Possible Traffic Delays During Weekend Events

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is advising residents of weekend events that may cause traffic delays in various areas of the county.

 

The events listed below only include activities where traffic control is being conducted by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and where traffic may be impacted.

Friday, Sept. 23
•An event will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Ashburn area. The road that may be impacted is Ashburn Village Blvd near the Ashburn Sports Plex.
•An event will be held from 3 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the Lansdowne area. The roads that may be impacted are Woodridge Parkway and Deerfield Avenue.
• An event will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight. in the Lovettsville area. The roads that may be impacted are Berlin Turnpike, Broad Way and South Loudoun Street. Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed to all traffic.

Saturday, Sept. 24
• An event will be held from 4:30 a.m. to noon in the Lucketts area. The roads that may be impacted are Lucketts Road/Lost Corner Road, St. Clair Lane, and Evans Pond Road.
• An event will be held from 10 a.m. to midnight in the Lovettsville area. The roads that may be impacted are Berlin Turnpike, Broad Way and South Loudoun Street. Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed to all traffic.
• An event will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the South Riding area. The roads that may be impacted are Riding Center Drive, Unicorn Drive and Ulysses Street.
• An event will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the Ashburn area. The road that may be impacted is Ashburn Village Blvd near the Ashburn Sports Plex.

Sunday, Sept. 25
• An event will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ashburn area. The road that may be impacted is Ashburn Village Blvd near the Ashburn Sports Plex.

Motorists are asked to please be patient, drive safely, follow all law-enforcement direction and have a safe weekend.

  

Proposed Dulles South Commuter Bus Schedules Available for Review

Loudoun County Transit is proposing changes to the Dulles South Commuter Bus Service which are designed to alleviate overcrowding on the popular route.

The schedule changes will coincide with the acquisition of four, 40-passenger transit buses that will be joining the Commuter Bus Service fleet in December. The new buses will replace four, 55-passenger commuter coaches currently used on Metro Connection routes.

Loudoun County Transit staff is proposing to strategically place two of the 55-passenger buses into the Dulles South schedule to relieve overcrowding. The remaining two commuter coaches will be used as spares.

The proposed Dulles South schedules can be viewed at www.loudoun.gov/BusChanges.

 

Comments regarding the proposed changes for the Dulles South schedules may be emailed to mailto:TransitComments@loudoun.gov and will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 14.

For questions or more information, email rideshare@loudoun.gov or call the Department of Transportation & Capital Infrastructure at 703-771-5665.

  

Blasting Set for Construction of Kirkpatrick Farms Fire and Rescue Station

Loudoun County officials announce that blasting for construction of the Kirkpatrick Farms Fire and Rescue Station, located at 41380 Gardenia Drive in Aldie, will begin on or about tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 13, and continue for approximately two weeks. The site is at the intersection of Northstar Boulevard and Gardenia Drive.

Blasting is generally scheduled to occur between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. All blasting will be managed in accordance with the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s requirements. 

Questions about the project may be directed to Nicholas Brown, Loudoun County Department of Transportation & Capital Infrastructure, at 571-258-3435.
  

Virginia Supreme Court Rules on Greenway Toll Rates

The Supreme Court of Virginia issued an opinion upholding the State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) findings in its investigation of toll rates on the Dulles Greenway, which is the only privately owned toll road in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The SCC‘s investigation had determined that no changes to the toll rates on the Dulles Greenway were required.

The Supreme Court’s opinion affirms that the SCC’s investigation was proper and that a rational basis existed for the SCC’s 2015 decision.

The court’s opinion is posted on its website at www.courts.state.va.us/opinions/opnscvwp/1151976.pdf.  

“The Board of Supervisors was disappointed to learn of the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Chair Phyllis J. Randall. “By any standard, the tolls charged on the Greenway are excessive and we continue to believe that reducing the cost of using the Greenway would help to alleviate traffic congestion in the region without digging into the profits of TRIP II.”

Over the past four years, state representatives, Loudoun County, and other stakeholders have fought for more equitable toll rates on the Greenway, which included proposals for distanced-based tolling and other methods to increase use of the Greenway while decreasing the toll burden on motorists. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling this week, state and local officials have exhausted their ability to contest the toll rates on the Greenway through administrative and judicial procedures.

“During our last term, the Board decided to partner with then-Delegate David Ramadan to fight the Greenway at the SCC and the Supreme Court since the General Assembly did not act on his legislation that would have provided relief to Loudoun residents,” said Dulles District Supervisor Matt F. Letourneau.

“While we knew that our appeal would be a long shot, if nothing else it demonstrates that the county has exhausted all judicial means to rectify this problem — meaning that it is time for our lawmakers to act. I still believe that the SCC used flawed analysis to justify their continued Greenway toll increases, and that it is abundantly clear to all of us that the excessive Greenway tolls are materially discouraging the use of the Greenway, in violation of the law.”

Toll Road Investors Partnership II (TRIP II) owns the Dulles Greenway.

Any further effort to reduce tolls for Loudoun’s residents would require action by the Virginia General Assembly to change the laws regulating toll rates charged by private toll operators.

  

County Marks Major Transportation Milestone

Loudoun County officials celebrated the completion of a segment of Russell Branch Parkway during a ribbon cutting ceremony along the road today. The recently-opened segment of the parkway between Ashburn Road and Ashburn Village Boulevard was identified as a “missing link’ in the county’s road network in the Eastern Loudoun Transportation Study.

In addition to providing increased connectivity between Ashburn Village Boulevard and Ashburn Road, the newly constructed road segment serves as a parallel roadway for Route 7, which will help to relieve traffic congestion in these areas.

The project consists of design and construction of:

• Approximately 1,800 linear feet of a four-lane, median-divided roadway.
• Trail and sidewalk improvements.
• A crosswalk.
• A traffic signal modification at the intersection of Russell Branch Parkway and Ashburn Village Boulevard.
  

This project was funded and administered by Loudoun County. The total cost of the project was $6.4 million, which was funded through local and gas taxes and cash proffers.

More information about ongoing transportation and other capital projects in Loudoun County is online at www.loudoun.gov/underconstruction. 

  

Real-Time Bus Information for Commuter Bus Riders

Loudoun County has launched a new real-time bus information system that provides commuter bus riders with accurate arrival times of their buses.

“Bus Time” is a web-based tool that can be viewed using a web browser on a mobile device, laptop or PC. This program helps riders plan their commute by allowing them to see the next several buses scheduled to arrive at their selected stop.

Using GPS technology and schedule/arrival data, the Bus Time program calculates the arrival time of buses for specific stops and routes. Commuters can access the information via smartphones, other mobile devices, laptops or PCs.

More information about Bus Time, including the link to the tool, is available online at www.loudoun.gov/bustime or by contacting Loudoun County Transit at 703-771-5665 or by email at email:rideshare@loudoun.gov.

Fatal Lansdowne Crash Investigation

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred early this morning in Lansdowne. The crash took the life of a 5-month-old boy and seriously injured the child’s mother.

A preliminary investigation indicates that shortly before 8:10 a.m. an adult female was pushing her 5-month-old child in a stroller. The two were crossing Riverside Parkway from Coton Manor Drive towards Kipheart Drive. The mother was walking with the child in the marked crosswalk when they were struck by a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by an adult male driver. The driver was turning west onto Riverside Parkway from Coton Manor Drive.

The mother is being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit is reviewing the results of the investigation with the Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to determine any possible charges. Additionally, the Sheriff's Office is working with Loudoun County Public Schools in reference to notifications of the incident.

  

Blasting to Resume for Route 7 and Route 659 Interchange Construction Project

Loudoun County officials announce that blasting for the Route 7 (Harry Byrd Highway) and Route 659 (Belmont Ridge Road) interchange construction project will resume on or about Thursday, Sept. 1, and continue until about October 15. 

Blasting will be concentrated on the northeast corner of the intersection for future storm sewer and water line installation.  

Blasting is generally scheduled to occur between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as conditions permit. The blasting may cause temporary road closures for brief periods, generally not longer than 20 minutes. 

All closures will be managed in accordance with Virginia Department of Transportation and Loudoun County requirements.  All blasting also will comply with the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s requirements. 

Electronic message boards will be posted to inform motorists of the blasting. 

Updates and notices for the Route 7/659 Interchange project construction phase can be found at www.loudoun.gov/route7-659. Questions about the project may be directed to the Loudoun County Department of Transportation & Capital Infrastructure at route7-659@loudoun.gov.  

  

Sheriff's Office to Conduct Back to School Enforcement Campaign

As summer break comes to an end, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman is asking drivers to help make this a safe-school year by watching for children walking to and from school.
 
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is launching an enforcement and public education campaign as part of the agency's efforts to ensure the safety and welfare for the children returning to school.   
 
Over the next few weeks Loudoun Sheriff's Deputies will be conducting a Back-to-School campaign strictly enforcing speed and other traffic violations around local schools. Loudoun Sheriff's Deputies will be utilizing RADAR, LIDAR, "Smart Trailers", variable message boards to display safety messages, marked and unmarked cruisers, as well as the agency's motorcycle unit.
 
In his annual video message Sheriff Chapman is reminding drivers to "follow all speed and traffic signs, obey all signals by law enforcement and crossing guards, and take extra precaution in the areas of elementary, middle and high schools throughout the county." To view the safety message from Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman, please visit http://www.sheriff.loudoun.gov/back2school
 
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is offering these safety tips for students and parents:

Walking to School

• In neighborhoods with higher levels of traffic, consider starting a "walking school bus," in which an adult accompanies a group of neighborhood children walking to school.
• If your child is young or is walking to a new school, walk with them the first week to make sure they know the route and can do it safely.
• Bright colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers.
• Do not push or shove others when you walk.
• When crossing the street, look left-right-left for cars. Do not cross if a car is coming and use a crosswalk if available.
  

Riding your Bicycle

• Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride.
• Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic.
• Use appropriate hand signals.
• Respect traffic lights and stop signs.
• Wear bright color clothing to increase visibility.
• Know the "rules of the road."
• Never use headphones or cell phones while riding.
  

Tips for Motorists

• All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or an age- and size-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.
• Do not text or talk on your cell phone while driving.
• Slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits.
• Be alert for school zones that have a reduced speed limit at designated times of the day.
• Watch for school buses. Red flashing lights and an extended stop arm indicate the school bus is stopping to load or unload children. State law requires you to stop.
• Keep an eye out for children walking in the street, especially where there are no sidewalks.
• Be alert for children playing and gathering near bus stops and for those who may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch for children walking or biking to school.
• When driving in neighborhoods or school zones, watch for young people who may be in a hurry to get to or away from school and may not be thinking about getting there safely.
   

Tips for Students

• Always buckle up when riding in a car. Be sure to remove your backpack before getting in the vehicle. Never buckle your safety belt with your backpack on.
• Always ride in the back seat. It's the safest place for young people.
• Always wear a helmet and follow traffic safety rules when riding your bike.
• If you ride a school bus, learn and practice the safety rules for waiting at the bus stop, getting on and off the bus, and riding the bus.
• Never wait for the school bus in the roadway.
• If you walk to school, learn and practice the safety rules for pedestrians. It's extremely important for you to use sidewalk when available, look left-right-left when crossing the road, and always walk facing traffic.
• Always cross at cross walks; obey all traffic signs, traffic lights and crossing guard instructions.
• Teen drivers should avoid speeding and distractions while driving, such as texting, talking on cell phones, eating and adjusting the radio. Teens are also reminded never to overload their vehicle; everyone riding in a vehicle must use a safety belt.
• Be a good role model for your younger brothers, sisters and friends, and help them learn and follow vehicle safety rules.

Residents are encouraged to do your part to make this a safe school-year for our children.