Traffic Congestion a Daily Issue for Many in Loudoun County

WTOP Radio's Ari Ash reports that back around 2000, Loudoun County commuters living in South Riding, Brambleton, Arcola and Stone Ridge didn't have to worry about traffic.

But he reports that now, in 2014, it's a daily part of their lives. As sprawl has developed in the area west of Washington Dulles International Airport, roads such as U.S. Route 50, Braddock Road and Va. Route 606 (Old Ox Road) are seeing traffic that planners didn't anticipate.

The Virginia Department of Transportation held a two-hour public hearing on Tuesday at Liberty Elementary School to discuss several options to address the congestion with several hundred residents.

While four options are on the table, only two are being seriously considered to provide some congestion relief to these residents: They're being called Alternative 2 and Alternative 3C. Alternative 2 would cost $239.7 million and 3C would cost $244.6 million.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board and the Federal Highway Administration will ultimately decide between the two, although no date has been set for either to choose. A VDOT public comment period ends May 7.

Read the complete WTOP story.

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15-year-old Struck by Vehicle in Hamilton This Afternoon

WNEW Radio reports that a 15-year-old child is in the hospital after being run over by a vehicle in Loudoun County on this afternoon.

According to the CBS website, police responded to the 17000 block of Twin Oaks Place in Hamilton, near Purcellville, where they say a vehicle was backing up into a driveway when it struck the female victim around 2:20 p.m. The child was airlifted to a local hospital.

WTOP radio reports that Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman says that right now it appears to be a terrible accident.

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Latest Proposal for Dulles Rail Project, Would Scrap Airport Station

According to WTOP Radio, a boardmember of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is proposing a radical change in the Dulles Rail project, saying the Dulles International Airport station should be scrapped altogether.

Boardmember Robert Clarke Brown made the suggestion during a MWAA meeting Wednesday, suggesting that the nearby Route 28 station should instead become the Airport station, and the Route 28 station should be outfitted with a "people mover" system that would ferry riders to and from the airport.

"In my view, this would actually be superior transportation service for our passengers [compared to what is currently planned], because the people mover would take them to the terminal," says Brown.

Under the current proposal for a Metro station at Dulles Airport, riders would get off the train on an elevated platform near the north airport garage, which is on the opposite side of the large parking bowl in front of the main terminal. Riders will then have to take an elevator down to an underground area beneath the parking bowl and take moving walkways to the terminal. 

According to the WTOP story, when asked how much could be saved, "the head of the Dulles Rail project, Pat Nowakowski, told the board this option could save around $70 million"

Read the complete story or you can listen to the WTOP story by Adam Tuss.

  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.

Governor Still Wants Western Bypass Through Loudoun County

According to WTOP Radio, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell isn't giving up on the idea of another Potomac River crossing.

"It's an intriguing idea I'm looking at and trying to look at the economics of it to see if it works," McDonnell said Tuesday on WTOP's Ask the Governor program.

"So far, proposals of an eastern bypass from Fredericksburg to Baltimore and a western bypass through Loudoun County have been met with objections. But he says there's still a need to bypass the District without getting on the Beltway."

What are your thoughts on a western bypass Loudoun County? Post your comments below.

  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.

Leesburg Residents Will be Armed with Radar Guns to Control Speeders

WTOP Radio reports that Leesburg residents fed up with speeders whipping through their neighborhood will now be able to do something about it, as police are teaching concerned residents how to operate a radar gun.

"Neighbors will work in pairs, with one person operating a radar gun while the other writes down the license plate.

"A warning letter will be sent to the driver notifying them that a radar caught them and asking them to obey speed laws."

WTOP quotes Leesburg Police Lt. Jeff Dube saying, "We're not out encouraging any traffic vigilantism."

What do you think of the idea? We'd love to hear your feedback on arming residents with radar guns. Will it help control speeders? Comment below.

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.

DC-Area Drivers Have Third Longest Commute in the Country

Just in time for the return to work after the Labor Day holiday...

Did you hear the report from WTOP Radio that D.C.-area drivers are slogging to and from work a lengthy 36.6 minutes each way, good enough for third longest in the nation? That according to a new report released by Inrix, a company that provides traffic and navigation systems.

"Only drivers in traffic-choked Los Angeles and Honolulu spend more time behind the wheel during their commutes, according to Inrix. WTOP reports that the study compared traffic statistics from the first half of this year to the first half of last year."

Meanwhile, refencing the same study, the Washington Business Journal reported that the region is now the fourth-most congested market in the U.S., according to Inrix’s data from 2008 through mid-2009.

"Traffic increased by 9 percent in the area in the first half of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008 when it ranked No. 5. Kirkland, Wash.-based Inrix, which provides traffic information to customers such as MapQuest and Microsoft Corp., says the D.C. area’s worst peak traffic comes between 5 and 6 p.m. Thursdays.

"The study ranked the nation’s top most-congested cities, naming Los Angeles No. 1. The city of angels was followed by New York, Chicago, D.C., Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle and Philadelphia."

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.

WTOP Radio Offers Custom Commute

In case you haven't heard, WTOP Radio is offering a way to help ease your commuting woes with "Custom Commute."

Custom Commute, powered by Trafficland.com, lets you choose specific traffic cameras along your own personalized route (or routes) so you can see how your trip looks before you hit the road. You can save your customized routes to easily access them at any time.

Custom Commute is online at wtop.com.

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.

Dulles Greenway Finds Tough Road with Today's Economy

According to a report by WTOP Radio, the economic downturn has had one positive effect with less traffic on roadways, but that's not good news for one local company.

"The owners of the Dulles Greenway Company say they are dealing with a four percent decrease in traffic this year. The privately owned 14-mile toll road connects Washington Dulles International Airport with Leesburg.

"In January of this year, the company raised its rush hour toll fees charging drivers $4 traveling between Leesburg and Washington.

"CEO Tom Sines says the toll has impacted business coupled with the fact that motorists just don't have much money to spend today."

"Sines says the Dulles Greenway is still hitting maximum traffic expectations during rush hour—the Main Line barrier sees close to 6,000 cars an hour. However, more toll increases are planned. One increase is planned for July 2010 and the next increase will come in January 2012.

"Toll fees for 2010 for two-axle vehicles will be $3.70 and $4.50 for drivers traveling during peak congestion periods. Toll fees for 2012 for two-axle vehicles will be $4.00 and $4.80 for drivers traveling during peak congestion periods."

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.

WTOP Provides Customized Traffic Camera Program to Ease Your Commute

WTOP Radio has upgraded their "Custom Commute" traffic camera program. With Custom Commute, you choose your route(s) and click the traffic cameras along the way. You can even rearrange the order of the cameras to create a custom route.

All you have to do is put in a starting address and an ending address, give a name to the route and click. Presto, up come all the traffic cameras on that route. (If it's not exactly the route you take, drag the route line to the roads you want.) You can add cameras, rearrange them, etc. You can even add another route? And best of all, they are saved for you the next time you come back.

And just in time for Election Day (Tuesday), which is one of the worst days for evening commutes.

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.