I-66 HOT lanes proposed, with multimodal improvements

[jabberwocky]

@PotomacCyclist 106181 wrote:

The Custis Trail already runs along I-66 for most of the route in Arlington. Does anyone know what sort of upgrades are being proposed here? Are they significant upgrades? If so, where? Or is this just a way to lower any opposition to the I-66 proposal? Arlington has battled with VDOT in the recent past over proposed HOT lanes on I-395.

The cynic in me says that these are usually part of the proposal just so they have something they can cut when people whine about cost/environmental impact/etc.

[chris_s]

VDOT is being extremely vague about everything except the HOT lanes conversion and the widening. That said, it is likely that the package being advanced is based on the final preferred package in the I-66 Multimodal Study Supplemental Report. If that’s true, then what’s being talked about are seven projects determined to be “regionally significant” in the corridor:

Project 13 – Custis Trail Widening
This project will widen the trail to 12 feet, where feasible (e.g., right of way is available and
there are no utility conflicts); smooth cracked and heaved pavement; and upgrade trail lighting
between Lynn Street in downtown Rosslyn and the intersection with the Washington and Old
Dominion Trail (in Bluemont Park) near the western edge of Arlington County. This project
supports bicycle commuter travel along the I-66 corridor parallel to the interstate providing
access to many key destinations. These trail improvements will also help accommodate
increased levels of reverse commuting (east to west) by bicycle that may occur in conjunction
with increased development in Tysons and Merrifield.

Project 27 – Fairfax Drive Connector
This project will improve connectivity between the Custis Trail and the Bluemont Junction
Trail, and the western edge of the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor through wider sidewalks,
improved signal timing, ramps and signage on N. Fairfax Drive west of N. Glebe Road.
Improving access will enable more bicyclists and pedestrians to make commuting and recreational
trips through the area. It will also increase safety for all users by clearly designating the
location of a sidepath to motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Project 34.A – Arlington Boulevard Trail (Glebe to Beltway)
This project will create a trail along Arlington Boulevard through a combination of constructing
an off-road sidepath, on-street infrastructure, and signage. The project will continue the
existing Arlington Boulevard sidepath west from Glebe Road to the I-495 interchange. The trail
will enable bicyclists to travel from western Arlington County, and eastern/central portions of
Fairfax County to locations in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, Crystal City, and east into the
District of Columbia. The improvements will enhance bicyclist comfort through either a separated
bicycle facility, or an on-road bicycle facility on a relatively low-speed, low-volume frontage
road. Alternative alignments will need to be explored around challenging areas, such as
Seven Corners.

Project 34.B – Arlington Boulevard Trail at I-495 Interchange
This project will construct bicycle and pedestrian accommodations across I-495 (Capital
Beltway) in the vicinity of Arlington Boulevard. The ultimate facility will likely be a gradeseparated
crossing, and include overpass crossings of the interchange ramps, Fairview Park
Drive (east of interchange), Gallows Road (west of interchange), as well as the 16 lanes of I-495.
Constructing a crossing of the Beltway at this location will allow for bicycle and pedestrian
traffic on the Arlington Boulevard trail to continue uninterrupted.

Project 34.C – Arlington Boulevard Trail (Beltway West to City of Fairfax)
This project will create a trail along Arlington Boulevard through a combination of constructing
an off-road sidepath, on-street infrastructure, and signage from the I-495/Arlington Boulevard
interchange to the City of Fairfax border at Fairfax Boulevard. The construction of this trail
would make an important connection for cyclists between Fairfax/central Fairfax County and
Arlington County.

Project 51 – West Falls Church Connector Trail
This project will construct a trail between the West Falls Church Metro station and the Pimmit
Hills neighborhood to the northwest. The project will travel through VDOT and WMATA right
of way. This connection has the potential to significantly improve access to the Metro station
from the north.

Project 52 – VA 7 Tysons to Falls Church
This project will construct an off-road connection between the Washington and Old Dominion
Trail in Falls Church and Tysons, running parallel to VA 7 (Leesburg Pike). Shorter-term
improvements may use existing frontage roads to expedite initial implementation. The project
will significantly improve connectivity between major regional destinations (Tysons, Falls
Church) and existing facilities for nonmotorized traffic (Washington and Old Dominion Trail),
and is part of the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan.

Holding VDOT’s feet to the fire to actually do these will be vital. It’s S.O.P. for State DOTs to make lots of promises about multi-modal to quell opposition to highway projects and then conveniently let everything else fall by the wayside.

[dasgeh]

The Custis could certainly be improved, and would benefit from not turning into a sidewalk in Rosslyn. I wonder it would be possible to use this effort to establish a Spout Run trail to connect Spout Run to the end of the Key Bridge.

[Powerful Pete]

Or to somehow address the IoD?

One can always dream…

[Steve O]

@Powerful Pete 106190 wrote:

Or to somehow address the IoD?

One can always dream…

I solved this problem already.
http://www.steveoffutt.com/2011/10/solving-lynn-streetlee-highway-bikecar.html

[pfunkallstar]

“Heaved payment” means something different to me, messier.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Steve O 106217 wrote:

I solved this problem already.
http://www.steveoffutt.com/2011/10/solving-lynn-streetlee-highway-bikecar.html

Did you post this on the Rosslyn safety improvement project pages? You probably have. If not, it can’t hurt. It would be great to remove some of the dangerous grade crossings in Rosslyn and south of Memorial Bridge.

[PotomacCyclist]

A brief update on WAMU, which doesn’t provide any more details:

http://wamu.org/news/15/01/21/toll_lanes_in_the_mix_as_regional_planners_target_congestion_on_i_66

But it includes a link to Item 11 – Information, dated Jan. 21, 2015: Briefing on Project Submissions for the 2015 CLRP [National Capital Region Long Range Transportation Plan]:
http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/committee-documents/YF1XWllW20150121083616.pdf

Summary of Major Additions and Changes to Projects:

In D.C., 10 new dedicated bike lane projects. The Benning Road Streetcar Spur Project will be removed.

No major projects in Maryland.

In Virginia, they list the two I-66 Express Lanes projects, inside the Beltway and outside the Beltway. VDOT formally requests removal of the Arlington streetcar projects after the County canceled funding.

The 5th page (numbered page 1) shows the proposed bike lanes, including Pennsylvania Ave. from 17th St. to 29th St., from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to M St. in Georgetown. This would be a great addition.

On the 11th page, a letter notes that the Multimodal Improvement Project extends from 495 to Route 29 (Lee Highway) in Arlington (near Rosslyn, not the intersection near East Falls Church).

The 13th page only lists a vague note that doesn’t say much at all:

“In addition to tolling, a set of baseline multimodal assumptions and an initial series of additional multimodal
improvements as identified in the I-66 Multimodal Study will be further refined and prioritized for implementation and
may include:

• Baseline 2040 CLRP/CLRP+ multimodal improvement assumptions
• Enhanced bus service
• Completion of the elements of bicycle and pedestrian network”

The improvements will be refined and prioritized, and may be included.

[PotomacCyclist]

The general public can comment on the proposals through the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board website:

http://www.mwcog.org/clrp/#public-comment

“Public Comment

On January 15, 2015, the TPB released for public comment the following documents and information related to the 2015 CLRP update. The TPB is scheduled to consider these items for approval at its meeting on February 18.

– Additions and Changes Proposed for Inclusion in the 2015 CLRP Update (summary memo)
– Project Inputs for the Air Quality Conformity Analysis
– Draft Scope of Work for the Air Quality Conformity Analysis

Visit http://www.mwcog.org/TPBcomment to submit comments by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, February 14.

Comment by February 14:
http://www.mwcog.org/TPBcomment

Materials may also be reviewed at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), 777 N. Capitol St. NE, Washington, DC 20002. Submit written comments to:

TPB Chair Patrick Wojahn
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG)
777 N. Capitol St. NE, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20002″

[PotomacCyclist]

Video from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments:

#CLRP2015 – Comments on Proposed Additions and Changes

[video=vimeo;117328389]http://vimeo.com/117328389[/video]

4:06 mark – After noting that Vehicle Miles Traveled per capita is expected to decrease slightly (3%) between 2015 and 2040, the narrator notes that walking and bicycle trips are expected to increase by 49%. Walking and cycling would increase from 11% of all trips today in the region to 14% of all trips. They do not separate walking trips from cycling trips. That increase in the percentage of mode share is expected to come almost exclusively from a decrease in the share of single driver trips, which would drop from 42 to 39% of all trips in 2040. (Trips on all transportation modes will increase in absolute numbers, but the mode share percentages are expected to change.)

5:50 mark – DDOT has proposed that the new bike lanes be completed this year.

The video does not provide any further details on the supposed bicycle infrastructure improvements along I-66 in Arlington. It notes that those improvements [if any] are scheduled to be complete by 2017.

[americancyclo]

@chris_s 106186 wrote:

VDOT is being extremely vague about everything except the HOT lanes conversion and the widening. That said, it is likely that the package being advanced is based on the final preferred package in the I-66 Multimodal Study Supplemental Report. If that’s true, then what’s being talked about are seven projects determined to be “regionally significant” in the corridor:

Project 13 – Custis Trail Widening
This project will widen the trail to 12 feet, where feasible (e.g., right of way is available and
there are no utility conflicts); smooth cracked and heaved pavement; and upgrade trail lighting
between Lynn Street in downtown Rosslyn and the intersection with the Washington and Old
Dominion Trail (in Bluemont Park) near the western edge of Arlington County. This project
supports bicycle commuter travel along the I-66 corridor parallel to the interstate providing
access to many key destinations. These trail improvements will also help accommodate
increased levels of reverse commuting (east to west) by bicycle that may occur in conjunction
with increased development in Tysons and Merrifield.

I’d love to see a more detailed map of where the trail would be expanded and where pinch points would continue to exist.
@chris_s 106186 wrote:

Project 51 – West Falls Church Connector Trail
This project will construct a trail between the West Falls Church Metro station and the Pimmit
Hills neighborhood to the northwest. The project will travel through VDOT and WMATA right
of way. This connection has the potential to significantly improve access to the Metro station
from the north.

This would be great for folks in Pimmit Hills and McLean but it would be silly to do this without putting a bike lane on Idylwood
@chris_s 106186 wrote:

Project 52 – VA 7 Tysons to Falls Church
This project will construct an off-road connection between the Washington and Old Dominion
Trail in Falls Church and Tysons, running parallel to VA 7 (Leesburg Pike). Shorter-term
improvements may use existing frontage roads to expedite initial implementation. The project
will significantly improve connectivity between major regional destinations (Tysons, Falls
Church) and existing facilities for nonmotorized traffic (Washington and Old Dominion Trail),
and is part of the Fairfax County Bicycle Master Plan.

I’d love to see this as more than a glorified sidewalk. it seems to me that the natural branch off point will be at the Citizens’ Bridge near the car wash on Broad St. I’m guessing VDOT is going to have to get some support from Falls Church City as well?

[mstone]

More important than changes to the existing Custis is trying to get the trail extended when they rebuild every single overpass from the beltway to centreville. Otherwise, the opportunity is lost for 40 years.

[scoot]

@chris_s 106186 wrote:

Project 34.A – Arlington Boulevard Trail (Glebe to Beltway)
This project will create a trail along Arlington Boulevard through a combination of constructing
an off-road sidepath, on-street infrastructure, and signage. The project will continue the
existing Arlington Boulevard sidepath west from Glebe Road to the I-495 interchange. The trail
will enable bicyclists to travel from western Arlington County, and eastern/central portions of
Fairfax County to locations in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, Crystal City, and east into the
District of Columbia. The improvements will enhance bicyclist comfort through either a separated
bicycle facility, or an on-road bicycle facility on a relatively low-speed, low-volume frontage
road. Alternative alignments will need to be explored around challenging areas, such as
Seven Corners.

I recently walked the existing trail on the north side of 50 from Glebe eastbound to Jackson, over that green bridge, and then the trail on the south side of 50 from Jackson to Fillmore. It was a wet but not icy day. I had never cycled this trail before and I doubt I ever will, at least not faster than about 7mph. Tree roots frequently compromise the pavement. The curve about 400 feet west of the cemetery entrance could easily throw a westbound rider into the roadway, especially if it’s at all slippery. Sediment had been deposited in large clumps on the path at the drain west of Irving. Also nearly got right-hooked (does that term apply to peds?) by a driver who took a right turn off 50 way too fast directly in front of me onto S Hudson.

So I sure hope this project is executed better than the existing sidepath. Because while there are bike-friendly street alternatives to the portion I walked (N Pershing, 2nd St S), that’s not the case further out in Fairfax County.

[mstone]

In general, a crappy trail is better than no trail. At least there’s the possibility of improvement–if you don’t preserve a right of way, it’s much harder to do anything.

[PotomacCyclist]

Yes, right-hooked applies to pedestrians too. I have many close calls while walking in crosswalks and aggressive drivers try to turn through the occupied crosswalk.

[Author]

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