public hearing for tier 2 draft environmental assessment may 27,...

Public Hearing

for Tier 2 Draft Environmental Assessment

May 27, May 28, June 2, June 3

Renee Hamilton, VDOT, Deputy District Administrator

Susan Shaw, P.E., VDOT, Megaprojects Director

Purpose of Tonight’s

Public Hearing

Provide information and gain public input:

• Tier 2 Draft Environmental Assessment (EA)

• Updated design concepts

• Technical reports including Section 4(f) Evaluation, Air Quality

Analysis, Alternatives Development, Preliminary Noise Analysis,

Transit and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Technical

Report, and Transportation Technical Report

Opportunities to provide formal comments for the public record:

• Submit written comments on the comment sheet

• Provide oral comments following the presentation or to a court

reporter

Why Improve I-66?

• Improve safety

• Move more people

• Connect regional

transit/HOV/express lanes network

• Expand mode choices and transit

options

• Reduce hours of congestion per day

• Reduce cut-through traffic on local

roads

• Better accommodate future travel

demand

Purpose and Need

Address existing and future transportation problems

• Improve multimodal mobility along the I-66 corridor by

providing diverse travel choices in a cost-effective

manner

• Enhance transportation safety and travel reliability

I-66 Outside the Beltway

Improvement Area

Tier 1

Environmental Impact Statement

• 10 Improvement Concepts General Purpose Lanes

Managed Lanes

Metrorail Extension

Light Rail Transit

Bus Rapid Transit

VRE Extension

Improve Spot Locations and Chokepoints

Intermodal Connectivity

Safety Improvements

Transportation Communication and Technology

• No one Improvement Concept meets the Purpose and Need

• Six Capacity Improvement Concepts were combined into 47 different

scenarios, called Improvement Concept Scenarios

Tier 1 Highest Performing

Scenarios

• Based on ability to meet purpose and need elements:

Two Managed Lanes + Metrorail

Two Managed Lanes + Metrorail + VRE

One New General Lane + Two Managed Lanes + Metrorail

Two New General Lanes + Two Managed Lanes + BRT + VRE

Two New General Lanes + Two Managed Lanes + BRT

• Highest Performing = top 10 ranking for all 4 Purpose and Needs

elements or at least three Purpose and Needs elements and lowest

cost

• Note: Each candidate concept refers to number of lanes in each

direction

Maximize increase in person-trips while minimizing impacts

Why This Solution Now?

Project Scope Elements

• Two Express Lanes (convert existing HOV lane & add one lane) HOV-3 and buses travel free

Non-HOV tolled

Congestion-based tolls (similar to other Express Lanes in region)

Converting HOV-2 to HOV-3 by 2020, consistent with the

region’s Constrained Long Range Plan

• Three regular lanes Open to all traffic

No tolls

Ramp-to-ramp connections (auxiliary lanes)

• Rapid bus service and other multimodal improvements High frequency of service during peak hours and new service

available beyond peak hours

Travel in express lanes for predictable travel times

Park-and-Ride lots, Transportation Demand Management

Typical Section Alternatives

10

290’

Alt. 1 – Concrete Barrier with Full Shoulders and Median for Future Center Transit

(with auxiliary lanes, if needed)

246’

Alt. 2A – Flexible Barrier with Buffer and Median for Future Center Transit

(with auxiliary lanes, if needed)

206’

Alt. 2B – Flexible Barrier with Buffer and No Median

(with auxiliary lanes, if needed)

Express Lanes Access

Alternatives

Path to Preferred Alternative

Universe of Alternatives

for Roadways and

Interchanges

Environmental Draft

Alternative 2A

Environmental Draft

Alternative 2B

Preferred Alternative

(combination of best

elements from each

alternative)

Transit, Park and Ride Lots, and TDM

Mainline Alternatives Access Alternatives Interchange Alternatives

Public Input

Overview of Environmental

Impacts

Key Findings: Noise Study

• Conducted a preliminary noise analysis based on the preliminary

concept plans

• Noise analysts used field measurements and computer models to

analyze and predict noise levels, based on the loudest hour of the

day for future conditions

• All evaluated noise walls will be reevaluated once a preferred

alternative is selected

Key Findings: Traffic Study

• Move more people in the morning and afternoon peak

travel periods

• Reduce hours of congestion

• Improve speeds on I-66 Corridor

• Reduce cut-through traffic on local roads

Traffic Patterns Eastbound

16

Source: 2015 I-66 Travel Demand Model using MWCOG version 2.3 and Round 8.3 Land Use Forecasts

Upstream Segment

Analysis Segment

Downstream Segment

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Move More People in the A.M. Peak Hour

Morning Peak Hour Person Trips

18

Afternoon Peak Hour Person Trips

Move More People in the P.M. Peak Hour

6:00 AM

6:30 AM

7:00 AM

7:30 AM

8:00 AM

8:30 AM

9:00 AM

9:30 AM

6:00 AM

6:30 AM

7:00 AM

7:30 AM

8:00 AM

8:30 AM

9:00 AM

9:30 AM

6:00 AM

6:30 AM

7:00 AM

7:30 AM

8:00 AM

8:30 AM

9:00 AM

9:30 AM

6:00 AM

6:30 AM

7:00 AM

7:30 AM

8:00 AM

8:30 AM

9:00 AM

9:30 AM

Old Tavern Rd

Haymarket

Manassas

Stringfellow Rd

Monument Dr

Fairfax

Nutley St - Vienna

Gainesville

Centreville

EXIT 31

267

EXIT 56

EXIT 54

EXIT 55

EXIT 53

EXIT 52

EXIT 44

EXIT 43

EXIT 40

EXIT 62

EXIT 64

EXIT 66

EXIT 67

EXIT 60

EXIT 61

EXIT 57

234

Dir

ecti

on o

f Tra

vel

19

Improve Speeds Along Corridor – Morning Peak Period

Comparison of Existing, 2040 No-Build, and Build General Purpose Lanes

Existing

2014 No Build

2040

Build 2A

2040

Build 2B

2040

5 20 35 50 65

Speed Color Scale (mph)

3:30 PM

4:00 PM

4:30 PM

5:00 PM

5:30 PM

6:00 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

3:30 PM

4:00 PM

4:30 PM

5:00 PM

5:30 PM

6:00 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

3:30 PM

4:00 PM

4:30 PM

5:00 PM

5:30 PM

6:00 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

3:30 PM

4:00 PM

4:30 PM

5:00 PM

5:30 PM

6:00 PM

6:30 PM

7:00 PM

Old Tavern

Rd

Haymarket

Manassas

Stringfellow Rd

Monument Dr

Fairfax

Nutley St - Vienna

EXIT 31

EXIT 56

EXIT 54

EXIT 55

EXIT 53

EXIT 52

EXIT 44

EXIT 43

EXIT 40

EXIT 62

EXIT 64

EXIT 66

EXIT 67

EXIT 60

EXIT 61

EXIT 57

Dir

ecti

on o

f Tra

vel

Gainesville

Centreville

267

234

20

Improve Speeds Along Corridor – Afternoon/Evening Peak Period

Comparison of Existing, 2040 No-Build, and Build General Purpose Lanes

Existing

2014 No Build

2040

Build 2A

2040

Build 2B

2040

5 20 35 50 65

Speed Color Scale (mph)

21

• As congestion increases on I-66, vehicles divert to other roads (such as US 29/US 50)

including local and residential streets

Reduce Cut-Through Traffic

Legend

Primary parallel route (US 29/50)

Secondary cut-through route

Preliminary Right of Way Impacts

Project Goal: Minimize the project footprint, while determining the most

effective and viable solutions for the I-66 Corridor

WORK IN PROGRESS

Preliminary Concepts I-66/I-495 Interchange - Alternative 2A

Preliminary Concepts Dunn Loring Area – Alternative 2B

Preliminary Concepts Chain Bridge (Route 123) Interchange Area

Alternative 2B

Safety Improvements

• Eliminate tight loop ramps

• Increase acceleration and deceleration lanes

• Reduce number of weaving segments

Nu

tley

St

M

M

Operations and Intelligent

Transportation Systems

Potential Strategies:

• Share real-time information, such as

park & ride space availability

• Active lane management during and after

construction

• Display travel times

• Effectively manage incidents through

video surveillance

• Upgrade fiber optic communications

network

• Enable connected/automated vehicles in

the future

Moving More People With

Multimodal Solutions

11

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New I-66 Transit Service

Features

New I-66 commuter bus service:

• A.M. peak period eastbound

• P.M. peak period westbound

• Uses managed lanes

New I-66 Rapid Bus Service (RBS):

• Buses depart every 20 minutes during

peak periods

• Service originates at park-and-rides

• Service connects multiple park-and-ride

facilities in the corridor with the Orange &

Silver Metro Lines at East Falls Church

• Uses managed lanes

Destinations include:

• Route 28 corridor

• Herndon-Reston area

• Tysons Corner

• Merrifield

• East Falls Church

• Arlington

• District of Columbia

I-66 Park-and-Ride Facilities

Existing and Project Improvements

P

P

P

P

P P

Ha

ym

ark

et

(US

15)

Ma

na

ssa

s

(Balls

Ford

Rd.)

Ga

ine

svill

e

(C

ushin

g R

d/R

oute

234 B

ypass)

Ga

ine

svill

e

(Univ

ers

ity B

lvd.)

Mo

nu

men

t

P

P New Existing – proposed

expansion by project

Existing P

P P

P P P

P

P

P

P

P

P P

P

P P

P

Transportation Demand

Strategies

• Designed to directly promote the use of existing and proposed

transit services and park-and-rides

• Proposed strategies:

• Marketing of new transit services and park-and-ride facilities

• Branding of transit service

• Increasing awareness of new transportation options

• Limited-time fare discounts for new transit users

• Financial incentives and assistance for carpools and vanpools

• Support bicycle and pedestrian access within the corridor

• Support casual carpooling (slugging, similar to I-95)

• Existing TDM strategies in the region will continue

Transit, Park & Ride, TDM

• Combination of transit services, park-and-ride improvements,

and TDM strategies

• Increased number of one-seat rides

• Reliable travel time

• Increased options for travel in the off-peak periods and

weekends

• Adaptable service as travel patterns change over time

• Expanded and new park-and-rides

with multimodal connections

• Support and incentives for non-single occupant

vehicle travel

Enhance bicycle network in Fairfax and Prince William Counties:

• New crossings of I-66 would better accommodate bicycle and

pedestrians, connect routes

Bicycle and Pedestrian Access At

Bridge Crossings

Bicycle and Pedestrian Access

Parallel to I-66

• Bike and pedestrian access parallel to I-66 under evaluation, in compliance with Fairfax

and Prince William Counties comprehensive plans

• Path section has been reduced per Fairfax County ‘s request to reduce impacts

Public Outreach & Agency

Coordination

• More than 119 outreach meetings to date

• Public notification and briefings prior to

NEPA Public Hearings with: o Direct-impact homeowner associations

o Key stakeholder groups

o Northern Va. Congressional Delegation

o General Assembly members

o Local officials

o Transportation groups

• Proactive media engagement

• Transform66.org and interactive

community discussion board

• Transform66@VDOT.Virginia.gov –

More than 1,000 emails received

• Email updates

• Responding to public inquiries

Project Procurement

• Method of procurement for I-66 Outside the Beltway not yet

determined

• Range of options under consideration include:

• Financial experts, advisors, and public and elected officials, are

working to evaluate the various options, while ensuring the greatest

value to the public.

• Evaluation results will be presented to CTB later this year before

advancing the project into the procurement phase.

36

Publicly financed

design-build contract

Public-private partnership

(p3)procurement

Key Milestones

20

Public Input on Environmental

Assessment

• Comments received will be considered in the final decision on a

preferred alternative, and will be addressed in a revised

Environmental Assessment, anticipated to be released in late 2015

• All comments must be received by June 18, 2015

How to Provide Comments

At the Public Hearings:

• Submit written comments on the comment sheet.

• Provide oral comments during the public comment period (all

comments limited to three minutes), or to court reporter (limited to five

minutes if there is a line).

Mail:

• Mail written comments to VDOT, attention Susan Shaw, at: VDOT

Northern Virginia District, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Email:

• Email your comments or questions to

Transform66@VDOT.Virginia.gov

Online:

• Submit your comments via the online comment form, available at

Transform66.org.

Visit

Transform66.org

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