The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority

02/21/2020

Study will look at option of I-270 commuter buses

A new study will look at an option of a commuter bus route along Interstate I-270, a corridor that provides services to and from job centers in Northern Virginia. The transit plan for the I-270 corridor is being developed by Montgomery County and could involve a bus rapid transit line running from Biggs Ford Road north of Frederick to Tysons Corner in Virginia.
http://ow.ly/dpiW50ypDgo
#NoVA #NewBusRoutes

Senators from Frederick and Montgomery counties will forgo a bill that would request a state Department of Transportation study of a commuter bus route along Interstate 270 because the state

02/21/2020

Driven by InNoVation - 2.21.20 Edition

The NVTA/ITS-VA Northern Virginia Transportation Roundtable is just a few weeks away! We're excited to announce our first panel comprised of public sector experts who will discuss "Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric (CASE) Vehicles; Is the DC Metro Area Ready?"

Check out representatives from Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board/ Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Virginia Department of Transportation, City of Falls Church Government and Maryland Department of Transportation.

And in case you missed it yesterday, we're pleased to announce Cathy McGhee, Director of Research and Innovation, Virginia Transportation Research Council at the Virginia Department of Transportation, will be joining NVTA’s Executive Director, Monica Backmon, to discuss the Regional Multi-Modal Mobility Program, a partnership between the NVTA and Commonwealth of Virginia.

Stay tuned, as we’ll soon announce our second panel, featuring experts from the private sector.

Our latest Driven by InNoVation newsletter is now available with additional details, as well as transportation tech headlines and trends. http://ow.ly/It6K50ysy9r

02/21/2020

Thanks for spreading the good news, Mayor Wood! We're looking forward to hearing feedback from Northern Virginia residents at the Public Hearing scheduled May 14th. Public comment is an important part of the Six Year Program evaluation process.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority February's meeting kicked off with a presentation of the results of NVTA's 2019 Transportation Perception Survey, which tracks changes in transportation attitudes and priorities in the DMV region. There was even a survey about what word describes how you feel about self driving cars!

We also are excited to announce the Authority's approval of the Public Hearing date for the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program (SYP). The NVTA is seeking public input on its list of 41 candidate transportation projects submitted (including the Town of Dumfries Route One widening project) by 13 jurisdictions/agencies for NVTA regional funding consideration. The projects being evaluated cover multiple modes of transportation, including roadways, transit and pedestrian/bicycle pathways. The public is invited to learn more about and comment on NVTA's candidate projects during the Open House and Public Hearing scheduled May 14, 2020. More details to come because I am asking everyone who wants to see funding for Route One in the Town of Dumfries to come out. Please stay tuned! The full agenda and report can be viewed https://lnkd.in/dAmKMBy

#NOVATransportation #TownofDumfries #TransportationPlanning
#mayorderrickwood
#FixRoute1 @ The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority

02/20/2020

Letter to General Assembly Supporting Funding for the NVTA

Earlier this week, NVTA submitted a letter to the Virginia General Assembly requesting funding restoration. Proposed GA legislation would restore an annual $70M to the Authority. Additionally, just yesterday, the Northern Virginia Transportation Coalition wrote a letter of support for funding restoration to the Authority. We thank the Northern Virginia business community for its continued support. You can view both letters here: http://ow.ly/GbO650yrAwf
Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance

Earlier this week, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority submitted a letter to the members of the Virginia General Assembly asking that the provisions of House Bill 729 (Watts) be included in House Bill 1414 (Filler-Corn) and Senate Bill 890 (Saslaw). This is paramount so the Authority ca...

02/20/2020

It's 2.20.2020 and we can't think of a better day to remind you of our Northern Virginia Transportation Roundtable: "A 2020 Vision & a Look Beyond." We're excited to announce Cathy McGhee, Director of Research and Innovation, Virginia Transportation Research Council, Virginia Department of Transportation, will be joining us once again...this year discussing the Regional Multi-Modal Mobility Program, along with our Executive Director, Monica Backmon. It's a conversation you don't want to miss. Will you join us March 11? http://ow.ly/s9lG50yrukz

02/19/2020

Our latest Transportation Perception Survey is now available! Building off previous surveys as part of our long-range plan, TransAction, reducing #dctraffic congestion and improving transportation options to improve quality of life are still top of mind for Northern Virginians.

Other results include:
- Traffic congestion is less influential when choosing where to live (17%) vs. where to work (42%).
- Residents focus on essentials like safety, affordability, opportunity and ease of commuting when considering where to live or work. Social opportunities and walkable communities are secondary.
- A majority now say the region is doing a mostly “good job” on key transportation priorities impacting quality of life (56% 2019 survey; 51% 2016 survey; 43% 2015 benchmark survey)
- Among potential projects, new/extended Metro rail lines top the list for those surveyed. When asked how they’d prioritize investments, residents distribute most funds to roads and rail/transit.
- Residents describe self-driving cars as “scary,” “unsafe” or “dangerous,” with a smaller group also categorizing them as “good.”

The full survey results can be found here:
http://ow.ly/TqvF50yqC0f

02/19/2020

That feeling you get when it's a short work week and it's already Wednesday! [Added bonus ... Only 3 weeks away from our Northern Virginia Transportation Roundtable in partnership with ITS Virginia.] ... Check out the details and sign up today! https://itsva.org/events/2020NVTARoundtable/ #AutonomousVehicles #transportation #innovation

02/18/2020

Metro Will Close Three Orange Line Stations For More Than Three Months This Summer | DCist

The Vienna, Dunn Loring, and East Falls Church Metro stations will close from end of May through the start of September as crews repair and reconstruct the platforms.

Stay in the know: http://ow.ly/H8xL50ypP6y #DCMetro 🚆🛤️🚄

Parking at three stations will be drastically curtailed starting on March 15.

02/14/2020

🌹Roses are red.
🔹 Violets are blue.
♥️ You know what we love?
📣Hearing feedback from you!

We're excited to announce our FY20-25 Six Yr Program Open House & Public Hearing will be held May 14, 2020. Stay tuned for more details! http://ow.ly/JoRh50ymXGU #HappyValentines

02/14/2020

Meeting adjourned! Thanks for the great turnout tonight!

02/14/2020

General Assembly Legislative Update: Should HB729 legislation pass, $70M would be restored to the Authority.

02/14/2020

The Authority approves the FY2020-2025 Six Year Program public comment period - April 17- May 24. Public Hearing/Open House - May 14.

02/14/2020

thenovaauthority.org

Overall positive report on how NVTA is doing, according to the perception survey results. View the full summary of the study’s findings here: https://thenovaauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2021-NVTA-2019-Tracking-Report-020520.pdf.

02/14/2020

Study finds priority areas to focus on: reduce trip times, more predictable trip times, and increasing transit service. #dctraffic #multimodal

02/14/2020

Authority Meeting underway! Right now, NVTA Transportation Perception Survey results being presented. NoVA residents say offering transportation options are important. Say region doing a good job as addressing congestion.

02/12/2020

WMATA wants your opinion on its next budget (and you should give it to them)

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WMATA has officially opened up public comments for its next budget ... Here's your chance to weigh in and provide feedback on everything from late night service restoration to fare changes. http://ow.ly/34a050ykwQV #DCMetro

It’s been in the news, at the WMATA Board, and here on Greater Greater Washington. Now, WMATA has officially opened up public comments for its next budget, which includes more late-night service, free transfers between bus and rail, fare increases, some bus service increases, and a larger number o...

02/11/2020

You’re invited to the Fifth Annual Northern Virginia Transportation Roundtable on March 11! (itsva.org/events/2020NVTARoundtable/)

02/10/2020

Connected vehicle technology coming to Virginia

Drivers of selected vehicles in Virginia will be a part of new “Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything” technology later this year. Cathy McGhee, Director of Research and Innovation at Virginia Department of Transportation says this new tech is exciting for Virginia, “as it can allow us to evaluate this emerging communication option for essential and practical safety and mobility services, including saving the lives of maintenance and construction personnel in work zones.”
http://ow.ly/QUTK50yeHVb
#NewTech #NoVA

Drivers of select vehicles in Virginia are going to be part of the initial deployment of next-generation “Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything” technology.

02/10/2020

Is Maryland getting serious about MARC trains to Virginia?

A new bill that #commuters and planners in #Maryland and #Virginia have dreamed about for over a decade, aims to expand the commuter train service with a commuter rail that crosses state lines. Read more here:
http://ow.ly/CL8n50yfDaR

#TrainLineExpansion #VirginiaCommuterDevelopment

If Maryland lawmakers consider expanding their state’s commuter train service into Virginia, they’ll find that some stubborn hurdles still stand in the way—but also that the prospects suddenly look brighter than at any time in recent memory.

02/07/2020

Northern Virginia transportation dollars subject of state legislation - Washington Business Journal

As the Authority continues its quest for funding restoration this General Assembly session, Alex Koma, reporter with the Washington Business Journal, wrote a feature story on the Authority's lost revenue streams, how the region has been impacted, and looking ahead to the future.

Excerpt:
"It’s hard for somebody who doesn’t live here to understand that Northern Virginia has some of the worst traffic in the country, and it’s tied to the economy directly,” said Phyllis Randall, the new chair of the NVTA and the chair of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. “But now we have legislators sitting on the transportation committees who simply understand what our rush hour traffic looks like...and we’re more optimistic, because they live here.”

The full story can be found here (subscription required): http://ow.ly/YoJf50ygNr4

When Metro won dedicated funding, Northern Virginia lost out on some money for other transportation projects. But state lawmakers are gearing up to reverse course, at least to a degree.

02/07/2020

Weekend trial run for Metro’s summer shutdown plans | WTOP

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WTOP News provides details on WMATA's trial run this weekend for #DCMetro summer shutdown plans. Impacted lines include Orange and Silver Line stations in #NorthernVA, as well as single-tracking on the Red Line. http://ow.ly/K5IS50ygMxk 🚆🚄

Travel disruptions this weekend include a trial run for the major summer shutdown of Metro’s Orange and Silver Line stations in Virginia.

02/07/2020

Autoliv Performs First Crash Test of an E-scooter Airbag

Autoliv performs the first crash test of an #escooters airbag. This new airbag, the Pedestrian Protection Airbag (PPA), is mounted on a vehicle and deploys along the windshield. Read more about the tests here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/autoliv-performs-first-crash-test-of-an-e-scooter-airbag-300996771.html

#EscooterSafety #AirbagSafety

/PRNewswire/ -- Autoliv Inc. (NYSE: ALV) (SSE: ALIVsdb), the worldwide leader in vehicle safety systems, today announced that it has completed the first unique...

02/06/2020

We're excited to announce our 5th Annual Northern Virginia Transportation Roundtable in partnership with ITS Virginia. Public and private sector experts will come together to discuss the future of transportation, which is ever-evolving and changing the way we travel in the DMV. Innovation will continue to impact the region's local governments, businesses and residents moving forward. Will you be a part of the conversation? http://ow.ly/KyjB50yfuIH

02/04/2020

VDOT proposes $1.7B in improvements for I-95

Virginia Department of Transportation is recommending I-95 improvements to tackle congestion, including new reversible rush-hour lanes, lane extensions, interchange improvements and wider shoulders. Learn more about the $1.7 billion project: https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/vdot-proposes-b-in-improvements-for-i/article_af7259ac-41f5-11ea-8316-9f5660640387.html

#NoVA #RoadImprovements

The Virginia Department of Transportation is recommending up to $1.7 billion in road improvements to reduce traffic congestion on Interstate 95, including new reversible rush-hour lanes, lane extensions, interchange improvements

02/03/2020

New Richmond Highway Designs Include Bus Rapid Transit System

As part of Richmond Highway's makeover in Fairfax County Government, a new #BRT system will help reduce congestion and use technologies to keep people moving. NVTA sees this as a regionally significant project and has provided $250M in funding, the most NVTA-allocated dollars towards any project within the four funding programs. http://ow.ly/B31T50ycpLn Connection Newspapers 🚌 🚐

Bus Rapid Transit

01/29/2020

D.C. Has Some Of The Longest Commutes In The Country. What Help Is Available? | WAMU

Probably not a shocker ... D.C. reported to have some of the longest commute times in U.S. WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio reports commuters logged 102 hours sitting on the road in #dctraffic = more than 4 days! We're working with jurisdictions and agencies across the region to find solutions to get you home faster! http://ow.ly/V3kv50y82mD

More than a third of D.C.-area commuters travel 45 minutes or more to work every day.

01/28/2020

Driven by InNoVation – Transportation Tech Cmte. Recap Edition

This edition of Driven by InNoVation highlights our latest Transportation Technology Committee meeting convening representatives from the public and private sectors. The TTC focused on regional transportation technology policy development needs and welcomed David Alpert, Executive Director of DC Sustainable Transportation, and Founder and President of Greater Greater Washington, who presented the results of a recent study on automated vehicles (AVs). http://ow.ly/rviN50y7g7q

01/27/2020

Route 123 over Route 7 bridge rehabilitation begins

Route 123 over Route 7 bridge is to get a new look. Work is underway on the northbound and southbound Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) bridges over Route 7 (Leesburg Pike). This project will include repairing and resurfacing the concrete bridge decks, repairing bridge piers, abutments and bearings, painting steel bridge beams, and repaving Route 123 adjacent to the bridges.
https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/route-over-route-bridge-rehabilitation-begins/article_7ed206e2-2e3d-11ea-aefc-1be0965cda36.html
InsideNoVA.com Virginia Department of Transportation

Work began today to rehabilitate the northbound and southbound Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) bridges over Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians and extend the

01/27/2020

City of Falls Church Government

Check out this information provided by our friends at the City of Falls Church Government on an important #multimodal transportation project impacting the region. 🚗🚶‍♂️🚲🚆

Construction is underway on utility undergrounding and sanitary sewer installations related to the West Falls Church Multimodal Improvements Project. Drivers can expect periodic lane closures and related traffic delays on Haycock Road and Shreve Road through June 2020.

Learn more about this The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority funded project on the City's website.

01/27/2020

We're staying busy at the Authority! Thanks as always for attending, Mayor Wood, and thanks for sharing the recap!

Brief Authority Update:
It was a busy night for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Thursday Jan 13, 2020. Prior to the first business meeting of the new year, the Authority hosted a TransAction Open House, giving the public an opportunity to speak one-on-one with Authority staff about the region's long-range multimodal transportation plan.

Following the Open House, the Authority Meeting was called to order for the first time by its new Chair, Phyllis Randall, Chair, Loudoun County. The meeting began with a Listening Session, during which attendees were given the chance to weigh in on the future of transportation for NoVA. The Listening Session officially kicked off the update to TransAction.

We even had someone get up and speak boldly on supporting the much needed construction 🚧 funding for the Route One Project in the Town of Dumfries as well as the need to explore building a bridge across the Potomac River through Southbridge to Charles County to relieve traffic from I-95

Tracy Baynard, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure & Economic Development, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC, provided the Authority with an update of the 2020 Legislative Session. Ms. Baynard noted that Northern Virginia is well-represented on key committees, including Senate Transportation; Senate Finance and Appropriations; House Transportation; House Appropriations; and House Finance.

Restoration of Authority Revenues is the Authority's top legislative priority. With the passage of HB 1539/ SB 856, Transient Occupancy Tax and Grantors Tax were diverted for Metro funding, resulting in:

$275M: Reduction in available revenues for FY 2018-2023 Six Year Program
$75M: Annual reduction in 70% and 30% revenues
$27.12M from WMATA localities’ 30% or other funding sources
A gross loss of $102M
To date, two bills have been proposed that attempt to restore some level of funding to the Authority. We also expect a proposal from Senator Barker.

House Bill 729 (Sponsor: Delegate Vivian Watts)
House Bill 1414 (Sponsor: Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn/Administration)
The Authority agreed a state funding source should be used to help restore funds to the Authority!
@ The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority