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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.
Small transit improvements can be made by expanding commuter parking, carpool/vanpool programs, commuter bus service and Virginia Railway Express service. New highway projects will include bike and pedestrian sidewalks and trails where it makes sense to add them.
--Developing a regional transportation authority could help the region raise money and operate toll roads. The Fredericksburg area could raise $50 million a year if taxes authorized for Northern Virginia's transportation authority--later declared unconstitutional by the Virginia Supreme Court--were imposed here. This would require the agreement of local elected officials and the Virginia General Assembly.
--Changing land-use patterns could help. Grouping housing, shopping and work centers closer together will help solve the transportation problem.
How were the transportation projects ranked in each category?
Local officials wanted to create a plan that determined regional transportation priorities separate from political interests.
The FAMPO board, in consultation with local planing staffs, created the following project ranking system. Each transportation project was scored accordingly to a 100-point scale. The higher the number, the greater the project's priority:
Congestion Relief:
30 Points
Safety and Security:
30 Points
Environmental Impacts:
16 points
Public-Community Support: 8 Points
Funding-Implementation Considerations: 8 Points
Smart Growth: 8 Points
Each scoring category has subcategories. For instance, under Safety and Security, the following things are weighed: geographic impact on existing roadways, vehicle crash reduction, bike/pedestrian safety, and homeland security.
View the Long Range Transportation Plan at: fampo.gwregion.orgStafford County, tomorrow, 5-8 p.m., Stafford Courthouse Community Center, 29 Stafford Ave. Spotsylvania County, Wednesday, 5-8 p.m., Riverbend High School, 12301 Spotswood Furnace Road Caroline County, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 5-8 p.m., Caroline County Community Service Center, 17202 Richmond Turnpike King George County, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 5-8 p.m., King George Citizen Center, 8076 Kings Highway Fredericksburg, Thursday, Oct. 23, 5-8 p.m., George Washington Regional Commission, 406 Princess Anne St. For more information, contact FAMPO at 540/373-2890 or go to: fampo.gwregion.org. |
