TC 05-24-10 Meeting AgendaCOUNTY of FREDERICK
Department of Planning and Development
540/665-5651
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Frederick County Transportation Committee
FROM: John A. Bishop, AICP, Deputy Director - Transportation -:y19
RE: May 24, 2010 Transportation Committee Meeting
DATE: May 17, 2010
The Frederick County Transportation Committee will be meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May
24, 2010 in the first floor conference room of the Frederick County Administration Building,
107 North Kent Street, Winchester, Virginia.
AGENDA
1. Valley Mill Road Truck Restriction
2. Springdale Road Speed Limit
3. Valley Mill Road area alternatives
4. Comprehensive Plan Update
5. Route 37 Update
6. Revenue Sharing Application
7. Other
Please contact our department if you are unable to attend this meeting.
Attachments
JAB/bad
107 North Kent Street, Suite 202 a Winchester, Virginia 22601-5000
Item 1: Valley Mill Road Truck Restriction
Staff has received numerous communications requesting that Valley Mill Road be restricted to
through truck traffic from Channing Drive to Eddy Lane. Staff is including VDOT's guidelines
for considering through truck restrictions. This is a discussion item.
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Adopted by Commonwealth Transportation Board October 16, 2003
GUIDELINES FOR CONSIDERING REQUESTS TO
RESTRICT THROUGH TRUCKS ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY HIGHWAYS
Section 46.2- 809 of the Code of Virginia provides:
The Commonwealth Transportation Board, or its designee, in response to a formal
request by a local governing body, after such body has held public hearings, may, after
due notice and a proper hearing, prohibit or restrict the use by through traffic of any
part of a primary or secondary highway if a reasonable alternate route is provided.
The Board, or its designee, shall act upon any such formal request within nine
months of its receipt, unless good cause is shown. Such restriction may apply to any
truck or truck and trailer or semitrailer combination, except a pickup or panel truck,
as may be necessary to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the
Commonwealth. Nothing in this section shall affect the validity of any city charter
provision or city ordinance heretofore adopted.
Backjzround
It is the philosophy of the Commonwealth Transportation Board that all vehicles should have access
to the roads on which they are legally entitled to travel. Travel by any class of vehicle on any class of
highway should be restricted only upon demonstration that it will promote the health, safety and
welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth without creating an undue hardship on any of the users
of the transportation system. The Board recognizes that there may be a limited number of instances
when restricting through trucks from using a segment of a primary or secondary roadway will reduce
potential conflicts, creating a safer environment and one that is in accord with the current use of the
roadway. The Board has adopted these guidelines to govern and regulate requests for through truck
restrictions on primary and secondary highways.
Process
The Commonwealth Transportation Board delegates the authority to restrict through truck traffic on
secondary highways to the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation. Such
restrictions can apply to any truck, truck and trailer or semi trailer combination, or any combination of
those classifications. Consideration of all such restrictions by the Commissioner is subject to these
guidelines as adopted by the Board. The Commonwealth Transportation Board retains the authority
to restrict through truck traffic on primary highways.
In order to conform to the requirements of the Code of Virginia and to insure that all concerned
parties have an opportunity to provide input, the local governing body must hold a public hearing and
make a formal request of the Department. The following must be adhered to:
(A) The public notices for the hearing must include a description of the proposed through
truck restriction and the alternate route with the same termini. A copy of the notices
must be provided.
(B) A public hearing must be held by the local governing body and a transcript of the
hearing must be provided with the resolution.
(C) The resolution must describe the proposed through truck restriction and a description
of the alternate, including termini.
(D) The governing body must include in the resolution that it will use its good offices for
enforcement of the proposed restriction by the appropriate local law enforcement
agency.
Failure to comply with (A), (B), (C) and (D) will result in the request being returned. The
Commonwealth Transportation Board and the Commissioner shall act upon any such formal request
within nine months of its receipt, unless good cause is shown.
Criteria
Travel by any class of vehicle should be restricted only upon demonstration that it will promote
the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth without creating an undue
hardship on anyusers of the transportation network. The Virginia Department of Transportation
will consider criteria 1 through 4 in reviewing a requested through truck restriction. The proposed
restriction must meet both the first and second criteria in order to be approved:
1. Reasonable alternate routing is provided. The alternate route will be evaluated for traffic and
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safety related impacts. To be considered "reasonable", the alternate route(s) must be
engineered to a standard sufficient for truck travel, and must be judged at least as appropriate
r truck traffic as the requested truck restriction route. If an alternate route must be
upgraded, the improvement shall be completed before the truck restriction can be
implemented. The termini ofthe proposed restriction must be identical to the alternate routing
to allow a time and distance comparison to be conducted between the two routings. Also, the
alternate routing must not create an undue hardship for trucks in reaching their destination.
2. The character and/or frequency ofthe truck traffic on the route proposed for restriction is not
compatible with the affected area. Evaluation will include safety issues, accident history,
engineering of the roadway, vehicle composition, and other traffic engineering related issues.
In addition to meeting the first two criteria, the proposed restriction must meet either the third or the
fourth criteria in order to be approved.
3. The roadway is residential in nature. Typic the roadway will be judged to be residential if
there are at least 12 dwellings combined on both sides within 150' of the existing or proposed
roadway center line per 1,000 feet of roadway.
4. The roadway must be functionally classified as either a local or collector.
Failure to satisfy criteria I and 2, and either criteria 3 or 4 will normally result in rejection of
the requested restriction.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board when deemed necessary may modify or revise any
provisions or criteria contained in these guidelines.
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Item 2: Springdale Road Speed Limit
Enclosed please find the letter from Charlotte Messick regarding concerns about speeds on
Springdale Road. This item is for discussion and potential recommendation to the Board. To
adjust the speed limit, a speed study would need to be completed, potentially by VDOT, as speed
limit changes need to be based upon traffic volume, design, and safety considerations.
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LONG CREEK FARM, INC.
976 SPRINGDALE ROAD
WINCHESTER, VA 22602
(540) 869-4978
May 6, 2010
Department of Planning and Development
Mr. John Bishop
107 North Kent Street
Winchester, VA 22601
RE: Speed limit on Springdale Road
Dear Mr. Bishop:
As a follow up to our phone conversation regarding the planned changes to Shady Elm Road/Rt. 37 interchange
and the impact upon Springdale and Passage Roads I am requesting assistance in changing the speed limit on
Springdale Road.
In the past several years traffic has increased dramatically on Springdale Road with far too many vehicles
traveling at excessive speeds. Two years ago I spoke about this issue at a Frederick County Board of
Supervisors meeting. Gil Barrington, former Police Chief of Stephens City, kindly set up radar at 839 Springdale
Road and clocked many drivers going 65 mph as they topped a blind hill in front of our main farm shop. We
traverse this road often with our large farm equipment and for safety reasons (ours and drivers) we NEED the
speed limit decreased from 55 to 35. 1 have stepped out of my own vehicle many times on Springdale Road as
some careless driver passes me (PASSES ME!) doing at least 60 mph, does a U-turn at the intersection of
Springdale and Passage and heads back toward me, stopping them, and giving them a lecture on reckless driving
and their own risk of safety. My husband and my farm employees have had several near misses while moving
tractors and farm equipment. We were forced to hire an attorney and go to court after one accident in which a
teen driver flew around a blind curve on the wrong side and plowed into our hay truck.
Frederick County has had a lot to say recently about supporting agriculture, and their desire to encourage and
assist farmers in continuing to farm and not 'grow houses'. If we sold road frontage and 'grew houses' the speed
limit would be reduced on Springdale, as it has been on Shady Elm Road. We do NOT want to do that, nor do we
want to be involved in a potentially fatal accident if things remain as they are.
Going in the other direction, Springdale is a narrow twisting road as you go around Bartonsville Dam towards
route 11. Again, many vehicles traveling far too fast around blind curves that have run myself and many others
into the ditch to avoid a collision. A long time Frederick County school bus driver with a perfect driving record
recently had a collision in that area due to a careless driver and excessive speeds. I can't stress strongly enough
how dangerous this road has become especially at 'rush hour' times. Many people now use Springdale and
Passage Roads as 'short cuts' to the south side of Stephens City rather than traveling Rt. 11 through Stephens
City and with the new baseball fields on Passage Road, even more so.
Changing the speed limit to 35 mph on Springdale is vital to our continued ability to farm in Frederick County. I
don't want to see it take a fatality to accomplish this. Your assistance in this issue is greatly appreciated. Thank
you.
Sincerely,
NII�Odxw � 1 ajo(
Charlotte Messick
Secretary -Treasurer
Item 3: Valley Mill Road Area Alternatives
Staff has continued working on the alternatives discussed at the Transportation Committee and
will be bringing an update for consideration by the committee.
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Item 4: Comprehensive Plan update
Staff is working on the update to the Transportation section of the Comprehensive Plan and will
be updating the Committee.
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Item 5: Route 37 Update
VDOT will be updating the Committee on the survey work and future planning for Route 37
East.
Item 6: Revenue Sharing Application
After the mailing of this agenda, but prior to the Committee meeting, staff will be meeting with
VDOT and the County Administrator to discuss potential revenue sharing projects. Depending
upon the disposition of that meeting, staff will be updating the Committee and seeking a
recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. Revenue sharing applications are due by June 18,
2010.
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Item 7: Other