HomeMy Public PortalAbout2014_M029 Authorizing Letter to BOS re Transportation Improvements to Rt. 15 North COUNCIL MEETING September 23, 2014
MOTION 2014-029
I move to authorize the Mayor to sign the letter to the Board of Supervisors addressing
the possibility of improvements to Rt. 15 north of the corporate limits
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Town of Kristen C.Umstattd Council Members
Mayor Kevin D.Wright Thomas S.Dunn,II
�Cs Katie Sheldon Hammier Kelly Burk
David S.Butler Fernando"'Marty"Martinez
Virginia Vice Mayor
25 West Market Street,Leesburg,VA 20175 • (703)771-2733/(703)771-2727 fax council®leesburgva.gov • www.leesburgva.gov
September 23,2014
The Honorable Scott K. York
Chairman At-Large
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
1 Harrison Street SE, 5h Floor,Mailstop#01
PO Box 7000
Leesburg,VA 20177-7000
Re: Route 15 Bypass and Route 15 North of Leesburg
Dear Chairman York:
The frequent afternoon traffic backup on the Route 15 Bypass is due to inadequate roadway
capacity of U.S. Route 15 north of Leesburg. This roadway has only one lane in each direction.
The traffic engineering firm of Wells and Associates was hired by the Town of Leesburg to
prepare a model of the existing roadway and traffic conditions and perform an analysis to
evaluate improvements that will reduce the traffic congestion and backup caused by the limited
road capacity on Route 15 north of Battlefield Parkway. Wells and Associates provided the
Town Council with a presentation on this operational analysis for the Route 15 Bypass at the
September 22, 2014 Work Session. Most of the studied improvements are located outside the
Leesburg Corporate Limits on Route 15, a VDOT maintained road. Further study and analysis
will need to be performed by VDOT with cooperation and coordination from the Town and
Loudoun County.
The Town needs the assistance and support of Loudoun County because the improvements to
reduce congestion and improve safety will be outside the corporate limits. We request that
County Transportation staff be authorized to help refine the operational analysis that has been
performed by the Town's Consultant and work together with the Town and VDOT. Through this
joint effort an improvement plan can be identified and a transportation project defined and
implemented.
We greatly appreciate past support of safety improvement projects and your willingness to
address Leesburg and Loudoun County transportation issues. The Council wishes to thank
Chairman York, Supervisors Higgins and Reid, who represent the Town of Leesburg, and the
rest of the Board of Supervisors for securing $2 million for the interchange study of the Rt. 15
Bypass at Battlefield Parkway. We hope that these funds will be moved from FY 2018 to FY
2016 to accelerate the overall safety effort at that intersection.
Hometown of the 21's Century
The Honorable Scott K. York
September 23,2014
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If you need information, or if we can assist in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me or
the Director of Public Works, Thomas A. Mason, P.E., at 703-771-2790 or Transportation
Engineer, Calvin Grow, at 703-771-2791.
Very sincerely yours,
cflY.:4 +
Kristen C. Umstattd
Mayor
cc: Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
Tim Hemstreet, County Administrator
Leesburg Town Council
John Wells, Town Manager
Kaj Dentler, Deputy Town Manager
Thomas A. Mason, P.E., Director of Public Works
Calvin K. Grow,Transportation Engineer