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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can we get involved to oppose this proposal?

Comments must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to VDOT by November 12, 2018. Mail comments to [e-mail]

Please include “McLean Area Traffic Analysis” in the email subject line.

Thank you. I can't believe we have to do this. I'm so mad at VDOT for even considering this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can we get involved to oppose this proposal?

Comments must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to VDOT by November 12, 2018. Mail comments to [e-mail]

Please include “McLean Area Traffic Analysis” in the email subject line.

Thank you. I can't believe we have to do this. I'm so mad at VDOT for even considering this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can we get involved to oppose this proposal?

Comments must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to VDOT by November 12, 2018. Mail comments to [e-mail]

Please include “McLean Area Traffic Analysis” in the email subject line.

Thank you. I can't believe we have to do this. I'm so mad at VDOT for even considering this.

VDOT should know better than to just interview people right off that road. This is a regional issue and they are not involving or studying the entire region. It is also a school boundary issue with the obvious first move to change the boundary of Langley which is already gerrymandered before trying to o change regional commute patterns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can we get involved to oppose this proposal?

Comments must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to VDOT by November 12, 2018. Mail comments to [e-mail]

Please include “McLean Area Traffic Analysis” in the email subject line.

Thank you. I can't believe we have to do this. I'm so mad at VDOT for even considering this.

VDOT should know better than to just interview people right off that road. This is a regional issue and they are not involving or studying the entire region. It is also a school boundary issue with the obvious first move to change the boundary of Langley which is already gerrymandered before trying to o change regional commute patterns.

+1. The last thing VDOT should be doing is make it easier for people in Great Falls to get to Langley and harder for people in Vienna to get to Marshall.

[Anonymous]

I have a different perspective - the data VDOT has put forth is either averages or based on estimates. So, they don't really know what the impact currently is, nor will be.

Yes, there are backups, people are missing extracurricular activities, neighborhoods are being used as cut-throughs, people are driving erratically, etc. It will be an inconvenience. No one is disputing that.

But folks, we need some ACTUAL NUMBERS here. Numbers that show how bad this really is - whether it's on Georgetown Pike, 123 or 7. Based on the VDOT presentation, they don't have actual numbers. I think that's a point a lot of people are missing.

It's 4 months. VDOT has even said it will take a month to get the study running. It will be a short, finite study that will produce ACTUAL DATA that might actually inform the entire region's traffic issues. Honestly. You can't dispute actual data. Averages and estimates, those are disputable.

Let them do the study. They have pledged heightened police presence and similar measures to what they have done at Georgetown Pike during that time period. I think the ACTUAL DATA will show that the traffic problems in this area of McLean can't be isolated to Georgetown Pike as it relates to the Beltway. I think it will show that it's far worse than anyone thinks. And (gasp) that might get them to take a look at all three areas affected as the result of one study. Because, the next step is restricting another ramp for another study. So another 4 month pilot.

It's 4 months. We'll all live. Really. Take a long term approach and let the study prove what it needs to prove. Then there is some actual fuel to fight the issues. You can actually put up some real numbers and argue.

[Anonymous]

I drive in the area around 6-6:30 pm M-F during the school year and this year I've noticed that having the police there helps a ton but unfortunately, they're not there every night. Cameras to ticket box blockers would help tremendously. Also, the horrible traffic doesn't happen every night just 1-2 nights a week in general - pretty much anytime there's a backup on the beltway.

There are ways to help traffic flow there that don't require shutting down an exit because of the NIMBYs. They should try these first. Everywhere in the DMV there are more and more houses/work places crammed in and causing these sort of back ups. Shutting down exits isn't a viable solution. More work from home and flexible hours from employers would certainly be desirable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a different perspective - the data VDOT has put forth is either averages or based on estimates. So, they don't really know what the impact currently is, nor will be.

Yes, there are backups, people are missing extracurricular activities, neighborhoods are being used as cut-throughs, people are driving erratically, etc. It will be an inconvenience. No one is disputing that.

But folks, we need some ACTUAL NUMBERS here. Numbers that show how bad this really is - whether it's on Georgetown Pike, 123 or 7. Based on the VDOT presentation, they don't have actual numbers. I think that's a point a lot of people are missing.

It's 4 months. VDOT has even said it will take a month to get the study running. It will be a short, finite study that will produce ACTUAL DATA that might actually inform the entire region's traffic issues. Honestly. You can't dispute actual data. Averages and estimates, those are disputable.

Let them do the study. They have pledged heightened police presence and similar measures to what they have done at Georgetown Pike during that time period. I think the ACTUAL DATA will show that the traffic problems in this area of McLean can't be isolated to Georgetown Pike as it relates to the Beltway. I think it will show that it's far worse than anyone thinks. And (gasp) that might get them to take a look at all three areas affected as the result of one study. Because, the next step is restricting another ramp for another study. So another 4 month pilot.

It's 4 months. We'll all live. Really. Take a long term approach and let the study prove what it needs to prove. Then there is some actual fuel to fight the issues. You can actually put up some real numbers and argue.

You aren't fooling anyone. If they start a pilot, the entitled Langley crowd will have a foot in the door and insist that it be made permanent. VDOT is smart enough to have a very good idea where the diverted traffic will end up instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many go home if they can to get homework completed. Nearly all class content is now online and they need their computers to complete work. (The school library is only open until 4:45pm.) Additionally, if students were to stay at school until 7:00pm when their practice ends, when are they supposed to eat? Many have lunch hour well before NOON. There aren't any food places within walking distance to LHS for freshman and sophomores who don't have cars. And then there are games that don't begin until 7:00pm with warm-ups around 6:00pm. Games go until 10:00pm. Who in their right mind would want their kid at the school for 14 hours?

If the Langley kids have a practice at 5, and the library is open until 4:45, why don’t they stay at school and do their homework at the library until it closes? The Arlington high schools all have WiFi and the kids all have Mac books - are you telling me this is not true at Langley? I do take the point about wanting to go home to eat, but presumably kids aren’t eating a full meal before a sports practice anyway. Why can’t they just bring a snack? Maybe school could provide refrigerators they could keep food in (presumably they have a microwave?) Or the school could arrange for a small afternoon cafeteria offering if this is a real problem affecting lots of kids? Kids could pick up something light/pre-made for 30 minutes after school lets out so cafeteria workers don’t stay all night. Don’t Langley parents work? Who is even at home to drive kids back to school at 5? This whole notion of traffic driving BACK to school is totally foreign to me. We live in Arlington and our high schooler stays after school until activities begin, and then either takes a late bus home or gets a ride or we pick him up on our way home.

I do agree that adding toll roads is making the traffic on other roads worse. Arlington secondary roads are also more congested and neighborhood roads have turned into secondary roads because of chronic congestion. Local government will never make up for totally missing the boat on public transportation - development is too far gone to fix it now. The only way people will switch to public is for it to be easier, faster and cheaper than the driving alternative, but I can’t see how that could even be possible at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many go home if they can to get homework completed. Nearly all class content is now online and they need their computers to complete work. (The school library is only open until 4:45pm.) Additionally, if students were to stay at school until 7:00pm when their practice ends, when are they supposed to eat? Many have lunch hour well before NOON. There aren't any food places within walking distance to LHS for freshman and sophomores who don't have cars. And then there are games that don't begin until 7:00pm with warm-ups around 6:00pm. Games go until 10:00pm. Who in their right mind would want their kid at the school for 14 hours?

If the Langley kids have a practice at 5, and the library is open until 4:45, why don’t they stay at school and do their homework at the library until it closes? The Arlington high schools all have WiFi and the kids all have Mac books - are you telling me this is not true at Langley? I do take the point about wanting to go home to eat, but presumably kids aren’t eating a full meal before a sports practice anyway. Why can’t they just bring a snack? Maybe school could provide refrigerators they could keep food in (presumably they have a microwave?) Or the school could arrange for a small afternoon cafeteria offering if this is a real problem affecting lots of kids? Kids could pick up something light/pre-made for 30 minutes after school lets out so cafeteria workers don’t stay all night. Don’t Langley parents work? Who is even at home to drive kids back to school at 5? This whole notion of traffic driving BACK to school is totally foreign to me. We live in Arlington and our high schooler stays after school until activities begin, and then either takes a late bus home or gets a ride or we pick him up on our way home.

I do agree that adding toll roads is making the traffic on other roads worse. Arlington secondary roads are also more congested and neighborhood roads have turned into secondary roads because of chronic congestion. Local government will never make up for totally missing the boat on public transportation - development is too far gone to fix it now. The only way people will switch to public is for it to be easier, faster and cheaper than the driving alternative, but I can’t see how that could even be possible at this point.

APS parent, take a look at the boundary for Langley that stretches all the way to Loudoun and then ask yourself if VDOT/Fairfax County/FCPS's first move should be to close off an access to 495 and MD so the far reaches of Fairfax can get across the beltway to an afterschool activity. It's sick. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2018-2019%20High%20School%20Boundaries.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many go home if they can to get homework completed. Nearly all class content is now online and they need their computers to complete work. (The school library is only open until 4:45pm.) Additionally, if students were to stay at school until 7:00pm when their practice ends, when are they supposed to eat? Many have lunch hour well before NOON. There aren't any food places within walking distance to LHS for freshman and sophomores who don't have cars. And then there are games that don't begin until 7:00pm with warm-ups around 6:00pm. Games go until 10:00pm. Who in their right mind would want their kid at the school for 14 hours?

If the Langley kids have a practice at 5, and the library is open until 4:45, why don’t they stay at school and do their homework at the library until it closes? The Arlington high schools all have WiFi and the kids all have Mac books - are you telling me this is not true at Langley? I do take the point about wanting to go home to eat, but presumably kids aren’t eating a full meal before a sports practice anyway. Why can’t they just bring a snack? Maybe school could provide refrigerators they could keep food in (presumably they have a microwave?) Or the school could arrange for a small afternoon cafeteria offering if this is a real problem affecting lots of kids? Kids could pick up something light/pre-made for 30 minutes after school lets out so cafeteria workers don’t stay all night. Don’t Langley parents work? Who is even at home to drive kids back to school at 5? This whole notion of traffic driving BACK to school is totally foreign to me. We live in Arlington and our high schooler stays after school until activities begin, and then either takes a late bus home or gets a ride or we pick him up on our way home.

I do agree that adding toll roads is making the traffic on other roads worse. Arlington secondary roads are also more congested and neighborhood roads have turned into secondary roads because of chronic congestion. Local government will never make up for totally missing the boat on public transportation - development is too far gone to fix it now. The only way people will switch to public is for it to be easier, faster and cheaper than the driving alternative, but I can’t see how that could even be possible at this point.

APS parent, take a look at the boundary for Langley that stretches all the way to Loudoun and then ask yourself if VDOT/Fairfax County/FCPS's first move should be to close off an access to 495 and MD so the far reaches of Fairfax can get across the beltway to an afterschool activity. It's sick. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2018-2019%20High%20School%20Boundaries.pdf

If this happens, guaranteed, Loudoun Co. will vote out the pols responsible for this, starting with Northam. You forget that
Loudoun Co. holds the key in all state elections.

[Anonymous]

I’m against the ramp closing but can’t imagine a state-wide election would ever hinge upon the outcome here. Maybe a local board of supervisors or school board election at most.

[Anonymous]

VDOT announced today that it will NOT be pursuing the pilot program to close the ramp to the Beltway off Georgetown Pike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VDOT announced today that it will NOT be pursuing the pilot program to close the ramp to the Beltway off Georgetown Pike.

Link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VDOT announced today that it will NOT be pursuing the pilot program to close the ramp to the Beltway off Georgetown Pike.

Link?

http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/mclean_traffic_analysis.asp

[Anonymous]

Great news.