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Proposed Expansion of Belmont Ridge Road to 6 Lanes

Discussion in 'General Chat Forum' started by Traci, Apr 11, 2010.

  1. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Oli-
    Actually, there are four new east-west connections on it. One is Gloucester Parkway completion to Nokes, Westwind that connects Loudoun County Parkway to 606, Lockridge that connects Waxpool to Rte 606, and Shellhorn Road is extended to connect to Lockridge.
    How is it you missed all these?
    Maybe you should look at the whole CTP instead of your fixation on BRR before you start spreading false information.
     
  2. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    I think the most helpful routes would be those that lead to Route 28 to relieve congestion on Waxpool. Gloucester will help a little bit for some people but another route the other side of Waxpool would be helpful.
     
  3. gunzour

    gunzour "Living on the Edge"

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    It looks like all of the connections Cliff mentioned would do just that, mainly by making it easier to get to 606/Old Ox which then connects to 28. Shellhorn to Lockridge would be huge.

    Is the county looking for proffers for these or is funding available?
     
  4. Oli

    Oli New Member

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    Nice try. By far, the majority of 6 to 8 lane roads in the CTP are north-south. Yes there are a few 4 lane east-west inprovements, but the roads that you mentioned are only ~5% of the total roadway, not nearly enough to solve the ease-west bottlenecks on Waxpool road, Highway 7, and Highway 50.

    Mass expansion of the north-south roadways will only compond the east-west situation. Is there anyone out there who wants to live near all of these freeways? I seriously doubt it!

    And who's going to pay for all these road anyways. VDOT, Loudoun County OTS? Please don't tell me that it will get paid for thru developer proffers....we've all seen that movie before and the outcome is just terrible!

    Perhaps other alternatives need to be further explored, such as improved multi-modal systems (mass transportation, improvements to biking and walking trails, etc).
     
  5. LMT

    LMT New Member

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    It seems this CTP hits Ashburn Village really hard. As written, it literally will cordon off Ashburn Village into four sections if Gloucester and Ashburn Village Blvd. are turned into 6-lane highways.

    I think it's easy for some folks to view these road expansions as a positive development for the county, but if these highways went right through your neighborhood (or even right behind your house), I bet that view would change.

    The difference between a 4-lane and 6-lane highway is tremendous. Not only would there be more cars travelling at faster speeds on these roads, but I think this would just encourage even more development (and therefore, do nothing to alleviate traffic problems).

    I live in the Village near both of these roads. If the current CTP gets enacted, the quality of life for all residents who live near these roads will suffer greatly. It's not right for cohesive communities to suffer from the poor planning of previous county land use decisions.

    Again, if you think these road expansions are a good idea, I ask you...

    Would you want to live right near these 6-lane highways? Would you want your kids walking to schools located on these 6-lane highways? Would you use an outdoor recreation facility located on these 6-lane highways?
     
  6. Oli

    Oli New Member

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    LMT brings up some very good points.

    Dozens and dozens of communities within Ashburn would be severely impacted. Imagine living near and walking your children near and across 6 lane wide roads similar to highway 28!

    And in case you haven’t heard, VDOT has already been performing designs that would erect sound barrier walls along these freeway systems.

    It just gets more and more absurd.
     
  7. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    '...if the current CTP gets enacted'

    And how long have these elements which you are concerned about been part of the CTP?
     
  8. LMT

    LMT New Member

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    As far as I know, they've been part of the CTP since it was created in 1995, and also when it was revised in 2001. If I'm not mistaken, home construction in Ashburn Village began in 1987. I think that Ashburn Village (and perhaps Ashburn Farm) may have been "re-zoned" at some time.

    The homes, businesses, schools, and recreation centers on Ashburn Village Blvd. and Gloucester Pkwy. are clearly not designed to be situated near a 6-lane highway. The speed limit on Gloucester Parkway right now is 35 mph. Changing this to a 6-lane, 45 mph speed limit (maybe even higher) highway would have drastic effects on the nearby communities.

    Many homes, businesses, rec. centers, churches, and playgrounds all over Ashburn would be changed for the worse (IMHO) if this CTP were enacted. I can't even imagine what our communities would be like if the "sound barrier walls" that Oli refers to are part of the plan.
     
  9. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Then lets stop the fearmongering that this is some new threat that puts everyone at risk.

    It's the same plan that has been in place for 15 years. The same issues all still apply - and the plans are really no closer to reality now then they have been in the last 5+ years.

    The motivation behind some of the 'new' posters in this thread really have to raise an eyebrow.
     
  10. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    I get it but I think the issue is that people didn't *know* about it until recently - at least I didn't. Over the past few years I paid attention to the plan for some road info (like Gloucester meeting 28 and the extension of Pacific) but never noticed the plan for Ashburn Village Blvd. Now that I know it's in there I sent an email to the BOS stating my position. I'm glad other people are starting to pay attention to the issue, too. Even if the plans are not likely to come to fruition it's still good that people are becoming aware of it and making their voices heard. It could easily have gone along in the plans term after term without anyone going on record to object.
     
  11. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Thats fine... awareness is good.

    But the campaign infers you have some new threat looming that needs to be put down! It's no new threat - it's the same you've had all along, and there is little to suggest the threat is growing... but rather just the opposite since the funding situation is even worse now then where it was last time the plan was updated.
     
  12. LMT

    LMT New Member

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    I'm not sure if I'm one of the"new" posters you're referring to, but I've been posting on this message board since 2007 and a resident of Ashburn since 2000. What eyebrows does that raise?

    And there is new movement on the issue. At the last Loudoun County BOS meeting, the board voted unanimously to send the plan to the Transportation and Land Use Committee. After it gets reviewed by that committee, the BOS will likely vote on adopting the revised plan sometime this summer. See: http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2010/04/15/news/9785publicctp041310.txt

    Since there are new developments here, I don't see how this is fearmongering. I should have mentioned that the plan was initially created in 1995 but revised in 2001 (the current plan). However, when the new BOS came into power (2007) they essentially started the CTP review process all over again since the review process was initiated by the previous board.

    So there will likely be a full Board vote on the CTP within the next few months. Supervisor Waters has mentioned in a newsletter that the proposed road widening in the CTP is unlikely to happen in the next 20 years, and including it in the current CTP is to secure the right-of-way needed should any expansion be desired.

    But that, to me, is part of the issue. This CTP cedes to the county the right to expand many local roads to 6-lanes. Given previous Boards' views and actions on land use in the county, I don't see this road-widening as such a remote possibility. This revised plan will likely be voted on soon. I made sure that the BOS knows my views on it.

    What's the problem with sharing this information with fellow community members? Again, I've lived in Ashburn since 2000 and the first I heard of the CTP was from the posts on this forum.
     
  13. HappyinVA

    HappyinVA Proud Broadlands resident

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    I've lived in Ashburn for over 15 years and have never heard of this either. Thanks for sharing!
     
  14. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    For you other "Villagers" out there, I received this email response from Stevens Miller:

    Dear Debbie,
    Thank you for your email. I have heard from many residents of Ashburn Village who share your concerns regarding Ashburn Village Boulevard and Gloucester Parkway. At the invitation of the president of your HOA, I will be attending the May 25th Ashburn Village community meeting to hear your thoughts and answer questions.
    The CTP is now before the Transportation Land Use Committee, of which I am not a member. You may want to forward your comments to the TLUC committee members http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=1015. The TLUC will be holding a special meeting on May 12th at 6:30pm to continue discussion on the CTP. While I doubt there will be any public comment at that meeting, it is an opportunity to learn more. The next public input before the BOS is May 3rd at 7pm.
    I hope to see you at the May 25th meeting.

    Sincerely,
    Stevens

    Stevens Miller
    Supervisor, Dulles District
    Loudoun County Board of Supervisors

    If you would like to receive updates and newsletters from me, please subscribe to my mailing list at the following link:
    http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=1957
     
  15. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Nice try??? You are rich. You claim there are no east-west improvements, so I point out FOUR of them. But somehow, they don't count because they aren't 6-8 lanes?!?!?!? Gloucester, by the way, IS 6 lanes.

    The funny think is you answer your own fears.....there's NO ONE TO PAY FOR THESE ROADS!!!!!

    Yeah, right....bikes and sidewalks will address the growth of hundreds of thousands of new residents that will move to this area.


     
  16. LMT

    LMT New Member

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    Gloucester, by the way, IS 6 lanes.


    No, Gloucester is a 4-lane road--at least in Ashburn Village, and I think, through it's entire length. The speed limit is 35 mph.
     
  17. LMT

    LMT New Member

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    I think I misinterpreted what you were saying, vacliff. I think you were stating that the CTP had Gloucester slated to become a 6-lane road (not that it was one already).

    I should have read what you stated more carefully.
     
  18. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    Yes, the CTP. That's what Oli is up in arms about......all the roads and lanes that will not be built for many decades to come.
     
  19. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    Well frankly, I hope to be here for at least another 12 years so I'm looking ahead to at least the next decade. And no matter what decade it happens in I still don't think a 6 lane Ashburn Village Blvd. is a good idea.
     
  20. LMT

    LMT New Member

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    I totally agree, Villager. I hope to be here for at least 20 more years. And like you, I don't think there would ever be a compelling reason to expand Ashburn Village Blvd. or Gloucester to 6-lane highways.

    By the way, I emailed Supervisor Waters about this whole issue. Both she and an assistant of hers emailed me back. They were both very responsive to my requests for more information.

    The response I received, though, was a not very reassuring. In essence, they stated that the expansions of Ashburn Village Blvd. and Gloucester were extremely unlikely, even in the next 20 years, because there is no money nor an immediate need to expand these roads. However, a right-of-way is often secured in case expansion is ever needed.

    So, I would assume from this response that if there is money available and there is a perceived need for expansion in the future, the current CTP makes both of these roads (and others) fair game for expansion. I don't know how anyone can predict just how likely either of these two conditions would be 20 years from now (or even 5-10 years from now). For me, that's a big concern about the CTP.
     

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