Emergency Management Encourages You to Stay Off the Roads if We Get Heavy Snowfall

As we anticipate yet another winter storm, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management reminds residents to keep on hand emergency supplies, make a family communications plan (if you don't have one) and stay informed about what could happen.

Eight people died this past December during the massive snowstorm, and though this weekend's storm may not cause as many power outages, it will bring dangerous conditions.

There are lots of safety tips, but since this blog is about traffic and transit, remember this in case we do get serious snow this weekend.

* Do not drive unless it is absolutely necessary. Half of the December snowstorm deaths resulted from vehicle accidents on slick roads and motorists driving too fast. If you must drive, wear a seatbelt.

Let's have a safe weekend everyone!

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Information About VDOT and Clearing Snow

Here's an interesting read that Loudoun County Traffic found on the "In the News" community blog for the Raspberry Falls Homeowners Association. The post deals with a request from Loudoun County Dulles District Supervisor Stevens Miller to VDOT to clarify road clearing procedures (where and when); the post is a recap of the questions and the VDOT response.

Among the questions:

• What is VDOT's policy governing which roads are plowed and when?
• Why are some side streets and other secondary roads plowed while others nearby are not?
• Whom should a resident contact if their street has been made impassable by the results of plowing a cross street?

Read the complete post on the Raspberry Falls HOA Web site. And here's hoping this weekend's predicted snow is nothing compared to the "December to Remember" snowfall!

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Loudoun County to Host Meetings on Tysons Express Bus Service

Public input sessions to be held about express bus service to Tysons Corner from Loudoun County

The Loudoun County Office of Transportation Services is hosting the meetings to offer citizens an opportunity to participate in planning the Tysons Express bus service which will begin this summer and operate weekdays through the end of 2013.

The meetings will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16, at the Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn, and on Tuesday, February 23, at the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E., Leesburg.

Tysons Express will provide morning departures and afternoon and evening returns between park-and-ride lots in Leesburg and Brambleton and various employment sites in Tysons Corner. Passenger fares will be $3.00 per ride. Citizens unable to attend either public meeting may submit comments and suggestions regarding the Tysons Express bus service to rideshare@loudoun.gov or 703-771-5665.

The bus service is being funded by the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. The project includes a Transportation Management Plan (TMP) designed to offset the traffic congestion that normally results with any construction in or adjacent to a roadway system. One of the primary goals of the TMP is to improve transportation for those traveling from Loudoun County to Tysons Corner during the construction of the rail project.

With new express bus service to Tysons Corner, Loudoun County residents will have the opportunity to avoid the congestion experienced by most motorists traveling to the area. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved the use of TMP funds for this purpose and the Office of Transportation Services has initiated the purchase of four commuter coaches to begin the service.

More information about Tysons Express will be posted as it becomes available on the Loudoun County website at www.loudoun.gov/bus.

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New AeroTrain Makes Dulles International Airport Debut Today

Okay, so it's perhaps not transit in the purest sense, but today the Associated Press reports (via the Washington Examiner) that after nearly eight years of digging and more than a decade of planning, that the Washington Dulles International Airport unveiled a $1.5 billion train system designed to help travelers reach their gates more quickly.

"The new underground train system, called AeroTrain, made its debut early Tuesday morning and replaces the airport's unique, bulky 'mobile lounges' that have shuttled passengers from the terminal to the gates since the airport opened in 1962. While the use of the mobile lounges will be curtailed, they will remain in use for international arrivals and at the airport's "D" gates for the foreseeable future.

"The new train system is designed in anticipation of expanding traffic at Dulles, a United hub and the largest of the three airports that serve the greater Washington region."

WTOP Radio reports that "the ride on the mobile lounges can take up to 15 minutes in some instances to get from gate to gate. During peak hours, the underground AeroTrain will run every two minutes. Travel time in between stations is about a minute. Each car on the three car trains can also hold about 50 people with carry-on bags."

WTOP even has some video footage of the new train.



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Loudoun Independent Reports that Local Delegate Wants to Give Two-Wheelers the Green Light to Run Red Lights

Should Bike Riders Follow the Rules of the Road?

According to a Loudoun Independent article earlier this week, "First-year delegate, Thomas “Tag” Greason (R-eastern Loudoun), has introduced legislation in Virginia’s General Assembly that would allow those riding two-wheeled vehicles to pass through red traffic lights."

"Greason said the idea for the bill arose in December after noticing that large amounts of snow piled at intersections prevented vehicles from triggering sensors that activate green traffic signals. Seeing this, he figured the issue likely posed even more of a hassle for smaller vehicles, like motorcycles. Then, over casual conversation with another delegate, he learned that South Carolina recently enacted a law that allowed motorcyclists to treat red lights like stop signs. So why not in Virginia, he thought."

Thanks to the Independent for reporting on the issue.

What are your thoughts? Do you think bicycles should be allowed to pedal through red lights, or if they ride on the road should they obey the rules of the road? Comment below!

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VDOT to Reopen 19 Rest Stops

According to media reports, The Virginia Department of Transportation wants to reopen 19 closed interstate rest areas by April 15.

At a meeting of the Commonwealth Transportation Board this afternoon, VDOT officials said it would cost $3 million this fiscal year to reopen the rest areas, which were closed last year in a cost-cutting move as the state faced a budget shortfall.

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Loudoun County Commuter Bus Adds 123 Spaces for Ashburn Commuter Parking

Ashburn area riders of the Loudoun County Commuter Bus Service will have an additional place to park their cars beginning this coming Monday, January 25.

Loudoun County has signed an agreement with the Christian Fellowship Church at 21673 Beaumeade Circle in Ashburn for the use of 123 existing parking spaces for commuter parking. Commuter parking will be permitted only in the clearly identified spaces that are designated with signs and gold striping, Monday through Friday.

The county’s agreement with the church is for three years with one-year options to continue beyond the initial term. The agreement also includes an option to increase the number of spaces to 200. Service at the new lot is expected to help meet the increased demand for parking which has caused some overcrowding at the Dulles North Transit Center.

Buses will pick up at Christian Fellowship Church in the morning and travel to the Pentagon, Crystal City and Northwest Washington, D.C. Cost is $7 each way with a Smartrip® or $8 exact cash. Bus schedules are online at www.loudoun.gov/bus.
 
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A Reminder About Texting While Driving, and Other Safety Issues for the New Year

As 2010 really gets under way and we're past the holiday season, it's a good time to remind Loudoun County motorists about the rules and laws of the road, including texting while driving.

Virginia House Bill 1876 (Text Messaging and Emailing While Driving) prohibits operation of a motor vehicle on the highways in the Commonwealth while using any handheld personal communications device to manually enter multiple letters or text or to read a text message, provides exemptions for using global positioning systems (GPS), reading caller identification information, and using a wireless telecommunications device to report an emergency, exempts operators of emergency vehicles.

And a good Web site to visit is the Governor's Highway Safety Association Web page on Virginia's driving information and laws. The page features information on texting while driving, as well as the use of cell phones, child passenger safety laws, drug impared and drunk driving and more.

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office also features an online traffic incidents listing that features the latest traffic incidents on county roadways that shows where Sheriff's office personnel are on scene throughout the county. The Virginia Department of Transportation also offers road alerts as well.

Let's strive to make this year safe on Loudoun County roadways.

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Drive Carefully: Emergency Departments Treat 3.5 Million Crash Victims a Year

About 3.5 million motor vehicle crash victims were treated in emergency departments in 2006 for injuries ranging from scrapes and bruises to life-threatening trauma, according to the latest "News and Numbers" from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Roughly 85 percent, or 3 million, of the crash victims were treated and released, while another 321,000 were admitted or transferred to another acute care hospital for inpatient care. About 8,000 victims died in the emergency department.

The federal agency's analysis of motor vehicle accident victims treated in hospital emergency departments in 2006 also found that:

• 37 percent of crash victims were treated in hospital trauma centers that were equipped to provide comprehensive emergency medical care to people who suffer life-threatening injuries. The remaining patients were treated in hospitals not designated as trauma centers.
• About 25 percent of the victims were uninsured; 55 percent had private health insurance; 10 percent were covered under Medicaid; 4 percent, under Medicare; and the remaining 7 percent had other types of coverage.
• Sprains accounted for 44 percent of the injuries treated; superficial injuries such as scrapes accounted for 35 percent; open wounds accounted for 10 percent; and head injuries accounted for 5 percent of the motor vehicle injuries seen in the emergency department. Other types of injuries included fractures (about 15 percent) and internal injuries of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis (3 percent).

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Loudoun County to Open New Leesburg Park and Ride Lot January 25

Leesburg commuters will have a new place to park their vehicles when Loudoun County opens the new, permanent Leesburg Park & Ride lot at 19730 Sycolin Road on Monday, January 25.

The new lot will be open and operational for riders of the Loudoun County Commuter Bus Service as well as carpoolers and vanpoolers. The new facility will replace the current park and ride lot on Catoctin Circle. The new lot is larger, with 691 parking spaces, 6 spacious bus shelters, 24 bicycle lockers, and -- coming soon -- large kiosks and map/poster displays. The new lot also has designated handicapped spaces and motorcycle spaces.

The Commuter Bus schedule will remain the same: the only difference is the location of the park and ride lot. The morning departure times and afternoon arrival times will be exactly the same as they have been for the current Leesburg park and ride lot on Catoctin Circle, known as the Barber and Ross lot. The Catoctin Circle lot will officially close on Friday, January 22, as soon as the last bus leaves the lot.

More information about the Loudoun Commuter Bus Service, including the many park and ride lots throughout the county, is available at www.loudoun.gov/bus.

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Waxpool Road at Loudoun Co. Pkwy Remains Most Crash Prone Intersection

The intersection of Waxpool Road at Loudoun County Parkway in Ashburn remains atop the list for the most crash prone intersection in Loudoun County for 2009.


Waxpool Road at Loudoun County Parkway saw 84 crashes in 2009, and was also the most crash prone intersection in 2008 with 86 crashes. The intersection of Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) at Belmont Ridge was tied with the intersection of Route 7 and Potomac View Road as the second most crash prone intersection in Loudoun. Each intersection saw 73 crashes in 2009.

The following is the annual ranking of the most crash prone intersections for calendar year 2009. These statistics are compiled based on Sheriff’s Office data and do not include crashes worked by the Virginia State Police or the Leesburg Police Department.

Top 10 Crashes at Intersections

• Waxpool Rd/Loudoun County Pkwy - 84 crashes (2008 rank: 1)
• Harry Byrd Hwy/Belmont Ridge Rd - 73 crashes (2008 rank: 4)
• Harry Byrd Hwy/Potomac View Rd - 73 crashes (2008 rank: 2)
• Harry Byrd Hwy/ Ashburn Village Rd - 59 crashes (2008 rank: 8)
• Sully Rd/Waxpool Rd - 53 crashes (2008 rank: 3)
• Sully Rd/ Sterling Blvd - 52 crashes (2008 rank: not listed)
• Sully Rd/Old Ox Rd - 52 crashes (2008 rank: 7)
• Harry Byrd Hwy/Sterling Blvd - 49 crashes (2008 rank: 10)
• Harry Byrd Hwy/George Washington Blvd - 47 crashes (2008 rank: 6)
• Route 7 Bypass/Charles Town Pike - 47 crashes (2008 rank: not listed)

Every year the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Research Analyst compiles the top 10 intersections in the county with the highest number of crashes. This year’s traffic related statistics include 13 fatalities in Loudoun in 2009, down from 14 reported traffic related-fatalities in 2008. There were no traffic fatalities at any of the intersections on the list of the most crash prone intersections.
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Happy New Year! Tolls Increased on Dulles Toll Road

Here's an article about the recent rate hike on the Dulles Toll Road from Toll Road News.

"Typical tolls on the Dulles Toll Road in northern Virginia rose from $1.25 to $1.75 or 40% Friday, Jan 1. This is the first of three annual toll increases aimed to raise tolls 80 percent by 2012 that were formally adopted by the toll operator -- Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) -- last year."

The article also notes that "traffic on the DTR as measured by toll transactions is expected to decline from a daily 295k transactions at present to 280k in 2010, 274k in 2015, 260k in 2020 and 252k from the mid-2030s onward."

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It's a New Year... That Means New (Higher) Rates for the Dulles Toll Road

Don't forget... Beginning today, Jan. 1, travelers on the Dulles Toll Road in Fairfax County will have to fish an extra quarter out of their pocket, that from the Loudoun Independent.

"The toll rates are increasing by 25 cents at both the Main Toll Plaza and the on/off ramps – pushing the toll rate total to $1 at the Main Toll Plaza and 75 cents at the ramps."

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