Multi-Year Construction. VDOT anticipates it could take five years to add new lanes and lights to Shirlington Circle – subjecting Parkfairfax and Fairlington residents to considerable noise and pollution during construction and once the HOT lanes open. In addition, we could lose buffer trees and nature space to construction staging and sound barrier installation because VDOT owns most of the land adjacent to Quaker Lane and Shirlington Circle.

Six Traffic Lights. To accommodate a new northbound HOT lanes off-ramp, VDOT would need to install traffic lights at all six of the feeder intersections. These new lights would create a headache for drivers going around the circle, and we would see traffic backing up on Gunston, Martha Custis, Quaker Lane, and Preston. To avoid congestion on the circle, frustrated motorists might cut through Parkfairfax to Glebe Road – as they do now when there is an incident on I-395.

Pedestrian Bridge. At Arlington’s request, VDOT is considering changes to pedestrian access across I-395. Ideas currently under debate include adding sidewalks around the circle (extending traffic light cycles), lengthening the pedestrian bridge ramps (taking land in Parkfairfax), and removing or replacing the pedestrian bridge.

Del. Englin, please work with VDOT and Parkfairfax’s new HOT lanes task force to minimize these substantial impacts on our community. Thank you for your consideration of these concerns.

I also live in Parkfairfax and I commute via the DASH bus to the Pentagon daily during rush hours. Having witnessed the flow of traffic day in and day out, I concur with others that have stated how disasterous adding traffic lights to Shirlington Circle would be. Vehicles will undoubtedly back up all around the circle and in every adjoining side street causing gridlock in our neighborhood. Noise and air pollution will be greater factors for residents to contend with. I’m sure these elements will also decrease property values/assessments which is no good for the local economy.

It’s terrific when local and state representatives talk about promoting public transit, the desire to reduce air pollution, and being responsive to their consitutents. I hope you and others will see that the proposed HOT Lanes at the Shirlington Circle does not serve any of these objectives. Thank you for the information you’ve provided on this issue.

I am very concerned that the increased traffic will negatively affect the quality of life in our area by increasing the noise levels and pollution.

The level of noise from I-395 and Quaker Lane has grown considerably with the revitalization of the Shirlington shopping area and the introduction of new condominiums and businesses.

The current traffic flow results in high levels of pollution and carbon emissions which can readily be seen in the evergreen trees on Quaker Lane. Further increasing the traffic flow means higher emissions and worsening air quality.

At minimum, VDOT needs to invest in sound barriers and increased vegetation to absorb the additional noise and help filter the increased pollution that will come with the increased traffic flow. Furthermore, the sound barriers need to be put in place prior to beginning construction.

While I do not relish living in a “walled in” community, it is far preferable to living in the midst of traffic.

Without VDOT taking steps to insure that the noise levels are mitigated to the fullest extent possible, homeowners can also expect a decrease in property values.

PLEASE demand that the quality of life in our area is preserved and that every possible step is taken to limit the impact of VDOTs proposal.

Thank you for taking on this cause and working on behalf of our residents.

With or without HOT lanes there will be massive development in southern Spotsylvanis and Caroline Counties. Caroline County just opened a large and impressive economic development center. That is where affordable housing will be constructed during the next 20 years. We may see 50,000 more vehicles using HOT lanes and the other lanes on I-95 and 395 during morning and evening rush hours. Rush hour traffic on I-95 is already bad. One reason for that is non-HOV I-95 southbound narrows from 6 lanes to 3 lanes between Springfield and Fairfax County Parkway.

We must have alternatives to the present system of development and redevelopment with the concomitant construction of 300 or more new parking spaces with every residential and commercial building. Last year Arlington County approved the construction of more than 4,000 new parking spaces concomitant with development and redevelopment. So far this year Arlington County government approved almost 1,000 new parking spaces for just three site plans. This type of development and redevelopment cannot be allowed to continue for much longer. We are in a scenario where people drive everywhere for everything, usually one to a vehicle. Our air quality is terrible already and will become much worse. Traffic congestion will become very bad.

What to do? I have spoken to VDOT and VDOT-hosted meetings and VDOT’s only concern is roads and highways. But what is needed are alternatives that will take people out of their vehicles. These include: VRE extended to Caroling County in the I-95 corridor and to Orange in the Route-29 corridor. Much more telecommuting. Neighborhood ride sharing. CNG-powered interurban bus service. Regular neighborhood bus service to and from shopping centers. Dedicated car service and van service from residential buildings to Metro, shopping plazas, malls, etc. Consider that at $20 per household the amount available to residents of a 300-unit condo building for traffic-mitigating transportation services would be $6,000 per month. More home-delivery of food from supermarkets. On-site affordable housing for employees of retail shops and restaurants.

Over the past 60 years our region has become so automobile-friendly that persuading citizens to make necessary changes won’t be easy. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t move forward. Thanks to Delegate Englin for his leadership on this issue.

Also, it would be great if the speed limit in Parkfairfax and Fairlington could be dropped to 15 miles/hour and aggressively enforced (talk about a revenue generator!) I believe that 20 miles/hour over the speed limit is reckless driving. People seem to think that because there are double yellow lines through the neighborhoods, that they can drive 55 (I see this a lot early mornings).

And no noise barriers! They are aesthetic crap. They create concrete canyons on one side, no-man’s land on the other, and limit site lines on both sides. Do we want I-66 or the Dulles Toll Road in our back yard? Appropriate tree plantings will filter noise better—masonry only reflects it somewhere else—allow a better feeling of open space through varied canopy heights and staggered groupings, and offset some of the carbon sequestration lost in the VDOT’s current slash-and-burn on the Beltway.