“This move is either recognition that north-south mobility is needed in a region that now moves on an east-west axis, or it’s an attempt to accelerate construction of a controversial parkway linking (Prince William and Loudoun) counties and ultimately connecting to new Potomac River bridges to create an outer Beltway around Washington,” according to a story in the Washington Post.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance has supported the designation in the hopes that more attention and funds will be given to the issue of alleviating congestion in the area and improving north-south access to Washington Dulles International Airport.

“Still environmental groups, Loudoun County officials and some residents don’t want the beltway and oppose the designation, but Prince William County leaders and area business leaders say a north-south road is needed,” according to a story in Leesburg Today.

The revival of the Outer Beltway proposal, which is on the state’s long-range transportation map, is sure to generate debate in the weeks and months ahead. To keep up to date on the issue, sign up for free email updates at http://nvta.org/.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) awarded a $10.2 million contract on May 19th to build an additional 1.3 mile westbound lane from Fairfax Drive to Sycamore Street on I-66 westbound inside the Beltway. The project will begin this summer and be completed next year, according to the NVTA.

An Arlington Green Party members’ lawsuit had delayed awarding of the contract until a U.S. District Court Judge ruled April 30th in favor of the Commonwealth.

The next 2 phases cover spot improvements between Haycock Road and Westmoreland Street, and between Lee Highway and Glebe Road. The projects will reduce congestion and travel times during peak periods, and increase safety by lengthening merge areas and reducing risk of stop-and-go accidents, according to a press release from Gov. Bob McDonnel’s office.

In other positive transportation news, the NVTA also reported that construction will begin this year on the Fair Lakes Parkway/Monument Drive portion of Fairfax County Parkway, a major bottleneck.

As part of the project, crews will build a grade-separated interchange and widen the parkway from four to six lanes between one-half mile south of I-66 and east of Rugby Road.

Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer provided business leaders and local officials a grim assessment of the future of transportation in Virginia at a June 3 meeting sponsored by the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance.

“We are approaching a cliff,” Secretary Homer said, according to the NVTA Web site. “If we don’t act quickly (to address the transportation funding crisis), Virginia’s prosperity will go elsewhere.”

Local media reports indicate that even as his agency has implemented layoffs and severe cuts in the operations budget and state’s six-year transportation improvement fund, it faces further financial shortfalls as federal and state revenues continue to decline.

In his speech, Secretary Homer noted that the lack of state funds means the state will:

• lose jobs because it can’t attract majory employers with transportation improvements
• continue to suffer congestion woes
  lose federal transportation dollars because it can’t match federal funds
• lose private transportaion money because it can’t attract public private transportation partnerships

To view Secretary Homer’s presentation, visit the NVTA Web site at www.nvta.org.

Among the topics he’ll be covering: the current and projected fiscal health of our highway and transit programs, how federal stimulus dollars will be spent, when Virginia will start losing federal dollars for lack of state matching funds and whether there will be a Six-Year Improvement Program six years from now. Following the presentation, he’ll be taking questions on specific projects and other transportation issues.

The presentation takes place June 3 at the Center for Innovative Technology Auditorium in Herndon. For registration and other information, visit www.nvta.org.

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Phase 1 construction on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is now focusing on the Tysons Corner area, with tunnel and station foundation work beginning along Route 123.

While Dulles Transit Partners, the Phase 1 design-build contractor, has established a major construction operations center in the area, other contractors have completed more than 40 percent of the utility relocation work. Those contractors are placing the utilities underground along both sides of Route 7 as part of a project to widen the road from three to four lanes in each direction.

For updates on the project, visit www.dullesmetro.com.

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A recent survey found that while most metro Washington DC residents believe transportation is one of the top two challenges facing the region, they ranked transportation only 9th out of 16 issues that they would pay higher taxes to solve.

According to the survey of more than 1,300 residents, 54 percent chose transportation above economy/jobs and education/schools as the No. 1 or No. 2 challenge for the region. When asked to prioritize issues that the public wants to see addressed, respondents named higher quality public schools, safe streets and neighborhoods free of crime, and more good jobs as the top three priorities.

Calling the mixed message “one of the study’s most challenging findings,” the report’s executive summary concludes that “residents are not saying ‘do not solve it,’ but they are identifying a number of other pressing priorities that need greater attention in their view.”

The survey was released May 1 and conducted for the Greater Washington Coalition 2050, a group that includes government, business and civic leaders. For more information on the coalition, visit www.greaterwashington2050.org. To read the report in full, click on “News and Events” on the left menu.

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As construction continues on the I-495 HOT Lanes project, a recently released report outlines the tremendous economic benefits to Fairfax County, the Washington DC metro area, and the state of Virginia.

“The magnitude and significance of these economic impacts underscores the importance of the HOT Lanes project as a positive influence on local, area and state economies during these challenging economic times,” said Dr. Stephen S. Fuller, director of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis and author of the report.

The project includes two new lanes in each direction from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road and the replacement of more than $260 million in aging infrastructure, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. This includes replacing more than 50 bridges, overpasses, and major interchanges.

For more information on the project and the report, visit http://virginiahotlanes.com/default.asp.

Public comment received on both projects was overwhelmingly positive by 100-1.

• 325 of the 328 (99.1%) of individuals or organizations registering their views during the 30-day public comment period supported the I-66 improvements.

• 342 of the 343 (99.7%) of individuals or organizations submitting comments supported the I-95/I-395 HOV/Bus/HOT Lanes

I-66 improvements involve the addition of a westbound lane to three segments between Lee Highway/Spout Run and the Dulles Access Road. The estimated cost for the project is $75.6 million with an estimated completion date of 2013.