Dog Days Roundup

Faster, better buses on I-66 and into the city. The I-66 corridor is part of a regional priority bus network plan taking shape in an attempt to snag federal stimulus money for transportation improvements that can be implemented quickly (i.e. "shovel ready"). Regional planners are putting together a proposal of "phase one" improvements that can be completed by Feb. 17, 2012, and qualify for TIGER grant funds. Rapid bus service on managed lanes on I-66 and I-95 (which could include "trunk line facilities, including new inline stations, and director indirect access to major destinations, including the Pentagon, Tysons Corner, and Franconia/Springfield"), priority bus improvements on the freeway bridges across the Potomac River, and a K Street transitway are on current proposal materials. Planners will finalize the proposal by August and submit for the grant in September.

• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments: "TPB Votes to Submit Application for Stimulus-Funded Regional Priority Bus Network"
• The Washington Post (June 15): "A Fast Track to a Busway"
• Greater Greater Washington: "'Priority Bus' a Valuable Part of the Transit Mix When Done Right"

Preventing buses from getting stuck in the same traffic as single-occupant vehicles between Route 50 and the beltway would give transit a leg up to consumers, but let's see how this plays out next month.

Wider I-66 with better buses. Rep. Frank Wolf (R) is in the news for what he's pushing in the annual transportation bill that passed the House last week. Wolf wants the following considered: extending the rushour window for usage of the highway's shoulder, spot improvements and widening outside the Beltway, and HOT ramps at Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road. Wolf is also a proponent of bus rapid transit.

• Inside NOVA: "Transportation Bill Could Ease Travel for I-66 Drivers"
• Loudoun Independent: "House Approves $85 Million for Dulles Rail"

The stimulus starts to hit the region. And the Fairfax County Parkway is the local "shovel ready" favorite apparently. Money goes to an interchange over Fair Lakes Parkway (between the existing interchanges at I-66 and Route 50) and an extension past Rolling Road in Springfield to Fort Belvoir, a major mecca for military-related jobs. Metro and VRE are also getting money.

• The Post: "$260 Million Earmarked for Va. Roads, Interchange"
  
• Washington Business Journal: "Virginia to Get $1B in Infrastructure Stimulus"

How many in Centreville commute down I-66 to the Pentagon? What happens when they take their commute down to Fort Belvoir? Rep. Jim Moran (D) says the region's roads and transit network aren't ready the massive military job relocation to come.

• WTOP: "BRAC Move to Fort Belvoir Will Create 'Chaos'"

Chuck a workie (not a sickie) on Aug. 3. Gov. Tim Kaine (D) is promoting Telework Day to encourage more individuals and organizations to consider telecommuting or work-at-home arrangements. Anything that increases business productivity and worker flexibility, such as skipping a long commute whenever possible or avoiding rush hour should be explored. If you need a reason, tell your boss the governor said so.

• WHSV 3: "Kaine Asks Virginians to Telework August 3"
• CommuterPageBlog: "Go Green with Va. and Telework August 3"

Gubernatorial hopefuls vie for Richmond by way of Northern Virginia. Republican Bob McDonnell announced a transportation plan. Democrat Creigh Deeds hasn't released as much detail yet. The two nominees do agree on tax credits for businesses that have telework programs.

• The Fairfax County Times: "Candidates Grapple with Transit Problems"
• Richmond Times-Dispatch: "At Debate, Hopefuls Clash over Road Funds"
• The Post: "As Candidates Ponder Taxes and Traffic, Specifics of Road Proposals Remain Elusive"

Transit fare prices increase across the region. Riding VRE or driving the Dulles Greenway is now pricier. The Dulles Toll Road will likely increase fares soon as well to fund the Metrorail extension. And the Fairfax Connector buses that took over Metrobus routes around Centreville are a tad pricier than the old Metrobus special fare. On the other hand, gas prices are kinda sorta almost low or lower than before at the moment.

• News Channel 8: "VRE Budget Gap Forces Commuters to Pay"
• The Post: "Greenway Revenue, Traffic At Odds"
• The Fairfax County Times: "Hearings Scheduled on Toll Increase"
• Los Angeles Times: "Gasoline prices drop as crude oil hits eight-week low"

A plan to privitize potties fails. The Virginia Department of Transportation is shuttering the rest area off I-66 in Manassas in September; other areas throughout the state already closed down. A number of politicians called for the privitization of the potties by changing the federal law that prohibits such, but the amendment by Rep. Frank Wolf failed in committee.

• VDOT: "Rest Area Closures to Begin July 21"
• The Post: "If Drivers Have to Go, They Have to Go Far"
• WHSV 3: "Amendment to Change Federal Rest Area Law Fails"

And Virginia has a website to keep track of so-called megaprojects in Northern Virginia.

Independence Day News Roundup

Start thinking about more transit on the I-66 corridor. Reps. Gerry Connolly (D) and Jim Moran (D), both of Northern Virginia, are pushing for federal funding to begin study of an extension of Metrorail's Orange Line to Centreville. Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is moving forward with an environmental study on a proposed expansion of the Manassas Line to Gainesville and Haymarket. Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is studying the I-66 corridor for more short- and medium-term fixes, such as bus rapid transit.

• The Washington Post: "Up Next on N.Va. Transit: Planning for Everything"
• Washington Business Journal: "Gerry Connolly, Jim Moran Push Rail Extension in Transportation Bill"
• The Washington Post: "Plans to Extend VRE To Haymarket Advance"
• VRE: Gainesville/Haymarket Extension (archives)
• DRPT: "I-66 Transit/Transportation Demand Management Study"

The county has no money. And as a county, Fairfax is reliant on the state transportation department (VDOT) and federal handouts for most transportation projects. VDOT allocated the county virtually nothing for new secondary road construction this year, but federal stimulus is funding highway construction at the Fair Lakes interchange and the extension of the Fairfax County Parkway to Fort Belvoir.

• The Washington Post: "Ailing Budget May Lead Fairfax Back to Car Tax"
• The Connection Newspapers: "Fairfax Out of Road Money"
• The Fairfax County Times: "County's Fiscal Outlook Remains Grim"
• VDOT: "Virginia Obligates More Than Half of Discretionary Highway Stimulus Funding"
• WTOP (AP): "Va. Receives $285M in Highway Stimulus Funding"

What if the county were a city? If Fairfax County were a city, as the county executive recently suggested, Fairfax would be the largest city in the region, bigger than Baltimore, D.C., Richmond, and Virginia Beach. And Fairfax as a city would have more independence from the state's central departments of transportation and taxation to take such matters into its own hands.

• The Washington Post: "Fairfax Executive Suggests Dropping 'County'"
• WTOP: "Should Fairfax County Change Its Name?"
• The Examiner: "Unhappy with Roadwork, Fairfax Eyes Becoming City"

Fairfax Connector took over former Metrobus routes in western Fairfax County. If you take a bus in Centreville, Chantilly, or Oakton (12's, 20's, 2W), check the Fairfax Connector website for new route numbers and any schedule changes.

• WMATA: "Metrobus Service, Fare Changes Begin June 28"
• Fairfax Connector: Centreville, Chantilly, Oakton Routes
• Fairfax County Department of Transportation: "Fairfax Connector to Absorb Centreville and Chantilly Metrobus Service Effective Monday, June 29, 2009"

Offbeat: Centreville Baptist Church has moved its sign off Route 29. The sign facing southbound traffic was of the large wheeled flashing variety usually used to alert drivers to dangerous or special conditions, but the message was an invitation for men to attend the church's prayer service.

• WTOP: "Church Asks Foregiveness, Moves Road Sign"