Notes on the RTF Steering Committee Meeting, August 2, 2011

                                       3 August 2011

                                       R. Rogers

    

STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING: 2 AUGUST 2011

     Summary: The Committee blessed a new DPZ map for the transportation “test.” It significantly increased density in Town Center. FC DOT transportations analysts continued to explain the test process.  There was some anxiety from developers about what the results might foreshadow.  The RMPTF now goes into August hibernation with no activity till September.

     Attendance: Poor. At one point there were as many TF members in the audience (5) as at the table.

     Admin: Patti Nicoson, RTF Chairman, noted that COMSTOCK plans to break ground on a residential building next spring and have it ready by 2014.  She also noted interest by SPRINT in some sort of joint project with the county re the Wiehle station.

     New Map: DPZ put forth yet another new map for the transportation test (“Staff Allocation of Absorbtion (sic) by 2020 dated 8/2/11). The most significant change was upgrading the FARs of Boston Property land to 4 and of the south station area (including Brookfield E-5) to 3.  (Comment: Apparently this was the result of the Goudie-Otteni approach to DPZ--see last SC com notes).

     Apparently to balance this, North Town Center, previously at a FAR of 1.6 was left off the map.  David Sattlier, the INOVA front man, attended (a first I think) and protested but said he would take thus up offline. Heidi M. gave various justifications for the changes that were not particularly impressive.

     At the end of the meeting the SC decided to not mess with the map any more but turn it over to DOT. Judy pew raised the issue of submitting the “test” beforehand to the full TF, but she was dismissed.

     Doug Pew objected to the doubling of the Brookfield FAR, saying the south side road net, depending on two key Sunrise Valley intersections, would be overwhelmed.

     Transportation Discussion: The bulk lf the meeting was a discussion with Dan Southworth (senior analyst at FC DOT who apparently will do most of the work on Reston) and branch chief Leonard Wolfenstein about the transportation test.

     They began by saying all mitigation strategies need to be incorporated in the plan. Heidi weighted in to reinforce this by saying that “some” just thought more aggressive Transportation Demand Management would suffice. She stressed that a bigger tool box would be needed.

     The FC DOTers said the transportation test would include:

• intersection improvements at the nodes cited at last week’s RMPTF.
• an overpass on Sunrise Valley at Fairfax County Parkway.
• Soapstone and Town Center crossings (I had earlier raised this given the absence of any realistic plan for financing for these.  But I was told “they are in the existing county plan”.)
• taking into account “sensitivity to higher toll rates on the toll road”: I had earlier stressed the need to take this into account in view of MWAA projections that traffic could decrease by half by 2023 and they would still make money).
• the various suggestions in the Vision Com report for transportation improvement.

     Goal of Test: Several of the developers worried about the goal of the test.  (Comment: Their comments indicated concern that the test results will undermine their goal of higher density).

     This led to a discussion of what FC DOT thinks is acceptable congestion.  The DOTers said a “D” rating is a county goal (currently several Reston intersections get an F”).  They also noted that in other FC “urban areas” they had tended toward accepting an ”E”.

     Several of the development community, such as Goudie, said that the result of the test would be academic. He plans to push to get 2050 density for all of TC back on the map.  Looney said he did not see himself “locked into” the new map. There was a consensus that this will provide useful input but that the SC will not be bound by the results of the test.

     Relevance to a TOD Reston: Several members, particularly Paul Thomas, stressed that the test needs to take into account things like:

• the need for better pedestrian crossings (under the  DOT intersection improvement plan it looks like R Pkwy will have 13 lanes in places!).
• North-South Reston traffic (i.e buses to South Lakes H.S.)

--connector bus links (“will they be locked in a massive jam on Wiehle from 606 to the DTR”)

(Comment: On the whole the FC DOTers give me the impression they are more used to looking at traditional suburban traffic than a more urban environment.)

     Grid of streets: The test will include some of the key connections proposed that “look reasonable.”  Wolfenstein noted that in Tyson the grid of streets had a tremendous impact on moving traffic.

     Test more Housing? Patti Nicoson briefly raised this issue. The DOTers said it would depend on more time and more DPZ money.  No support for it was forthcoming from others.

     Time Frame: “Forget August.” It will take us three months at least to do one iteration.  Major changes would require at least another two months. Maybe Thanksgiving.

Next

     The full TF will be briefed on the map and test on 13 Sept.  It is possible that there will be an SC mtg before it (after Labor Day) to discuss allocating some development at Herndon Monroe station (there is none on the current map).

     The SC will meet later in the fall to look at other issues like open space.