Public Feedback Invited on Interstate 95 Corridor Improvement Study

Provided by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)

The Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, under the leadership of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), are developing a plan to study Virginia’s 179 miles of the Interstate 95 corridor between the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Alexandria and the North Carolina border. The public is invited to attend a series of in-person meetings during the summer and fall 2019. An online engagement tool will be available for those interested to learn more details and provide input throughout the study’s duration.

A Data-Driven Study

As requested in similar resolutions from both chambers of the legislature (Senate Joint Resolution 276 and House Joint Resolution 581) during the 2019 General Assembly, the CTB has initiated a data-driven study to develop the I-95 Corridor Plan which will identify key problem areas along the corridor, and identify potential solutions and areas for additional review and study.

Feedback provided by members of communities, industries, and other stakeholders will be considered as team members study the corridor throughout the summer and prepare a draft plan report in the fall. The CTB plans to report findings to the General Assembly in December, prior to the opening of Session in January 2020.

Meetings and Online Information

The first series of meetings and online information will be focused on identifying issues along the corridor to be addressed, including crash frequency, crash severity, delay, and incidents that close interstate travel lanes for time periods longer than one hour.

The meetings will begin with a brief presentation followed by an open house format, which will allow attendees to speak one-on-one with study team members, ask questions, provide written comments, access online materials, and identify specific areas of concern on project boards.

The study team has also developed a map-based online engagement tool as an option for corridor users who may not be able to attend the meetings.  The tool will ask users to respond to a series of questions about how they travel the corridor, what types of improvements would benefit them, and to identify areas of concern.

The team will hold two more series of meetings along the corridor with additional opportunities for public comments to be received in person and online. The second series of meetings will focus on targeted solutions and the final series will cover recommended packages of improvements.

Comments

Comments can be submitted at the meetings or via email to VA95corridorplan@vdot.virginia.gov. The online engagement tool, as well as other meeting materials, will be available on the project website beginning July 15, 2019.

The first comment period will end Aug. 21, 2019. Additional comment opportunities will be available throughout the study period.

For more information about the study, or to view meeting materials and access the online engagement tool, visit VA95Corridor.org.