Another "study" for the Route 1 corridor, just another duplicate expense at the taxpayers expense.
Also, on another topic, is part of Fort Hunt Rd. going to be resurfaced? The section north of the Hollin Hall Safeway up to Fordson Rd. Surovell's office says "NO" while Hyland's office says "YES". Fort Hunt Rd. is in dire need of being resurfaced; no more pot hole repairs.

More money, more money, more money. I've said for years that selected parts of Route 1 need to be bulldozed from the Beltway to Fort Belvoir and re-established into a cohesive business idea.. Capitol5555, what they'll do is spend thousands of dollars resurfacing it right before they start a massive construction project, i.e. Old Mt Vernon Highway.

Hi Capitol5555:

As I explained in the article, the state is prohibited by federal law from widening US 1 and adding bus pulloffs without a transit study. Without the U.S. 1 Transit Study it would be **illegal** to widen U.S. 1.

I understand your frustration about the number of studies that have been done, but none of them focused on the appropriate transit options for the corridor in a way that would satisfy the requirements of federal law. When I asked VDOT what I needed to do to get U.S. 1 widened, I was told this was the first step.

I'm please we were able to secure it with the help of the McDonnell Administration twelve months after I was elected.

In terms of the paving of Fort Hunt Road, I have writtten about this repeatedly in my columns and on my blog. VDOT recently advised that they have added Fort Hunt Road to the paving schedule. They were originally going to repave a better part of it first, but Supervisor Hyland has been working with them to see that the worst section is addressed first. I believe paving will start in the next six months. If you would like a more accurate date, please email me and I will get it for you.

Please note that all of U.S. 1 was repaved last years.

VDOT advises me that 25% of lane miles in Fairfax County have deficient pavement quality. That number is growing each year due to the state's transportation funding shortfall. Until we get more revenue in the system, we will all be paying for more wheel alignments.

Delegate Surovell,
Thanks for your response. I was told by Gerry Hyland's office that the resurfacing of Ft. Hunt Road would take place in June of 2011!! Wish both of you were on the same page. I agree with DAVE's assesment written within the comments of this article regarding the Route 1 corridor. Also, in my opinion, there is a definite increase in crime on the Route 1 corridor. I have a family member who was a vicitm of a crime around the Hybla Valley area a few years ago.

Yeah, I'm not surprised. There are a million needs and a shrinking pie to pay for it. I've got a call in to VDOT to get the date paving will start.

As for U.S. 1, I've written a ton here:

http://scottsurovell.blogspot.com/search/label/U.S.%201%20Redevelopment

Beyond that, what's mainly holding back U.S. 1 redevelopment is lack of investment in the transportation infrastructure. Due to 50,000 new people in Lorton over the last 10 years, it's now gridlocked and properties are stranded. If you can show me another 12-acre parcel (Multiplex) on a 6-lane highway that sat unused for 5 years in Fairfax County, I'd like to know where that is.

We should be benefiting from BRAC with new jobs and office buildings, but we're not - they're going to Springfield.

The key to U.S. 1 redevelopment is getting U.S. 1 widened and getting the Yellow Line extended from Huntington down U.S. 1 to Lorton. The first legally required step to do that is the Route 1 Transit Study.

The northern end of U.S. 1 runs between two exits on the largest highway on the East Coast with a Metro Station in between. Beacon Hill over looks the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Catherdal, and has a 200-degree view of the Potomac River. Commercial space in Eisenhower Valley rents for $5/SF more than Tyson's Corner.

Our community has assets. They simply need help in the form of better infrastructure to be utilized. That is my focus.

Capitol5555:

I'm told that the paving of Fort Hunt Road will start no sooner than Friday of this week and no later than 10/7 and that the contractor will pave Fort Hunt from Quander Road to Sherwood Hall Lane first and then pave U.S. 1 to Hunting Cove Place. I'll also post this on my blog.

It is actually Maryland Street and I live on it. For better (and in my opinion worse) a cut through between 623 and Mt Vernon Highway. The street handles 5 times the traffic it was intended to. I've lived on Maryland Street for 6 years and have only seen it paved once. When I hear people on Old Mill Rd. complain about speed I laugh because Maryland Street is a quarter mile drag strip that Old Mill Road can't touch. My wife actually tried to have speed humps or bumps put in but found the process to be so cumbersome as to not be worthwhile.

I'd like to know how every square inch of land in the Mt Vernon/Hybla Valley Corridor was built on with someone in the county or state going "hmmmmm maybe we ought to think about how we're going to get all these vehicles from the Beltway to Belvoir in under 45 minutes?" We've recently heard all our state and federal representatives saying BRAC is the reasson for this debacle. BRAc is not and has never been the issue. The lack of foresight and the ludicrous studies are the issue. Now that it's an issue everybody's on board with fixing it. What's the five year plan to fix this issue? And please don't say studies, those are the 10-15 year plan and Metro is the 25 year plan. And if there is no solid 5 year plan in place not a single home/business should be built.

I have to agree with Dave, "studies" will not resolve the traffic and congestion issues on Rte. 1! These studies should have been conducted years ago, prior to BRAC's implemention 2 weeks ago. It is too little, too late now to claim that a transit study is the solution voters are looking for.

Marta:

Thanks for your comment. As is written in the article and my comment above - it is illegal to widen U.S. 1 without conducting a transit study. This is Federal Law. The Federal Government isn't going to change the law for our 7 mile stretch of road.

While I recognize some people might not like the idea of conducting a study to ensure that if we invest transit facilities people might actually use them it is legal reality so that we do not squander our scarce tax dollars foolishly.

If someone has a solution that does not involve widening U.S. 1 or building some form of transit, I'd like to hear what it is. It would have to basically take 10,000 of 50,000 cars per day off Route 1.

Anyone can send me an email at scottsurovell@gmail.com with their solutions or post them here. Thanks!

Scott: as a federal civilian I'm quite aware of the requirement for a study. The issue in question here is the timing! Any studies that are/were required by law should have hapened years ago, not now, when the congestion and BRAC 133 is upon us. 5000 employees will be moving to the Mark Center by the end of year. BRAC 133 impacts Ft. Belvoir and Mark center, as the locations where all personnel affected are being transferred to. Too little, too late being done by our current elected officials, including you.

I'm confused Marta- Surovell should have done this study years ago?....when he wasn't an elected official? If you're saying he should have run for office before 2009, I agree with you.

I also agree that the study should have been done earlier, but it wasn't. What's the alternative to doing the study now?

I don't blame Mr. Surovell for the transportation issue on Route 1. I blame all our local government officials for allowing the continued development of Route 1 without the infrastructure to support it. Reality is Metro will never run from Huntington south in our lifetimes. Everyone in favor of tying up Route 1 for 5-7 years while it's built raise their hands. On a Saturday it takes 15 minutes to get to Walmart from MVhwy.

Try traveling south on Rt 1 anytime after 3pm now.....tell me BRAC isn't responsible for the back from Lukens to the Parkway....

It took me 40 min at 4:00 to go from Woodlawn past the post to take the parkway. Wait until 6000 more move in by end of year!

I think the thing that concerns me most is the fact that by Mr. Surovell's own admission "none of them (studies) focused on the appropriate transit options for the corridor in a way that would satisfy the requirements of federal law. When I asked VDOT what I needed to do to get U.S. 1 widened, I was told this was the first step" By this statement I take it there have been numerous studies, at taxpayer expense I might add, resulting in nothing but lip service and more traffic.

Amen! All lip service at taxpayers expense, no solutions, and aggravated gridlock as days go by. We need new leadership that will actually take action to resolve the congestion problem, not just talk about what could or should be done!

Scott in no way am I blaming you for the problems with Route 1. It was a problem long before you were elected and will be a problem long after you're gone. This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue as neither party is going to be able to singlehandedly solve the problem. I refuse to go on Route 1 any time of the day or night and might travel it once a month if my son has practice near Beacon Hill. Otherwise, I find different Routes. I also agree with your transportation reality, but hindsight is 20/20 and moving forward, residential and business development along Rte 1 should be quashed (including Costco), until a comprehensive transportation plan for the corridor can be reached. Start turning new businesses away and see how fast the state and county get the asphalt here.

Study, lip service, study, lip service, on and on. Someone needs to take the "bull by the horns" and at least come up with some short term immediate solutions. I am sure all of our over paid county staff should be able to come up with some plans, that is what they are paid to do!!!!

Some of the withered and delapidated buildings are in a horrible condition, Does anyone with in the county enforce the zoning/building codes?

Also, factor in the crime issue. Without having access to county's crime stats, it is safe to say that crime is on the upswing; especially armed robberies of individuals and merchants. We no longer frequent Route 1 establishments during the evening hours. Finally, traffic enforcement of jaywalkers is necessary.