Fairfax County BRT/U.S. 1 Widening Update

Today, Fairfax County's Department of Transportation provided an update on the status of the U.S. 1 Bus Rapid Transit Project and U.S. 1 Widening.

Richmond Highway Widening Update

They have been developing responses to public comments

Incorporated minor design adjustments

Meeting with property owners

Working on right of way plans

Conducting title research

Design changes

• Two way cycle tracks
• Bridge features modified
• Change from bridge to a pre-cast arch
• Section adjustments to accomodate larger trees
• Plaza designs at intersections
• Raised driveways along U.S. 1
• Reviewing viability of stormwater management facility enhancements

Schedule Revisions

• Project has been delayed one year
• Design approval in 2019 did not happen
• FONSI planned in Fall, 2019 - didn't happen
• ROW acquisition was supposed to start in Winter, 2019 and did not
• ROW/Utility Relocation seems to be taking longer-6 years instead of 3.5 years

Design approval was expected but did not

• Fairfax County has not approved design
• Ongoing design features need to be resolved (stuff above) along with construction of BRT project with this
• Approval was submitted in 11/19 but delayed due to a Title VI complaint that was initiated
• VDOT did receive conditional design approval except for the Little Hunting Creek Underpass

FONSI

• They revised EIS for two underpasses
• Submitted the revised Environmental Assessment and request for FONSI to FHWA to review in 11/19
• In 11/19 notified of potential Title VI Complaint and FHWA put the review on hold pending the complaint
• 2/20 VDOT held a public meeting with Harmony Place in Spanish
• 5/20 FHWA has signalled that VDOT should move forward until receiving official notification of the Title VI complaint (they said move forward as if complaint doesn't exist)
• It's not going to hold up the project any longer
• Expecting to submit FONSI in Summer 2020 and approval in Fall 2020

Title VI issues

• They are prohibited from discussing or sharing complaint in any detail
• VDOT received the following complaints during the process that may be in the Complaint but they can't discuss:
• During the public hearing, they received comment that the Little Hunting Creek underpass is a location for illicit activity
• Gum Spring wants an overpass
• VDOT isn't listening to Gum Springs
• BRT Meeting
• Gum Springs wanted Fordson Road intersection redesigned
• South County Task Force Meeting people said road was too wide and unsafe to cross

Current Anticipated U.S. 1 Right of Way Impacts

ROW Impacts as of today are in picture above

• There are 172 partial acquisitions
• In other projects they've had acquisitions where a single parcel can take up to 44 months 
• We typically look at 18 months per mile for utility relocation so we're anticipating 24 months for utility relocation now  

Revised U.S. 1 Widening Schedule

• New Schedule has been revised based on FONSI
• ROW will start in last 2021 and possibly go until 2025 
• Utility relocations will begin in 2023
• Construction would go to 2029
• VDOT is working on phasing construction to speed up construction with a break near the Bestway
• If project is broken up into two phases, we could start construction 18 months sooner and open to traffic 12 months sooner and could finish by 2028
• By dealing with smaller portions of ROW we can get this done faster
• We also might be able to speed this up by:
• Meeting with utility companies sooner
• Allow construction to start before utility relocation is complete 
• Both runs up the risk of contractor claims and could result in higher bids due to increased risk
• Project Funding



Current Funding Status for U.S. 1 Widening 

• Estimate is unchanged today - $372M
• We anticipate some changes with new features
• We have $188M programmed and $183M short
• Hoping to make that up with a $25M FHWA grant and NVTA funding  

U.S. 1 BRT Briefing

• Project Status



Rendering of FCDOT Future Stomwater Rention on U.S. 1

• March, 2020 U.S. 1 BRT was accepted into the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program
• Hoping to fund 40% of the project this way
• This gives us a two year window to complete NEPA preliminary engineering and management plans
• FCDOT thinks that can be done faster than 2 years - probably by Fall 2021
• The project will be Phased
• Phase I is Huntington Metro to Gum Springs (end of the VDOT Project)
• Phase II is Gum Springs to Fort Belvoir
• Public Outreach has been going on by email blast and online presentations
• FCDOT anticipates 30% of design plans being done by July 2020 
• By keeping Fordson Road open, they had to separate the station platforms
• Stormwater Management Approach
• As of now we have 63 dry swells/bioretention areas, 11 wet ponds, maybe 3 underground tanks
• Project Delivery



New FCDOT BRT Schedule

• Legacy schedule was to deliver Phase I BRT by end of 2026 and Phase II by 2028
• FCDOT has seen delays:
• NEPA - Found historic properties
• Federal shutdown delayed some document reviewed by the FTA
• Utilities relocations will require additional time
• Minimization options for Collard Street, Groveton Baptist, Fordson Road, Huntington Bus Loop, landscaping, etc. 
• ROW - partial acquisitions were shifted to the design build contractor
• Construction sequencing has caused a more realistic schedule
• New Schedule is set forth to the right
• Phase I done by early 2030
• Phase II done by late 2030
• FCDOT needs to talk to VDOT about new possible two-phase schedule for U.S. 1 widening
• There are scheduling risks
• Utility relocations
• Schedules for adjacent projects (including Huntington Metro Redevelopment)
• Possible hazmat issues
• Agency coordination - FTA, DHR, etc. for NEPA sign off
• Accommodation of private development
• Stations 



Current Working Design - 10% Done
Materials, Colors, etc. Still In Discussion

• Station Architecture
• Six Designs were shared with the Executive Committee 2/20 and 3/20
• They've agreed on Option B with elements from Option C and E
• Attempt was to incorporate local historical, cultural, institutional and natural resources into the station designs
• They've been working through concepts
• Current working design of the stations is in the pictures on the right