MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
May 24, 2013
Contact: Kala Quintana
703/ 524-3322 ext. 104
kala@nvtdc.org
NORTHERN VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY WANTS PUBLIC INPUT ON FIRST YEAR OF PROPOSED PROJECTS TO KICK START CONGESTION RELIEF
Informational Open House and First Public Hearing on Proposed Projects is June 20, 2013
NORTHERN VIRGINIA—The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) today announced the first year of proposed transportation projects to be funded under the Commonwealth’s landmark transportation bill that is estimated to bring Northern Virginia $1.9 billion in new transportation funding over the next six years.
The Authority urges the public to get involved by learning about and commenting on the proposed first fiscal year FY2014 (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014) transportation project list during an Open House and Public Hearing on June 20, 2013 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers at City Hall in the City of Fairfax, 10455 Armstrong Street, Fairfax, VA. The Open House will be followed by a presentation and the Public Hearing. There will also be opportunities for public comment during local community meetings to be held in several Authority jurisdictions in June and July. More information about those local meetings will be available soon. The public may email their comments on the projects to: fy14projects@thenovaauthority.org.
In addition to the June 20, 2013 Open House and Public Hearing a second Public Hearing will be held in July, 2013. Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks.
“Our goal is to jumpstart those congestion relief projects in the region that give us the most bang for our buck. The Authority wants to hear what the public thinks about these projects,” said Martin Nohe, NVTA chairman. “However, this is only the first wave of projects. In the coming years The Authority will implement dozens of transit, rail and highway projects, all with the same basic goal: Getting Northern Virginia residents home from work faster. Through increased connectivity these projects will improve the ease of getting around the area and allow for greater opportunity for economic development.”
THE PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR FY2014 ONLY INCLUDE:
· Alexandria (total $6,360,000)
o DASH Bus Expansion (5 new buses) – FY14 Revenue Service
o Traffic Signal Upgrades/Transit Signal Priority – FY14 Construction/FY14 Design Start
o Shelters and Real-Time Transit Information for DASH/WMATA – FY14 Construction Start
o Potomac Yard Metrorail Station EIS – FY14 Planning Complete, Begin Design
· Arlington (total $18,835,000)
o Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements – FY14 Construction Start
o Boundary Channel Drive Interchange – FY14 Design Complete, FY15 Construction
o Silver/Blue Line Mitigation (ART Fleet Expansion) (4 buses) – FY14 Revenue Service
o Crystal City Multimodal Center – FY14 Construction Start
· Fairfax City (total $5,000,000)
o Chain Bridge Road Widening/Improvements – FY14 Right of Way Acquisition (ROW) & Construction Start
· Fairfax County (total $74,200,000)
o Route 28 Widening 6 to 8 lanes (SB from the Dulles Toll Road to Route 50) – FY14 Design/Build
o Route 28 Widening 6 to 8 lanes (NB from McLearen Road to Dulles Toll Road) – FY14 Design/Build
o Innovation Center Metrorail Station – FY14 Design/Build
o Herndon Parkway Intersection Improvements at Van Buren St. – FY14 ROW
o Herndon Parkway Intersection Improvements at Sterling Road – FY14 ROW
o Herndon Metrorail Intermodal Access Improvements Herndon – FY14 ROW
· Falls Church (total $1,700,000)
o Pedestrian Access to Transit – FY 14 Design Complete
o Funding for Bus Shelters – FY14 Construction Start
o Pedestrian Bridge at Van Buren Street – FY14 Design Start
o W&OD Trail Lighting connecting to East Falls Church Metro Station – FY14 Design Complete/Construction Start
· Loudoun (total $29,280,000)
o Belmont Ridge Road between Portsmouth Boulevard and Hay Road – FY14 Design/Build Start
o Route 28 Hot Spot Improvements – Loudoun Segment (Sterling Boulevard and the Dulles Toll Road) – FY14 Construction Start
o (Leesburg) Edwards Ferry Road at the Route 15 Leesburg Bypass Grade Separation – FY14 Design Start
o Leesburg Park and Ride – FY14 ROW and Construction Complete
o 2 New Transit Buses – FY14 Revenue Service
· Prince William County (total $28,000,000)
o Route 1 from Featherstone Road to Mary’s Way – FY14 Design Start
o Route 28 form Linton Hall Road to Fitzwater Drive – FY14 Construction Start
· Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) (total $580,000)
o PRTC New Gainesville Service (1 bus) – FY14 Revenue Service
· Virginia Railway Express (VRE) (total $10,700,000)
o VRE Lorton station second platform – FY14 Design
o VRE Alexandria station tunnel and platform improvements – FY14 Construction
o VRE Gainesville-Haymarket Extension Project Development – FY14 Planning & Design Start
· Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) (total $12,000,000)
o Traction Power Upgrades on the Orange Line in Virginia – FY14 Design Start
o 10 New Buses on Virginia Routes – FY14 Contract Start/FY15 Revenue Service
· Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (total $838,000)
o Transit Alternatives Analysis Study in the Route 7 Corridor (King Street, Alexandria to Tysons Corner) (PHASE II) – FY14 Planning Start
There are a total of 33 proposed projects. 12 are classified as roadway projects and 21 are classified as transit/multimodal projects, representing a 58% (roads) v. 42% (transit/multimodal) cost split. These projects were selected based on specific criteria which include, but are not limited to:
· Congestion reduction;
· Identified in TransAction 2040 the Authority’s regional transportation plan;
· Mass transit project that increases capacity;
· Project readiness;
· Mode balance (between transit, road, multimodal); and
· Leverages external funding.
Detailed information about these projects and criteria as well as the projects for consideration the future Six Year Plan can be found at: www.TheNoVaAuthority.org.
BACKGROUND OF HB 2313 and TransAction 2040
HB 2313 established a new transportation revenue source for Northern Virginia, which is estimated to be $1.9 billion over the next six years. It will be allocated through the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Fund and Northern Virginia localities.
Seventy percent of revenues collected will go to The Authority to be used on regional projects that are included within the TransAction 2040 regional transportation plan or mass transit capital projects that increase capacity. Thirty percent of funds will be distributed to localities to be spent on urban or secondary road construction, capital improvements that reduce congestion, other projects that have been approved in the regional transportation plan, or for public transportation purposes.
TransAction 2040 is an update of the Northern Virginia 2030 Transportation Plan. While incorporating recent changes in our transportation network, TransAction 2040 prioritizes all of the transportation solutions presented in the 2030 Plan and includes a cost-benefit analysis. The 2030 plan itself was created as an answer to the growing problems with congestion in the Northern Virginia region. During the development of TransAction 2030 and TransAction 2040, citizens and advisory groups aided Northern Virginia’s transportation planners to map out a plan for making the vision a reality for the region’s transportation future.
For information and regular updates Northern Virginians are encouraged to visit The Authority web site at www.TheNoVaAuthority.org. In addition, The Authority will provide status updates and information periodically on its Facebook page.
Northern Virginia Transportation Authority
NVTA was created by the General Assembly on July 1, 2002, to offer a common voice for Northern Virginia on transportation and other issues that confront the region. The Authority is made up of nine jurisdictions including: the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William; as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park. As the entity responsible for long-range transportation planning for regional projects in Northern Virginia, The Authority recently completed TransAction 2040, its regional transportation plan.
NVTA Who’s Who
The voting members of the Authority include:
Hon. Martin Nohe, NVTA Chairman; Prince William County
Hon. William D. Euille. NVTA Vice Chairman; City of Alexandria
Hon. R. Scott Silverthorne, City of Fairfax
Hon. Sharon Bulova, Fairfax County
Hon. Harry J. “Hal” Parrish II, City of Manassas
Hon. Bryan Polk, City of Manassas Park
Hon. David Snyder, City of Falls Church
Hon. Scott York, Loudoun County
Hon. Christopher Zimmerman, Arlington County
Hon. Adam Ebbin, Virginia Senate
Hon. Joe T. May, Virginia House of Delegates
Hon. Thomas Davis Rust, Virginia House of Delegates
Sandy Bushue, Governors Appointee
Gary Garczynski, Governors Appointee, CTB Member
Non-voting members of the Authority include:
Helen Cuervo, VDOT
Kevin Page, VDRPT
Gerald “Jerry” Foreman, Town of Dumfries
##TheAuthority##
Kala Leggett Quintana
Director of Communications, NVTC
Interim PIO, NVTA
Office: 703-524-3322 ext. 104
DIRECT DIAL #: 571-483-3224
E-mail: kala@nvtdc.org
NVTC Web: www.thinkoutsidethecar.org
NVTA Web: www.thenovaauthority.org
NVTC
2300 Wilson Blvd.
Suite # 620
Arlington, VA 22201
