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Health & Fitness

Loudoun County Ashburn District September 2012 Newsletter

Loudoun County Ashburn District September 2012 Newsletter

 From the Office of Supervisor Ralph Buona (R-Ashburn):

I ran for the Board of Supervisors because I firmly believe we live in one of the best communities in the nation and I wanted to make sure that continues. Well, it turns out my fellow citizens also believe Loudoun is a great place to live, work and play! The county recently released the results of its eighth Community Survey (2012), which was conducted by the University of Virginia. Ninety-four percent of survey respondents rated overall quality of life in Loudoun as ‘excellent’ or ‘good.’  We are not without our challenges, and just as I heard on the campaign trail and as I hear from many of my constituents, TRANSPORTATION is a huge concern. “Traffic/transportation” topped the list of the “single biggest problem facing Loudoun” with 38.9% of respondents. “Growth/development” was second with 24.6% of respondents stating this is their number one concern. I will continue to make transportation improvements a priority.

 The two stories below by money.cnn.com further showcase Ashburn’s quality of life.

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 Warm regards,

Ralph Buona

 Transportation Updates

 Ashburn Farm Parkway/Junction Plaza. As you may be aware, there were four pedestrian/bicyclists accidents along Ashburn Farm Parkway from Deer Run to Railstop Terrace. I pulled together a multi-disciplinary team with representatives of VDOT, the Loudoun Sheriff’s Office and the Loudoun Office of Transportation Services to investigate the incidents. We presented our findings to the Ashburn Farm HOA in early September. The good news is that the incidents were not related. Next steps include public awareness outreach to encourage bicyclists and pedestrians to use the signalized intersections as opposed to crossing where there are no cross-walks, new signage and the trimming of trees to improve lines of sight.

 Belmont Ridge Road/Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD):  I have continued work with VDOT, the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority, Loudoun Sheriff’s Office and the Loudoun Office of Transportation Services to improve safety at this crossing. Much positive progress has been made. They include:

  • Trimming of trees along Belmont Ridge Road to improve sight lines
  • Correction of the angle of stop signs to avoid motorist confusion
  • Increased Sheriff’s Office presence
  • Planned closing of the small gravel lots of Belmont Ridge Road to improve sight lines
  • Installation of additional signage to warn of the crossing
  • Upcoming installation of “Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFB)” on each side of the trail so pedestrians and bicyclists can activate a flashing light beacon to call drivers’ attention to their presence
  • Working with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to conduct a “Street Smart Education Event” in November to raise awareness of trail safety measures.

 Waxpool Road: At this week's Board strategic retreat, we agreed to prioritize Waxpool as the second most important transportation issue in Loudoun (just behind Rt. 606). Listed below are a few of the upcoming improvements put forth by this board:

 1. Funding has been approved for the design of improvements to the Waxpool Road intersections at Pacific Boulevard and Broderick Road (near AOL and Wegmans).

 2. The Board worked with the Commonwealth to support an $80 million dollar Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank loan to the developer of the Kincora project to complete the Gloucester Parkway extension, which is slated to be complete in late 2014 and is estimated to take 15,000 trips per day off of Waxpool. 

  3. I am working with VDOT to improve the west-bound portion of Waxpool approaching Loudoun County Parkway to the left (south) where there are currently two left turn-lanes that back up in the p.m. causing turning vehicles to back-up into the through lanes of Waxpool. Extending the length of those turn lanes should also improve overall throughput on Waxpool.

 Metrorail to Loudoun – the Silver Line: The Board of Supervisors will hold two Public Information outreach sessions on the proposed Metrorail Service Districts. The first is on Thursday, October 4 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Loudoun County Public Schools Admin Building. The second will be on Wednesday, October 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Sterling Middle School. The Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday October 17 at 6 p.m. The Board is still working to reduce the cost of the project. Supervisor Williams motioned to direct staff to apply for federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans to finance Loudoun’s capital portion of the Metrorail project.  If these loans are approved, they could significantly lower the long-term cost of the project.  The Board is also taking actions to try and limit the increase in tolls on the Dulles Toll Road.  In our 2013 Virginia General Assembly legislative agenda, we endorse legislation that would put the Commonwealth of Virginia’s moral obligation behind the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) toll revenue bonds which are being used to finance the project.  If this action were to occur, it could potentially cut the rise in tolls by one-third. 

 Education  Updates

HS-8 – Lansdowne Area High School: At the September 29th work session (the second on this application), the Planning Commission voted 7-0-2 (two members absent) to forward the HS-8 application to the Board with a recommendation of approval. This process has worked well with significant modifications and improvements being made to the application based on the extensive community input provided over the past year. This application will most likely be on the Board’s agenda in November.

 Other Board News

 OpenBand: The Board voted 5-3-1 (one abstention) to deny OpenBand’s franchise application.  I am disappointed that the many attempts to assist OpenBand reach a mutually agreeable solution to this issue failed. In the end, I chose to support the needs of my constituents. I would like to thank the leaders from the Lansdowne on the Potomac and Lansdowne Village Greens HOAs for making such an effort to resolve this issue.

 The “Action Reports” from the Board’s Business Meeting on September 18 and the Public Hearing on September 11 have been posted on my Facebook page.  October 2nd BOS Public Input, October 3rd BOS Business Meeting, October 9th BOS Public Hearing, October 16th BOS Business Meeting.  To view all events please visit Loudoun.gov/calendar.

The office of Supervisor Ralph Buona publishes a newsletter on a monthly basis to keep residents up to date on key legislative activity affecting the district. To subscribe to the newsletter, visit http://www.loudoun.gov/index.aspx?NID=2450. For more frequent updates, "Like" http://www.facebook.com/RalphforLoudoun. To reach the office directly, call Dorri O'Brien at 703-777-0205. Or check back with Patch for updates from Supervisor Buona's office.

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