Langley HS PTSA Survey Results on VDOT's Proposed I-495 NB Ramp Closure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

Just about everything the Langley parents have posted on this thread has been either false or exaggerated, so I'm inclined to credit PP's account of the most recent meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

Just about everything the Langley parents have posted on this thread has been either false or exaggerated, so I'm inclined to credit PP's account of the most recent meeting.

75-80% of the speakers at Thurday’s meeting were opposed to the closure, and at least half of those were from the Langley community. These people acknowledged that the traffic is indeed terrible, but they aren’t willing to trade their access to the Beltway. They commute to their jobs, they have kids at private schools in MD, people that work for them utilize the Beltway. The reasons were varied, but the Langley community was well represented in the overwhelming majority that opposed the closure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

+1

You can keep posting this, but it doesn’t make it true. Were you actually at the meeting? Did you see the statistics that were presented - 65% against? Did you listen to VDOT detail the opposition? Utterly TRUE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

+1

You can keep posting this, but it doesn’t make it true. Were you actually at the meeting? Did you see the statistics that were presented - 65% against? Did you listen to VDOT detail the opposition? Utterly TRUE.

^This. I’d hate to have a kid at Langley and know that some of the other parents are such liars. It makes the whole school look bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do Va drivers, esp McLean drivers, drive to DC or Md for work? Of course they do. Do they cut through DC neighborhoods? Yes, they do. Should they stay in Va, get jobs in Va only? Of course not. But they shouldn’t be surprised when people from DC and Md drive in Va.

I would say the vast majority of VA drivers work in VA. Why? Because that's where the jobs are. Tysons, Reston, Fairfax, Vienna, Chantilly - tons and tons of jobs, especially in the tech sector. There are FAR fewer VA drivers headed to MD or even DC for work these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

Just about everything the Langley parents have posted on this thread has been either false or exaggerated, so I'm inclined to credit PP's account of the most recent meeting.

Not the PP, but how so? I've been following this thread and haven't seen Langley parents say anything false or exaggerated. I live in the area and witness this horrific traffic jam every single day, so I know exactly what they're describing is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

Just about everything the Langley parents have posted on this thread has been either false or exaggerated, so I'm inclined to credit PP's account of the most recent meeting.

Not the PP, but how so? I've been following this thread and haven't seen Langley parents say anything false or exaggerated. I live in the area and witness this horrific traffic jam every single day, so I know exactly what they're describing is true.

Another lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Va drivers, esp McLean drivers, drive to DC or Md for work? Of course they do. Do they cut through DC neighborhoods? Yes, they do. Should they stay in Va, get jobs in Va only? Of course not. But they shouldn’t be surprised when people from DC and Md drive in Va.

I would say the vast majority of VA drivers work in VA. Why? Because that's where the jobs are. Tysons, Reston, Fairfax, Vienna, Chantilly - tons and tons of jobs, especially in the tech sector. There are FAR fewer VA drivers headed to MD or even DC for work these days.[/quote

And no doubt they cause traffic tie-ups in other parts of NoVa where those tech jobs are only accessible by car. Va. created an economy and life-style that is car-centric so Virginians get stuck in traffic. Shocking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the meeting last week. The VDOT representatives were very clear that no decisions have yet been made and that there would have to be very strong public support for this controversial proposal to move forward. As it stands there is, in fact, the opposite. Even most residents of the affected neighborhoods are against the closure because they themselves utilize the Beltway. It isn’t realistic to assume that they will backtrack to Tysons between 1-7 to get on the Beltway, only to sit in traffic miles south of where they should have started. This proposal is going nowhere. Frankly, I’m surprised it made it this far.

Utterly false.

Just about everything the Langley parents have posted on this thread has been either false or exaggerated, so I'm inclined to credit PP's account of the most recent meeting.

Not the PP, but how so? I've been following this thread and haven't seen Langley parents say anything false or exaggerated. I live in the area and witness this horrific traffic jam every single day, so I know exactly what they're describing is true.

Another lie.

I live just outside the beltway and zoned for Langley. I can go a different way towards Langley because Georgetown Pike backs up. I live 2 miles from Langley high. The people who live right inside the beltway who live about a mile from my house all prefer 495 to remain open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Possibly closing an off ramp because it makes it difficult for kids to get to extracurricular? Really? There are a number of inside the beltway schools that have traffic issues - should we just start closing roads to benefit school traffic? What am I missing?

Why does Langley high school convenience get to dictate access and ramp closures on a major highway?

This is completely unreasonable.

I bet if it were any other high school, you'd be fine with it. Just the fact that it's Langley means you are outraged.

That's just silly. It's reasonable for parents whose kids attend other schools near Tysons (Marshall, McLean, Madison) to want to know whether you're asking VDOT to make it easier to get to Cooper and Langley will just make it harder to get to their schools. I haven't heard a clear answer, and VDOT officials have said previously that closing the ramp would be a "wash" (i.e., reduce traffic near the Balls Hill/Georgetown Pike intersection and make it worse elsewhere).

The point of closing this ramp is to force MD drivers to use the toll road to access the beltway. Not to push traffic into other areas.

What about the Virginia drivers that need to access the ramp. I live in Mclean and need to use the ramp in the afternoons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Possibly closing an off ramp because it makes it difficult for kids to get to extracurricular? Really? There are a number of inside the beltway schools that have traffic issues - should we just start closing roads to benefit school traffic? What am I missing?

Why does Langley high school convenience get to dictate access and ramp closures on a major highway?

This is completely unreasonable.

I bet if it were any other high school, you'd be fine with it. Just the fact that it's Langley means you are outraged.

That's just silly. It's reasonable for parents whose kids attend other schools near Tysons (Marshall, McLean, Madison) to want to know whether you're asking VDOT to make it easier to get to Cooper and Langley will just make it harder to get to their schools. I haven't heard a clear answer, and VDOT officials have said previously that closing the ramp would be a "wash" (i.e., reduce traffic near the Balls Hill/Georgetown Pike intersection and make it worse elsewhere).

The point of closing this ramp is to force MD drivers to use the toll road to access the beltway. Not to push traffic into other areas.

What about the Virginia drivers that need to access the ramp. I live in Mclean and need to use the ramp in the afternoons.

+1. Glad to see some residents speaking up against the nonsense that a small group of Langley HS parents favor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't seen any news coverage of this Langley PTSA "press release." I think DCUM is the only outlet for their frustrations. They don't seem like a nice group of people.

As for their arguments in favor of the ramp closure, most people see through their effort to blame everything on Maryland and Maryland drivers. We know that, if the ramp were closed (unlikely), Virginia drivers would also be inconvenienced and the traffic would just divert to other Beltway entrances near Tysons, not just the Dulles Toll Road.

I saw it in the McLean Connection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't seen any news coverage of this Langley PTSA "press release." I think DCUM is the only outlet for their frustrations. They don't seem like a nice group of people.

As for their arguments in favor of the ramp closure, most people see through their effort to blame everything on Maryland and Maryland drivers. We know that, if the ramp were closed (unlikely), Virginia drivers would also be inconvenienced and the traffic would just divert to other Beltway entrances near Tysons, not just the Dulles Toll Road.

I saw it in the McLean Connection.

Since the results of this survey were announced? Please post a link.