Texting Law Goes Into Effect Today

As reported today by the Loudoun Extra, Virginia drivers will face new restrictions today, when hundreds of laws take effect, including a ban on sending or reading text messages and e-mails.

A dozen states and the District of Columbia ban motorists from texting while they drive. Virginia's ban begins today, and Maryland's takes effect Oct. 1.

Gilbert's Corner Roundabout Construction Detour Starts July 1

Beginning July 1, motorists on Route 50 in Loudoun County will be detoured around the intersection at Route 15 (Gilbert’s Corner), as the Virginia Department of Transportation continues to build four roundabouts along the two corridors. The shift will last 10-12 weeks, and is expected to add five minutes to non-rush-hour trips and up to 15 minutes during rush hour.

Route 50 will be closed between Route 15 and the newly built connector road, Howsers Branch Drive, about a quarter-mile south of Gilbert’s Corner. Motorists will be detoured to Howsers Branch Drive and a new roundabout on Route 15. A final detour is planned for Watson Road later this summer to complete construction on the roundabouts. VDOT will keep the public informed well in advance of this change.

The roundabouts are an effort to improve safety and traffic flow, while slowing motorists along Routes 50 and 15. Roundabouts are being constructed at Gilbert’s Corner, Route 50 and Watson Road, and at either end of Howsers Branch Drive. The direct link Howsers Branch creates between Routes 50 and 15 will allow some northbound Route 15 and westbound Route 50 traffic to bypass Gilbert's Corner, reducing vehicles through that intersection by about one-third.

This $15.8 million project is scheduled to be complete in late 2009. Under a design-build contract with The Lane Construction Corporation and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., design and construction are being closely coordinated to reduce the project’s cost and duration.

Gilbert’s Corner is the second of three Route 50 traffic-calming projects along a 20-mile corridor from Paris in Fauquier County to Lenah in Loudoun County. Improvements in Upperville were finished in October 2008, and a project in Aldie is expected to begin construction in 2010.

According to a VDOT press release, roundabouts are considered one of the safest types of intersection, moving traffic while reducing crashes, delays, fuel consumption, air pollution, and maintenance costs.

More information on Virginia’s roundabouts, including an instructional video and printable brochure are available here. Gilbert’s Corner project information is available at www.virginiadot.org/ and at www.route50.org/.

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19 Bridges in Loudoun County Need Work, but Only Two Will Get Stimulus Money

According to a published report in the Loudoun Times-Mirror, Loudoun County will receive about $1.5 million in federal funding for the Sand Branch bridge on Route 609 (Pleasant Valley Road) near Round Hill and the Butchers Creek bridge on Route 719 (Airmont Road) in southern Loudoun near the Prince William County line.

Although the state has identified 19 bridges in Loudoun as needing care, these are the only two that will receive federal stimulus funding.

"State bridge inspectors, he said, rank each bridge's condition on a 9 to 0 scale, with 9 being excellent and 0 being a failed bridge. The two Loudoun bridges getting federal funding received a 4 – a poor ranking -- from state inspectors.

"The lowest ranking given to a bridge in Loudoun was a 3, or serious. This ranking was applied to the bridge near the Bull Run Post Office Road at the southern tip of Loudoun, and another off Loyalty Road near Taylorstown in the Lovettsville area."

Photo courtesy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror.

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Airports Authority Set to Increase Fees on the Dulles Toll Road to Pay for Dulles Rail

Today's big news is about the Dulles Toll Road. According to lots of media reports, The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is proposing a toll increase along the Dulles Toll Road to help fund the Dulles rail project.

The Washington Business Journal quotes MWAA spokeswoman Tara Hamilton who said, “We are responsible for the rail going through the corridor as well as making improvements to the toll road, so the toll increase will back revenue bonds for the rail line. We're treating the corridor as one entity."

"The tolls will back revenue bonds the group plans to sell this summer. The MWAA will determine who can buy the bonds as well as the increments in which they will be sold by the end of August. According to the MWAA’s report at Tuesday’s meeting, the gross toll revenue collected on the Dulles Toll Road will need to increase from about $65 million in 2008 to $87 million in 2010 and $220 million by 2020 in order to cover the potential debt from bonds. It expects to issue $2.9 billion in bonds over the next five years."

The Business Journal notes that the Metrorail, which will stretch from West Falls Church to Route 772 in Loudoun County, is under construction and slated for completion by the end of 2016. The federal government has contributed $900 million to the project and Virginia has paid $275 million. Other partners are the MWAA, which will pay $215 million, Loudoun County, which will contribute $252 million, and Fairfax County, which will add $846 million to the pot. The remainder of the $5.2 billion needed to complete the line will come from debt secured by toll revenue.

The Washington Post's Loudoun Extra reports that the authority has planned a series of public hearings for this year, and its 13-member board of directors will vote on the matter in the fall. "But with so much of the rail project dependent on toll revenue, it is not a question of whether the tolls will increase but whether the changes will take place incrementally or all at once.

"Under the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority proposal, tolls would go up incrementally, starting in January. It costs 75 cents to drive through the main plaza and 50 cents to use one of the on- or offramps. The proposal, subject to approval by the authority's board of directors, would increase the main toll to $1.50 by 2012, and the ramp toll would rise to 75 cents.

"Under the proposal, tolls at the main plaza and the ramps would increase by 25 cents next year; only the main plaza toll would rise thereafter, by a quarter in 2011 and another quarter in 2012."

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Summer Driving Safety Tips

Summer is here. Schools are out and vacations are in. So now seems like a good time to remind Loudoun County's motorists about summer driving safety.

America's Road Team Captains, elite professional truck drivers chosen by the American Trucking Associations, are offering advice on how to navigate through highway traffic and arrive at your destination safely. Tips include:

• Plan your route: Know where you are going and be prepared to exit. Indecisive driving is a major cause of traffic problems.
• Keep extra water in your vehicle: Just as you keep a winter driving kit in your vehicle, it is important to be prepared when driving during the summer months. Keep plenty of extra water, sunscreen and non-perishable snacks in your car in case you are stranded.
• Be aware of truck blind spots: When sharing the road with large trucks, be aware of their blind spots. If you can't see the truck driver in his or her mirrors, then the truck driver can't see you.
• Slow Down: With the extra highway congestion due to summer travel, speeding becomes even more dangerous. Allow plenty of space and reduce your speed.
• Wait until parked to use cell phones: Driver inattentiveness is a major cause of traffic accidents. Even just two seconds of distraction time doubles the chances of an accident.
• Buckle up: Safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent and are a simple way to increase your safety on the road.
• Do not cut in front of large trucks: Remember that trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so avoid cutting quickly in front of them.

Let's have a safe and happy summer on the roadways Loudoun County!

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Washington, D.C. Drivers 6th Most Courteous in the Nation

Did you happen to hear about this survey last week that ranked Washington, D.C. area drivers as the sixth most courteous in the nation, as reported by Dr. Gridlock in the Wasington Post? It's true, at least according to fourth annual survey of road rageousness by the AutoVantage auto club.

The top five courteous cities this year were: New York, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Here's the most-courteous list and the least-courteous list.

The Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock even has his own survey to find out how courteous area drivers really are.

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How Would You Like to Be Paid to Carpool?

WTOP Radio reported last week that "Starting in the fall, the Commuter Connections Work Program will pay people $2 every day they carpool. The aim is to reduce the number of solo drivers on the three of the area's most congestion-choked roads.

"Commuters in three areas are the focus of this new pilot program:

• The Capital Beltway between Bethesda and Tysons Corner
• The Capital Beltway between the Baltimore/Washington Parkway and Interstate 270
• Interstate 395 North from Northern Virginia into D.C.

"According to a recent Transportation Planning Board study, these three particular areas also are some of the most congested in the region. Program participants will be tracked electronically and only be paid for the days they actually carpool. The pilot program will last 3 months."

Watch the WABC TV-7 video:

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Update on Loudoun County Road Projects

Here's a good article by Holly Hobbs with the Loudoun Times-Mirror providing updates on road projects in Loudoun County. The story provides info on the Belmont/Route 7 interchange, Sycolin Road and Route 606 (Loudoun County Parkway).

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Special Tax District to Fund Bridge Repair in Greenlea

The Loudoun Times-Mirror reports that Loudoun County's supervisors voted unanimously on June 16 to "approve a special tax district on the 19 homes in the Greenlea neighborhood – a small development south of Leesburg – to pay for a new bridge."

According to the article, "Crooked Bridge, the only entrance into Greenlea, was damaged during a May 2008 storm that sent debris down Goose Creek. The debris congested under the bridge and damaged its supports. Since then, Greenlea residents have crossed the bridge at their own risk.

"The cost of the new bridge, over 15 years, will amount to about $665,000 divided among the homes. The tax district will be applied only to the homes in that neighborhood."

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