To the Editor:
(An Open Letter To: Virginia Department of Transportation, Rep. Dave Albo, Supervisor Patrick Herrity, Virginia Taxpayers)
Bottom line up front: This project should be permanently terminated before more time, effort and tax money is wasted.
Background: “Plans” have been on the books for decades to expand the approximately one mile portion of Rolling Road between Old Keene Mill Road and Hunter Village Drive. The latest would expand the current two lane residential street to four lanes with a 16’ center median, right and left turn lanes, and “accommodations” for pedestrians and bicyclists.
This section of Rolling Road differs from the rest of Rolling Road north of the Fairfax County Parkway in that almost all homes face directly onto the street. Therefore, any expansion will require the taking, either by purchase or Eminent Domain, of a significant portion of the front yard of each residence.
Residents, including both those directly affected and others in the adjacent developments, have objected strenuously to this project, in its various forms, since its inception. As a resident in the affected area, and a former Joint Services Inspector General, I recognize Waste, Fraud and Abuse when I see it, and this project is, and has been, a textbook example.
“Waste – The extravagant, careless, or needless expenditure of government funds”.
The project is currently estimated to cost $35.2 million dollars and one can reasonably assume that costs will increase beyond that figure. However, the financial implications go well beyond project costs.
County revenue, based on property taxes, will go down as the value of the homes in the affected area will be reduced by property taken to widen the road.
Expenditures for maintenance (pothole, curb and sidewalk repair) and periodic repaving will go up significantly as the road surface more than doubles in size.
The increased hard surface area will result is greater runoff of rainwater into an already overtaxed storm drainage system, as well as doubling the area requiring snow plowing or other actions required to insure traffic flow. Further, the replacement of grass, trees and shrubs with pavement will have a negative environmental impact.
“Fraud – misrepresenting material fact”
Justifications for the project have generally been predicated on the need to “reduce congestion and improve public safety.”
Congestion: We were first told the road needed to be widened because it was designated as an “evacuation route” in the Master Plan, but anyone who has been here through a heavy rain or snowstorm knows that the concept of “evacuation” is ludicrous, as all main routes turn into parking lots.
Then we were told the road would be overwhelmed when the Government built facilities on the old Fort Belvoir Engineer Proving Ground area just south of the Parkway. Traffic predictions were based on metro-wide data and haven’t materialized to anywhere near what was predicted.
Rep. Dave Albo was quoted in a Springfield Connection article about the project saying “…will save thousands and thousands of lost hours of people caught in traffic.” We are all used to hearing political hyperbole, but that is ridiculous. Drivers use our part of Rolling Road to make up time, averaging 40-45 mph (or faster at night) in a 30 mph zone.
Public Safety: It is not clear how public safety is improved by making any car trying to turn left onto Rolling Road from side streets navigate across four lanes of traffic rather than two. Pedestrians, joggers, bikers, et. al. would also have to somehow cross those lanes, with traffic moving at higher speeds, two cars abreast.
Speeding has resulted in at least six cars, legally parked at the curb along just one block of the affected area, being either heavily damaged or totaled by inattentive or drunk drivers. Vehicles will move even faster, without regard to the posted speed limit, on a four lane road, increasing the probability of such accidents. Additionally, with the road closer to every home along the project route (in some cases as little as 20 feet from door to curb), it would only be a matter of time before someone finds a car on their front lawn or in their living room.
“Abuse - the intentional or improper use of government resources….or improper use of one’s position”
In the same Connection article cited above, it was noted that the Northern Virginia Transit Authority list of funding priorities did not include the project. Supervisor Pat Herrity was quoted as saying “I don’t know how you explain the number four project in [Virginia Department of Transportation’s] congestion mitigation formulas being left off the plan.” He and Albo then lobbied to have the project funded. The answer to Herrity’s question is simple: Sometimes common sense decisions are made. Unfortunately, (too often) those decisions are then overridden by political pressure.
Am I saying that traffic never slows or backs up on Rolling Road? No. School buses, WMATA buses, trash trucks and public utility repair vehicles have an impact on single lane traffic, and there are readily identifiable “choke points” that cause problems. The question comes down to….”Can things be improved without wholesale destruction of a residential area?” That answer is yes.
Problem sites:
*The intersection of the West/Northbound Parkway and Rolling Road (known as” the place you need to get off the Parkway to get on the Parkway”). Originally designed with a single ramp, traffic backs up attempting to get onto the Parkway to head north. Frustrated drivers bypass the line and take Rolling Road to either westbound Old Keene Mill or even westbound Braddock Road to access the Parkway. Currently the intersection is under reconstruction to correct this problem. That alone will significantly reduce the number of vehicles using Rolling Road.
*The stoplight at Barnack Drive and Rolling Road. The rationale for the light was to allow school buses access/egress from Rolling Valley Elementary, and is fully justified for that purpose. However, the light operates 24/7, stopping through traffic on Rolling Road. This occurs even when there are no vehicles waiting on Barnack. Programming of the light should be reset to operate in full mode when buses are accessing/egressing the school or perhaps 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and then green for Rolling, flashing yellow for Barnack at all other times.
*The intersection of Greeley Boulevard and Rolling Road. Cars attempting to turn left onto Greeley from either direction on Rolling Road must wait for an opening in traffic flow, and traffic backs up behind them. This is a difficult problem to resolve as the available space to widen the road there is extremely limited. The light at Barnack provides some relief but a better solution is needed.
*The left turn lane for Rolling Road traffic to turn onto westbound Old Keene Mill Road. Traffic waiting to enter the lane can cause traffic wanting to use the through lanes to back up. We have been told by VDOT that this issue can be resolved with relatively little expense by adding an additional turn lane. Alternatively, the light pattern could be changed to allow turns from the center through lane.
None of these changes would require wholesale expansion of Rolling Road. With constrained budgets and greater needs elsewhere, it is time to end this waste of time, effort and money. Spend our limited funds where the return on investment will be real and recognizable.
Rich Randa (LTC, Retired)
Springfield