Introductory Public Meeting - Setting the stage

- Mapping your future

Monday, July 16

Fairfax County Government Center

Rooms 9 and 10

12000 Government Center Parkway

Fairfax, VA 22035

Thursday, July 19

Hayfield High School

Middle School Cafeteria

7630 Telegraph Road

Alexandria, VA 22315

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Tonight’s meeting purpose

- Present scope/schedule

- Discuss goals and objectives:

“Setting the Stage”

- Consider preliminary network concepts:

“Mapping Your Future”

Tonight’s meeting format

- Presentation

- Open house

- Facilitated conversations

- Online survey

- Comment cards

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Study purpose:

Establish most

effective way to

serve the

County’s needs to

accommodate

planned growth

over the long

term by improving

public transit

usage.

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Study objectives:

• Establish a connected rapid transit system to

meet demands through the year 2050

• Define transit corridor functions, station

locations, modes and rights-of-way to guide

subsequent comprehensive plan amendments

and development review processes that protect

needed right-of-way for ultimate transit network

• Coordinate with other regional, state, and local

jurisdictional plans

• Identify policies, programs, and actions to

support phased implementation and expedite

delivery of priority elements in the near term

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Study process:

• Develop functional plan

for transit system

• Conduct travel demand

forecasting and assess

implementation

feasibility

• Solicit input from

partner

agencies/jurisdictions,

the public, and

elected/appointed

officials

6

Study process:

• Develop functional plan

for transit system

• Conduct travel demand

forecasting and assess

implementation

feasibility

• Solicit input from

partner

agencies/jurisdictions,

the public, and

elected/appointed

officials

Metrorail

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Study process:

• Develop functional plan

for transit system

• Conduct travel demand

forecasting and assess

implementation

feasibility

• Solicit input from

partner

agencies/jurisdictions,

the public, and

elected/appointed

officials

Commuter rail

8

Study process:

• Develop functional plan

for transit system

• Conduct travel demand

forecasting and assess

implementation

feasibility

• Solicit input from

partner

agencies/jurisdictions,

the public, and

elected/appointed

officials

Metrobus

Local Bus

9

Study process:

• Develop functional plan

for premium transit

system

• Conduct travel demand

forecasting and assess

implementation

feasibility

• Solicit input from

partner

agencies/jurisdictions,

the public, and

elected/appointed

officials

Transit system

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Study schedule:

• Goals and objectives (spring 2012)

• Public input milestones

• Goals and objectives (summer 2012)

• Initial concepts (fall 2012)

• Refined concepts (winter 2013)

• Recommended concepts (spring 2013)

• Board endorsement of study recommendations,

with subsequent comprehensive plan

amendments as warranted

The Countywide Transit Network Study phases are

scheduled to facilitate coordination with other regional

transportation studies

The Countywide Transit Network Study will plan for a future

beyond the 2040 Constrained Long Range Plan horizon

District of Columbia

1. Anacostia Streetcar Project Phases I and II, 2012

2. H St. NE/Benning Rd. NE Streetcar Project, 2012, 2015

3. K St. NW Transitway, 2018

4. TIGER Grant Bus Priority Improvements (not mapped: DC, MD, VA)

Maryland

5. Corridor Cities Transitway, from Shady Grove to COMSAT, 2020

6. I-270/US 15 Corridor, Shady Grove to I-70, HOV lanes, 2030

7. Purple Line, Bethesda to New Carrollton, 2020

Virginia

8. Cherryhill VRE Station and 3rd Track, 2012

9. Crystal City Busway in Arlington, and Potomac Yard Busway/ Street Car in

Alexandria, 2013, 2018

10. Dulles Corridor Metrorail, 2013, 2016

11. Fairfax County Parkway HOV, widen and upgrade, 6 to 8 lanes, 2035

12. Franconia/Springfield Parkway HOV, 2020, 2025

13. I-495 High Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lanes and new bus service, 2013, 2030

14. I-66 HOV, widen to 8 lanes with interchange reconstruction at US 15,

2020

15. I-66, construct HOV ramps to access Vienna Metro Station, 2014

16. I-95/395 HOT Lanes, widen, construct 2, 3 lanes and new bus service,

2012

17. Potomac Yard Metro Station, 2017

18. US-1 bus right turn lanes, 2035

19. VA 244 Columbia Pk. Streetcar from Skyline to Pentagon City, 2016

NOTES:

HOV = High-Occupancy Vehicle

HOT = High-Occupancy/Toll

Source: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

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An interconnected transit system will

help Fairfax County:

Connect people and places affordably

using multiple transit modes that

attract choice riders

Grow efficiently by promoting mixed-

use development in designated centers

Thrive by helping residents access

places to work, play, and shop in an

environmentally friendly manner

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The region’s most developed activity centers have

more jobs (red) than housing (blue)

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The region’s projected growth is both upwards and

outwards

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Fairfax County Future Development Concept

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Most of the County’s growth potential lies within these

established activity centers

Housing units:

Existing: 19% in centers

Growth: 83% in centers

Total: 36% in centers

Commercial space:

Existing: 82% in centers

Growth: 99% in centers

Total: 89% in centers

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Fairfax County’s land use

policies encourage

development within

designated activity centers,

which currently include about:

• 10% of County acreage

• 19% of County households

• 82% of County jobs

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Fairfax County’s land use

policies encourage

development within

designated activity centers,

which currently include about:

• 10% of County acreage

• 19% of County households

• 82% of County jobs

Activity Density = (population+jobs)/acre

Blue: (AD>4): supports local bus service

Red: (AD>20) supports bus rapid transit (BRT)

Purple: (AD>50) supports rail transit

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Fairfax County’s land use

policies encourage

development within

designated activity centers,

which by 2050 include about:

• 10% of County acreage

• 36% of County households

• 89% of County jobs

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Activity Density = (population+jobs)/acre

Blue: (AD>4): supports local bus service

Red: (AD>20) supports bus rapid transit (BRT)

Purple: (AD>50) supports rail transit

Fairfax County’s land use

policies encourage

development within

designated activity centers,

which by 2050 include about:

• 10% of County acreage

• 36% of County households

• 89% of County jobs

How can the County’s EPTCs

best be organized into a

network to serve these

centers?

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Activity Density = (population+jobs)/acre

Blue: (AD>4): supports local bus service

Red: (AD>20) supports bus rapid transit (BRT)

Purple: (AD>50) supports rail transit

What does transit

supportive density look like?

Huntington: 15 units/acre

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Activity Density = (population+jobs)/acre

Blue: (AD>4): supports local bus service

Red: (AD>20) supports bus rapid transit (BRT)

Purple: (AD>50) supports rail transit

What does transit

supportive density look like?

Fairfax Center: 20 units/acre

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Activity Density = (population+jobs)/acre

Blue: (AD>4): supports local bus service

Red: (AD>20) supports bus rapid transit (BRT)

Purple: (AD>50) supports rail transit

What does transit

supportive density look like?

Merrifield: 35 units/acre

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Activity Density = (population+jobs)/acre

Blue: (AD>4): supports local bus service

Red: (AD>20) supports bus rapid transit (BRT)

Purple: (AD>50) supports rail transit

About 70% of the County’s residential growth through

2040 will be in multifamily housing units.

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Fairfax County’s

transportation plan

identifies eight

Enhanced Public

Transportation

Corridors (EPTCs).

How should they

connect?

What functions should

they perform?

Might other corridors

be needed to

complete the network?

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Currently, transit service

is oriented primarily

toward serving jobs in

Washington DC and the

inner suburbs of

Arlington and Alexandria.

About 830,000 people

start a transit trip in the

inner core on a typical

weekday afternoon.

Most (57%) transit trips

stay in the inner core.

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Currently, transit

service to jobs in

Fairfax County is

relatively limited in

comparison.

About 46,000

people start a

transit trip on a

typical weekday

afternoon in Fairfax

County. About half

(51%) stay within

the County.

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In 2040, Fairfax will be

more of a jobs center

with greater transit

access to housing both

within and beyond the

County boundaries.

Under current plans,

about 136,000 people

will take a transit trip

starting in Fairfax

County, and 59% will

stay within the County.

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Travel to, from, and

within Fairfax County

comprises many

overlapping travel

patterns.

One study objective is

to determine how to

most effectively

establish premium

transit corridors to

help serve these

demands.

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2040 PM desire lines

Initial review suggests that a

more robust network of high

quality transit corridors will be

valuable to serve both current

(white) and future (purple)

demand for person-trips.

High quality transit service will

be important to attract patrons

traveling to/from, within, and

beyond Fairfax County.

These maps show what one

potential study network might

look like. What opportunities

for connections do you see? 32

The type of premium transit service appropriate for each

corridor will reflect the traveler needs and land use

context in that corridor.

Destination corridors, like the

Orange Line in Arlington, connect

neighborhoods to multiple activity

centers.

Commuter corridors, like Virginia

Railway Express, primarily serve

one major activity center and tend

to focus on journey-to-work trips.

District circulators, like the planned

Tysons Corner Circulator, enhance

mobility within an activity center or

group of adjacent centers.

Source: Center for Transit Oriented Development

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Your feedback is

valuable to us!

“Setting the Stage”

helps us identify

and refine study

objectives through

the online survey

and comments on

the draft goals and

measures

Survey available tonight or online until August 10:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/2050transitstudy.

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Your feedback is

valuable to us!

“Setting the Stage”

helps us identify

and refine study

objectives through

the online survey

and comments on

the draft goals and

measures

35

Your feedback is

valuable to us!

“Mapping Your

Future” helps us

identify connections

that should be

considered for

premium commuter,

connector, or

destination transit

corridors

36

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Next steps:

• Refine goals and objectives

• Identify potential networks

• Conduct travel demand analysis

• Evaluate alignment feasibility

• Summarize initial findings

• Engage with public

Thomas Burke (Fairfax County DOT)

thomas.burke@fairfaxcounty.gov

703-877-5600

Dan Hardy (Renaissance Planning Group)

dhardy@citiesthatwork.com

703-776-9922 x502

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/2050transitstudy/