Sixteenth Annual Report Transportation Update
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SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT TRANSPORTATION UPDATE OCTOBER 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS i LIST OF TABLES iii LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS v INTRODUCTION 1 Section 1: The Role of NVTC 2 Section 2: Transit Highlights 4 Section 3: Regional Studies 10 Major Investment Study History 10 Regional Studies 10 Study Costs 18 Public Participation 18 Congestion Mitigation 18 Section 4: Rail Services 21 Metrorail 21 Virginia Railway Express 24 Intercity Rail 28 Section 5: Bus Services 29 Metrobus 29 Local Bus Systems 29 Dulles Corridor Transit Plans 42 Increasing the Regional Share of Federal Money 42 Vanpools 43 Commuter Bus Systems 43 Section 6: Paratransit Services 45 MetroAccess 45 Jurisdictional Services 45 Alexandria DOT 46 STAR 46 City Wheels 46 Fare Wheels 46 Fastran 46 LCTA 47 Paratransit Services 47 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Cont’d Section 7: HOV Lanes 48 Public Perception of Use 48 Violations 51 Average Auto Occupancy 51 Current Issues with HOV in the Region 51 I-95 Corridor 51 Rt. 267 Corridor 53 I-66 Corridor 53 Section 8: Park and Ride Lots 54 Section 9: Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities 66 Section 10: Intelligent Transportation Systems 68 Section 11: Transportation Web Sites 83 Section 12: Balanced Transportation System 87 The Role of Transit 87 2020 Plan 87 Bus Fare Buydown Program 88 Executive Order 13150 – Federal Workforce Transportation (Metrochek) 91 Mode Share Report 92 New NVTC Performance Database 93 Section 13: Conclusion 95 APPENDIX: TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ii List of Tables Table Page 1 NVTC Officers and Commissioners 3 2 NVTC Highlights 5 3 Regional Highlights for FY 2000 7 4 Regional Studies 11 5 NVTC Policy on Congestion Mitigation Plans 20 6 FY 2000 Metrorail Ridership Summary 22 7 Rail Service Enhancements 25 8 Northern Virginia Metrobus Ridership Summary, FY 99-FY00 30 9 Bus Service Expansion and Enhancement Projects (FY00) 32 10 Description and Contact Information for Northern Virginia Public Bus Systems 33 11 Northern Virginia Public Transit Systems Operating Statistics and Performance Indicators, FY 2000 41 12 Vanpool Mode Splits in Selected Northern Virginia Commuting Corridors 43 13 Summary of Commuter Bus and Vanpool Services as of 2000 44 14 Comparison of Northern Virginia Paratransit Services FY 2000 47 15 Paratransit Contacts 47 16 Fall 1999 HOV and LOV Summary (A.M.) 49 17 A.M. Peak Period HOV Versus LOV Travel Times 50 18 A.M. Average Vehicle Occupancy Trends 52 19 HOV Contacts 53 20 Park and Ride Lots Located in NVTC Jurisdictions 57 21 Other Park and Ride Lots 62 22 Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Extensions and Program Enhancements 67 23 Inventory of ITS Projects Planned or Deployed in the Washington Region 72 24 NVTC Website Regional Links 85 25 2020 Plan Major Transit and Transit Related Projects 89 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Metrorail Ridership, FY 1995 – 2000 23 2 VRE Ridership, FY 1994-2000 27 3 Metrobus Ridership, FY 1995-2000 31 4 ART Ridership (formerly Arlington Trolley) FY 1994-2000 34 5 CUE Bus Ridership, FY 1994-2000 35 6 Alexandria DASH Ridership, FY 1994-2000 36 7 Fairfax Connector Ridership, FY 1994-2000 37 8 Loudoun County Commuter Bus Ridership, FY 1995-2000 38 9 OmniLink Ridership, FY 1995-2000 39 10 OmniRide Ridership, FY 1994-2000 40 11 Persons Per Hour, Per Lane A.M. Restricted Period, Fall 1999 48 iv LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AAA American Automobile Association AAR Association of American Railroads AASHTO American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials ADA Americans with Disabilities Act ART Arlington Transit System ARTS Automated Routing Transportation System (WMATA’s customer service database) APTA American Public Transportation Association AQPAC Air Quality Public Advisory Committee AVI Automated Vehicle Identification BATA Ballston/Rosslyn Area Transportation Association CAAA Clean Air Act Amendment CAC Citizens Advisory Committee CIP Capital Improvement Program CLRP Constrained Long Range Plan CMAQ Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program CO Carbon Monoxide CTB Commonwealth Transportation Board CUE CUE Bus (City of Fairfax) DASH Alexandria Transit Company DATA Dulles Area Transportation Association DRM Division of Risk Management EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAMPO Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization FHWA Federal Highway Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration GIS Geographic Information System GMU George Mason University GPS Global Positioning Satellite System GRH Guaranteed Ride Home GSA General Services Administration HJR House Joint Resolution HMOF Highway Maintenance and Operations Fund HOT Lanes HOV-Free/Toll Other HOV High Occupancy Vehicle HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development IRS Internal Revenue Service ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems LOV Low Occupancy Vehicle MARC Maryland Rail Commuter Service MDOT Maryland Department of Transportation MIS Major Investment Study MOU Memorandum of Understanding v LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS (Con’t) MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area MTA Mass Transit Administration of Maryland MWAA Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority MWAQC Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee MWCOG Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments NHS National Highway System NOx Nitrogen Oxide NPS National Park Service NTD National Transit Database (Formerly Section 15 Data) NVRC Northern Virginia Regional Commission (formerly NVPDC) NVTA Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance NVTC Northern Virginia Transportation Commission O3 Ozone PRTC Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission RADCO Rappahannock Area Development Commission RFP Request for Proposals RSTP Regional Surface Transportation Program SCC State Corporation Commission SIP State Implementation Plan SJR Senate Joint Resolution SOV Single Occupant Vehicle STARS Surface Transportation Authority & Regulatory Act STIP Statewide Transportation Improvement Program STP Surface Transportation Program TAGS Transportation Association of Greater Springfield TCC Transportation Coordinating Council TEIF Transportation Efficiency Improvement Program TERM Transportation Emissions Reduction Measure TIP Transportation Improvement Program TLC Transit Link Pass between MARC, Metro and VRE TMA Transportation Management Association TPB Transportation Planning Board of the National Capital Region TRB Transportation Research Board TRDI Transit Ridesharing Development Initiative TRIP Train Information Provider TRIP II Toll Road Investors TSCP Transportation Service Coordination Plan TTF Transportation Trust Fund TYTRAN Tysons Transportation Association USDOT U.S. Department of Transportation UVA/VA University of Virginia/Virginia Tech. VACO Virginia Association of Counties VDRPT Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation VDOT Virginia Department of Transportation VML Virginia Municipal League vi LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS (Con’t) VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds VPSI Van Pool Services, Inc. VRE Virginia Railway Express VTA Virginia Transit Association WABA Washington Area Bicyclist Association WATF Washington Airports Task Force WMATA Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority WMTIS Washington Metropolitan Traveler Information Service WSTC Washington Suburban Transit Commission vii INTRODUCTION The Northern Virginia Annual Transportation Update has been an evolving document since it was first written in the early 1980’s. What was originally a transportation services coordination plan is now a comprehensive document full of transportation facts and information. This year’s document is the sixteenth version of the Annual Update and continues the tradition of providing information on the most important transportation and transit stories of the last year. The format is designed to allow a reader to quickly find information on hundreds of transportation issues. The report also provides information on the issues that shape the region and the institutional and legislative settings within which transportation policies and programs are planned and implemented. This year, the Northern Virginia region faced a series of transportation related challenges. First, project cost estimates for two major regional transportation projects (the Springfield Interchange and Woodrow Wilson Bridge) were revised to amounts well over their anticipated budgets. As a result, several transit strategies designed to reduce congestion generated from the construction of these projects had to be eliminated. Another setback was the lack of funding available for transit in Northern Virginia’s submission to the Constrained Long Range Plan. This near absence of transit projects was particularly noteworthy as the guiding Northern Virginia 2020 Plan called for a balance between highway and transit. As the region is faced with these real challenges in funding transit, the importance of transit to the economy and lifestyle of our region should not be overlooked. Throughout the document, success stories are provided as a reminder of the importance of transit in a balanced transportation system. The document is made up of 13 sections that provide data in the form of summary tables. The Appendix contains contact information for agencies with responsibilities for regulating, planning, financing, and operating specific parts of the complex transportation system. Components original to this document include a matrix of regional