Thanksgiving Roundup

The Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments is finalizing Region Forward, a proposal for comprehensive region-wide guidelines on sustainable long-term growth and development. The report identifies regional problems and goals in land use, transportation, environment, energy, economy, and housing. Comments on the proposal are due by the end of the week (Nov. 30).

If you were worried the gas tax might go up, you have less to worry about. WTOP predicts hikes are a no-go with the incoming administration in Richmond. What's interesting is that both the pro- and anti-highway advocates want a higher gas tax (to fund and discourage automobile lifestyles, respectively). Virginia's (17.5 cents per gallon) is the lowest in the region (D.C., 20; N.C., 26.6; Md., 23.5; Pa., 31.1; Del., 23; W.Va., 20.5).

Meanwhile, the federal gas tax is still subject to adjustment and the problem of taxing gas is open to debate. One recent study points out that highways are largely subsidized (just like rail, buses, and other modes) and that non-users of road pay a large share of that subsidy.

Are budget shortfalls even news anymore? The Virginia Department of Transporation is facing more big cuts, with a public hearing Dec. 1 in Richmond.

A concept that Gov. Tim Kaine ran with this past summer is back: telework. Now Rep. Gerry Connolly is touting the concept for the federal government and working on legislation that would push government agencies toward more teleworking, according to WAMU. What if I-66 as it is in August were a year-round phenomenon?

The Fairfax County Times has a lot of eye-popping stats on deer and deer-related accidents, including "an estimated 400 deer per square mile" in Bull Run Regional Park, next to Centreville. (According to the Times report, a number above 20 is a reason for environmental concern.) Always drive safely, folks, and watch out for deer.

You know what suburbs are, you've heard of exurbs too, but what about boomburbs? USA Today brings us another story along the lines of housing trouble in bedroom communities. Is Centreville a boomburb? Centreville is one of the bigger clumps of residential housing in the county without a town center. Sociology professor Robert Lang recommends boomburbs become "a little less sprawly, a little more village-like with clustered development, denser housing."

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"