Worst Traffic Spot in US found on I95 in NOVA

[NOVAmtneer82]

I agree that we should add some new road links between PWC and Fairfax but 95 itself could use some additional capacity as well (and not just more toll lanes). The fact that there are more lanes on parts of the Richmond Beltway than on I-95 through Dumfries and Fredericksburg is insane. VRE expansion will help some but it does little to address the huge numbers of people using I-95 to get from the Northeast to points farther south. A bypass(es) would make sense by making upgrades to 301 to the East and / 17 to the West but of course they would likely be held up in the courts forever as a sprawl producer by many of the activist groups in this region who think everyone can/ should live right next to their job.

[Jon_In_NOVA]

Originally Posted by NOVA_guy

To Prince William's credit, Ruth Anderson, district supervisor of Lake Ridge/Occoquan has complained for YEARS about extending 95 from 3 lanes to 4 lanes where it bottlenecks at Occoquan and as usual, the ever so diligent folks down in Richmond continue to ignore or make excuses as to why they can't fix it.

Virginia really needs to do something about its infrastructure. It's ridiculous that roads like 28 go years with literally nothing being done about the major traffic issues.

What I don't understand as a simple high income tax payer is this: picking on 28 for a second here is why with the traffic from 5:15am until 7:30pm from Manassas Park to North of Westfields blvd expansion keeps happening. Especially right before Centreville there is a new light or two with corresponding apartment/townhomes. How is there not a survey on the roads performed before building can start? The cynic is me says it comes down to builders and their money.

I would appreciate being educated in something that I am missing here.

[jillybean720]

Money, money, money. The private developers don't care about the traffic as long as they can sell their McMansions and 4-story townhomes, which they can because people can't afford those kinds of homes closer in. The rest of VA hates seeing all the $$ for transportation improvements going to NOVA (don't try to explain to them that most of the taxes PAID in VA come from NOVA residents...), so there will always be battles to fight over not enough money to go around.

Some roads don't have a lot of options; parts of 28 and 1, for example, have buildings so close to the road it's impossible to widen (without significant additional resources for buying the properties, tearing them down, etc.).

I really like the sound of Old Dominionite's recommendation of a 95 parallel with limited exits for through traffic. As someone who routinely travels back and forth between NOVA and Hampton Roads, the concept of NOT having traffic trying to merge and exit every 1-2 miles from beltway to beltway (495 to 295) is very appealing.

[LM117]

Originally Posted by jillybean720

The rest of VA hates seeing all the $$ for transportation improvements going to NOVA (don't try to explain to them that most of the taxes PAID in VA come from NOVA residents...), so there will always be battles to fight over not enough money to go around.

True, but considering how needs in other areas of the state often go ignored, such as widening I-81 or finishing the US-29 bypass around Lynchburg, it shouldn't be too difficult to see why the rest of the state feels the way they do.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by NOVAmtneer82

I agree that we should add some new road links between PWC and Fairfax but 95 itself could use some additional capacity as well (and not just more toll lanes). The fact that there are more lanes on parts of the Richmond Beltway than on I-95 through Dumfries and Fredericksburg is insane. VRE expansion will help some but it does little to address the huge numbers of people using I-95 to get from the Northeast to points farther south. A bypass(es) would make sense by making upgrades to 301 to the East and / 17 to the West but of course they would likely be held up in the courts forever as a sprawl producer by many of the activist groups in this region who think everyone can/ should live right next to their job.

In general the smart growth community has no opposition to widening 301, since that would be an alternative to the western bypass/upstream bridge. Maryland has proposed that widening, and if there has been opposition to it from mainstream smart growthers, I have not heard of it.