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HomeMy Public PortalAbout1989_02_14_R038Leesl~urg in ~Virginia RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION: SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION PRESENTED February 14: 1989 89-38 ADOPTED February 14~ 1989 COMMENTING ON THE VIRGINIA TOLL ROAD CORPORATION APPLICATION BEFORE THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE THE DUT,T,'R8 TOLL ROAD EXTENSION WHEREAS, by Council Resolution No. 87-98, adopted May 20, 1987, the Leesburg Town Council unanimously endorsed a Leesburg terminus for the proposed Dulles Toll Road extension; and WHEREAS, the Council has previously endorsed the efforts of both the V~r~ni- Department of Transportation and the Toll Road Corporation of Virginia, in their efforts to design and fund a toll road extension to Leesburg; and WHEREAS, state support for primary and urban system road improvements within Leesburg, Northern V'xrginla's fastest growing town, is inadequate and current transportation revenue legislation in the General Assembly ignores Northern Virginia's towns; and WHE~, the Dulles Toll Road extension will generate new traffic dem-ud which will require additional improvements to our transportation system; and WHERFd~, extension of the Dulles Toll Road by the private Toll Road Corporation may present an opportunity for revenue sharing to assist the town with transportation improvements directly related to the toll road extension~ THEREFORE, RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as follows: The Town of Leesburg offers the following preliminary comments concerning the application filed by the Virginia Toll Road Corporation (VTRC) to construct and operate the proposed Dulles Toll Road extension to Leesburg under the Vir~nia Highway Corporation Act of 1988: 1. Traffic Study. The town needs to ensure that Leesburg's land development projections are included in this study. The study presently is ut'dizing COG projections, to which the town had no input. The results of the study are essential to help determine the impacts of the toll road on Leesburg's existing and planned road network, partiod-rly the by-pass. -2- RESOLUTION - COMMENTING ON THE VIRGINIA TOLL ROAD CORPORATION 2. By-pass Impacts. The increased toll road traffic on the by-pass, especially on those portions not 4-laned and with at-grade intersections is a concern. The VTRC should participate substantially in the estimated $3 million cost of completing the 4- laning of the Route 15 north by-pass. A number of options were explored initially with VTRC at the February i meeting and should continue to be the subject of discussion between the VTRC and the town prior to SCC consideration of the VTRC applicatiom 3. Stratford E-W Collector Crossing. The local E-W collector between Route 15 and Route 643 approved on the Stratford rezoning plan must cross the ton roa(L The VTRC application must els~ify that the structure necessary to accommodate this cros.2ing will be included in the initial toll road design and will be constructed either initially or when required by Stratford development at no cost to the town. 4. By-pass interchange. The apph'cation indicates that the VTRC design would have to be modified "if so required by the town" to accommodate the local extension road to Catoctin Circle included in the revised Town Plan. This must be required now to ensure that VTRC pays for work to allow a future extension when justified and funded. VTRC officiAl~ indicate a willingness to do this if the town can provide the necessary information on the desired alignment of the local extensiom The VTRC has also overlooked the land needed to construct this interchange north of the by-pass. No proffers have been secured for this land other than a section owned by NVLand. 5. Airport Impacts. The VTRC is attempting to address concerns of landowners west of the Leesburg Municipal Airport regarding viable use of the remainder of their property. The town's airport consultants are attempting to identify adequate and safe access to the Kay and Ward properties at this time. The town should also mlnimi~.e impacts on these existing landowners from airport expansiom 6. Revenue Sharin~ Options. VTRC has identified three options for sharing some toll road revenues for local road improvements necessitated by the ton road. These include: (a) an improvement fund required by the Act from any incremental toll over the actual amount needed by VTRC for operating and a "reasonable rate of return". (e.g., difference between $0.94 and a $1.00 toll); (b) an agreement between VTRC, the CTB and local governments to seek a toll increase from the SCC specifically for road improvements (authorized in the Act); and (c) a proposed VTRC improvement fund from tolls collected above the expected rate of return. All of these options provide the potential for funding essential toll road related town road improvements. The VTRC application, however, should be amended to specifically name the town, as well as the county as a potential beneficiary of these funds. The town further suggests that assistance with the aforementioned by-pass improvements should coincide with completion of the toll road and that part of these funds could be returned to the VTRC through future credits av~ilsble from excess toll revenues generated through one of the aforementioned measures. -S- HE~)LUTION- COM~Wm. NTING ON THE VIEGINIA TOLL EOAD CORPOEATION pA~.~I) th~ 14th ~f February ~. IIohn W. Tolbert, Jr., Vice-Mayor Town of Leesburg A~rEST: ! Clerk of