VDOT Lifts Lane Closures For Labor Day Weekend Travel

RICHMOND, Va. – Planning an end-of-summer trip over Labor Day weekend in Virginia? Before you go, check the latest traffic and highway information with the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) travel tools. 

You can find real-time information about traffic, incidents and congestion on Virginia roads by using 511.

Download the free mobile VDOT 511 app for Apple and Android devices, visit www.511virginia.org, or dial 511 from any phone in Virginia.

Don’t drive distracted – please have a passenger use 511 if you’re driving, or pull off the road.

VDOT LIFTS LANE CLOSURES

VDOT will suspend most highway work zones for several days during the Labor Day holiday travel period to provide as many travel lanes as possible.

VDOT will lift lane closures on interstates and other major roads from noon Friday, Sept. 4, until noon Tuesday, Sept. 8.

VDOT HISTORIC TRAVEL-TREND MAP

VDOT can help you avoid peak congestion times during the Labor Day travel period. You can plan your arrival and departure times over the four-day travel period by using VDOT’s map of past travel trends for Virginia interstates, located at www.virginiaroads.org.

This online, interactive map shows peak congestion periods on Virginia interstates during the three previous Labor Day weekends (2012-2014).

The map indicates varying amounts of interstate traffic by time of day, using red for heavy congestion, yellow for moderate congestion and green for little or no congestion. 

To use the map, slide the button along the date bar at the top of the map to update predicted traffic information at half-hour intervals between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. for each day. You also can zoom and pan to specific areas of the state.

• Based on the traffic data from the most recent Labor Day weekends, periods of heavy congestion are most likely to occur between noon and 9 p.m. on Friday.
• Historically, heavy congestion occurs on various segments of Interstate 95 southbound and Interstate 64 eastbound from Saturday morning to Saturday afternoon.

While the map shows trends for delays during the most recent Labor Day holidays, it cannot precisely predict congestion levels for this year’s four-day travel period.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) SCHEDULE AND OTHER INFORMATION:

• HOV restrictions on Interstate 66 and Interstate 395 will be lifted on Monday, Sept. 7.
• Direction schedule for Interstate 95 Express Lanes/I-395 reversible lanes:

• Friday, Sept. 4 – Lane reversal to southbound begins at 11 a.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 5 – Lane reversal to northbound begins at 2 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept. 6 − Lanes remain northbound all day.
• Monday, Sept. 7 − Lanes remain northbound all day.
• Tuesday, Sept. 8 – Lanes remain northbound during morning rush, and lane reversal to southbound begins at 11 a.m.

More information on Northern Virginia HOV schedules can be found at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-novasched.aspFor information on the 95 and 495 Express Lanes, visit http://www.expresslanes.com. Drivers are reminded that they need an E-ZPass Flex (for HOV-3 to ride toll-free) or an E-ZPass to use the lanes at all times.

HAMPTON ROADS HOV SCHEDULE, TUNNELS AND OTHER INFORMATION:

• Interstate 64/Interstate 264/Interstate 564 HOV diamond lanes – HOV restrictions will be lifted on all HOV diamond lanes on Monday, Sept. 7.
• I-64 reversible lanes − Lanes will operate on the regular schedule with no HOV restrictions on Monday, Sept. 7.
• I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) – Motorists traveling to Virginia Beach are encouraged to use the Interstate 664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the HRBT. To Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach.
• Travel to Outer Banks – Motorists going to the North Carolina Outer Banks should use I-664 and the MMMBT to save time. From I-664 south, take I-64 west to exit 292, Chesapeake Expressway/Interstate 464/Route 17. Keep left to continue to the Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168), and take Nags Head/Great Bridge (exit 291B) to the Outer Banks.
• Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) – Tune to 1680 AM to stay informed on Hampton Roads traffic, travel conditions and construction information.

WORK ZONES AND OTHER TRAFFIC ALERTS

While VDOT will lift most lane closures during the Labor Day holiday period, motorists may encounter permanent work zones or travel delays in the following locations:

Amherst County

Route 501 – Replacing bridge at Route 130 intersection over James River. Traffic controls and flaggers in use.

Augusta County

Route 250 – Replacing bridges at White Oak Draft and at Calfpasture River on Hankey Mountain Highway. Traffic restricted to one lane at both locations with temporary signals.

Bristol

Interstate 81 – Improving exit 7 interchange. Be alert for delays.

Carroll, Floyd, Patrick counties

Route 58 – Improving eight miles of highway between Laurel Fork in Carroll County and Meadows of Dan in Patrick County.

Carroll County

Route 58 Business − Annual Hillsville Flea Market and Gun Show will cause significant traffic delays over Labor Day weekend.

Charles City County

Route 5 – Replacing bridge over Herring Creek. Temporary signal directing traffic.

Greensville County

Route 301 – Replacing southbound bridge over rail tracks north of Emporia. Traffic detoured to I-95.

Madison County

Route 231 – Replacing bridge over Mulatto Run. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.

Richmond

Route 360 – Replacing bridge deck. Traffic limited to two lanes on Mechanicsville Turnpike over I-64, with one travel lane each direction. Ramp from eastbound U.S. 360 to I-64 westbound remains closed. Follow posted detour.

Roanoke

Interstate 581 – Improving Valley View interchange. Shoulders closed, barricades in place as work continues.

Rockbridge County

Interstate 64 – Rehabilitating Maury River bridge. Eastbound traffic will detour across median to westbound lanes between mile markers 53.3 and 55.3. Traffic both directions will use westbound bridge during work on eastbound bridge.

Southampton County

Route 35 – Replacing bridge at Courtland. Detour to Route 58 and Route 58 Business.

Wythe County

Interstate 77/Interstate 81 overlap – High traffic volumes could slow or stop vehicles through this eight-mile stretch. Be alert for delays on northbound I-77 at the I-81 merge.

Motorist Safety Tips

VDOT encourages all motorists to do their part to prevent highway crashes by following these safety tips while driving:

• Buckle up
• Avoid distractions
• Share the road
• Drive drug- and alcohol-free
• Obey speed limits

Travelers are reminded that Virginia’s “Move Over” law requires motorists to move to the next lane, if possible, when approaching vehicles with flashing blue, red or amber lights that are stopped on the side of the road.

For more information, see http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/move_it_move_over.asp

Additional Travel Tools

Lane closures and incident reports available on 511 also are communicated through VDOT’s Twitter accounts, targeted for different regions of Virginia and specific interstate corridors, such as I-95 or I-81.

Visit http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/vdot_twitter_feeds.asp for a list of VDOT’s Twitter accounts and information on how to subscribe.

VDOT’s Customer Service Center

To report a road problem or get answers to your transportation questions, call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) around the clock.

For information about major long-term construction projects on Virginia’s interstates and primary roads, visithttp://www.virginiadot.org/travel/major_road_construction_projects.asp for VDOT’s interactive “Road Construction Ahead” map.

E-ZPass

Virginia belongs to the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection network. E-ZPass customers can use their transponders at toll facilities in Virginia and 14 other states. For more information on E-ZPass, visit www.ezpassva.com.

Commonwealth Moving Forward To Determine Best Procurement Option For I-66 Outside The Beltway Project

RICHMOND – The commonwealth will further explore procuring the $2.1 billion I-66 Outside the Beltway project under the Public Private Transportation Act (P3 program).  This allows private-sector teams to submit their qualifications, including how they would take on the risk of delivering the project.   Their information will be compared to a publicly-financed procurement, with the goal of selecting the right procurement that will bring the most benefit to the public.  

Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne stressed, “All options are on the table.  We're leveling the playing field, opening the gates to competition. We'll go with the right option that is in the public's best interest. That option will likely be a P3, regardless of whether the project is publicly or privately financed. We have the right process and laws in place to determine the best option for the public.  We are putting into action legislation signed into law by Governor Terry McAuliffe this year, which requires a methodical, independent and careful process to select a procurement option that minimizes risk for the public and puts their interest first.”

Layne called a meeting today in which the Transportation Public-Private Partnership Advisory Committee, with staff representation from the General Assembly, affirmed the Finding of Public Interest (FOPI) signed by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Commissioner Charlie Kilpatrick.    In the FOPI, the commissioner said he believed there are three P3 options that should be considered:

• A toll revenue concession – similar to the 495 and 95 Express lanes, in which the state would make a public contribution, but the private entity would take the risk in financing, designing, building, operating and maintaining the project.
• A design-build-operate-maintain project – The state would finance the project and collect the toll revenues, but the private sector would take the risk in designing, building, operating and maintaining the project.
• A design-build-alternative technical concepts project – the state would finance the project, collect toll revenues as well as operate and maintain the project while the private sector would take the risk in designing and building the project and be able to come up with engineering savings during the bidding process, which cannot be done  currently under a typical design-build project.

With the committee’s support to move ahead on advancing P3 options, the commonwealth will issue a Request for Qualifications for interested private sector teams to share their resources, qualifications and ideas on how they would deliver the project and transfer risk from the taxpayers.  Once the commonwealth reviews that information and determines if there is enough benefit to move forward, then the state will issue a Request for Proposals, which will go into more detail on what the private sector could offer. 

Meanwhile, the commonwealth will continue to move ahead with the public option during this process.  A final decision on how the I-66 project will be financed is expected by end of this year.

Information sources:

Finding of Public Interest 

P3 Process

I-66 Project Info
Audio of the meeting

I-66 Outside the Beltway Background:

Work is underway to transform Northern Virginia’s Interstate 66 into a multi-modal corridor that moves traffic and people quicker and in a more reliable way. VDOT and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) are actively evaluating improvements that would provide added capacity, and new options with more predictable travel times. Under the proposed plan, I-66 would be improved to provide:

• Three regular lanes in each direction
• Two express lanes in each direction
• High-frequency bus service with predictable travel times
• Direct access between the express lanes and new or expanded commuter lots

The proposed express lanes would be dynamically-priced toll lanes that are designed to provide a reliable, faster trip. Drivers traveling with three or more occupants would be considered high occupancy vehicles, and could use the express lanes for free at any time.

By the end of 2016, the team is working to complete environmental work and begin construction in 2017.

Audio Of The PPTA

New Audio of the PPTA meeting is available here.

The Best Responses to Anti-Cyclist Claims

One of the oldest tropes in letters to the editor columns—and more recently, your Facebook newsfeed—is the anti-cyclist screed. Typically arriving in summer (peak riding season), this missive advances Bold Thinking and Incisive Logic in arriving at the obvious conclusion that cyclists should not be on the roads.

If you grind your molars to powder every time a group of credulous rubes and softheaded reactionaries employs this benighted collection of straw-man arguments, this list of handy cut-and-paste responses to anti-cyclist arguments will to save you time and still allow a rebuttal.

Cyclists are a bunch of freeloaders who don’t pay to use the roads!
Response: Road taxes don’t even pay for these roads. My property, income, and sales taxes do.
The Lowdown: The entire “cyclists don’t pay road taxes” argument rests on a gigantic myth: that somehow, cyclists are monolithic automatons who do nothing but ride bikes. In this caricature, we are not also business owners and workers, homeowners, consumers and, often, car owners who pay all the taxes that fund roads.

Read the rest of the story here.

DesignsFor New Bus Rapid Transit Stations Go Beyond The Average Bus Stop

Omaha’s new Bus Rapid Transit stations will be more than your average stop and bus bench.

Think of rustic metal sculptures. Or sleek, modern glass modules that fit together. Or a garden oasis filled with artistic seating, bike racks and real-time arrival displays.

Those three concepts — unveiled Thursday during a public openhouse at the University of Nebraska at Omaha that drew about 200 people — are the first sign that the upcoming Bus Rapid Transit system will provide Omaha with a new brand of mass transit.

With Omaha’s long-discussed streetcar system still under study and still years away from possibly becoming a reality, the $30.6 million Bus Rapid Transit project is moving forward.

Read the rest of the story at Omaha.com.

Public Meeting To Be Held On P3 Procurement Options for I-66 Outside The Beltway Improvements

RICHMOND – Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne has called a meeting of the Transportation Public-Private Partnership Advisory Committee to determine whether or not to affirm the Finding of Public Interest signed by Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner Charlie Kilpatrick. If the committee affirms the commissioner’s decision, the project will advance to procurement.

The public is invited to attend to listen to the committee’s discussion. Public comments will be taken during this meeting.

The meeting will be held at the following time and location:

August 17 at 2 p.m.
VDOT Central Office Auditorium
1221 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23219

Information sources:

Finding of Public Interest 

P3 Process

I-66 Project Info

Modern Road Design in 7 Words: Cities Aren’t the Hoses, They’re the Gardens

Every bike lane believer has heard a variation on this concern: Won’t our cities grind to a halt if we redesign our streets to have fewer passing lanes for cars?

Last week, Minnesota writer Bill Lindeke offered a terrific response on his personal blog.

It was prompted to a letter from a person troubled by two of Minneapolis’s new protected bike lanes, which replaced passing lanes on 26th and 28th streets. The letter writer asked: won’t the traffic overflow, just as surely as a too-narrow pipe or hose will malfunction?

Lindeke’s reply is excellent. He begins with the story of a recent day when he turned on a hose for a friend watering a garden. At first he opened the valve all the way, but it was too much; his friend asked him to turn the flow down a bit so she wouldn’t damage the plants.

Read the rest of the story here.