In the last few days, some commenters have denied on this site that the Ad Hoc Transportation Task Force had anything to do with inserting language about bus rapid transit (BRT) into the draft Braddock Road Small Area Plan, placing the blame instead on Transportation & Environmental Services Director Rich Baier.
But readers might like to take a look the draft version of the new master transportation plan posted on the City's web site. On page 4, the map not only shows the Route 1 transportation corridor running all the way to the Fairfax County line, it also indicates "smart stations" at Princess Street between Henry and Patrick, at Duke Street between Henry and Patrick, and at Franklin Street.
"The task force never looked out or considered taking this BRT beyond the Braddock Metro station through already built up areas."
Does the Task Force also claim no knowledge about this detailed information in their own report?
9 comments:
Today is April Fool's Day so why should inner city residents not be the last to know of this plan. Of course the Ad Hoc Task Force was informed! Probably the Inner City Civic Association officers also. The concept plan raises many questions. Type, tax, etc. Why with The Monarch's developing retail presence does the city not put the Smart Station at Henry and Oronoco Streets instead of Henry and Princess Streets? Does planning staff not talk to TE&S staff? Henry and Princess Streets are located within a historic district. The Monarch is located in a "transition zone." What motivates me to pay a tax, however vaguely explained now, designated mostly for the convenience of others, Arlington and Fairfax County commuters? The city has much to explain at its April 19 transportation meeting. Has Mr. Baier convened this meeting only because he was outed? The city's meeting release is shared below?
City of Alexandria Invites Public to Attend Forum To Discuss Local and Regional Transportation Initiatives on Thursday, April 19
Alexandria’s Mayor William D. Euille and City Council members are inviting the public to attend a forum to discuss local and regional transportation initiatives. The transportation forum will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) auditorium, located at 600 Dulany St.
During the event, transportation representatives from local, state, and regional agencies will share and educate the community on local and regional transportation efforts.
The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, call Geralyn Taylor of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services at 703-838-3800 (TTY 703-838-5056) or e-mail geralyn.taylor@alexandriava.gov.
The USPTO is a short walk from the King Street Metro Station and accessible by DASH transit bus line #AT 8. For DASH schedule information, call 703-370-DASH or visit www.dashbus.com. For Metrorail and Metrobus schedule information, call 202-637-7000 or visit www.wmata.com.
For more information on the City’s transportation forum, call Richard Baier, Director, or Tom Culpepper, Deputy Director, of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services at 703-838-4966.
The BRT is nothing more than City leadership trying to be reactive to the fact that MoCo, Arlington, etc... all have their act together regarding mass transit and our city has been lost in space.
The best part is they actually believe Arlignton residents will want to come here and get off at the Braddock Metro...and then what?
Walk around?
Buy crack?
Hang out with the homies?
When you stop believing the Democrat-produced "all is well" propaganda about life in Alexandria (when its really only well in parts of Delary and in Old Town) then things make sense real quick....
Seems to me there are two issues: those transportation issues raised in the draft Braddock Road Small Area Plan and those raised in the draft transportation chapter of the city's master plan. Eric Wagner is wrong. There are not separate issues, not by a long shot!
Kaine proposes $3B for roads
BY JOHN H. ARUNDEL
March 28, 2007
Northern Virginia's traffic-choked roads could get some relief under Kaine's plan.
On Tuesday, a day after proposing $3 billion in borrowing for statewide transportation spending, Gov. Tim Kaine made his picth for the amendments to several hundred Northern Virginia business leaders at a forum organized by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce.
On Monday, Gov. Tim Kaine (D) proposed $3 billion in borrowing for statewide transportation spending, nearly $500 million more than legislators originally sought.
The amended plan also includes a Northern Virginia package of $400 million annually and relieves concerns that secondary roads would become a local responsibility.
If the changes are approved, they would become the most sweeping transportation funding reforms since 1986, and would provide local elected officials with a broader menu of revenue-raising options.
The move appeased many critics, including some Democratic legislators who had previously said that Kaine had not proposed enough specifics on how to fund the package. The Republican-led House and Senate will vote on Kaine's amendments on April 4, and some Republicans expressed tentative support for the amendments Monday.
"We certainly have the right to look at it, but the general tenets, I think, are good," Del. M. Kirkland Cox (R-Colonial Heights), told reporters in delivering the GOP response. "The tone from the governor was very good from the beginning."
Over the past month, Kaine has crisscrossed the state, seeking input on how to tweak the proposal into a "workable" package.
Despite guarded optimism about a decent bill emerging after the special General Assembly session, some Fairfax officials warned that it was still a "sad day" that enough was not done to raise revenue at the state level.
House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) and others said there is general agreement on many issues, such as raising abuser, titling and license fees, and the like.
"We're very much in agreement of what needs to be done," said the House's new minority leader, Del. Ward Armstrong (D-Martinsville).
Kaine's proposed statewide funding of transportation projects amounts to more than $375 million annually, plus directing two-thirds of each year's spending surplus to transportation when the state sees a budget surplus. This could add about $86 million during high-surplus years.
He said the spending would be supported by the dedication of one-third of insurance premiums to existing and new debt payments, which also frees up construction funding.
The plan also earmarks about $65 million annually from the tax paid to record real estate deeds and wills, dedicating two-thirds of it to highway projects.
Kaine's plan would also increase the percentage of bonds going to transit capital from 16 to 20 percent.
The Northern Virginia component would require six of nine localities on the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) to agree to seven different taxes and fees.
Despite some officials' concerns that Fairfax might not have the last word on local taxes enacted on its citizens, board chairman Gerry Connolly (D) pointed out that without Fairfax present, the NVTA board would not even possess a quorum, let alone a majority of votes to impose taxes.
Fairfax, which represents a majority of the regional population, could torpedo efforts if it decided not to "play," or enact the regional taxes.
Roads devolution, the county's main concern with the bill, was removed from the bill altogether.
Contact the reporter at jarundel@timespapers.com.
Times staff writer Michelle Zimmermann contributed to this report.
"Why with The Monarch's developing retail presence does the city not put the Smart Station at Henry and Oronoco Streets instead of Henry and Princess Streets?"
Maybe because there is no "retail presence" at the Monarch.
If you think the BRT taxes are bad, look at these possible taxes coming to a neighborhood near you in the VA Transportation plan...
To get the money, six of the nine jurisdictions in Northern Virginia would have to vote to allow the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to impose the following seven taxes and fees:
· Grantor's tax (a fee paid by a home seller) of 40 cents for each $100 of assessed value
· 2 percent car rental tax
· 2 percent hotel/motel tax
· $10 vehicle safety inspection fee
· 1 percent initial vehicle registration fee
· 5 percent sales tax on auto repairs
· $10 regional vehicle registration fee
Each of the nine Northern Virginia jurisdictions would have the option of raising additional money for themselves by choosing from among these "local option fees":
· Commercial real estate fee of up to 25 cents for each $100 of assessed value
· $10 local vehicle registration fee
· Impact fee on by-right commercial/residential development
Not to change the subject, but it seems like Adkins and Bland are their usual walkable, livable selves this evening...
I have 10 down that we get random gunfire this evening....
Outrageous! With a transportation plan as well developed as this how can city staff continue to tell us that we are "confused or misinformed"? Many of the homes here are historic, brick foundations on soil. How will they survive the added Route 1 stress?
Uh, who cares which public servant is screwing us at any point in time? Mr. Robinson didn't know? Read his lips - he didn't put it in the plan doesn't mean he didn't know it was planned. Just look at the master transportation plan!
This City is financially overcommitted, and the leaders' only solution is to continue to dump on its residents and then tax them even more.
Whoever posted that bet about random gunfire would have just made $10.
I awoke to random gunfire at about 12:15AM. Anybody else hear it?
What is happening to our neighborhood? This is insane? Why has it seemed to get worse over the past year or so???
Post a Comment