Wilson Bvd to get bike lanes

[baiskeli]

@Kolohe 98768 wrote:

’twasn’t always the case http://www.bluemontcivic.org/newsletters/BCA_News_199907.pdf

Just opposing a bike trail isn’t evidence that you don’t support cycling. There are other things to consider. If you read further, you get more detail:

While BCA supports the concept of a bypass, we are opposed to the bypass as planned, due to the likelihood of significant environmental damage, the lack of a proper Environmental Assessment, and the omission of key interested parties in the decision-making process. As proposed, the bypass would virtually eliminate a meadow and could significantly disrupt Four Mile Run. We are currently working with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to evaluate alternatives that would have less environmental impact, including different configurations and reduced buffer zones.

NVRPA agreed to limit routine mowing along the new trail to three feet from the edge of the asphalt, to install a storm water detention facility (the pond that’s next to that section of trail, which catches runoff), and “to identify and establish alternate meadow sites both within the project area and elsewhere along the W&OD trail” (don’t know what came of that).

BTW, the guy who was the most forceful advocate for these things in the BCA meeting was an avid cyclist.

[baiskeli]

Oh, and we’re the only civic association I know if in the county that’s named after a bike trail.*

*The association’s name was a replacement for the previous name, which was named after a nearby school that was previously named for a Confederate general. The trail is named for a railroad junction that is named after a town at the end of the line that was previously named “Snicker’s Gap.” Change is good.

[Steve O]

@baiskeli 98773 wrote:

I wouldn’t have a problem with that, especially since its (I presume) a trunk line, and burying it could reduce power outages for lots of people in storms. I was referring to your comment about all poles everywhere, not just on a mile of George Mason.

Exactly why we should do this mile of Wilson now that the opportunity arises. Clearly trying to underground the utilities all at once would be unreasonable. But imagine if over the last 30-40 years the county had slowly and systematically undergrounded them in places that provide multiple benefits like this one (improved ped experience, better reliability, arterial road, etc.) in conjunction with other projects as they came up. That’s why I think it is short sighted to allow this opportunity to pass us by even if it seems like a bit of money. It’s a small investment for a forever improved future state.

[mstone]

Based on my recent experience with a road being widened, if there are a lot of things on the poles it might take 6 months to a year just to get it all moved. The electric company, phone company, and cable company will not coordinate.

[baiskeli]

@Steve O 98804 wrote:

Exactly why we should do this mile of Wilson now that the opportunity arises. Clearly trying to underground the utilities all at once would be unreasonable. But imagine if over the last 30-40 years the county had slowly and systematically undergrounded them in places that provide multiple benefits like this one (improved ped experience, better reliability, arterial road, etc.) in conjunction with other projects as they came up. That’s why I think it is short sighted to allow this opportunity to pass us by even if it seems like a bit of money. It’s a small investment for a forever improved future state.

Investment by whom though? Should it come from local taxes, or increases in your power bill? That’s one of the many issues that people have to fight about before it gets done. And this Wilson project isn’t really a lost opportunity, at least in terms of how it’s planned – it’s a restriping of the roadway. No construction or digging happening. When they finally fix the sidewalks on Wilson, then there will be an opportunity to underground power lines.

[DismalScientist]

When is Washington Blvd between Glebe and Kirkwood going to be repaved and restriped?

How about left turn lanes on Washington Blvd at George Mason and Patrick Henry, rather than the four lane treatment through these intersections?

[baiskeli]

Happened to see this:

https://www.dom.com/residential/dominion-virginia-power/customer-service/manage-service/strategic-underground-program

Dominion Power plans to add a surcharge to power bills to pay for undergrounding of lines, based on which ones are most prone to outages in storms (and affect the most people).

[Steve O]

@baiskeli 98812 wrote:

Investment by whom though? Should it come from local taxes, or increases in your power bill? That’s one of the many issues that people have to fight about before it gets done. And this Wilson project isn’t really a lost opportunity, at least in terms of how it’s planned – it’s a restriping of the roadway. No construction or digging happening. When they finally fix the sidewalks on Wilson, then there will be an opportunity to underground power lines.

Fair enough. That would mean that there should already be discussions underway with the various entities so that when the time arises it’s easy to move forward. I’ll bet you lunch that is not happening, and that at some future moment they will widen the sidewalks, but will then claim that they couldn’t move the poles because of blah-blah-blah with Dominion or Verizon or whomever. And then 20 years from now people will still be wondering why there are poles in the middle of the sidewalk.

[baiskeli]

@Steve O 98845 wrote:

Fair enough. That would mean that there should already be discussions underway with the various entities so that when the time arises it’s easy to move forward. I’ll bet you lunch that is not happening, and that at some future moment they will widen the sidewalks, but will then claim that they couldn’t move the poles because of blah-blah-blah with Dominion or Verizon or whomever. And then 20 years from now people will still be wondering why there are poles in the middle of the sidewalk.

Dominion is now identifying which lines to underground based on outages statewide.

I wonder if they could just move the poles over to the edge of the sidewalks if they can’t underground them.

[dasgeh]

I don’t know how the decision to underground gets made, but I do know they just finished undergrounding on Lee Hwy near Cherrydale (took forever and was a PitA, but is great now). It doesn’t magically solve all of the “random utilities boxes in the sidewalks” issue, but it helps. It seems to me like Wilson should be close to Lee on the list…

It definitely makes sense to include the importance of a corridor for pedestrians when deciding where to underground, but I imagine that’s made more complicated by having private monopolies provide service.

[baiskeli]

From the link:

We are currently analyzing the overhead distribution system to determine which overhead tap lines throughout our service area are most vulnerable during major storms. Tap lines, the overhead wires that go into neighborhoods, typically sustain the most damage during storms and require the highest number of repairs.

As these neighborhoods are identified, a project team will begin a comprehensive outreach process to work cooperatively with property owners and neighborhood groups on a plan for undergrounding portions of the lines. Dominion will work very closely with property owners and neighborhood groups to obtain the rights necessary to perform the work. All property owners along a tap line would have to agree on a plan before it could be implemented.

If a county wanted to underground lines that don’t meet the criteria, Dominion would probably say “fine – send us a check for $x million and we’ll get right on it.”

[chris_s]

@baiskeli 98858 wrote:

“fine – send us a check for $x million and we’ll get right on it.”

…and by get right to it we mean slowly meander through it like bumpkins destroying any semblance of project schedule and throwing your project management budget out the window.

[mstone]

… and after that you get to do the same thing with everybody else using the pole. Then when they’ve all moved, you start over with the power company to get the old poles removed. After 18 months or so, people will be able to use the (now very nice) sidewalk.

[ShawnoftheDread]

All this talk of “undergrounding” power lines reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes line: “verbing weirds language.”

Hopefully they’ll underground the lines on Columbia Pike so there will be less clutter when they add new overhead lines for the street car.

[PotomacCyclist]

The County already is planning to underground utility lines along the entire Columbia Pike corridor. The process is likely to take several years (5 years or more).

http://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/columbia-pike-multimodal-street-improvements/

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