Virginia

[Beltway]

I'll probably get scorching nuclear heat for saying this, but I've always felt that if there's any highway in Virginia that would benefit from a freeway upgrade, it's US-29. Even though there's no chance in hell of an I-83 extension (which I'm a big fan of), US-29 could still be an interstate standard freeway between Danville and I-66 without having I-shields. Considering that I-81 is clogged with truck traffic with no plans by VDOT to widen it and the fact that I-95 is a nightmare between Richmond and DC, it would make sense to me that the main N/S corridor through central VA be a high speed alternative to I-81 and I-95.

You won't get any "scorching" from me! :-)  As part of the state arterial system that was designated in 1965, US-29 was upgraded to 4 lanes divided with 13 bypasses of towns and cities, the work completed in 2005 when the Danville Expressway's last dualization was completed.

Unfortunately new Interstate construction has become very expensive, we could figure $25 to $30 million per mile in rural areas.  So that could be $5 to $6 billion for the corridor. Hard to find that amount of funding...

For now I would like to see these projects expedited --
Southern Lynchburg / Madison Heights Bypass, between US-460 and US-29 south
Brandy Station interchange
Remington Bypass south terminus interchange
Remington Bypass north terminus interchange
Warrenton Bypass south terminus interchange
6- or 8-lane reconstruction between Warrenton Bypass and Gainesville

[Beltway]

As part of the state arterial system that was designated in 1965, US-29 was upgraded to 4 lanes divided with 13 bypasses of towns and cities, the work completed in 2005 when the Danville Expressway's last dualization was completed.

I found an online article about 5 years ago concerning the Arterial Highway System, how that in 2003 the General Assembly removed the designation class, and specified that these highways would simply be classified under the FHWA standards as part of the National Highway System (NHS) and specifically classified as Rural Principal Arterials under the NHS.  IOW the Arterial Highway System designation was removed.

I don't recall any newspaper articles about this, and 10 minutes of searching online today did not find any info about this.  Anyone here know more about this?

[Mapmikey]

As part of the state arterial system that was designated in 1965, US-29 was upgraded to 4 lanes divided with 13 bypasses of towns and cities, the work completed in 2005 when the Danville Expressway's last dualization was completed.

I found an online article about 5 years ago concerning the Arterial Highway System, how that in 2003 the General Assembly removed the designation class, and specified that these highways would simply be classified under the FHWA standards as part of the National Highway System (NHS) and specifically classified as Rural Principal Arterials under the NHS.  IOW the Arterial Highway System designation was removed.

I don't recall any newspaper articles about this, and 10 minutes of searching online today did not find any info about this.  Anyone here know more about this?

Mentioned in the June 2003 CTB minutes (Agenda item 22 of http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/resources/ctb-minutes-06192003.pdf) but i couldn't find any of the supporting information...

[Beltway]

As part of the state arterial system that was designated in 1965, US-29 was upgraded to 4 lanes divided with 13 bypasses of towns and cities, the work completed in 2005 when the Danville Expressway's last dualization was completed.

I found an online article about 5 years ago concerning the Arterial Highway System, how that in 2003 the General Assembly removed the designation class, and specified that these highways would simply be classified under the FHWA standards as part of the National Highway System (NHS) and specifically classified as Rural Principal Arterials under the NHS.  IOW the Arterial Highway System designation was removed.

I don't recall any newspaper articles about this, and 10 minutes of searching online today did not find any info about this.  Anyone here know more about this?

Mentioned in the June 2003 CTB minutes (Agenda item 22 of http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/resources/ctb-minutes-06192003.pdf) but i couldn't find any of the supporting information...

"Agenda Item 22: Action on Rescindment of Prior Board action of March
19, 1964 and VDOT Departmental Policy Memoranda 8-2 of May 6, 1991,
and Repeal of 24 VAC 30-480-10 in the Code of Virginia relating to
Arterial Networks, to coincide with the effective date of July 1, 2003, of
Chapter 302 of the 2003 Acts of the Assembly, which repealed all
provisions in the Code referring to the Arterial Network of Highways and
repealed the Acts of Assembly that designated certain highways as part of
the Arterial Network. Referenced by attachment of Resolution, Decision
Brief, Chapter 302 of the 2003 Acts of the Assembly, Department Policy
Memoranda 8-2 of May 6, 1991, Letter of endorsement for these actions
of May 9, 2003 from the Office of the Attorney General, a listing of the
affected highways, the March 19, 1964 Resolution of the Board and a
map."

....

Bill passed into law -- http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?031+sum+HB1487

"Arterial network of highways. Eliminates references in the Code to the arterial network of highways and repeals the Acts of Assembly that designate certain highways as part of the arterial network. The bill provides that its provisions are not to be deemed to alter state funding of maintenance, maintenance replacement, construction, or reconstruction of former arterial network projects within the boundaries of any city."

[plain]

@Beltway: The proposed Charlottesville bypass was flawed from the beginning. The bypass was not planned to have any interchanges other than the endpoints.. the only thing it would've done was provide a way for through traffic to avoid the development just north of the city and nothing else... it would not have helped with the traffic situation at all as the far majority of the people who uses the existing stretch are commuters, thus the reason why it was 8-laned in the first place and even that have become inadequate. The whole reason for the Rio Rd grade separation was to basically keep traffic flowing on US 29 at that junction. Another grade separation or two at other junctions is the only thing I see fixing this stretch

It was originally planned to have two more interchanges, but those were deleted to satisfy "anti-sprawl" advocates.  VA-654 Barracks Road and at VA-743 Hydraulic Road.

The urban arterial interchanges are flawed as I pointed out. 

I mentioned the critical weakness that remains where the US-29 bypass connects to Emmet Street / Seminole Trail along with the Hydraulic Road intersection.  I don't believe that project will ever be built; the construction costs and R/W costs and impacts are far too high and I predict that it will never be built.

During the development of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act legislation (ISTEA of 1991, the federal 7-year transportation bill), Virginia, along with North Carolina, worked successfully to have US-29 designated as a "Highway of National Significance." This designation means that the U.S. Congress considers the US-29 corridor to be an important corridor that is not adequately served by the Interstate Highway System, and therefore, it requires further highway development to serve the travel and economic development needs of the region. State transportation officials view US-29 as a interregional highway that serves important regional transportation interests along the whole corridor from I-40/I-85 at Greensboro, N.C., to I-66 at Gainesville, Virginia.

The Charlottesville US-29 situation is grossly inadequate and state and local officials are failing to provide sound transportation decisions.

Oh no doubt I completely agree with the state screwing the corridor up.. shiiit I'm still mad about the whole Richmond Beltway/John Rolfe Pkwy fiasco. In a way the two situations are kinda similar: the state waited so long to secure the adequate right of way that development formed and got in the way. The bypass if built now would certainly mean the destruction of many homes in its path. All I was trying to point out is VDOT will have to go for the next best (and most likely costlier) thing... think about the Memorial Dr situation down in Huntsville and why ALDOT felt the need to do it. Not saying VDOT would even do anything that dramatic. As for Hydraulic, sooner or later VDOT will be forced to grade-separate or at least something there. Even if the bypass was built as planned, whether it had those two interchanges you mentioned or not I'm not sure how much of a help it would be as many people live to the east of existing US 29. The interchange at the original bypass/Emmitt would have to be redone anyway. Which will definitely not be an easy fix. But yes the longer the state waits the more difficult it will be to fix this.

[Beltway]

The Charlottesville US-29 situation is grossly inadequate and state and local officials are failing to provide sound transportation decisions.

Oh no doubt I completely agree with the state screwing the corridor up.. shiiit I'm still mad about the whole Richmond Beltway/John Rolfe Pkwy fiasco. In a way the two situations are kinda similar: the state waited so long to secure the adequate right of way that development formed and got in the way. The bypass if built now would certainly mean the destruction of many homes in its path. All I was trying to point out is VDOT will have to go for the next best (and most likely costlier) thing... think about the Memorial Dr situation down in Huntsville and why ALDOT felt the need to do it. Not saying VDOT would even do anything that dramatic. As for Hydraulic, sooner or later VDOT will be forced to grade-separate or at least something there. Even if the bypass was built as planned, whether it had those two interchanges you mentioned or not I'm not sure how much of a help it would be as many people live to the east of existing US 29. The interchange at the original bypass/Emmitt would have to be redone anyway. Which will definitely not be an easy fix. But yes the longer the state waits the more difficult it will be to fix this.

VDOT had acquired nearly all the right-of-way needed for the bypass.  Now the current Regime has started selling it off.

VDOT studied a number of alternatives over a period of years, and selected the Alternative 10 bypass.  A full NEPA process was completed with an FHWA approved Final EIS and Record of Decision.

It was IMHO a good compromise, as a further western bypass would have been much longer, an eastern bypass would have had to overlap I-64 and it would have also been much longer, and either of them would have had plenty of impacts to the built and natural environment.  Rebuilding Emmet Street into a freeway has the issues that I already cited.

We had officials and newspapers in Lynchburg and Danville and other cities pressing the issue for Albemarle County to agree to a high-speed bypass because to them US-29 was their principal north-south highway, and they unlike Albemarle County do not have an Interstate highway serving their cities.  To those cities, Charottesville  is major bottleneck in the US-29 corridor.

I maintain that the situation at the original bypass and Emmet Street and Hydraulic Road can be improved somewhat but that a full scale direct movement for US-29 will be unbuildable due to the fantastically high construction cost and impacts to businesses and development.

If they ever do revisit/study building a C'ville Bypass, I would maintain that something close to Alternate 10 would again be deemed the best alternative.

[1995hoo]

The next year or so would in some ways be an ideal time for construction at the intersection of Emmet and Hydraulic: K-Mart is closing that store later this year and the site is to be redeveloped (an REI has been cited as a possibility), so it'd be the right time for roadwork. Won't happen that quickly, of course.

The 15-mph loop ramp on northbound 29 is horrible, but there's no space to fix it. I sometimes go around via Hydraulic if the traffic is bad.

[cpzilliacus]

2.  As money becomes available, I think you will see more signalized intersections replaced by interchanges.  Rio Road at U.S. 29 turned out pretty well.

This is a bad project.  $80 million for an urban interchange that eliminated three signals but in the overall scheme makes very little difference for thru traffic, the money was basically wasted by VDOT.

I disagree, even though there is much more that should be done. Still, this gets rid of a trouble-prone intersection and improves the pedestrian environment.   

The bypass to the west was (and remains) the better option for through traffic and traffic headed north along the U.S. 29 corridor in the direction of Culpeper and beyond. U.S. 29 from Greensboro, N.C. to Gainesville is a de-facto interstate highway.

But the politics are apparently not in favor of a true bypass route (as as I have suggested previously and as you know very well, furious opposition by the PEC probably has something to do with that).

[Beltway]

The next year or so would in some ways be an ideal time for construction at the intersection of Emmet and Hydraulic: K-Mart is closing that store later this year and the site is to be redeveloped (an REI has been cited as a possibility), so it'd be the right time for roadwork. Won't happen that quickly, of course.

The 15-mph loop ramp on northbound 29 is horrible, but there's no space to fix it. I sometimes go around via Hydraulic if the traffic is bad.

That is what I was saying, that has no business being the permanent connection for northbound US-29 traffic.

One alternative in 2003 study was to build a 4-lane connector from the bypass to Emmet Street to the north, and that would have bridged over Hydraulic Road.

The other alternative in 2003 study was to ramp off of the bypass before Emmet Street eastbound and open to 4 lanes and have a signalized intersection with Emmet Street with a 3-lane turning movement to northbound Emmet Street.  US-29 would pass under Hydraulic Road with a grade separation.  The southbound connection would be widened to 2 lanes (actually that is now under construction).

Each was estimated at $170 million in 2003.  The first had massive R/W impacts but provided a high capacity thru movement.  The second I question whether it would not be a major bottleneck northbound.

Obviously they need to choose which alternative to use before addressing the Hydraulic Road intersection.

Probably cost about $300 million today, and as I said earlier I don't think that kind of funding will ever be found, especially given the limited benefits.

[LM117]

We had officials and newspapers in Lynchburg and Danville and other cities pressing the issue for Albemarle County to agree to a high-speed bypass because to them US-29 was their principal north-south highway, and they unlike Albemarle County do not have an Interstate highway serving their cities.  To those cities, Charottesville  is major bottleneck in the US-29 corridor.

Yeah, I remember Danville and Lynchburg were pretty livid at the stonewalling being caused. IIRC, Albemarle and Charlottesville told them to fuck off.

I would argue that Lynchburg is almost as big a bottleneck as Charlottesville. Even with Charlottesville's bypass being shelved, finishing the Lynchburg bypass would be a great first step in unclogging the US-29 corridor. Rather than put pressure on Albemarle County, which is a lost cause at this point, Lynchburg ought to put pressure on the state to have their own bypass finished.

[1995hoo]

I still can't help but wonder what sort of environmental/similar roadblocks the western bypass would have encountered because of the reservoir being not that far west of existing US-29. You cross over it if you take the back way around from the airport area.

[Beltway]

We had officials and newspapers in Lynchburg and Danville and other cities pressing the issue for Albemarle County to agree to a high-speed bypass because to them US-29 was their principal north-south highway, and they unlike Albemarle County do not have an Interstate highway serving their cities.  To those cities, Charottesville  is major bottleneck in the US-29 corridor.

Yeah, I remember Danville and Lynchburg were pretty livid at the stonewalling being caused. IIRC, Albemarle and Charlottesville told them to fuck off.

Of course.  Every other city gets a US-29 bypass built, but Albemarle and Charlottesville are the Exalted Ones who don't want to participate.

Well, they do have a short US-29 bypass that was opened around 1962, but it has been obsolete for at least 30 years.

I would argue that Lynchburg is almost as big a bottleneck as Charlottesville. Even with Charlottesville's bypass being shelved, finishing the Lynchburg bypass would be a great first step in unclogging the US-29 corridor. Rather than put pressure on Albemarle County, which is a lost cause at this point, Lynchburg ought to put pressure on the state to have their own bypass finished.

When you live within the bypassed area, you rarely use the bypass, so your city's lacking a bypass doesn't impact you nearly like it does when you need to pass thru another city's area.

This is my case with I-295 and VA-288, I rarely use them but they are critically needed by many other travelers from other areas.

Lynchburg has two decent US-29 freeways and puts Charlottesville to shame.  The problem is US-29 south of the US-460 bypass, and local officials are seeking and supporting the building of the southern segment of the Lynchburg / Madison Heights Bypass.

[Beltway]

I still can't help but wonder what sort of environmental/similar roadblocks the western bypass would have encountered because of the reservoir being not that far west of existing US-29. You cross over it if you take the back way around from the airport area.

Alternate 10 came within 1/4 mile of the reservoir.  That was one of the talking points of the opponents.

It is not unusual to build a freeway -over- a reservoir.  The US-15 / Future I-99 freeway in northern PA does just that, it is simply a matter of utilizing the proper environmental designs and safeguards.

[Jmiles32]

The upcoming southbound I-95 Rappahannock River crossing project has a new design concept
http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/transportation/new-concept-for-rappahannock-river-crossing-project-on-interstate/article_78f3edd0-b7d4-5004-861a-e0afd5ba9c4c.html
Overall I like this idea and think its an improvement over the original. My only concern is that I hope there is still enough room left in the I-95 median for a theoretical I-95 HOT lanes extension to Spotsylvania if necessary. Its always good to plan ahead.

This new design apparently has no impact on the project's cost.

[Beltway]

The upcoming southbound I-95 Rappahannock River crossing project has a new design concept
http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/transportation/new-concept-for-rappahannock-river-crossing-project-on-interstate/article_78f3edd0-b7d4-5004-861a-e0afd5ba9c4c.html
Overall I like this idea and think its an improvement over the original. My only concern is that I hope there is still enough room left in the I-95 median for a theoretical I-95 HOT lanes extension to Spotsylvania if necessary. Its always good to plan ahead.

This new design apparently has no impact on the project's cost.

Ample space in the median -- the bridges are about 170 feet apart.
Could fit three new roadways in that space -- a two-lane roadway with shoulders, and two three lane roadways with full shoulders.

[Henry]

The upcoming southbound I-95 Rappahannock River crossing project has a new design concept
http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/transportation/new-concept-for-rappahannock-river-crossing-project-on-interstate/article_78f3edd0-b7d4-5004-861a-e0afd5ba9c4c.html
Overall I like this idea and think its an improvement over the original. My only concern is that I hope there is still enough room left in the I-95 median for a theoretical I-95 HOT lanes extension to Spotsylvania if necessary. Its always good to plan ahead.

This new design apparently has no impact on the project's cost.

Ample space in the median -- the bridges are about 170 feet apart.
Could fit three new roadways in that space -- a two-lane roadway with shoulders, and two three lane roadways with full shoulders.

Perhaps an extension of the reversible HOV lanes would be in order, but there'd be at least 60 miles of those extending from there to Washington!

[Beltway]

2.  As money becomes available, I think you will see more signalized intersections replaced by interchanges.  Rio Road at U.S. 29 turned out pretty well.

This is a bad project.  $80 million for an urban interchange that eliminated three signals but in the overall scheme makes very little difference for thru traffic, the money was basically wasted by VDOT.

I disagree, even though there is much more that should be done. Still, this gets rid of a trouble-prone intersection and improves the pedestrian environment.   

My term "wasted" may be too strong, but certainly it wasn't worth $80 million.  I could see maybe $15 million or so for surface level improvements such as lengthened 2-lane left turn lanes and/or "superstreet" improvements.

Again, if the area had been bypassed then the users of Emmet Street should be well satisfied with a surface level modernized eight-lane arterial, even if sometimes there was some congestion.

The bypass to the west was (and remains) the better option for through traffic and traffic headed north along the U.S. 29 corridor in the direction of Culpeper and beyond. U.S. 29 from Greensboro, N.C. to Gainesville is a de-facto interstate highway.

ISTEA of 1991 designated US-29 between I-40 and I-66 as a "Highway of National Significance".  Probably not quite an Interstate in importance, but pretty close to it.  In a class above certain other Virginia 4-lane corridors such as US-360 and US-17.

But the politics are apparently not in favor of a true bypass route (as as I have suggested previously and as you know very well, furious opposition by the PEC probably has something to do with that).

Unfortunately a US-29 bypass extension does not look likely any time in the near future or not so near future.

One of the criticisms of the Rio Road interchange project is that spending that much money to improve the existing highway drives another major nail in the coffin in the bypass extension project.

[74/171FAN]

The second weekend of the I-95 SB Bridge Work in Prince William County continues to be delayed due to rain in the forecast again this weekend.(from Fairfax News)  It is now planned to be next weekend (May 19th-May 22nd).

Now it is postponed indefinitely as the work was cancelled for this weekend due to rain last night.

[cpzilliacus]

Alternate 10 came within 1/4 mile of the reservoir.  That was one of the talking points of the opponents.

It is not unusual to build a freeway -over- a reservoir.  The US-15 / Future I-99 freeway in northern PA does just that, it is simply a matter of utilizing the proper environmental designs and safeguards.

U.S. 29 crosses the Rocky Gorge Reservoir (Patuxent River) between Montgomery  County and Howard County in Maryland, a source of drinking water for the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.

[Mapmikey]

Alternate 10 came within 1/4 mile of the reservoir.  That was one of the talking points of the opponents.

It is not unusual to build a freeway -over- a reservoir.  The US-15 / Future I-99 freeway in northern PA does just that, it is simply a matter of utilizing the proper environmental designs and safeguards.

U.S. 29 crosses the Rocky Gorge Reservoir (Patuxent River) between Montgomery  County and Howard County in Maryland, a source of drinking water for the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Three primary routes cross the Newport News Reservoir (I-64, VA 105, VA 143) plus a railroad, so it's not exactly catastrophic.  Though to be fair all of those 4 crossings were in place before that body of water became the reservoir.

[Beltway]

Alternate 10 came within 1/4 mile of the reservoir.  That was one of the talking points of the opponents.

It is not unusual to build a freeway -over- a reservoir.  The US-15 / Future I-99 freeway in northern PA does just that, it is simply a matter of utilizing the proper environmental designs and safeguards.

U.S. 29 crosses the Rocky Gorge Reservoir (Patuxent River) between Montgomery  County and Howard County in Maryland, a source of drinking water for the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Three primary routes cross the Newport News Reservoir (I-64, VA 105, VA 143) plus a railroad, so it's not exactly catastrophic.  Though to be fair all of those 4 crossings were in place before that body of water became the reservoir.

My point again that Alternate 10 would have been built with the proper environmental designs and safeguards to protect the reservoir.

[1995hoo]

I never said it was a complete barrier. I said I couldn't help but wonder what sort of issues or roadblocks (metaphorical roadblocks, obviously) would have arisen. You know there would have been a lot of hand-wringing and fighting about it, especially around Charlottesville. What did it take, something like 40 years to build the Meadowcreek Parkway due in part to its proximity to the McIntire Park golf course?

[LM117]

I just stumbled across this article from 2016. Apparently, local governments can keep ticket revenue again. So much for putting the brakes on speed traps.

http://www.progress-index.com/news/20161001/another-chance-for-hopewells-million-dollar-mile

Legislation restores fines to local governments

By Sarah Vogelsong / Staff Writer
HOPEWELL – The storied "Million-Dollar Mile"  of Interstate 295 may once again become a path to prosperity for Hopewell.

For a decade, the 3.3 miles of I-295 below the Appomattox River that wind erratically between the city of Hopewell and Prince George County have sat at the center of a statewide controversy over the extent to which localities should be allowed to profit from patrolling state and federally funded roads. In 2012, the General Assembly attempted to resolve the issue by instituting a new policy that would siphon off a gradually increasing percentage of the traffic fines localities collected each year. The more local governments collected from traffic tickets, the more they were likely to lose to the state.

Drivers eager to avoid fines were delighted by the change. Local governments, particularly those traversed by interstates or heavily trafficked state roads, were less happy, arguing that the move was yet another instance of the state pulling badly needed funds out of communities still reeling from the recession.

This past spring, local governments won the latest battle over the state's major roads when the General Assembly abruptly reversed its course, returning to its former stance that localities are entitled to keep the fines and fees they collect for violations of local ordinances.

"We've sent a message loud and clear that this is a local issue, that we're not infringing on the State Police in any form,"  said Del. Riley Ingram, the Republican representative for Hopewell in the House of Delegates and one of the sponsors of the 2016 bill that axed the practice of remitting local fines and fees to the state.

"Local governments have got to have money,"  he said simply. "There's no question about it."

Policing for profit?

Although the state's four-year collection of fines and fees ultimately affected 33 localities spread all across the commonwealth, its roots lie in Hopewell, where Sheriff Greg Anderson in 2006 began the "I-295 Highway Safety Program,"  an initiative that posted deputies along the truncated sections of the interstate that pass through the city to aggressively ticket speeders.

Anderson's program was possible thanks to a provision of Virginia law that allows localities to "adopt"  portions of the Code of Virginia into their ordinances, making a violation of state law also a violation of local law. By adopting state motor vehicle code, localities can charge traffic violators under their local laws, thereby channeling the fees collected by the local district court into their general fund.

In Hopewell, the I-295 program was immediately successful, netting the city one to two million dollars annually. Others, however, were less pleased. Motorist safety organization AAA accused Hopewell of "policing for profit"  and publicly warned out-of-state drivers about the stretch of interstate below the Appomattox.

"The intense speed enforcement by 11 sheriff's deputies for 14 hours per day is suspect for an entity whose primary role is not traffic enforcement but rather courtroom security and other functions,"  a AAA news release from April 2012 stated.

As the outcry increased in volume, Virginia Sen. John Watkins (R-10th) introduced a bill that would have prevented localities from collecting the fees associated with traffic violations on interstates or other federally funded roads and sent those funds directly from the courts to the state Literary Fund. His proposal was defeated, but it paved the way for amendments to the 2012 Appropriations Act that inaugurated the practice of taking a portion of some localities' fines and fees for the Literary Fund.

Whether a locality had to give up some of its fines and fees was determined using a formula that was triggered when local collections equaled more than 50 percent of the locality's total collections. If they did, they were classified as "excess,"  and the state comptroller deducted half of that excess for use by the state before returning the remainder of the funds to the locality. Over time, the formula would become more stringent, pulling more and more localities under its umbrella.

Over the four years that localities were required to remit excess collections to the state, Hopewell paid a total of $478,893, according to figures from Virginia's Auditor of Public Accounts. Emporia was the next hardest hit, paying more than $250,000 back to the state between 2012 and 2016. Other localities that were consistently forced to return funds included the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax and the county of Greensville. Within the Tri-Cities, Dinwiddie had to pay the state $11,494 in 2013, and Colonial Heights owed $15,771 in 2016.

While AAA hailed the passage of the remittance legislation, local governments immediately joined together in opposition, arguing both that the state was unlawfully depriving already-strapped communities of funding and that traffic law enforcement was a matter of safety.

An opinion from then-Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli declared that money collected from violations of local ordinances "constitute revenue of the locality,"  not of the commonwealth, although it also declared that the General Assembly could pass legislation appropriating such money to the Literary Fund. Both the Virginia Municipal League and the Virginia Association of Counties vigorously opposed the remittances, with the VML in a March 2015 letter to Gov. Terry McAuliffe stating that the legislation "carpet bombs local law enforcement programs."  Criticism was also directed toward what the league called the "arbitrary formula"  of the 2015 legislation, which "does not distinguish between types of roads, miles of roads to be patrolled, amounts of traffic, road congestion, motorist and pedestrian safety, and other factors."

In Hopewell, both Anderson and his successor, current Hopewell Sheriff Luther Sodat, have publicly called the enforcement a matter of safety.

"Apparently (AAA's) definition of a speed trap and what I know of one are two different things,"  Sodat told The Progress-Index last week.

When it comes to I-295, the stated policy of the Hopewell Sheriff's Office is not to ticket any driver going less than 80 mph on the road, which has a speed limit of 70 mph. Once the driver's speed exceeds 85 mph, the deputy can issue a ticket for reckless driving.

Figures provided by Sodat to The Progress-Index record that in 2016, deputies issued an average of 835 tickets per month to interstate drivers going between 81 and 84 mph and about 316 tickets per month to drivers going 85 mph or above. Between January and August of this year, deputies have ticketed 369 drivers traveling over 90 mph and 27 additional drivers traveling over 100 mph. In total, tickets have been issued to over 9,200 drivers on the interstate since the beginning of the year – a not unusual count for the city since the I-295 Safety Program began.

Besides issuing traffic tickets, the program has also this year led to the arrest of 12 individuals on drug violations, the issuance of many dozen warrants and 1,262 warnings to motorists. Sodat sees the latter as evidence of the initiative's basis in safety concerns, asking, "If this was a speed trap, wouldn't we have written every one?"

Since the program's creation, the city of Hopewell has consistently backed the initiative. In 2012, then-mayor Christina Luman-Bailey opened a City Council meeting with a statement on the program that declared, "Insinuations that this program is a petty "˜speed trap/money grab' demonstrate an astounding ignorance of the facts. How could anyone who supports safe driving possibly object to tickets being issued to speeders of 81+ miles an hour?"  The city's proposed 2016 General Assembly legislative priorities described the remittances as "the state seizure of local fines and fees"  and stated that the practice was "based upon a misinterpretation of the Code of Virginia."

"If allowed to exist, these funds will continue to have a major impact on the city's public safety program,"  the document concluded.

Nevertheless, Sodat told The Progress-Index that his department's funding was not linked to fluctuations in revenue related to state remittances.

"I get nothing for this program. I don't get a pay increase,"  he said. "My money would be the same whether this program were here or not."

The effects of the remittances, said Del. Roslyn Tyler (D-75), a co-sponsor of the bill ending the practice, were felt beyond law enforcement in the localities affected.

"It affected their annual budget,"  she said. "There was a shortfall in a lot of areas."

Ultimately, Tyler and Ingram were able to win over enough legislators to their cause, with the majority approving a budget amendment package from McAuliffe that rejected the continuation of the remittances after July 1.

"Of course we're happy the money is coming back to the localities,"  said Sodat. Further, he said, his view of the value of the I-295 Safety Program has only been reinforced by recent reports of severe employee shortages within the Virginia State Police.

"Eventually,"  he said, "it would have really hurt all the jurisdictions."

[D-Dey65]

The upcoming southbound I-95 Rappahannock River crossing project has a new design concept
http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/transportation/new-concept-for-rappahannock-river-crossing-project-on-interstate/article_78f3edd0-b7d4-5004-861a-e0afd5ba9c4c.html
Overall I like this idea and think its an improvement over the original. My only concern is that I hope there is still enough room left in the I-95 median for a theoretical I-95 HOT lanes extension to Spotsylvania if necessary. Its always good to plan ahead.

This new design apparently has no impact on the project's cost.

I like Larry Gross's comment on this; "a graphic is worth a thousand words!"

[Beltway]

I just stumbled across this article from 2016. Apparently, local governments can keep ticket revenue again. So much for putting the brakes on speed traps.

http://www.progress-index.com/news/20161001/another-chance-for-hopewells-million-dollar-mile
<<big snip>>

"Of course we're happy the money is coming back to the localities,"  said Sodat. Further, he said, his view of the value of the I-295 Safety Program has only been reinforced by recent reports of severe employee shortages within the Virginia State Police.

"Eventually,"  he said, "it would have really hurt all the jurisdictions."

There need to be controls, but they can't just tell Hopewell to butt out and not police that segment of I-295.  VSP historically does have major shortages in sworn officer staffing.  Hopewell has a major hospital with an ER, and has major firefighting capabilities, that directly support that segment of I-295.  No other cities are nearby enough to provide those capabilities; maybe Petersburg but they are not closeby and they help support I-95 and I-85.

I worked on the design of I-295 while at VDOT Location and Design in the early 1980s, and I-295 does weave in and out of the city.  They also took out about 80 buildings for the interchange at VA-36 which is entirely within the city limits.