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Transportation plan ready for comments from public
Long-term plan forecasts transportation future for Fredericksburg area
Date published: 10/13/2008
BY KELLY HANNON Do you have something to say about the future of transportation in the Fredericksburg area? Starting tomorrow, a series of community meetings will be held to introduce the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan to the region. The plan, developed by Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, proposes a number of projects to be built over the next 25 years, although expected funding may not be enough to build everything. Here are some frequently asked questions about the plan and regional transportation matters: Why does the region need The 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan details the improvements that will be needed in Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford by 2035 to catch up with current traffic, and prepare for more. The plan has two parts--a constrained plan and a needs plan. The constrained plan shows how much money the area expects to receive in transportation funding through 2035, and how it should be spent on projects. The needs plan looks at what transportation projects will be necessary to keep pace with traffic, regardless of cost. What is FAMPO? The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization processes federal transportation dollars for Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania. It is a committee of the George Washington Regional Commission, which does regional planning for the Fredericksburg area, including Caroline and King George counties. What does the plan say? In addition to listing all the projects, the plan outlines a few "key findings." --The Fredericksburg area is experiencing "development pressure" from the Washington and Richmond areas. It is the fastest-growing region in the state, and the population is expected to double from 300,000 to 600,000 by 2035. --Roads in the Fredericksburg area eligible for federal funds (mostly interstate and primary roads like State Route 3 and U.S. 1 and U.S. 17) are operating below par for most of the day. The congestion slows residents' travel, harming quality of life and the local economy. --There are few immediate solutions. The "widely spread" development in the Fredericksburg area makes it difficult to provide cost-effective bus or train service. This spread-out development makes it hard for people to carpool, ride transit, walk or bike to their destinations. --Some low-cost road projects can help. Turn lanes, traffic signals and signal coordination can clear traffic bottlenecks.
Date published: 10/13/2008
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