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Virginia

Started by Alex, February 04, 2009, 12:22:16 AM

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Alex

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on June 16, 2013, 09:11:21 AM
Echoing the sentiments of others, when I lived in VA I took 895 precisely once- to clinch it after it opened. Otherwise, never had a reason to. It's always surprised me that it even got built, considering there are so many other road projects in the state that are on hold that actually have a lot more potential to be useful.

Same here, took it once just to clinch it and photograph it for the website (06-22-05): https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=s0895va

Way back in 1987, I scrounged up enough money to buy an ADC atlas of Richmond just because it showed it proposed as I-895.

Though the photos are old, the IGuide write-up was updated in October 2011 with some research I did with newsbank about the original I-895 proposal. The Interstate designation originated in 1981 and was dropped and resurrected through to at least 1992:

http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-895_va.html


akotchi

I oversaw the overhead sign designs for the western half of the roadway (west of Va 5) and a portion of Va 150, and the early designs (1996 or so) still had Interstate shields.  About midway through the design were they changed to state route markers.
Opinions here attributed to me are mine alone and do not reflect those of my employer or the agencies for which I am contracted to do work.

mtfallsmikey


cpzilliacus

Washington Post local op-ed: A Va. judge's transportation roadblock

QuoteFor four decades, James A. "Jac"  Cales Jr. was a fixture on the judicial halls of Hampton Roads, albeit not one to take himself too seriously.

QuoteAs Portsmouth commonwealth's attorney for a decade in the 1970s, he would lean back in his chair, his hands folded over his stomach and nod vigorously when a defendant in a drug case admitted something incriminating. He later served for three decades as a General District and Circuit Court judge, retiring officially in December.

QuoteSo, it may be fitting that on May 1, while filling in temporarily, Cales issued what could be the most important decision of his long legal career. It is a decision that is turning Virginia's transportation funding on its head.

QuoteCales decided that a plan to have a private developer toll users for $2.1 billion in tunnel upgrades in crowded Hampton Roads is unconstitutional. Only the state has the power to tax and that's what tolls really are, Cales ruled.


Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Chesterfield - Tolls ruling poses $3.5 billion threat to Va.

QuoteVirginia could face a liability of almost $3.5 billion if a recent court ruling is upheld and invalidates all state contracts for privately operated toll facilities on public highways, Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton warned lawmakers today.

QuoteWhile the focus was on a Hampton Roads river crossing project that the state is defending in court, the fallout from the legal battle could include an estimated $502 million for Pocahontas 895, the toll parkway between Henrico and Chesterfield counties that was the first project approved under the Public-Private Transportation Act, and $71 million for the U.S. 460 expressway approved last year between Prince George County and Suffolk.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: mtfallsmikey on June 18, 2013, 06:16:39 AM
Speaking of the Dulles Greenway...Frank Wolf is on em' again about it, and Macquarie Bank...

http://wolf.house.gov/press-releases/wolf-again-expresses-disapointment-with-greenway-tolls-urges-scc-to-address-problem/

If Rep. Wolf does not like private-sector toll roads, then he needs to resign  his seat in Congress and run for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates or Virginia Senate, and work to end all privately-owned toll roads across the Commonwealth.

Admittedly, the ruling by Judge Cales could have that desired effect, though it might not impact the Greenway  or its ownership.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

agentsteel53

Judge Cales:

QuoteAt the heart of the legal concern is the ruling by Portsmouth Circuit Court Judge James A. Cales Jr. last month that the public-private partnership law unconstitutionally delegated legislative authority to private entities to raise tolls that he said are, in effect, taxes.

I'm not sure if I understand why tolls are "in effect, taxes".  private companies charge all kinds of fees to render all kinds of services.  how is a toll road different?
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

ARMOURERERIC

I was briefly a property manager in Portsmouth in 1995, the very first time I had to sue a tenant for non-payment on behalf of the landlord, the Judge called me to the bench and said "son, I'm going to be easy on you since this is the first time in my courtroom, but landlords never win with me regardless of the facts".  Six months later the Peninsula Pilot paper ran a series on Judges in Hampton Roads who refused to uphold landlord/tenant laws in their courtrooms, the judge I encountered was on their list.  the judge tried to get a sheriff to arrest the reporter for contempt.  I would swear it was this same judge.

mtfallsmikey

If Rep. Wolf does not like private-sector toll roads, then he needs to resign  his seat in Congress and run for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates or Virginia Senate, and work to end all privately-owned toll roads across the Commonwealth.

Admittedly, the ruling by Judge Cales could have that desired effect, though it might not impact the Greenway  or its ownership.
[/quote]

Rep. Wolf is trying to do the job that the Gen. Assy. will not do, and I applaud his efforts. I have brought this subject up with our local Gen. Assy.reps. as well, who seem uninterested. I agree that there should be no privately owned toll roads in Va. or elsewhere.

agentsteel53

live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

cpzilliacus

Quote from: mtfallsmikey on June 19, 2013, 07:17:53 AM
Rep. Wolf is trying to do the job that the Gen. Assy. will not do, and I applaud his efforts. I have brought this subject up with our local Gen. Assy.reps. as well, who seem uninterested. I agree that there should be no privately owned toll roads in Va. or elsewhere.

It was Wolf's own party, during the time that George Felix Allen was governor, that the Public-Private Transportation Act was enacted into law (though the Dulles Greenway predates the PPTA).

I don't personally have any problem with privately-owned toll roads, but there are some people that seem to think that private means less expensive, and that may not be the case (and probably is not the case), though the Dulles Toll Road remains in the hands of a public-sector operator in the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and tolls there have been increased enormously to pay for the construction of the train line to Dulles Airport.

Virginia does not have a statewide counterpart to agencies like the Maryland Transportation Authority or the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, quite possibly because there is a preference (among members of its General Assembly) for PPTA projects like the I-495 HOV/Toll Lanes and the pending conversion to HOV/Toll operation for the I-95 HOV lanes as part of their extension into Stafford County.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Washington Post Dr. Gridlock:  Virginia asking private sector for ideas on I-66 improvements

QuoteThe Virginia state government has issued a call to the private sector for ideas on improving Interstate 66 outside the Capital Beltway. Those ideas may include converting the High Occupancy Lanes into express toll lanes similar to those now in use on the Beltway.

QuoteThe ideas under consideration also include widening I-66 by adding regular travel lanes and creating a light rail line in the median. The program also could improve interchanges, ease choke points and better manage traffic with enhanced traveler information.

QuoteEasing congestion on I-66 is one of the greatest challenges that transportation planners face in Northern Virginia. The ideas under review now focus on the 25-mile corridor between the Beltway and Route 15 in Haymarket.

QuoteVirginia transportation officials completed an environmental review that advances all these ideas for further consideration, but there's a fairly long timeline on major changes.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

froggie

Ultimately, I-66 will need a bit of everything.  Far more than what the private sector would be willing to front.  Here we go again with Virginia and their PPP's...

cpzilliacus

Quote from: froggie on June 29, 2013, 06:48:25 AM
Ultimately, I-66 will need a bit of everything.  Far more than what the private sector would be willing to front.  Here we go again with Virginia and their PPP's...

What would you suggest for dealing with the misery of I-66?
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

mtfallsmikey

Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 01, 2013, 08:45:13 AM
Quote from: froggie on June 29, 2013, 06:48:25 AM
Ultimately, I-66 will need a bit of everything.  Far more than what the private sector would be willing to front.  Here we go again with Virginia and their PPP's...

What would you suggest for dealing with the misery of I-66?

Nothing can be done, IMHO, other than the invention of the transporter, than all commuting will be easy..."Energize"..

cpzilliacus

Article about traffic controls and related matters in the City of Richmond and Henrico County on Richmond.com that could be of interest here.

Why Richmond, Why?!? Traffic Signal Issues in the Suburbs
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Washington Post: Northern Virginia tries to think big about road, transit improvements

QuoteAs Northern Virginians debate how they should invest new transportation revenue, the region's jurisdictions are pressing for local projects on their wish lists. Reviewing those lists, some transportation advocates urge that the money be spent on the biggest possible congestion-busters, and fear it might not be.

QuoteAt times, the debate can sound like it's between people who want to spend money on highway relief for thousands and people who want fancy bus shelters for a handful of transit users.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

froggie

As a general rule, smaller projects offer more "bang for the buck", and can be congestion-busters in their own right.  Nevermind that you can fund more of them with the limited funds available.  MnDOT has slowly discovered this over the past 10 years.  It's time VDOT followed suit.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: froggie on July 08, 2013, 01:09:21 AM
As a general rule, smaller projects offer more "bang for the buck", and can be congestion-busters in their own right.  Nevermind that you can fund more of them with the limited funds available.  MnDOT has slowly discovered this over the past 10 years.  It's time VDOT followed suit.

My thoughts:

(1) There's so much to do in Northern Virginia, and even with this funding boost, there's not nearly enough money to do it all.

(2) I don't think VDOT is setting  the priorities here - the county and municipal elected officials on  the NVTA board are doing that.

(3) I agree with you - "smallball" projects can yield big results - single best example in recent years I can cite was the decision by VDOT to rebuild the exit ramp from the Outer Loop (southbound) of I-495 to westbound Va. 267 (DTR) from one lane to two lanes (and they made the curve a little less sharp in the process).  That small project yielded immediate benefits in the form of less recurring congestion and reduced vehicle emissions.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Washington Post: Would the Bi-County Parkway be a boost for Dulles International Airport?

QuoteDulles International Airport has seen a tough few years. Fewer passengers are flying into and out of the airport's iconic terminal. Less cargo is moving across its tarmacs. And with the global economy still sputtering, there's no telling when the airport's fortunes will turn around.

QuoteA solution, some Virginia officials say, is the long-debated Bi-County Parkway, a proposed road between Prince William and Loudoun counties that could serve as a new conduit for people and cargo passing through Dulles. Proponents say it would spur business development by offering a vital north-south link to the airport, giving businesses easy access to an international gateway.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

froggie

A short-term boost, at best.  Long-term prospects don't bode well for air travel, and the cost for this would be a worse situation on 66.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: froggie on July 14, 2013, 03:18:39 AM
A short-term boost, at best.  Long-term prospects don't bode well for air travel, and the cost for this would be a worse situation on 66.

Please elaborate regarding air travel.  I know there have been groups (apparently more in Europe than North America) opposed to air travel (and airport expansion, such as at London Heathrow) and claim that trains will replace airplanes, but I am not convinced of the validity of such assertions, especially for longer trips (say over about 400 or 500 kilometers (250 to 300 miles)).

In the Eastern U.S., the Northeast Corridor (NEC) is a pretty good travel market for trains, especially for trips headed to New York City from any of the cities on the NEC to the north or south of Penn Station, but apparently travel from Washington to Boston on Acela is not all that popular (the longest-possible trip on that service), since the travel time is between 6 and 7 hours.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

deathtopumpkins

I'm not sure as to how many people ride the Acela all the way from D.C. to Boston, but the service is more targeted towards people on intermediate legs anyway. Amtrak only reports statistics for the individual D.C.-NYC and NYC-Boston segments, and many trains only run one of those legs.

I would think a fair number of people do take it all the way though, or (like I did last month) almost all the way from Boston to a city like Philadelphia or Baltimore, considering Amtrak has a >50% market share on both legs.
Disclaimer: All posts represent my personal opinions and not those of my employer.

Clinched Highways | Counties Visited

cpzilliacus

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 14, 2013, 08:56:48 PM
I'm not sure as to how many people ride the Acela all the way from D.C. to Boston, but the service is more targeted towards people on intermediate legs anyway. Amtrak only reports statistics for the individual D.C.-NYC and NYC-Boston segments, and many trains only run one of those legs.

I agree that they are not marketing Acela service all the way from end-to-end.  A colleague of mine did the trip northbound some years ago, and really liked it, but he also pointed out that flying (even with the time spent getting through security) would have been a lot faster.

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on July 14, 2013, 08:56:48 PM
I would think a fair number of people do take it all the way though, or (like I did last month) almost all the way from Boston to a city like Philadelphia or Baltimore, considering Amtrak has a >50% market share on both legs.

Baltimore is almost Washington (well under an hour travel time between Baltimore Penn Station and Washington Union Station), so I would think that the same limitations apply when the other trip end is Boston (or some arbitrary point north of New York, perhaps north of New Haven).
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

TOLLROADSnews: Virginia's framework for toll financing - McDonnell's drafty PPTA pipeline

QuoteVirginia's increasingly uncertain arrangements for financing roads are nicely captured in the mixed metaphors of the latest from state governor Bob McDonnell. He has released a "Draft Virginia PPTA Pipeline." Now most pipelines are solid constructs. Once you're in a soundly constructed pipeline you don't get out until you reach the other end. Not under the McDonnell Administration in Richmond however. Virginia has a leaky P3 pipeline!

QuoteLess than a year ago tolls on I-95 on the longhaul between the outskirts of the DC metro area and North Carolina used to be a big part of the fuel in the McDonnell PPTA 'pipeline.' I-95, a premium grade product in the VA P3 pipeline seems to have leaked right out on McDonnell's watch. Gone!

QuoteThe list has a very leaky look. Explosive even.

QuoteThere's the Elizabeth River Crossings. Under a big PPTA toll concession they are due to start tolling February 1 2014 and the concessionaire is heavily invested in construction of an extra tunnel and other improvements. Yet a judge in Portsmouth, James Cales has put a stay on tolls there ruling that Virginia's P3 legislation is unconstitutional. He said the legislature couldn't delegates toll setting powers to the executive branch.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.



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