FAIRFAX COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMISSION
Meeting Summary
September 15, 2015 at 7:30 PM – FCDOT, 4050 Legato Rd, Fairfax, VA 22033
TAC Members in Attendance: Chairman Jeff Parnes (Sully), Vice Chairman Jennifer Joy Madden (Hunter Mill), Secretary Roger Hoskin (Mason), Frank Cohn (Mt. Vernon), Kevin Morse (Braddock), Micah Himmel (Providence), Eric Thiel (Springfield), and Alan Young (At Large).
TAC Members Absent: Mike Champness (Dranesville) and Harry Zimmerman (Lee).
Others in Attendance: FCDOT staff: Calvin Lam and Kris Morley-Nikfar. Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) staff: Kelley Coyner, Karen Finucan Clarkson, and Dan Goldfarb). Citizen guest: Stuart Whitaker.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Parnes at 7:35 p.m. The minutes of the last meeting were approved with minor editorial changes.
Note Taker: Micah Himmel
Main Topics Discussed
Envision Route 7
Kelley Coyner, Karen Finucan Clarkson, and Dan Goldfarb from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) presented Envision Route 7 to the TAC. Ms. Coyner outlined NVTC’s role as an organization to promote and plan transit in Northern Virginia. The purpose of Envision Route 7 is to better connect Tysons to Alexandria with high quality transit service.
In terms of demand for improved transit service, the population and job growth along the Tysons-Alexandria corridor shows a marked increase: 34 and 36 percent. Job growth is broken down type of employment. Tysons employment is approximately equal to the Miami central business district (CBD). By 2040, the Tysons employment level could reach present-day Seattle CBD.
Phase I of the study, already concluded which was funded by a federal grant, evaluated a range of transit options for the Route 7 corridor. The types of transit considered in Phase I include LRT, BRT, and enhanced bus. Phase I initially included commuter rail and HRT, but the study resulted in a narrowing of options to the three aforementioned.
Three key deliverables from next phase of Envision Route 7 are mode choice, alignment, and financial sustainability. NVTC believes that one of the three — LRT, BRT, and enhanced bus — will be preferable to the hypothetical of extending Metrorail. Route 7 options include no-build, Transportation Systems Management (TSM) regular bus with additional functionality or route innovation, LRT, BRT (of various configurations).
Lane configuration of the project would vary depending on segment along corridor. In some locations, median guideways would be used. In others, such as for City of Falls Church, the route would align with curb lanes (Business Access Transit Lanes, BAT lanes). Alexandria has stated that they would only allow mixed traffic, not dedicated lanes.
In 2040, NVTC forecasts almost two hours to travel from King Street to Tysons, including walking time, on regular transit. In the modeling for BRT, the time would be about 50 minutes. This time forecast reflects an approximation of door-to-door travel time, not simply vehicle travel time.
NVTC is considering bicycle facilities, possibly opting for bike share.
NVTC currently plans on 2025 or 2030 as the beginning of revenue service.
The next phase of study would include cost estimates and ridership forecasting. NVTC is planning on trying to meet the rigors of the New Starts program so as to ensure the possibility of qualifying should that funding option become viable.
NVTC will hold public meetings in November. Cost estimates will be available at these November meetings.
Q&A:
• The question arose as to why stop this study at Tysons and not continue out to Leesburg? NVTC responded that the next phase would potentially continue out westward.
• The Tysons Route 7 Widening Study is moving forward concurrently, Commissioner Madden noted. She asked whether the Envision Route 7 program is in communication with the Widening Study. NVTC noted that the opportunity for now is preserving ROW for transit. Outreach has also been conducted with residents along the planned corridor.
• Smaller BRT-purposed buses (e.g., 80 riders) could function as circulators within a short range to supplement BRT.
• The TAC noticed an absence of connectivity to the West Falls Church Metro. NVTC pointed out that there is a planned half-mile distance between WFC Metro and a stop on Route 7 for BRT. Stop spacing will be approximately 0.5 miles.
• Asked about pricing, NVTC indicated that it is currently looking at a flat fare structure.
• A commissioner asks about a scenario in which BRT relies on autonomous vehicles. NVTC has not planned for that at this time, but the financials are broken out by line items, so it is possible to estimate what the costs would be.
• Asked about employing value capture to increase the financial sustainability of the project, NVTC indicated that it was not considered in this study.
• Regarding mode choice, parking costs are included in the demand model. The parking costs affect mode choice.
• Asked for comparative mode costs, NVTC stated that the cost for LRT is approximately three times that of the BRT. Depending on ridership, LRT may become cost-effective. A consultant is looking at all financing options, including P3 and value capture, among others.
Transit Accessible Meetings
Commissioner Champness has continued to work on finding a path forward for promoting better transit access to public meetings. Discussion proceeded about how to consider the proposed initiative to encourage more transit access or meeting planning to facilitate transit as an effective mode to attend County meetings and events. The commissioners discussed promoting better access. Selecting meeting locations near Metrorail, which stays open later, was one raised.
Stuart Whitaker had an opportunity provide feedback. He asserted that automobile ownership as a prerequisite to meeting attendance is a form of white privilege. He does not believe that accessibility goals are served by Fairfax County’s policy. Further debate proceeded about whether the proposal would be workable and the nature of land use patterns.
The Chair recommended reporting the experience of the TAC to the BOS regarding Whitaker’s and the Dranesville TAC commissioner's proposal. The report would include an explanation of the original proposal, the TAC's discussion of the request, efforts on an individual basis to find feasible transit options to/from TAC meetings, the text of the proposed letter, and the final vote on proceeding to drafting a letter. The report would be framed as an illustration of the challenges to providing broader access to meetings like the TAC's.
There was discussion of siting future meetings near the meeting subject locations. E.g., the Richmond Hwy Alternatives Analysis meeting would be somewhere in the Route 1 corridor.
The Providence Commissioner brought up the issue of cost control for sidewalk projects under development and sidewalk/trail maintenance. December 1 is TBD for a meeting as a working meeting to discuss this topic. A suggestion was raised for Uber/Lyft as a topic at a future meeting, too.
TAC Achievement Award Committee
The TAC Transportation Achievement Award will be presented at the Board meeting on November 17, 2015, at 10:30 am.
Comment and Feedback on Previous Meeting’s Presentations: N/A
Other Business:
Planned Agenda for Next Meeting
- October 20, 2015: Richmond Highway Alternatives Analysis Next Steps – Tom Burke (FCDOT)
Topics for Future Meetings (Candidates for holding meetings at alternate location indicated in bold)
- November 17, 2015: Legislative/HB 2 Update – Noelle Dominguez (FCDOT)
- December 1, 2015: Joint Meeting with Trails & Sidewalks Committee – Funding for Maintenance
- December 15, 2015: I-495 and I-95 Express Lanes Performance/Progress
- January 19, 2016: CTB Determination of Corridor of Statewide Importance
- February 16, 2016: Huntington Area Transportation Study – Leonard Wolfenstein and Arpita Chatterjee (FCDOT)
- March 15, 2016: Route 7 Core Widening – Tad Borkowski, FCDOT)
- April 19, 2016: Countywide Transit Network Study – Leonard Wolfenstein and Arpita Chatterjee (FCDOT)
- TBD: Update on Accessible Bus Stops
- TBD: Comprehensive Plan and Transportation staff and Planning Commission discussions with TAC on what their vision is for future development and any changes in planning and zoning guidelines that may be needed to account for future work environment given the pace and impacts of technology advances (including guest speaker to explain impact of self-driving/smart cars, buses and trucks on traffic, roadways and intersections). Joint meeting date with the Planning Commission’s Transportation Committee will be determined.
- TBD: Comprehensive Plan and Transportation staff and Planning Commission discussions with TAC on how planning for areas currently planned for future rail stations reflects the designation of the areas as future rail stations
Closing and Adjournment:
Chairman Parnes provided updates on meetings he has attended and upcoming events that could be of interest to the TAC members. The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.
Upcoming Events:
October 13, 2015 1:00 pm Board Transportation Committee Meeting
December 1, 2015 10:00 am Board Transportation Committee Meeting
Upcoming Meetings:
October 6, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Work Session (FCDOT)
October 20, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Regular Meeting (FCDOT)
November 3, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Work Session (FCDOT)
November 17, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Regular Meeting (FCDOT)
December 1, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Work Session (FCDOT)
December 15, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Regular Meeting (FCDOT)
January 5, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Work Session (FCDOT)
January 19, 2015 7:30 pm TAC Regular Meeting (FCDOT)