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TextFairfax County's Concerns Regarding I-95/395 HOT Lanes Project
November 6, 2009
Ms. Barbara Favola
Chairman
Arlington County Board of Supervisors
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
Suite 300
Arlington, Virginia 22201
Re: Fairfax County's Concerns Regarding the I-95/395 HOT Lanes
Project
Dear Chairman Favola:
As you know, the I-95/395 HOV/HOT Lanes Project is a regionally
significant project that will provide critical accessibility to five
current and future military bases in the corridor and enhance travel
mobility within five local jurisdictions. The five military bases will be
home to nearly 90,000 employees. The provision of a third HOV lane has
been in the region’s long-range plan since the early 1990s.
On behalf of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I wish to thank
you for affording Fairfax County the opportunity to offer its concerns
regarding recent events affecting the I-95/395 HOT Lanes Project. A
summary of Fairfax County's concerns is listed below.
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The connections from the HOV/HOT lanes to the Fort Belvoir Engineering
Proving Ground and Mark Center sites are especially critical to
accommodate new development resulting from the Base Realignment and
Closure Commission (BRAC) recommendations in the northern part of the
I-95/395 corridor. In particular, the federal decision to locate jobs
at the Mark Center rested on an assumption that the HOV/HOT Lanes
public transit and network capacity improvements inside the Beltway
would be in place to serve traffic to the site shortly after the Mark
Center facility opens. The additional HOV/HOT Lanes capacity, combined
with the potential for a direct access ramp into the Mark Center, would
provide the needed access to the Mark Center. An Interchange
Justification Report (IJR) for the direct access ramp is currently
being prepared by VDOT and a NEPA document for that connection will be
initiated early in 2010. Without the direct ramp at Mark Center and
additional HOT/HOV capacity, Fairfax County is extremely concerned that
the Mark Center traffic that otherwise would be on I-395 will instead
divert to other less desirable arterials, collectors, and neighborhood
streets in the County.
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The Arlington lawsuit jeopardizes the entire I-95/395 HOV/HOT Lanes
project rather than just those segments within or adjacent to Arlington
County. The Arlington lawsuit effectively blocks private financing for
the entire project, without which there are no other funds available in
the foreseeable future to address the existing severe capacity
restraints on segments of I-95 and I-395 within or adjacent to Fairfax
County for transit or other vehicles.
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The project will provide free, additional capacity and access for HOV
traffic and transit service in the corridor 24 hours per day rather
than the current 6-7 hours of HOV service per day. This is a very
significant change for the region, especially in the highly congested
shoulder periods. The I-95/395 HOV/HOT Lanes Project provides a
critical $195 million payment to increase transit service and improve
transit/carpool facilities in the corridor. We are concerned that the
size and timing of this transit payment are at risk if the length of
the project is reduced and the delivery schedule significantly delayed.
Without these additional transit funds, the viability of interconnected
transit service between the I-95/I-395 corridor and the Beltway HOV/HOT
Lanes and the Tysons Corner employment center will be heavily
compromised.
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In addition, the project is to provide 3,000 more commuter parking
spaces in the corridor, including a parking lot in central Springfield
in conjunction with Fairfax County government. These spaces are
critically needed today due to the recent loss of a significant number
of rented spaces that had been available for commuter use in
Springfield for many years. Fairfax County has already expended $4.5
million to acquire property needed for this central Springfield
facility to facilitate early construction; however, funding for
construction of the parking spaces is tied to the advancement of the
I-95/395 project.
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If the HOT Lanes project stops at the Beltway, the many Fairfax County
residents who travel to and work in Arlington, Alexandria, and the
District of Columbia will no longer receive the travel time savings
benefits that would have been realized with the inside the Beltway
portion of the project. The under-capacity interchange of I-395 with
Route 236 (Duke Street/Little River Turnpike) and Routes 236 and
Beauregard Street are expected to particularly be impacted without the
planned HOT lanes enhancements at the Seminary Road interchange.
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Fairfax County is also concerned that stopping the project at the
Beltway may result in diversion of additional traffic onto the Beltway
as well as other roadways in Fairfax County. As a result, the capacity
of the Springfield Interchange Phase VIII connection to the Beltway
will need to be reevaluated and perhaps reconfigured. Fairfax County
has requested that the impacts of this potential traffic diversion onto
the Beltway and other local roadways be modeled if the project is
phased to initially stop at the Beltway.
We appreciate that Arlington and key state and federal decision-makers
have agreed to meet to clarify the remaining issues and discuss
resolution and settlement of these issues. In view of the significance of
this project to Fairfax County and to the the regional HOV/HOT lane
network, we urge negotiation as soon as possible to resolve Arlington's
concerns and to settle the lawsuit.
Thanks so much for providing the opportunity for us to discuss this
critical issue and for your acknowledgment of our concerns. Please do not
hesitate to contact me if you need additional information or wish to
discuss any of these matters in more depth.
Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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