest developments on the Mixing Bowl Highway Project: On 17 FEB 99, the Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded awarded a $90,300,000 contract to Shirley Work is already under way to add an additional lane to the ramp from northbound I-95 to the westbound lanes of the Beltway, but it is not part of the recently awarded contract. There will be direct access ramps built from Old Keane Mill Road to northbound I-95, the westbound I-495 and the I-95 HOV lanes. Commerce Street and the intersection of Franconia and Loisdale Roads will be widen. There will be a direct ramp built from Commerce Street to the westboard lanes of the Beltway (I-495), to be opened in later phases of the larger project. There will be a grade-separated roadway from through traffic between Elder Ave. and I-95. Supposely, there will be no lane closures during peak travel times, even on secondary roads. To find out more, go to: http://www.springfieldinterchange.com (2/19/99) The Virginia General Assembly approved $104,000,000 in additional bonding authority in Northern Virginia, funds which will go towards a series of much-needed road projects. Included in the package: - $27,000,000 to rebuild five miles of Route 123 in the southern part of the county, making it a four-ane divided highway from Lee Chapel to Furnace Road, and widening to six lanes from there to Occoquan. The funds will complete the expansion of Route 123 from the Fairfax County
Parkway to the border with Prince William County. - $10,000,000 to widen a 1.5 mile section of Route 7 between Rolling Holley Drive and the Reston Parkway from four lanes to six. - $3,000,000 to design the expansion of Route 7 from the Reston Parkway to the Dulles Toll Road. - $3,100,000 to widen portions of lee Highwayin in the City of Fairfax from four to six lanes - $6,000,000 for enhanced bus service along the Dulles Corridor. - $5,000,000 for improvements to Telegraph Road from South Kings Highway to Beulah Street. - $16,000,000 to repair and replace Metrorail cars. - $8,200,000 to improve the Route 1/Route 123 interchange adjacent to the Woodbridge VRE station. (2/19/99) The City of Alexandria has dropped out of a lawsuit that would block the construction of a new 12 lane Woodrow Wilson Bridge after the a series of concessions by the Federal Highway Administration. Agreements between the Federal Highway Administartion and the city include: To see offical government web sites concerning transportation issues, click on:
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/comm/trans/project.htm To return to the Home Page, click on:
Home Page Transportation News for the Crosspointe Area!
An announcement by Virginia transportation officials on April 24 revealed that the Springfield Interchange project is well ahead of schedule and way over budget.
While the project is progressing ahead of schedule, the price tag on it has jumped to $585 million, an increase of about $75 million, since June 2000.
Charles "Chip" Nottingham, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation, said a significant amount of work in the Route 644 area may be completed by Aug. 10, months ahead of schedule. He also said Phase V of the project was advertised for bid Tuesday and should be under way this summer. That phase,
originally scheduled to begin in the fall, extends eastbound to the Capital Beltway across Interstate 395 and adds two loops to the I-95, I-395 and I-495 interchange.
Nottingham said the latest cost estimate reflects a 3-percent increase over an estimate made last fall; however, that depends on which estimate is used as a comparison. While Nottingham said the fall 2000 estimate was $567 million, VDOT announced in September 2000 that the estimate was $540 million. At that time, officials
provided a breakdown of a June 2000 estimate at $509 million; the $567 million figure was an October update.
In addition, the final phase of the project, which would add HOV ramps to connect to future HOV lanes on the Capital Beltway, was eliminated. This phase was estimated at $40 million and, by eliminating it, should save the project that amount of money.
So, while it may be a 3-percent increase over the October 2000 estimate, it's 8 percent more than September's $540 million estimate and 15 percent more than June's $509 million figure. Since 1994, the project's cost has skyrocketed 79 percent from its initial estimate of $350 million.
The original estimate did not include an inflation factor, accounting for some of the additional cost. And extra sound walls and traffic mitigation steps have been implemented. Joan Morris, spokeswoman for VDOT, said people need to be aware that gas, labor and supply prices fluctuate, making estimates difficult.
"When you've got a mega-year project like this, there's no way you can say what the bull's-eye target will be," she said, adding that the agency is working to improve that ability. "We've done lots of things internally to make sure we get better numbers."
Nottingham said he thought the $567 million figure was pretty close to final but would need some small adjustments during the remaining five years of construction. "These are estimates that will be refined as we complete the engineering, complete the right-of-way acquisition," Morris said, adding that those totals are hard
to nail down. "Those costs can change."
Nottingham attributes the 3-percent rise to increased construction, engineering and inspection (CEI) costs. These costs were estimated at 8 percent of the total project cost; however, they have now increased to 13 percent.
"We have encouraged inspectors to be out on the project all the time," Nottingham said. This increases the price but secures safety and constant surveillance, he said. There have been no safety problems or major construction accidents to date, Nottingham said.
Lee District Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D) declined to comment on the increased estimate. He did not attend Tuesday's briefing.
Phase II, which includes work on the mainline of I-95, including 12 new bridges, is on track for early completion, Nottingham said. A $10 million bonus is promised if the contractor stays on this accelerated schedule, the largest early completion bonus in Virginia history, Nottingham said. Earlier this month, the sound
wall protecting homes along Cabin John Road from I-95 was removed, exposing the homes to interstate noise and traffic views. The project calls for shifting I-95 slightly west, closer to the homes. Chuck Smith, Shirley Contracting contract manager for Phase IV, said the new wall should be completed in February and the road
shift by summer 2002.
Nottingham said VDOT has followed through with its commitment to keep Springfield "open for business" during construction. "We will not close lanes during rush hours," he reaffirmed. The project is now scheduled for completion in spring 2007.
In addition to these 250 spots, 1,000 spots will be added in 2001. The six-level structure that will house the new 1,000-space lot will be built on top of the existing metered parking lot. About $800,000 of the $13 million set aside for the project is currently being used for the design effort. The parking problem in the
Springfield Plaza area has also been addressed, and 75 additional spots are being designated for commuter use.
The county, VDOT and the owner of the shopping center are working together to make these spaces available in the next several weeks. From state funding aimed at congestion management, VDOT will pay the owner $7.50 per spot each month. These spots will be available through the Mixing Bowl construction. The county will cover
the insurance expenses through its current insurance coverage. The county will incur no additional cost. According to Dottie Cousineau, the head of the marketing and ride sharing section for the county, these commuter spots will be identifiable via signs and blue stripes.
This new lane shift is necessary to allow for construction of the new Commerce Street Bridge. All six northbound lanes will remain open but slightly narrowed to allow for construction space.
The most noticeable change is for motorists entering I-95 from the Old Keene Mill Road (Route 644) west entrance ramp. Motorists driving down the entrance ramp will notice a shift to the right where the construction work will
take place. On
I-95 northbound motorists approaching the Springfield Interchange area from the south will see reduced speed limit signs in the construction area. Motorists will return to the normal traffic pattern and existing 55 mph speed limit just beyond the Commerce Street Bridge. This new lane shift is expected to last through the
summer of 2001. The HOV lanes are not effected by the new lane shift.
Interchange construction project:
Springfield Mall once parking at the Metro Station becomes 90 percent full.
will include passes for Metro and Fairfax Connector buses.
Pioneer Drive and Franconia Road to quickly respond to traffic accidents and incidents by 21 JUL 99. Also, there will be a fire truck posted nearby to respond to accidents and hazardous materials spills.
Contracting Corp. of Lorton, VA, including a $10,000,000 bonus if the work comes in nine months ahead of schedule or $5,000,000 bonus if finished six months ahead of schedule. Starting in March, the company will work on phases II and III of the project, which entail work on the intersection the I-95 and State Route 644. The
contract awarded has a 1 JUN 02 deadline with penalties of $30,000 a day for delays. Work will be carried on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no excuses for bad weather.
- Building a new ramp allowing access to the city's Eisenhower valley business district.
- Improvements to the Jones Point Park.
- A proposed study of a possible southern river crossing.