Fairfax County has established a Beltway Construction Task Force, ostensibly to help citizens impacted by impending beltway construction to be heard, and to help "mitigate" the impacts. The Task Force is chaired by former County Board Chairman Jack "Highways" Herrity.

To see the impact that Beltway interchange modifications may have to your local area, click here.

The task force met at 7:30 pm at the Fairfax County Government Center, on the following days:

  * Wednesday, March 10, 7:30 pm
    
  * Wednesday, March 17, 7:30 pm 

  * Wednesday, March 24, 7:30 pm 

The Task Forece just released its report, based on the four meetings the Task Force held:

  * January 19, 7:30 pm
    North Springfield Elementary School, 7602 Heming Ct.

  * January 26, 7:30 pm 
    Shrevewood Elementary School, 7525 Shreve Rd., near Falls Church 

  * February 2, 7:30 pm 
    Woodburn Elementary School, 3401 Hemlock Dr., Annandale

  * February 9, 7:30 pm 
    Churchill Rd Elementary School, 7100 Churchill Rd., McLean

We thank the more than 1400 citizens who attended these hearings, put challenging questions to the Task Force, and wrote to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to voice concern with this type of forum (it's not too late to write). We will let you know when the next round of VDOT meetings are planned.

The two major points the Farifax Coalition for Smarter Growth wants to be considered are: 1) Inclusion of Rail transit options in the VDOT study; and 2) Complete a full-scale Environmental Impact Study (VDOT is pushing for a less-stringet Imapct Assessment). The Task Force's report recommended VDOT comply with both of these points.

What else can you do?   We need Civic Association/Homeowner Assocition leaders to draft resolutions stating their position on the Beltway widening. Click here for some examples that you may use or tailor to your needs.

Click here for an example flyer that was posted prior to the meetings. We will post future flyers here for you to obtain, print, and post in your own neighborhoods, with local business, and anywhere else you think would be effective.

Make sure you have been added to VDOT's mailing list, so that you receive any information they may provide. Here are ways to get in touch with them to be added to their mailing list:

Call the project hotline: 703-359-MOVE
Fax VDOT: 703-385-1147
Send E-mail: beltway_study@parsons.com
Write:

Capital Beltway Study
c/o De Leuw, Cather & Company of Virginia
11320 Random Hills Road, Suite 100
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Please include your name, complete mailing address, and telephone number. Check out the project website at: http://project1.parsons.com/capitalbeltway/

Some ideas for questions that you may still ask of the Fairfax Supervisors and VDOT follow:

I. GENERAL TASK FORCE PROCESS
What is the task of the Herrity committee and what can it do? Can the committee do anything? Is the committee legitimate? What will be done with citizens' comments from the hearings? May we review the draft report before it is published, to ensure citizen concerns are accurately captured?

II. CONGESTION
How long will my rush hour Beltway trip take during construction of the project?
Without mitigation proposed by your committee? With mitigation proposed by your committee?
How many hours of the day will the Beltway be congested during construction without mitigation? With mitigation?
How many hours will it be congested if you spend the mitigation money on busses or METRO instead of asphalt?

III. LAND USE
How much land will be required for interchanges with and without your mitigation measures?
The Springfield Mixing Bowl destroyed 60 homes. How many homes will be destroyed by the 9 planned expanded interchanges with your mitigation measures? Without them?
How much parkland will be destroyed by the Project and the interchanges with and without mitigation?

IV. FLOODING
How much will the mitigation proposed by your committee reduce flooding?
Where does rainwater that drains from the Beltway go with and without mitigation?
How much land will be required for runoff control?
Will mitigation change this?

V. NOISE
What will the mitigation measures proposed by your committee do to noise?
What will this do to noise levels along the beltway. During the summer? During the winter?

VI. SAFETY
What are your committees proposals to reduce the effect cross road traffic increases have on school, shopping and recreation trips and the number that will have to be made by vehicle because of unsafe walking and biking conditions?

We hope you can attend one of the above hearings and voice your concern for this type of forum.

This page is your site and it has ample room to grow.
Your ideas are welcomed, encouraged, and needed.
Feel free to e-mail me with suggestions, ideas, data, and/or information.

In addition to the 12-lane widening affecting areas adjacent to the Beltway itself, major changes will be required at all interchanges. Here some of VDOT's conceptual images of what several interchanges may look like under their plan:

• Georgetown Pike
• Route 123
• Dulles Toll Road