January
26, 2006
- Manassas National Battlefield Park is the site
of two major Civil War battles. Development pressures, encroaching
strip malls, traffic and proposed highways threaten this national
treasure. The National Park Service is asking citizens to comment
on the ir draft General Management Plan (GMP) for the park . Once
approved, the GMP will guide decisions about managing the park’s
natural and cultural resources, visitation, and development for
the next 15-20 years. This is an opportunity not only to support
preservation within the battlefield, but to ask the Park Service
to oppose new highways in favor of local road improvements tailored
to the historic setting. Learn more.
Included in
the draft GMP are plans to close two roads through the park, U.S.
Route 29 and Virginia Route 234, which currently serve thousands
of daily commuters. The Park Service needs to hear from citizens
that:
- Closing Routes
29 and 234 through the park, while maintaining access for Park
visitors and local residents living in and near the Battlefield
, will help preserve it for future generations.
- But plans
to replace the roads with a new 4-6 lane “beltway”
running along the northern and western boundaries of the park
through historically and environmentally sensitive areas are inappropriate.
- The proposed
route for a new “beltway” would open up thousands
of acres of land to development that would soon overwhelm the
roads with additional traffic, generating yet more gridlock.
- Increased
land conservation around the park, local road improvements, fixing
I-66 and extending VRE will better address commuter problems and
preserve this historic site.
You can submit
comments online or attend one of two public meetings, scheduled
for February 8 and 9, 2006. Learn
more.)
July
21, 2005 - Report
Finds VDOT’s proposals for North-South Highways Leave Commuters
Stuck in Worse Traffic
Manassas Battlefield
Bypass: The Federal Highway Administration released a draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in March 2005. For more information,
visit the Study's
official website.
Tri-County Parkway: A draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) was released in April 2005. For
more information and to read the DEIS, visit the
Study's official website.
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