Coalition for Smarter Growth | Piedmont Environmental Council

Major VDOT Projects Requiring Reevaluation

Route 288 – A Cautionary Tale about Spending Priorities and Decisions
I-66 – Widening Inside the Beltway
I-95 – HOT Lanes
Tri-County Parkway/Battlefield Bypass/234 Bypass = Western Bypass
I-81 Truck Lanes
Harrisonburg Bypass
"Interstate 460"
Southeastern Expressway
Route 58
I-99
Coalfields Expressway
Dulles Rail -- Need to Link Land Use and Transit

Route 288 – A Cautionary Tale about Spending Priorities and Decisions

Proposal: This completed project, as described in the Richmond Times Dispatch series on November 13, 2005, is a powerful symbol of inefficient expenditure of scarce taxpayer dollars.

Cost: $434 million

CTB Action : Approved.

Analysis: Running between the Powhite Parkway and I-64 as the southwestern segment of an outer beltway around Richmond, Route 288 has opened tens of thousands of acres to development. The landowners, developers, and attorneys who campaigned for the highway are moving quickly to build large developments along the corridor. State incentives to Capital One to locate at the adjacent West Creek office park have meant that this major employer did not locate in or near the core of the region where the road infrastructure and existing commuting patterns would have fully supported this major employer.

Route 288 will shift economic investment away from the City of Richmond and the older inner suburbs of Henrico and Chesterfield. Already there is talk that the Short Pump mall and the proposed Watkins Center will undermine existing shopping centers in Chesterfield and Henrico. According to an analysis of a number of studies concerning the impact of new highway construction, Professor Robert Cervero concluded that the primary effect of new highways is to shift economic development within a region, not to add additional development. New development along the highway will spark the need for additional road expansion throughout the corridor.

This highway cost the state taxpayers $434 million. It was started and completed without adequate funding having been identified, leading to a $248 million deficit on the project. (Richmond Times Dispatch, November 13, 2005, A12) At one point, it was estimated that paying off this shortfall would consume all of the Richmond region’s primary road funds for a decade. Governor Warner paid off the debt in 2005 with the help of $138.2 million from the general fund surplus, meaning that this project diverted both transportation and general funds from other state needs and other regions.

At the same time, the Richmond region has critical road maintenance needs that have not been met. Anyone who has dealt with deterioration of the older parts of I-95 and I-64 or driven Richmond streets knows this. A recent exposé on state bridges that are in serious need of maintenance included a number in the Richmond district.

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I-66 – Widening Inside the Beltway

Proposal: To widen I-66 inside the Beltway to three lanes in each direction beginning with westbound segments.

Cost: $220 million or more for two lanes

CTB Action: Unknown.

Analysis: Reverse commute traffic has increased as jobs have been scattered in non-transit locations throughout Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William Counties. Few expect that widening I-66 inside the Beltway will have any lasting effect. Most expect that these lanes will fill quickly and that there will be even greater bottlenecks in places like the bridges into Washington, DC, where the streets cannot handle any more traffic. VDOT has rejected other effective and less costly alternatives in favor of widening the highway one expensive step at a time.

Other alternatives such as HOV in both directions, going to HOV-3 which has been very successful on I-95, or using this highway as an initial test of congestion pricing with or without High-Occupancy Toll lanes, would cost far less and provide almost immediate relief. HOV-3 and HOT would also allow for express bus service including reverse commute bus service. In addition, the completion of the rail extension to Tysons Corner will offer a real choice to commuters. The VDOT “Idea-66” study showed over 40% reduction in the PM peak after the completion of Dulles Rail and conversion to HOV-3. The VDOT study matrix using 28 different criteria showed that the best overall alternatives were HOT, HOV, and express bus service.

In the final analysis, widening I-66 inside the Beltway treats a symptom without fixing the underlying problem -- that is the failure of counties beyond Arlington to focus development at transit stations and the failure of business leaders to locate their companies in transit accessible locations. (see Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation)

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I-95 HOT Lanes

Proposal: Convert existing HOV lanes to high-occupancy toll lanes (HOT) while adding one lane.

Cost: $913 million (bid from Fluor-Daniel)

CTB Action : Approved for PPTA.

Analysis: This proposal is one of many to privatize portions of existing highways, allowing private companies to toll portions of the facilities in order to fund expansion. The private companies would be given long-term concessions for as long as 60 years or more to control the highways. I-95 HOV lanes would be converted to HOT lanes using congestion pricing (where pricing varies due to congestion levels). I-95 currently uses highly successful HOV-3 and moves more people per hour than the general purpose lanes. The HOT proposal is opposed by “sluggers,” the commuters who created the highly successful system that matches commuters to drivers to fill up carpools to key work destinations.

Addition of hybrids to the HOV lanes has already significantly slowed and reduced the throughput of the corridor, and should be discontinued. Adding single-occupant toll payers could further reduce the number of people moved through the corridor. Instead, greater consideration needs to be given to methods to expand and enhance slugging, express bus service, and VRE service.

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Tri-County Parkway/Battlefield Bypass/234 Bypass = Western Bypass

(See "Review of Tri-County Parkway Location Study, Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Section 4(F) Evaluation," Smart Mobility, Inc, June 2005).

Proposals: To build two new highways around Manassas Battlefield. In November 2005 the CTB approved the Tri-County Parkway along a western alignment from the Route 234 Bypass/I-66 interchange north through the Manassas Battlefield historic district and into Loudoun County where developers want plan changes to add tens of thousands of new houses. They may vote in March to add the Battlefield Bypass to this same corridor.

Cost: $175 to $550 million

CTB Action:Approved western alignments along the old Western Bypass route.

Analysis: Public funds were expended on two overlapping studies, the Tri-County Parkway and the Battlefield Bypass which could add north-south highways on either or both sides of Manassas Battlefield and an east-west highway across the top of the Battlefield.

The minimal benefits of these projects do not justify their cost and considerable adverse impacts. The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) lists improving mobility and reducing congestion as two of the main purposes of the highway. However, as the DEIS itself shows, the Tri-County Parkway will do little to improve traffic in the region:

• None of the three proposed routes would significantly reduce average travel time, vehicle miles traveled, or vehicle hours traveled in the study area.
• The proposed routes for the Tri-County Parkway would only reduce by one to three minutes those trips from one end of the proposed corridor to the other. The durations for many shorter trips would actually increase.

The highways do not address or reduce the far higher east-west traffic volumes and congestion on highways like I-66. Furthermore, by opening up more land to development in areas currently isolated north of Manassas Battlefield, the highways would spark additional traffic on east-west commuter routes like I-66 and Route 50. VDOT has acknowledged that each of the proposals for the new highway would increase driving in the area, contributing to more air pollution.

The proposed western alignment for the Tri-County Parkway which the CTB supported at its November 2005 meeting would cut a four to possibly six lane highway through the western boundary of historic Manassas National Battlefield, slicing through unprotected areas of its historic district, and complete an additional segment of an outer beltway. This alignment matches the proposed Battlefield Bypass, the proposed 234 Bypass Extension and VDOT’s long preferred alignment for the controversial Western Transportation Corridor. Moreover, developers have been supporting legislation in the General Assembly we believe is aimed at pooling proffer funds and matching them with state dollars to build the Western Bypass through Loudoun County’s transition zone to provide access for tens of thousands of houses that they would like to add to the county plan.

Priority for state funding should go to I-66 and the Gainesville interchange, to the extension of VRE to Haymarket and Metrorail to Centreville, and to local road improvements. This combination of alternate strategies was never fully analyzed by the agencies.

Finally, the Council of Governments recently reported that all of the region’s worst congestion bottlenecks, other than I-95 in Woodbridge, are located on the Beltway or on highways inside the Beltway (see “Region's Traffic: From Bad To Worse” by Steven Ginsberg, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, February 16, 2006, Page A01) This would argue for greater priority to be placed on land use and transportation solutions for these locations rather than on outer bypasses.

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I-81 Expansion

Proposal: VDOT entered into negotiations with STAR Solutions, a consortium led by KBR/Haliburton, to add four truck lanes the length of the 325 mile corridor. VDOT completed an environmental impact study of a range of widening proposals, rejected the truck lanes, but is still considering an expansion of eight lanes.

Cost: $8 billion to $19 billion.

CTB Action : Approved the I-81 EIS, while supporting multi-state rail analysis and investments, and ensuring CTB oversight before major widening decisions are made.

(See Shenandoah Valley Network)

Analysis: The final results of the VDOT EIS showed three main problems for I-81:  the need for targeted safety improvements such as truck climbing lanes; local traffic in urban areas requiring better local street networks; and long-distance freight which could be addressed by targeted rail investments in Virginia and nearby states.  This differs from a one size fits all 8-lane expansion the entire length.

The sheer size and cost of I-81 truck lanes has given rise to significant opposition to the project. STAR Solutions proposed four truck lanes separated only by rumble strips for the entire 325 mile corridor at a cost of $13 billion. Their plan included a requirement that the federal government earmark $1.6 billion over 12 years and that the state provide an additional $1.9 billion. The Civil War Preservation Trust and other historic preservation groups have shown that the I-81 truck lanes would threaten at least seven historic battlefields including New Market, site of the famous stand by VMI cadets.

During 2004 and 2005, forty Virginia counties, cities, towns and planning organizations adopted resolutions requesting priority for rail investments. During 2005 and 2006, a significant number of legislators from the corridor have joined with local governments and civic groups in proposing a “reasonable solutions” approach that would limit the project to targeted safety and congestion improvements, truck climbing lanes, and rail improvements. The following local governments, citizens and non-profit groups and travel associations have signed on to Reasonable Solutions: (see Shenandoah Valley Network).

• Albemarle, Augusta, Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties
• Roanoke City Council, Towns of Front Royal, Mt. Jackson, Tom's Brook, New Market, Edinburg, Woodstock
• Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Civil War Preservation Trust, National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Shenandoah Valley Network of citizens groups in Augusta, Highland, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page and Warren counties
• Virginia Hospital & Travel Association, Shenandoah Valley Travel Association
• Valley Conservation Council, Virginia Conservation Network, Coalition for Smarter Growth, Scenic Virginia.

During the 2006 legislative session, VDOT successfully fought proposed resolutions by Delegate Gilbert and Senator Hanger that would have supported a more reasonable approach. However, they were prevailed upon to support a multi-state rail study to divert freight from the highway to major rail corridors.

In 2006, a $35 million state match was provided toward $141 million in Federal earmarks. The $141 million in federal earmarks for I-81 comes off the top of Virginia’s share of federal transportation funds, reducing funds available for other projects throughout the state. I-81 related projects in the Six-Year Program total about $300 million.  Over time, a more limited project, which is already supported by most corridor communities, would save state transportation funds.

More targeted fixes are appropriate since VDOT’s study shows that I-81 conditions are much better than the average interstate in Virginia. The crash score for I-81 is 160 per 100 million miles of travel compared to a weighted average for Virginia interstates of 277 per 100 million miles of travel. Only 7 percent of northbound and 10 percent of southbound lanes are below level of service standards of B (rural segments) or C (urban). Only 4 of 381 exit and entrance ramps (1%) operate below these standards

I-81 has a much higher percentage of heavy trucks than other interstates, about twice that of I-95. But facilitating more truck traffic would hardly make the road safer. Shifting a significant share of the long-distance freight to rail at a lower total cost than the truck lane expansion can be accomplished with a series of multi-state rail upgrades. In addition, targeted safety improvements for nine segments with high crash scores, for areas with inadequate shoulders and insufficient merging distances, and for areas needing truck climbing lanes would cost far less than end-to-end widening proposals.

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Harrisonburg Bypass

Proposal: A complete beltway around the City of Harrisonburg has been proposed, but the portion currently being advocated by VDOT in an ongoing study is the eastern half. This beltway link has also appeared in the VDOT Tier I Draft Environmental Impact Study for I-81 expansion.

Cost: Unknown.

CTB Action: Approved alternative 4 and a segment of alternative 1.  This segment appears unnecessary and could force a road expansion through the Cross Keys Battlefield.

Analysis: In focus groups and meetings with local officials VDOT learned that the primary traffic need was for improved east-west movement across I-81. Traffic counts confirmed this need, showing that over 75% of traffic was trying to move east-west. At the same time, demand for north-south movement to the east of I-81 represented only 7.5 percent of area traffic volume. In contrast, one east-west connection alone (the Stone Spring – Erickson Avenue upgrade) would serve 23% of the traffic demand. It would connect downtown to the new hospital and provide an alternate route to retail areas on Route 33. VDOT however ignored this data and created four large quadrants to imply that most traffic ran north-south to try to justify the eastern bypass on a north-south alignment parallel to I-81.

Additional east-west road connections across I-81 would better connect jobs, housing and retail. As is often the case, the interstate highway itself has served as a barrier to traffic movement, but additional connections across the highway would better link the James Madison University campus and two major sections of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The proposed bypass would cut near or through the Cross Keys Battlefield which looks much as it did in 1862 and remains largely in private ownership. It would harm the views from Shenandoah National Park and take or undermine working farmland in Agricultural and Forestal Districts. The bypass would also shift development outward and undermine the ongoing investments in the revitalization of downtown Harrisonburg. Those supporting the proposed bypass may intend to open more land to development east of Harrisonburg.

The CTB’s approval of Alternative 4 provides a necessary addition to the road network in a developed and developing area that will address east-west traffic movement.  However, the inclusion of a segment of Alternative 1 is unnecessary and opens up agricultural areas to development, affects historic sites, and will generate traffic and pressure to expand a rural road through the historic Cross Keys Battlefield.  This decision should be reconsidered.

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“Interstate 460”

Proposal: A new four lane divided highway along a new alignment north of and parallel to Route 460 between Suffolk and Petersburg.

Cost: $1.5 billion

CTB Action : Approved the highway with an alignment through forests, farmlands and wetlands south of the existing Route 460 and parallel rail corridor.

Status: The CTB approved a new alignment for 460 at their November 2006 meeting and did an additional adjustment in January 2007. VDOT has proposed 460 to be a PPTA and has received bids which it is now reviewing.  VDOT has acknowledged that tolls would not cover the cost, even with tolls as high as $9.70 (see "New Route Selected for U.S. 460; Toll Proposed" by Peter Bacque, Times-Dispatch Staff Writer, Richmond Times Dispatch, Nov. 18, 2005). The cost to the state could be $1 billion of the $1.5 billion because the tolls cannot be set higher than $1 without diverting traffic to the existing highway.

Analysis: The existing Route 460 is reported in the EIS to be at LOS A (free flowing) in 2030 with the exception of traffic lights in the towns.  This highway carries fewer than 10,000 vehicles per day with about 2600 to 4100 trucks per day (up to 43% of the traffic). But this compares to average daily traffic volumes on I-64 on the Peninsula of 43,000 to 80,000 vehicles per day just in the James City County section, indicating a much greater need to address traffic on the Peninsula.

Of the trucks traveling Route 460, 3700 are through trucks, but through trucks have declined 13% since 1990 according to VDOT. This may indicate the increasing shift of freight to the rails for longer-distance trips. While expansion of the port in Hampton Roads will increase freight movement, proposed upgrades to the parallel rail corridor (the Heartland Corridor) will be able to move significant portions of freight to destinations as far away as Ohio.

Another argument offered for building a parallel route for 460 is safety because of the lack of medians, shoulders or divided sections on the highway and the road has higher crash rates than other similar roadways in Virginia. Yet, building a new, parallel highway will still leave Route 460 with no medians, shoulders or divided sections and would consume funding that could be used for these safety improvements.  Roundabouts in lieu of traffic lights or small, limited bypasses around the towns would be a far less costly and more effective solution than a new highway.

Others have argued that a new highway is needed for hurricane evacuation. Yet, evacuation could be facilitated simply by reversing the flow of the eastbound lanes (or at least one of the lanes) and having state troopers supervise traffic flow through the towns. More targeted investments such as small limited access parkway-like bypasses close to town with easements to prevent commercial strip development would help through traffic while not undermining downtown businesses.

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Southeastern Expressway

Proposal: 4 to 8 lane highway extending 21.4 miles and connecting I-264 in VA Beach and I-64 in Chesapeake

Cost: $1 billion

CTB Action: Approved the highway.  VDOT is proposing as a PPTA project.

Analysis: The financial and environmental costs of building the Southeastern Expressway do not outweigh the limited benefits according to the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA. Neither “parkway” nor “greenway” seems an appropriate name for this road. Nearly 249 acres of high value wetlands and 180 acres of upland forests would be lost. The highway and the development it would spark would continue to degrade diverse habitats in the southern watersheds and Back Bay.

The Parkway does not really change the congestion and speed factors (level of service) on I-264 near Oceana and the Oceanfront, which stay at or above acceptable levels. The major highway problems are farther to the west, where I-64 and I-264 flunk the level of service test – with or without the Parkway being built. Separate funding for this problem area has been proposed and is more directly targeted to this congestion hot-spot.

Moreover, the most significant cause of daily congestion on I-264 and I-64 is not through traffic or tourist traffic, but people commuting to and from work, or completing daily errands which can comprise up to 75% of daily trips. That’s why a new bypass farther to the south would make little to no difference to daily traffic. Significant backups on the interstates are tied to exit ramps to overcrowded local arterial roads. Building a new bypass would do nothing to reduce congestion on the many choked arterial roads which have congestion because the communities have not been designed with an adequate local street grid or with mixed-use or pedestrian-friendly designs.

The time savings of 6.6 minutes for an end-to-end trip would all be lost once drivers reached the traffic jams on I-64/264. Hurricane evacuees would face the same logjam. Scarce funds would be better applied to fixing existing bottlenecks and to developing procedures for reverse flows on the highways. Spending over $1 billion and paving the same wetlands that help absorb the impact and water from hurricanes, while not improving traffic conditions on existing roads in the area, is not worth the price.

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Route 58

Proposal: Continue the construction of bypasses around towns and cities to create a four lane divided highway from Hampton Roads to far southwestern Virginia, approximately 680 miles.

Cost: Estimated in the billions. According to the Senate Finance subcommittee report $750 million has been expended to date using $40 million per year from the state recordation tax. But in 2005, VDOT reported that more than $840 million had been spent including $685 million in bonds.

CTB Action : Approved.

Analysis: Route 58 today carries just 5,000 to 13,000 vehicles per day along most segments of the road. This compares to between 43,000 and 80,000 per day on I-64 in James City County on the Peninsula.

Certainly, making significant investments in economic development is important for southern Virginia, and roads like Route 58 have often been proposed for this purpose. Yet, the record is very mixed for Route 58. Continuing shifts in textile manufacturing overseas have not been stopped because of the highway. Since construction of Route 58 bypasses, towns along the route have seen more downtown businesses close as chain services have popped up along the highway.

Given scarce state resources, it can be argued that fully funding a new university and other educational institutions for downtown Martinsville, Danville and other major cities and towns, combined with job training programs, investment in broadband, and state economic development funding would be a better use of state resources. Moreover, additional incentives for building restoration and construction in downtowns would allow these communities to capitalize on the retirement boom and the growing interest of both retirees and young professionals to live in historic, vibrant and pedestrian-friendly towns. These populations would bring additional spending into the local economy. Finally, with health care the most rapidly growing expenditure in the U.S., investment in public and private medical services to support retirees would also add to the job base.

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I-99

Proposal:Budget language in 2006 required VDOT to do a study of an I-99 and a joint resolution mandated VDOT explore entering an interstate compact to build a new interstate from Delaware to South Carolina cutting through Virginia’s Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach/Chesapeake.

Cost: Unknown

CTB Action: None to date.

Analysis: The resolution argues that the new highway would provide an alternative route for I-95, help with evacuation in case of natural disaster or terrorist attack, contribute to air quality improvement, and benefit the economy. None of these arguments hold up or are a sufficient justification for the state to take on yet another costly highway project that does not address the more urgent needs.

Existing studies for I-95 and the Capital Beltway show that the overwhelming majority of traffic is local traffic traveling to and from work and for other daily needs. The Wilson Bridge study showed that 70 to 80 percent of traffic comprised this local traffic and that a bypass would not reduce traffic on the bridge. The critical problems on I-95 in Virginia lie between Fredericksburg and Washington and are the direct result of an explosion of housing far from jobs. These thousands of Virginians would not be helped by a new interstate which would divert billions in transportation funds without relieving I-95 traffic. Solutions for I-95 include HOV, VRE expansion including a third track, and providing more housing closer to jobs in the inner suburbs.

The legislative resolution also argues that the highway would be needed for evacuation in event of a terrorist attack and for air quality improvement. Yet, terrorist attacks are expected to be localized with shelter in place being the primary recommendation. If in the remote situation that Washington, DC must be evacuated, a highway over 90 miles east of downtown DC running parallel to the coast couldn’t possibly offer an evacuation route. Air quality would be worsened, not improved, by a highway which does nothing for I-95 congestion, and would spark more development and traffic on the Eastern Shore. This highway is most likely intended to spark development in areas where the local citizens have fought to protect the rural character, farmland and environment of the Eastern Shore.

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Coalfields Expressway

Proposal: 4 lane 51 mile highway through Wise, Dickenson and Buchanan counties.

Cost: $2.3 billion according to VDOT’s rough estimate in 2005. Other estimates have been as high as $3.8 billion. In June 2005, VDOT reported having spent $62 million in state and federal funds. The six-year program appears to propose $310 million in spending. Design work for just one 6.5 mile portion totaled $31 million.

CTB Action : Unknown.

Analysis: In 2002, VDOT signed a PPTA agreement with KBR/Haliburton to construct the highway. In June 2005, the Federal Highway Administration declined to fund the PPTA project using its Special Experimental Project funding. According to VDOT no private funds have been contributed to the project to date, only regular state and federal funds. The current proposal would use the route to access coal seams and use strip mining to remove earth and create the roadbed.

State road funds would in effect be used to help access coal seams. At the same time, federal and state environmental restrictions that would normally apply to road construction could be evaded by taking advantage of recent waivers provided for strip mining including the filling of stream valleys. Reclamation of the sites would also not be required. In addition to being one of the potentially most environmentally destructive highways in Virginia, it is unlikely that such a large expenditure of funds on just one highway is the most efficient way to bring economic development to the area.

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Dulles Rail -- Need to Link Land Use and Transit

Proposal: Extend Metrorail from Arlington through Tysons Corner to Dulles Airport and two stations beyond into Loudoun County.

Cost: $4.4 billion for entire route into Loudoun County; $2.4 billion for segment to, and through, Tysons Corner to Wiehle Avenue (3 miles beyond Tysons Corner).  There have been about $230 million in Federal appropriations toward the project.

CTB Action: Approved elevated design.  Has not yet looked at tunnel option.

Analysis: Competitively bidding the project, using the tunnel design, and redesigning Tysons Corner in to a pedestrian-friendly urban center are essential for the success of the project.

Transit projects must be closely linked to well-designed transit-oriented development. The Federal Transit Administration has given the Dulles Rail project a “moderate” ranking as eligible for funding but has not included it in the five top projects to be funded with the New Starts program this year. This reflects some cost/benefit problems with Dulles Rail and the challenge of generating ridership for a system located in the middle of a highway right of way.

The proposed tunnel for Tysons Corner appears to cost the same as the elevated design and would be far better for creating a pedestrian-friendly, urban streetscape within Tysons Corner.  It would also avoid the massive traffic disruption caused by construction of the elevated system. Fairfax County has appointed a task force and hired national consultants to redesign the “edge-city,” which will create the environment that can maximize transit ridership and walking.  In short, the success of Dulles Rail in Tysons Corner is tied to the tunnel, the redesign of Routes 7 and 123, and the implementation of a new, pedestrian-friendly, more urban design.

The challenge to generate ridership in the corridor beyond Tysons Corner will be even more daunting given the location of the stations within the middle of the highway right of way. Comprehensive and specific design solutions are needed for these areas to answer questions about ridership and the cost effectiveness of the project beyond Tysons Corner.

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