22 Mile Trail Parallel to I-66 — Helpful Video and Input Needed

Thanks, everyone, for this thread. Is the regional oversight body for this, and who are our representatives on it? Is it the board Mary is on? Or Katie? Or Christian? (I confess, I can’t keep these all straight).

I bet FFX and ALX folks would appreciate know who their reps are (especially those who may be receptive to pro-bike/walk messages).

@dbb 161438 wrote:

Thanks Judd. I poached much of your comments and sent them to my delegate in the state house.

Yes! Write your electeds in Richmond. You’re note to them may be less technical – “Hey, we need to make sure to provide safe, comfortable transportation options, and VDOT’s plan for this trail doesn’t cut it. VDOT staff seems resistant to making the necessary changes to make this trail usable. Without this trail, we perpetuate the status quo, where people who are willing to bike drive, because is inconvenient, unsafe, uncomfortable. We simply cannot pour money into a system that discourages walking and biking and encourages, or we will all be stuck in traffic.” – but please write!

@nosrednaj 161481 wrote:

The video is being updated. The wall at a minimum is 32″ but VDOT says the will likely install 50″ and fencing on top. Still not a great experience but better protection.

With the shorter soundwall, it sounded like the experience on the TR Bridge, which is horrible. I will note that in my comments

THANK YOU. FABB has done some great work on this, and it’s awesome.

@CBGanimal 161430 wrote:

Went to the meeting (my first time ever going to this kinda thing) I was a bit intimidated…regardless…

THANK YOU!!!! Seriously, as someone who goes to meetings and speaks all the time, and who talks to staff and electeds a lot, I can tell you that the first-timers (and people that don’t come out often) are the MOST EFFECTIVE. Thank you for coming out and speaking.

@Steve O 161525 wrote:

I presume it’s just pushed into the river through the railing.
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DDOT does plow the 14th Street Bridge. They have an auger/snowblower type machine that throws the snow over the rail and into the Potomac.

@nosrednaj 161481 wrote:

The video is being updated. The wall at a minimum is 32″ but VDOT says the will likely install 50″ and fencing on top. Still not a great experience but better protection.

Talk about feeling trapped! Without any shy zones and vertical walls on both sides, the trail will function narrower than it actually is and will be seriously claustrophobic. Each of the other analogies (TR bridge, Wilson bridge) allow you to see outside the trail to something, like a river. Although most adults will be able to see over a 50″ barrier, the view will be of the expressway, and it most certainly will not reduce noise or pollution.
The wall will not stop plows from launching snow from the highway onto the trail (see video with even higher sound walls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7nl…ature=youtu.be). Hard to know if the “fencing’ on top will stop it. If so, then it won’t be long before the fencing itself is destroyed by the plowing. I also think people will still throw stuff like tires over the fencing, but maybe not mattresses.

Also, at least with the low wall, in the case of some sort of serious emergency, trail users might be able to go over the wall onto the shoulder of the highway. Emergency vehicles could respond to injured parties from the highway itself. How would emergency vehicles reach incapacitated people on the trail in a timely manner? Would an ambulance be able to drive down the trail? Would there be enough room to carry someone on a stretcher around the vehicle to the rear?

There is no way this design can be fixed with the trail inside the sound wall no matter how many “improvements” are proposed. It is fundamentally flawed. I sent a note to my delegate and state senator as suggested by dasgeh.

@Steve O 161455 wrote:

This is infuriating!! Ostensibly, the whole point of “Transform I-66” is to provide a host of travel choices along the corridor. This very statement, “accommodate” exposes their hypocrisy. “We’re building this for cars, and we will ‘accommodate’ you other peons.”

Was that a quote from VDOT

New video has been posted with better representation of fencing but same experience exists….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4mqqon8Zmg

I also just sent a note to my State Senator (Surovell). He is a cyclist, so hopefully he is willing to do what he can. He usually responds to all my facebook questions really quick, so maybe I’ll even get a response to my email…

So why does VDOT use 42 inch walls to protect cars from cars, but only grudgingly increase 24 inch walls to 36 inch walls to protect pedestrians from cars? I think the person above who suggested that this makes it easier to convert to another car lane is on the right track.

I think maybe a better approach would be to begin the advocacy process for the naming of the trail. I am proposing that we name the trail “Aubrey Lane’s Folly Trail brought to you by Express Mobility Partners” in honor of Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Lane and the consortium of companies that are designing and building this project.