Why is Oakton not so built up? (commute, places)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Loudoun might not be fairfax, but our roads are congested because people now drive 25 miles average to jobs, funnelling like a flood onto fairfax roads, but not paying taxes towards fairfax. Its the worst case scenario, we miss out on the revenue but still have to pay for infrastructure obligations to support it.

Didn't DC say that about Fairfax a while back?

Also, don't worry about the missing revenue. Soon enough, more businesses in Fairfax will relocate to Loudoun so that their workers living in the latter county won't have to drive 25 miles.

Put another way, as a Fairfax resident and tax payer, I'd rather that businesses remained here and generated economic activity (even if many of the workers lived elsewhere) rather than workers and businesses relocated to Loudoun.

I know, I know. You'd rather that businesses and workers remained here and never moved elsewhere. Because having twice the current population won't congest the roads in Fairfax at all.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Loudoun might not be fairfax, but our roads are congested because people now drive 25 miles average to jobs, funnelling like a flood onto fairfax roads, but not paying taxes towards fairfax. Its the worst case scenario, we miss out on the revenue but still have to pay for infrastructure obligations to support it.

I assure you, in my 54 mile one-way commute, the only Virginia roads I use are ones that I pay for through Loudoun County taxes, state taxes, or tolls. I, and I'm sure thousands more people, don't touch your precious Fairfax County roads.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by spencgr

I assure you, in my 54 mile one-way commute, the only Virginia roads I use are ones that I pay for through Loudoun County taxes, state taxes, or tolls. I, and I'm sure thousands more people, don't touch your precious Fairfax County roads.

Whether they are VDOT roads or not isnt the issue; it is who is responsible for the capital improvements since VDOT has said "not one cent will go towards blah blah blah" through that mouth breather Sean Connaughton. Therefore Fairfax now fund road construction outside of VDOT assistance in most cases.

Soooooo tell me again, which roads is it that you dont congest in Fairfax?

BTW I have no care if you do or don't live in Loudoun and want to work in Fairfax or DC or Arlington. What I do care about are those out there that want to do that, but then also complain that those roads need to be made wider... by another jurisdiction they dont pay taxes in.

In other words, its a free country, but I aint building you jack (outside of whatever the state pays for out of all of our taxes of course)

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Soooooo tell me again, which roads is it that you dont congest in Fairfax?

While I travel through Fairfax, I am on the Toll Road (and pay daily for it's usage) and the Beltway. You are telling me Fairfax residents alone are responsible for capital improvements on those roads?

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by spencgr

While I travel through Fairfax, I am on the Toll Road (and pay daily for it's usage) and the Beltway. You are telling me Fairfax residents alone are responsible for capital improvements on those roads?

I didn't realize that the beltway exists directly into office buildings. Tell me again, which road do you use when you get off of said beltway?

And like I said, as long as you arent one of the ones demanding FFX to fix it for you then Im not in anyway saying anything you are doing is wrong. God bless you got a long commute and you do it so you have a better way of life for what I assume is your family etc and all that jazz...

just please recognize that FFX has no need to do anything to make that commute any better. We are willing to consider loudoun funding projects that might, but then again if the residents of Fairfax dont want it, then thats the final word as it has been in the case of projects shoved down the throats of arlington residents.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

I didn't realize that the beltway exists directly into office buildings. Tell me again, which road do you use when you get off of said beltway?

And like I said, as long as you arent one of the ones demanding FFX to fix it for you then Im not in anyway saying anything you are doing is wrong. God bless you got a long commute and you do it so you have a better way of life for what I assume is your family etc and all that jazz...

just please recognize that FFX has no need to do anything to make that commute any better. We are willing to consider loudoun funding projects that might, but then again if the residents of Fairfax dont want it, then thats the final word as it has been in the case of projects shoved down the throats of arlington residents.

The beltway has many exits (most of them, in fact) that are not in Fairfax county.....

[tysonsengineer]

Ok touche, if you work outside of Fairfax then you can rightfully mock me :P Your commute is self paid/provided by federal funds of which we all pay basically the same share via gas tax.

But I'm watchin you mister

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Ok touche, if you work outside of Fairfax then you can rightfully mock me :P Your commute is self paid/provided by federal funds of which we all pay basically the same share via gas tax.

But I'm watchin you mister

Yes, my commute takes me much further than Fairfax county. And, I would never complain about other counties' roads. I'll only complain about my own tax dollars within my own county (see new thread)....

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Well if that was their goal, epic fail. They just pushed the sprawl further west to Loudoun. Obstruction isnt the key, releasing the pressure valve in an orderly way and pin point way is. For every restriction they put in oakton they should have encouraged more growth in eastern fairfax (I guess thats what they are doing now... just about 15 years too late).

I am pretty sure Oakton was, if not built out before 15 years ago, built up enough with SFH's on large lots that that was already the "prevailing neighborhood form" at least 20 to 25 years ago. Ergo too late to make it into something denser. So while I wouldn't have zoned that way (at least some kind of narrow semi-dense corridor from Vienna to Reston might have worked) its kind of late now to complain. It is what it is.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

Didn't DC say that about Fairfax a while back?

Also, don't worry about the missing revenue. Soon enough, more businesses in Fairfax will relocate to Loudoun so that their workers living in the latter county won't have to drive 25 miles.
[/quote]

maybe. Right now both counties have pretty high office vacancy rates. FFX centers like Tysons command higher rents than those reston, which in turn command higher rents than Loudoun. There are new office projects UC in Tysons - much larger than anything currently UC in Loudoun. How net absorption will take place in the future, I don't know.

I know, I know. You'd rather that businesses and workers remained here and never moved elsewhere. Because having twice the current population won't congest the roads in Fairfax at all.

Not if we put more of those people in places where they will either have much shorter commutes, or commutes via non-auto modes. So yeah, if we have lots more people commuting from centreville or lorton or dranesville to Tysons, that will add to congestion (lets put aside the hot lane debate for now). If we have lots more people living and working in Tysons, or working in Tysons and taking the silver line from Herndon or Reston, well that will be different. How that will work out, I can't say.