This letter from City of Alexandria Director of Transportation and Environmental Services Adriana Castañeda to VDOT 495 Southside project manager Nick Nies is dated Oct. 1; the letter is shortened and lightly edited.
Dear Mr. Nies,
Thank you for the opportunity for the City of Alexandria to be involved in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s I-495 Southside Express Lane ….
It is of utmost importance to the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) that the selected alternative minimizes adverse impacts on our residents, businesses, and visitors such as increased noise or cut-through traffic on our local roads. It is T&ES desire that proposed alternatives are consistent with the goals of the City’s Alexandria Mobility Plan and Environmental Action Plan 2040 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled in the City.
Based on our community’s concerns, including the following:
1) The criteria provided, including continuity of the Express Lane system, seem to bias the selection of alternatives towards those that include new Express Lanes, rather than those that prioritize transit and transportation demand management measures.
2) Additional lanes may lead to additional demand on; therefore, increased traffic on the facility over time.
3) Reduction in congestion may reduce the number of crashes, but it could cause increased severity of crashes as vehicles are able to travel at higher speeds.
4) Express Lane options could add constraints on providing new transit, specifically Metrorail lines on this corridor and across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the future.
5) New access points from I-495 to and from Alexandria could cause increased traffic on City streets.
6) Right-of-way impacts have not yet been identified, and project limits should be minimized to minimize the impacts on adjacent and nearby properties.
The City anticipates the opportunity for future Metrorail on the bridge will be preserved. Future Express Lanes should not interfere with the recommendations from the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Blue Orange Silver Line Study and should allow future transit improvements to be implemented on the recommended timeline. This would include avoiding requiring fees or negotiations with toll concessionaires. The City is seeking assurances that agreements with toll concessionaires would not impact he City’s ability to adjust City roads and facilities near the corridor in the future, including adjustments to road capacity. This is a major concern for the City, as this would impact the ability to address safety, transit, capacity, and other priority issues.
Additionally, VDOT has noted that potential improvements could include new or upgraded pedestrian and bicycle accommodations. Staff are eager to see how VDOT will incorporate those facilities into this project and are supportive of measures that increase multimodal options for people in this area.