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Tysons growth will increase traffic
Average weekday daily traffic around Tysons Corner could increase about 14 percent by the year 2030, if the county implements the recommendations of the Tysons Land Use Task Force, according to traffic models released Monday.
On Route 7 between the beltway and Falls Church, projections show about 10,000 more cars than in 2005, and a similar increase is expected on Gallows Road between Routes 123 and 66. The data was part of a traffic study the task force ordered in response to pressure from community organizations surrounding Tysons Corner.
Taken over more than 20 years, the increases are not huge compared to the scope of growth in Tysons Corner projected over that period.
“That 14 percent is, overall ... the annual growth is quite small,” said Jay Evans, of Cambridge Systematics.
The data also show a similar proportion of daily miles traveled in severe congestion across all of the task force's possible scenarios for future development in Tysons, despite big differences in the projected numbers of jobs and residents. All of the projections show a substantial increase over 2005 data.
Several organizations in communities bordering Tysons have been airing concerns that the task force is not doing enough to protect communities like Vienna and McLean from future growth in Tysons. This has led to increasing tension between citizen groups and the task force.
“The meaning of these numbers is that increasing density has to be contingent on infrastructure improvements,” said Susan Turner, of the McLean Citizens Association, at Monday's task force meeting.
“Not really,” responded Clark Tyler, chair of the task force, before taking another question.
Responding to those citizen concerns, Supervisors Linda Smyth, Cathy Hudgins and John Foust have all called for additional traffic studies to be done in their areas to forecast the results of the task force's plans on the “edge communities.”
The board is currently waiting for cost estimates on the studies. However, Tyler has said the results of that data will not be ready in time to influence the task force's final plan.
“After three years of planning we ought to be able to make a decision. ... We've got a certain amount of information, enough to make a decision,” Tyler said.
“The notion that the task force is unwilling to wait is very frustrating. We've been asking for this data for three years,” said Vienna Councilwoman Laurie Cole.
Charlie Hall, of the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition, has said that his group wants to see how the traffic studies will stack up against Virginia Department of Transportation projections, which will come into play as part of the process of creating the comprehensive plan.
“This study was not enough. ... VDOT has done some tough studies in Loudoun ... they provide a second opinion,” Hall said.
Regardless of when the task force finishes its work, the process of creating a final comprehensive plan will involve several chances for public input.
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