Annandale Transportation Study - Fairfax County Office of ...

Annandale Transportation Study – Final Report
4.3. Qualitative Network Comparison
Table 13 provides a matrix summary of a study of several qualitative issues associated with transportation
improvements in the study area for each of the shortlisted alternatives. The qualitative analysis highlights potential
alternative impacts to traffic, utilities, property / right-of-way, pedestrian/bicyclists and transit in the corridor. An
estimate of the magnitude of the costs for each alternative was made for comparison purposes only, as they are not
based on details of construction costs and activities.
4.4. Final Networks Selected for Public Presentation
At a final meeting with Fairfax County Transportation and Department of Planning and Zoning, the results from the
four shortlisted alternatives were reviewed and a determination was made that the County would present Alternatives
2 and 5 to the public as viable alternatives for implementation. It was determined that both alternatives have similar
merits overall from a traffic capacity and circulation aspect, though each alternative have a distinct set of advantages
and disadvantages. The qualitative issues will be important in selecting the final preferred alternative. County staff
has reservations about the ability of Alternatives 6 and 7A to handle future traffic demands and circulation in the CBC
area, but are comfortable with the implementation of either Alternative 2 or 5 and that these alternatives would be
more readily accepted by the Virginia Department of Transportation as long-term solution for this corridor. The
widening of Little River Turnpike (for either the whole of Alternative 2 or in portions of Alternative 5) has less of an
impact than previously believed because of the ability to forego the right-of-way requirements normally assumed for
the continuous service drive. Traffic operation study results shows that for both Alternatives 2 and 5, the service drive
has a negative impact to traffic operations at cross street intersections, particularly at the Hummer / Heritage
intersection. The removal of existing portions of the service drives in the corridor substantially reduces right-of-way
impacts and at the planning level, can be implemented within the VDOT access management guidelines.
5. TESTING NETWORKS WITH ADDITIONAL LAND USE SCENARIOS
This Annandale Transportation Study was originally scoped to include an evaluation of up to three alternative land use
scenarios, two others that would reflect either higher or lower future land use intensities in and around to the
Annandale CBC area compared to the Comprehensive Plan modeling assumptions. However, the process of the
Annandale Transportation Study led to the further development and refinement of several of the alternative networks
using the funds previously allocated to the land use scenarios. The final networks selected (Alternatives 2 and 5)
have nearly identical impacts to capacity and operations within the Annandale CBC network and slightly different land
use scenarios would be unlikely to change either network performance or be a differentiator between the two
networks. Further, the land use assumptions being developed in parallel to this study were not quite ready for
analysis at the time this study was published. The County has reserved the ability to re-visit an additional land use
study if warranted in the future.
April 2010
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