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Road plan meetings to continue
Long-range transportation plan meetings continue this week in Caroline, King George, Fredericksburg
Date published: 10/21/2008
By KELLY HANNON Bob McMillan remembers when a person could drive from Fredericksburg to Culpeper in about 20 minutes on State Route 3--granted, not while traveling the speed limit. Those days are gone forever, McMillan acknowledged. But the Spotsylvania County resident was interested to see what area transportation officials think roads and public transit should be like across the region by 2035. McMillan commutes to work at Quantico Marine Corps Base, and he currently coordinates carpools among his co-workers. He'd like to see more ride sharing in the region. "Collectively, we can solve transportation issues if we stop thinking only of ourselves," he said. Last week, meetings in Stafford and Spotsylvania kicked off the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's public campaign for the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan. This week, meetings are planned in Caroline County, King George County, and Fredericksburg. The public is invited to view a series of maps outlining the projects, listen to a presentation, and fill out comment sheets. Comments are also accepted online at fampo.gwre gion.org, where the plan is posted. In Stafford, William Dews dropped into a meeting to see how officials planned to tackle congestion on county roads. Dews lived in Stafford in the 1960s, moved away and returned in 1998. The "fields and farms" had turned into "roads and rooftops," Dews said. "The little country roads are the same, they just have five times as much traffic," Dews said. He was impressed by the plan's prioritization process, which ranks projects according to how they improve traffic flow and safety, among other factors. Dews was pleased to see the intersection at U.S. 1, Butler Road and Warrenton Road in Falmouth ranked high on the list. "I think it needs to have an improvement," Dews said. Ed Whelan, a Fredericksburg resident, said the plan did a good job of showing how construction costs will increase in the plan's later years. "I think the important thing is making sure people are aware and making it publicly known that the cheaper we can do this today, the bigger difference it'll make in the long run," Whelan said. He supports the expansion of FREDericksburg Regional Transit, and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail service. Whelan encouraged others to take advantage of the public meetings and comment sheets. "It's my belief that if you're not showing up to the meetings, you don't have cause to complain later," Whelan said. Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
Date published: 10/21/2008
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