May_June 2016 Chamber Magazine

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Transportation Federal grants could help ‘unlock’ Fredericksburg area road congestion ‘Atlantic Gateway’ funds would expand express lanes, finance River Crossing and boost rail By Scott Shenk/The Free Lance-Star Big planned improvements along the Interstate 95 corridor from Northern Virginia to Spotsylvania County could come faster if the state gets money it is seeking from two federal grants. The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transit recently announced that the state is tossing its hat into the ring for some $1.5 billion from two grants that, if won, could go toward the expansion of the express lanes, the construction of the northbound Rappahannock River Crossing project and rail improvements. The state is grouping the projects the grants would fund as the “Atlantic Gateway,” a plan to “unlock” the gridlock along the Interstate 95 corridor, according to a recent presentation. There’s no guarantee the state will win funds from the Fastlane and Tiger grants, but transportation officials are optimistic about the approach, at the very least. “It’s a good thing,” said Hap Connors, the Fredericksburg area’s representative on the Commonwealth Transportation Board. “It shows [transportation planners] are trying to be proactive . . . in an outdated system.” Del. Mark Dudenhefer, a former Stafford County supervisor who has spent years pushing for transportation improvements in the region, agreed with the potential benefits. He also touted work already completed and projects in the pipeline. “It’s amazing what’s going on, much better than 10 years ago,” he said. “Don’t know if we’ll get the [grant] money, but if we do, that would be a big shot in the arm.” If the state gets funding from the grants, two major area projects would benefit. The money would be used to expand the express lanes north to the Pentagon and south to U.S. 17 in Stafford. There already are plans to extend the express lanes north on Interstate 395 and about two miles south of what is now a troubled merge with regular lanes at Garrisonville. If the express lanes are extended to U.S. 17, that would possibly allow them to tap into the planned Rappahannock River Crossing, which would add collector–distributor lanes for local traffic along I-95 between U.S. 17 and State Route 3. The southbound portion of the crossing project is expected to win funding in the state’s new prioritization program. The northbound crossing project did not score well, so it isn’t expected to get funding in the first round of the new prioritization program. But it the state gets the grant money, it could help pay for the northbound crossing project and accelerate its construction. The grant money could also be a boon for rail travelers, including Virginia Railway Express commuters. According to VDOT and DRPT, the grants could be used for the addition of an eight-mile stretch of third track in Fairfax County and proposed improvements to the Long Bridge, which is a bottleneck for train traffic crossing the Potomac River into Washington. Transportation Update The Chamber’s Regional Transportation Action Committee (RTAC) is busy advocating for transportation solutions for the region! Hitting the ground running since January, the Committee has met with Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Congressman Rob Wittman. RTAC has been relentless in meeting with others like State Senator Scott Surovell and State Delegates Mark Cole and Mark Dudenhefer, hosting meetings and putting forth communications on its policy positions. The Committee will continue its pace throughout the remainder of the year and is set to meet with Aubrey Layne, Virginia Secretary of Transportation, and Charlie Kilpatrick, Commissioner of VDOT, in May and Lt. Governor Ralph Northam later in the summer. What is our top priority? We need to create funding for local transportation projects to ease congestion and increase quality of life for those who live and work or own a business in the region. Help us better advocate for these solutions by sharing your frustrations and stories with us. Have you been stuck at a light for more than one cycle? Have you sat in traffic during a two- hour commute? Have you been late picking up a child from school? Then, we need to hear from you! RTAC will be hosting a Transportation Report in June, at which we will present constituents’ stories and the results from a recent transportation survey. Local and state officials will be present and we plan to hold an open and honest dialogue with the audience. Call the Chamber for more information at 540-373-9400. 8 Fredericksburg Regional Business MAY/JUNE 2016
UMW Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) Intern Team presents to MAC Military Affairs Council News The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council (MAC) received a presentation from three of its four interns, all geographic information system (GIS) students at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) at their March Board of Directors meeting. The MAC’s UMW JLUS Intern Team was created during the Fall 2015 semester for the purpose of producing a regional JLUS that incorporates data from U.S. Army Garrison Fort A.P. Hill, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, and the surrounding localities. To date, data collection and mapping efforts have been focused on three target areas: noise, traffic and urban development. Left to right: Matt Whipple (’18), Luci Coleman (’16), Meredith Gregory (‘18), Nate Dawes (’14; current masters student) This presentation was the culmination of two semester’s worth of data collection and mapping, which was no easy accomplishment. To obtain the data used for mapping, the students contacted military installation commanders and public affairs officers as well as county administrators, boards of supervisors and more. Most data was given freely and enthusiastically, demonstrating a regional sense of cooperation and community spirit. The MAC hopes that this Regional JLUS Project will allow it to better advocate for the local bases and defense community within Planning District 16, presenting helpful data and visual maps to decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels. “Having tangible data that directly supports our mission of advocacy for the local military and defense community is invaluable, and the UMW interns knocked it out of the park,” said Mike Hudson, MAC chairman. “The reaction from our board, in response to the interns’ presentation, was very enthusiastic. We’re thankful to have this relationship with UMW and look forward to the next stage of their study and analysis.” This is the first regional study of its kind in the Commonwealth and, potentially, in the nation. The Virginia Department of Veterans and Defense Affairs is considering doing a statewide JLUS. A total of five interns from the University of Mary Washington have worked on the Regional JLUS Project since September 2015. They have been guided by mentor, Dan Choike of Marstel-Day, and supervisor, Kasey Nabal of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. MAY/JUNE 2016 Fredericksburg Regional Business 9
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May_June 2016 Chamber Magazine

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