Route 9 Closed at Daley Farm Lane

According to the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office, Route 9 is closed in both directions at Daley Farm Lane due to a crash. The VA State Police are on the scene.

Keep Up With Travel Conditions This Holiday... and This Summer

Staying abreast of current traffic conditions on Virginia’s interstates and roadways has never been more convenient for motorists.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) posts information in real-time about traffic incidents and highway work zones through 511Virginia, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds.

“As a fellow driver, I know how important it is to have reliable, timely information on road conditions and traffic incidents when you are traveling,” said VDOT Commissioner Greg Whirley. “VDOT offers multiple tools to share what is happening on Virginia’s roadways, delivering information when it is needed so motorists can make informed travel choices.”

Motorists can view traffic cameras and alerts about construction work zones, congestion or traffic incidents on VDOT’s 24-hour travel information website, www.511Virginia.org. 511Virginia is also available by calling 511 from any telephone in Virginia.

A mobile version of the 511Virginia website, designed for handheld devices, is available at mobile511virginia.org. Remember to pull over when using your mobile phone or have another passenger use the device. Don’t drive distracted.

Lane closures and crash reports available on 511Virginia are also communicated through VDOT’s Twitter accounts, targeted for different parts of Virginia and specific interstate corridors, such as Interstate 95 or Interstate 81. Visit www.VirginiaDOT.org to see a list of VDOT’s Twitter accounts and how to subscribe.

VDOT’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VirginiaDOT is updated with statewide travel and transportation news.

VDOT’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/vdotweb has recorded more than 450,000 views of uploaded videos since 2007. Videos on travel safety advice, projects and programs are posted on this site.

To report a road hazard or to get answers to your transportation question, you can also call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (1-800-367-7623) around the clock.

  For the latest Loudoun County traffic news and information, subscribe to Loudoun County Traffic via your favorite RSS reader, or get Loudoun County Traffic by e-mail.

Northern Virginia HOV Schedule this Memorial Day Weekend

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, HOV restrictions on Interstates 66, 95 and 395 will be lifted on Monday, May 30.

Northbound/Southbound Schedule for the I-95/395 Reversible Lanes
Lanes will be southbound from 1 p.m., Friday, May 27, until 2 p.m. Saturday, May 28; and northbound from 4 p.m. Saturday, May 28, through the rest of the holiday weekend.

Closure for Rolling Thunder
The I-95/395 HOV lanes will be closed to regular traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 29, for the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally.

More information on Northern Virginia HOV schedules can be found online.

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VDOT Lifts Lane Closures and Adapts HOV Lanes for Memorial Day Holiday

Motorists in Virginia will find lane closures and road construction work zones temporarily suspended throughout the Memorial Day weekend to accommodate an expected surge in traffic over the holiday, the traditional start of summer travel season.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will lift lane closures from noon today, Friday, May 27, to noon Tuesday, May 31, for the majority of construction and maintenance projects.

Permanent construction zones with concrete barriers and orange barrels will remain in place.

VDOT has adapted High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane schedules for the Memorial Day weekend to reflect historic traffic patterns, providing extra lane capacity where and when needed.

Read more about Memorial Day holiday travel from VDOT.

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Belmont Ridge at Ryan Road Now Clear

The Loudoun County Sheriffs office reports that the crash at Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and Ryan Road is now clear and that traffic is running as normal.

Belmont Ridge Road

The Loudoun County Sheriffs Office reports that traffic has been rerouted on Belmont Ridge Rd at Ryan Rd Due to a crash. Expect Delays in the area.

Multiple Vehicle Crash on Belmont Ridge Road at Luck Lane

Shortly after 4 p.m., the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office reported that emergency personnel were on the scene of a multiple vehicle crash on Belmont Ridge Road at Luck Lane. At the time of the report, the roadway was currently closed in both directions. Motorists in the area should expect delays and may want to take alternate routes.

Study Says We Become Increasing Bad Drivers with Age

Consumer Reports writes that research published by the American Psychological Association, on the online journal Neuropsychology, looked at healthy older drivers and their performance on the road and found that all types of driving errors increased with age, no matter what the person’s driving history.

The study looked at 266 people age 70 to 88 who had no signs of dementia, lived on their own, and drove at least once a week. Researchers wanted to find evidence for detecting unsafe older drivers and how declines in brain function — normal cognitive aging — affects driving skills. Participants drove through a 12-mile course through city and suburban streets in Brisbane, Australia, with a professional driving instructor in the front seat and occupational therapist in the back seat scoring the drivers on various errors.

Read the complete Consumer Reports article.

Comment below... do you agree with the results? Do you think there should be an age limit for seniors?

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No Seat Belt Violations at Today's Seat Belt Checkpoint

650 Vehicles Pass Through Seat Belt Checkpoint with No Seat Belt Violations

The Loudoun County Sheriffs Office Traffic Safety Unit conducted a seat belt checkpoint on Riverside Parkway and Kingsport Drive this morning, Wednesday, May 25, as part of the Click It or Ticket campaign.   
 
Between 8-9 a.m., 650 vehicles passed through the seat belt checkpoint with no seat belt violations.   
 
During the Click It or Ticket campaign, law enforcement throughout the Commonwealth will be cracking down on motorists who fail to obey all traffic laws-including seat belt and child safety seat use-both day and night.   
 
Virginia has seen steady decline in traffic related fatalities, however, preliminary data from 2010 indicates that there were a total of 740 fatalities, of those, 314 were not restrained at the time of the crash.   
 
Remember to Click It or Ticket. Buckle up and encourage your loved ones to do the same. You will save the cost of a ticket and may even save a life.

Take the 2 Mile Challenge

Are you up for the “2 Mile Challenge”?

Did you know that 40 percent of urban trips in the United States are less than two miles, yet 90 percent of those short trips are taken by car?

Organizers of the challenge are asking participants to pursue other options when taking these short trips. Challengers will join one of three teams, sponsored by nonprofit organizations. The winning team’s organization will win $100,000 for bicycle advocacy and climate protection!

The goal is to replace 100,000 car trips, so register today!

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Big Ridership Day and Fundraiser Last Week on the Dulles Greenway

The Dulles Greenway’s 6th annual Drive For Charity -- held last Thursday, May 19 -- set a new record for donations with an amazing $236,354 collected, with all the money donated to great local charities and a local scholarship program.

In addition, the Greenway reports that last Thursday was the highest traffic day of the year for the Dulles Greenway.

This year's recipients:

• March of Dimes
• Every Citizen Has Opportunity (ECHO)
• Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS)
• Fresh Air/Full Care
• Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy
• The Dulles Greenway Scholarship Program

“The Drive for Charity is always a fantastic event and this year has been unbelievable,” said Tom Sines, CEO of TRIP II, the parent company of the Dulles Greenway. “The commitment Dulles Greenway drivers have to our charity partners are making a real difference in people’s lives. We are proud to be a small part of making Loudoun County a better place.”

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It's Bike to Work Day -- Let's Be Careful and Courteous to Our Biker Friends

Today is Bike to Work Day and lots of our friends and neighbors will be out on their bikes participating in the annual "Bike to Work" day event -- those who are experienced bicycle riders as well as riders who are trying biking to work for the first time.

Last year in Loudoun County about 445 cyclists stopped by the two Loudoun County pit stops along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, in Leesburg and Sterling. And organizers are hoping for even more this year!

The Loudoun County Office of Transportation Services is hosting two Bike to Work Day pit stops along the W&OD Trail. In Leesburg, the stop is at Raflo Park on Harrison Street. In the Sterling/Dulles area, the stop is just east of Route 28 near Orbital Sciences Corporation.

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Two Loudoun County Sheriff's Recognized for Work Combating Impaired Driving

Congratulations to Loudoun County Sheriff’s Sergeant Kevin Robinette and Sergeant William Nugent who were recently recognized at the 20th Annual Excellence in Community Service and Public Safety Ceremony for their efforts in combating impaired driving in 2010.

Sergeants Robinette and Nugent were among several law enforcement personnel from the region recognized at the ceremony organized by MADD Virginia Program and the Fairfax Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP). The ceremony honors officers in their efforts in curbing drinking and driving.

Sergeants Robinette and Nugent serve as the front line supervisors within the agency’s Traffic Safety Unit in the Special Operations Division and coordinate all sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and traffic safety related enforcement.

Sgt. Robinette has over 27-years in law enforcement experience and joined the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in 1983. Sgt. Nugent has over 43-years of law enforcement experience and joined the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in 1994. Nugent served 26-years with the Fairfax County Police Department prior to joining the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

The ceremony was held last Friday, May 13, at the West Park Hotel in Tyson’s Corner.

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Evergreen Mills Road Closure

Evergreen Mills Road (Route 621) is closed between The Woods Road and Red Cedar Drive. The roadway is closed due to a vehicle crash. 

The Street Names of Ashburn... Who Came Up with These Names?

Here's an interesting article from the Ashburn Patch by Conrad Geller on street names in Ashburn.

Granted, it may be a stretch to include here on a website devoted to traffic and transit news, but what the heck... we made the call to include it -- after all, traffic and transit move over streets right?. Here's hoping you find this story interesting.

"One of the most interesting – and bewildering – aspects of living in Ashburn is the variety of street names here. I was delighted during my first explorations of the area to find streets that reminded me of my childhood in Massachusetts: Gloucester Parkway, Marblehead Drive, Cohasset Terrace."

Read the complete Patch article about the street names of Ashburn.

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Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Continues Opposition to Underground Metrorail Station

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has taken action on several fronts in its continued opposition to the decision of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Board of Directors in favor of an underground alignment for the proposed Metrorail station at Dulles International Airport. 
 
At today?s meeting, the Board of Supervisors directed the County Administrator to seek additional information from MWAA and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority regarding the potential impacts on Dulles Metrorail, the operations at Dulles Airport, and any possible extension further into Loudoun County should the Board vote to opt out of the funding agreement for Phase 2 of the project.   
 
The Board also voted to send a letter to MWAA Board Chairman Charles Snelling reiterating the Board?s position that MWAA should reconsider its decision to select the underground station alternative, and if it does not, that the additional costs associated with the underground station must be fully borne by MWAA without using additional Dulles Toll Road revenue.  The letter will also include a strong objection to the use of a mandatory ?Project Labor Agreement? for Phase 2 of the Metrorail extension.   
 
?MWAA is causing this project to derail,? said Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott K. York. ?The numbers aren?t adding up and when the numbers don?t add up, you can?t continue making decisions that are costing the project more and more.?     
 
The Loudoun Board supports the above-ground alignment of the proposed Metrorail station at Dulles Airport because it is more cost-effective. The selection of the underground station will add approximately $300 million to the project cost and bring the total cost for Phase 2 to $3.5 billion. This will raise Loudoun County?s total contribution to the project to $300 million. 
 
The Board also voted to support Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf?s proposed legislation expanding Virginia?s membership on the MWAA Board to nine members and giving greater authority to the Governors of Virginia and Maryland, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the President to remove and replace members of the MWAA Board. The Supervisors also voted to send a letter to Loudoun County?s federal and state delegations and the Governor of Virginia, indicating the county?s support of the legislation. The Supervisors also asked that four new Virginia appointees be chosen by Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington Counties.   
 
More information about the Dulles Corridor Rail Project in Loudoun County is online at www.loudoun.gov/dullesrail.  

This Thursday is the Dulles Greenway's "Drive for Charity"

This Thursday, May 19, the Dulles Greenway will take 100 percent of all tolls collected and share them with local charities during the annual "Drive the Greenway."

So Loudoun County commuters... remember to drive the Greenway this Thursday for the March of Dimes, Every Citizen Has Opportunities (ECHO), Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter (LAWS), FreshAir/Full Care and the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.



The Dulles Greenway contributed $226,246.67 in last year's drive and $1,030,455.88 over the last five years!

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Dulles Rail Update from Congressman Frank Wolf

From Congressman Frank Wolf's spring newsletter comes this update on Dulles Rail.

"Ensuring that the project to bring Metrorail to the Dulles corridor is completed on time and on budget is one of my top priorities. I believe that we should do everything possible to minimize the cost of the project and prevent cost overruns. That is why I am absolutely opposed to the recent decision by the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority (MWAA) to build an underground tunnel at the Dulles Airport station, a decision that would add at least an additional $300 million to construction costs. Each additional dollar spent on this project would be an extra burden on every user of the Dulles Toll Road and the Metro system, through higher tolls, taxes and fares.

"I am equally concerned about preventing cost overruns for this project. That is why I have asked the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct an ongoing audit of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project to ensure cost overruns do not occur. I have also asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive review of the operations of MWAA."

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Register now for Bike to Work Day in Loudoun County!

Join thousands of people in the region who will leave their cars behind on Friday, May 20. Register online to receive a free T-shirt. Pre-registered participants will be able to pick up their T-shirts on Bike to Work Day at one of two pit stops in Loudoun organized by the county's Office of Transportation Services.

For more information, including a link to online registration, go to www.loudoun.gov/biketowork.

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Aggressive Driving the Target of Enforecment Effort on Route 9 Starting Tomorrow

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia State Police will combat aggressive driving on Route 9, starting tomorrow, Monday, May 16, through Memorial Day, May 30, targeting aggressive drivers in a continuing effort to promote highway safety and the efficient flow of traffic for Virginia motorists and visitors.

“Given the high volume of traffic and inherently hazardous nature of Route 9, it is imperative that motorists obey all traffic laws,” said Sheriff Simpson. “This enforcement effort is an excellent opportunity to remind drivers of the dangers of driving aggressively while simultaneously enforcing traffic laws.”

State Police and Sheriff’s Office personnel will utilize a variety of tactics including patrol with marked and unmarked police vehicles and checkpoints. Variable message boards will also notify motorists of the campaign.

With the increased presence of deputies and troopers on Route 9 as part of the safety initiative, motorists are reminded to comply with Virginia’s “Move Over” law. The state law requires drivers to change to another travel lane or, when not able to, to cautiously pass emergency personnel stopped on the side of the road.

  For the latest Loudoun County traffic news and information, subscribe to Loudoun County Traffic via your favorite RSS reader, or get Loudoun County Traffic by e-mail.

Congratulations to Loudoun County Transit for Passing 1 Million Riders

Loudoun County Transit (LC Transit) has reached the milestone of one million rides.

Earlier this week, on Wednesday, May 11, at about 7:30 a.m., a passenger crossed the threshold by boarding a Loudoun County commuter bus, putting the service over one million rides for Fiscal Year 2011.

LC Transit provides commuter bus service weekdays from twelve park and ride lots throughout Loudoun to destinations within the Washington metropolitan region, including Tysons Corner, West Falls Church, Rosslyn, Crystal City, and the Pentagon. Buses also make stops in the District of Columbia along major business corridors and near federal buildings and tourist locations.

In FY 2001, total passenger trips were just over 180,000. By June 2011 and the end of FY 2011, LC Transit will have logged just over 1.2 million passenger trips. In 10 years the annual passenger trips have increased more than six fold.

According to the Loudoun County Office of Transportation Services, the passengers of LC Transit, instead of driving alone, have helped remove over 2,600 cars daily from area roadways.

More information about the county’s commuter bus service is online at www.loudoun.gov/bus.

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Sheriff's Office to Conduct Sobriety Checkpoint Tonight, Friday, May 13

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office will conduct a sobriety checkpoint tonight, Friday, May 13, in Western Loudoun County.

The sobriety checkpoint will be held from 10 p.m. tonight until 3 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) morning. The Sheriff’s Office designed the checkpoints to raise public awareness and to discourage impaired driving.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure the roads are safe for all motorists by achieving voluntary compliance with the drinking and driving laws,” said Loudoun County Sheriff Steve Simpson. “If you drink and drive, we’re going to catch you,” added Simpson.

Members of the Sheriff’s Office Auxiliary Unit and volunteers from the Loudoun Chapter of MADD will assist with the checkpoint.

Remember Loudoun County travelers... don't drink and drive!

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Update on May 12 Hit and Run in Ashburn

Vehicle Possibly a Chevrolet Cobalt, Dark in Color, and Has Passenger Side Front-End and Undercarriage Damage
   
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office believes the vehicle involved in the hit and run of a pedestrian May 12 in Ashburn was a Chevrolet Cobalt that is dark in color. 
   
Around 7:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, a 55-year-old female was attempting to cross Gloucester Parkway at Ashby Ponds Boulevard when she was struck by a small, dark in color, four-door passenger car. The car is further described as having a rear spoiler and alloy rims. The vehicle likely has damage to the front-end passenger side and the undercarriage. The driver was described as a male.   
   
The victim was airlifted to INOVA Fairfax Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.   
   
Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect driver and vehicle are asked to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office immediately by calling 703-777-1021.

If the caller wishes to remain anonymous they are asked to contact Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. If the information leads to an arrest and indictment, the caller could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Loudoun Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police Announce Route 9 Enforcement Effort

Loudoun County Sheriff Steve Simpson has announced a joint effort with the Virginia State Police to combat aggressive driving on Route 9. From May 16 to May 30, both agencies will target aggressive drivers in a continuing effort to promote highway safety and the efficient flow of traffic for Virginia motorists and visitors.

“Given the high volume of traffic and inherently hazardous nature of Route 9, it is imperative that motorists obey all traffic laws,” said Sheriff Simpson. “As evidenced by the crash last Christmas Eve which took the lives of three men, any loss of control on Route 9 can have tragic consequences. This enforcement effort is an excellent opportunity to remind drivers of the dangers of driving aggressively while simultaneously enforcing traffic laws.”

State Police and Sheriff’s Office personnel will utilize a variety of tactics including patrol with marked and unmarked police vehicles and checkpoints. Variable message boards will also notify motorists of the campaign.

“This concerted enforcement effort is to provide a continuous reminder to motorists on Route 9 of the need to make safe, responsible driving practices a priority,” said 1st Sgt. Alvin Blankenship, Virginia State Police Loudoun Area Office Commander. “Complying with the speed limit, buckling up, not driving distracted, and driving drug and alcohol free are drivers’ best defense towards helping make themselves and Route 9 safer for everyone.”

With the increased presence of deputies and troopers on Route 9 as part of the safety initiative, motorists are reminded to comply with Virginia’s “Move Over” law. The state law requires drivers to change to another travel lane or, when not able to, to cautiously pass emergency personnel stopped on the side of the road.

  For the latest Loudoun County traffic news and information, subscribe to Loudoun County Traffic via your favorite RSS reader, or get Loudoun County Traffic by e-mail.

Lower Toll Road Rates Could Result from Loan

Although much of the recent debate about the costs of extending Metrorail service to Dulles Airport has focused on the airport station, a federal government decision will have an even bigger impact on future rates on the Dulles Toll Road.

The Fairfax Times reports that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority plans to apply for about $1.7 billion in federal loans under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. This would allow the airports authority to borrow funds at a much lower rate and with more flexible terms than on the private bond market, potentially lowering overall costs by 20 to 30 percent.

Whether the U.S. Department of Transportation ultimately approves the TIFIA loans for the project will have a significant long-term impact on the cost to use the Dulles Toll Road.

Read the complete Times article.

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UPDATE: Ashburn Pedestrian Accident Claims Life of Boy, Injures Mother

Here's an update from the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office on the pedestrian accident that claimed the life of a young boy last evening.
 
The Sheriffs Office reports that an 8-year-old Ashburn boy lost his life after he and his 29-year-old mother were struck by a vehicle as they attempted to cross Farmwell Road Monday night.     
   
Around 9:15 p.m. Loudoun Sheriffs Deputies responded to the scene where a 2004 Toyota Camry was traveling westbound on Farmwell Road and struck the mother and son as they attempted to cross Farmwell Road at Ashburn Village Boulevard. According to independent witnesses the driver had a green traffic signal as the Toyota traveled westbound.   
 
The child, Beshoy B. E. Shokr, was taken to the Lansdowne Campus of Inova Loudoun Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His mother, Eman S. Thabet, was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she is currently listed in stable condition.   
   
The male driver of the vehicle remained on the scene and has been cooperative.  Neither alcohol nor speed is believed to be a factor.   
 
The Loudoun County Sheriffs Office Crash Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate the incident.

Tolls Could be Coming to the Dulles Access Road

WTOP Radio reports today that as part of the plan to finance the
Dulles Rail Project, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is
being advised to consider putting a toll on the road which is now free.

"In addition to higher tolls on the Dulles Toll Road, which had been
expected, plans such as setting up a toll on the Dulles Access Road,
peak hour pricing on the Dulles Toll Road and distance-based pricing
will likely be considered.

"Seventy-five percent of the financing for Phase II of the Dulles Rail
Project, from Reston, to Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun
County, will come from Dulles Toll Road users. The price tag for Phase
II now stands between $3.3 billion and $3.5 billion, a full $1 billion
more than original estimates."

Read the full WTOP article at: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2376123

TV-9 Reports Pedestrian Death in Ashburn Overnight

According to WUSA TV-9, a boy has been killed after being struck by a
vehicle while attempting to cross an Ashburn intersection with his
mother.

"Kraig Troxell, spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Department,
says a mother and her eight-year-old son were attempting to cross
Farmwell Road at Ashburn VIllage Boulevard when the two were struck by
a vehicle traveling westbound through the intersection around 9:15
Monday night.

"Troxell says the boy was taken to Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne where
he was later pronounced dead. The mother was airlifted to INOVA
Fairfax Hospital. Investigators at the hospital say she is stable and
a family member is with her.

"According to Troxell, the driver of the striking vehicle stayed at
the scene and is cooperating with investigators. At this point, police
do not believe alcohol or speed contributed to the crash. The driver
has not been charged.

"The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Accident Reconstruction Unit is
handling the investigation. Troxell says the area was dark at the time
of the incident. Investigators are working to determine whether or not
the mother and child were walking in a crosswalk when they were
struck. Independent witnesses have told police the vehicle had the
green light when it entered the intersection.

"The names of the victims will not be released until next of kin can
be notified. Wade Byard, spokesman for Loudoun County Schools, says
the boy was a first grader at Dominion Trails Elementary School in
Ashburn. Byard says no fewer than six grief councelors will be on hand
to assist students coping with the news this morning."

Story courtesy of WUSA TV-9.
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=150292

Survey of Public Transportation Needs in Loudoun County

The Loudoun County Government is conducting an assessment of current public transportation needs – both within Loudoun County and to and from the county. Survey responses will help identify areas for improvement.

Loudoun County residents are encouraged to take a few minutes and take the online survey:

If you are not able to take the survey online, you can call Loudoun ENDependence Center (LEND) at 571-291-9550 for assistance in completing the survey.

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Washington Post Editorial: The Risk of Relying on Higher Dulles Toll Road Revenue

"THE EXTENSION of Metrorail to Dulles International Airport and beyond, underway in Fairfax County, is one of the biggest public infrastructure projects in America. The venture is vital to this region’s economic development. But at a cost pegged at $6 billion — almost double the estimated price tag in 2004 — it is also generating increasing sticker shock.

"That shock is now giving way to political vertigo and pushback, not least because most of the project’s overall cost will fall on commuters who rely on the Dulles Toll Road. Tolls paid by drivers on the road are expected to bear 56 percent of the cost of the extension, which is known as Metro’s Silver Line. Phase II of the project, which will run from Reston through the airport into Loudoun County, relies on tolls for 75 percent of its $3.5 billion cost."

Read the complete Post editorial.

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Register Now for Bike to Work Day on May 20

Loudoun County is gearing up for Bike to Work Day, set for Friday, May 20. Both new and experienced cyclists are encouraged to register for this free event at www.waba.org or by calling 202-518-0524. 

The Loudoun County Office of Transportation Services will host two of 49 Bike to Work Day pit stops in the region, where participants can pick-up free T-shirts and giveaways, enjoy refreshments and enter prize raffles. The Loudoun pit stops will be located along the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail, rain or shine in:

• Leesburg at Raflo Park on Harrison Street, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• Sterling at the trail entrance to Orbital Sciences Corporation, just east of Route 28, from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

For more details, call 703-737-8044 or visit www.loudoun.gov/biketowork.

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Kids Ride Free to Celebrate 40 Years of Amtrak

Amtrak is turning 40 this year and to help celebrate, they are letting their youngest fans onboard for free. If you book a trip now through May 6, and then travel before June 9, 2011, your family can join in the celebration, and the kids will ride free!

Learn more online at Amtrak (PDF).

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Register for a FREE Telework Webcast

Sponsored by Telework Exchange, a May 24 Webcast will focus on best practices for managing remote workers and the technology requirements needed to support a robust telework program. Agency representatives will discuss their Telework Week experiences; sharing methods of managing remote workers, lessons learned from Telework Week, and how remote technology enabled seamless communication with employees.

Register for the May 24 event.

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