Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway. Enforcement Ordinance & Construction Update

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1 Enforcement Ordinance & Construction Update December 2015

2 Project Purpose Provide high-capacity, high-quality transit service Support redevelopment in Crystal City and in Potomac Yard in Alexandria and Arlington Extend the reach of the Metrorail system Scope (Arlington project) 0.75 miles of new transit-only roadway 1.5 miles of on-street dedicated transit lanes 7 transit stations (3 bi-directional) 2

3 TRANSITWAY ORDINANCE 3

4 Enforcement Ordinance Timeline Request to Advertise the enforcement ordinance will be heard at the December 15 County Board meeting If the Board approves the RTA, ordinance hearing and enactment will be scheduled for the January 23/26 County Board meeting 4

5 Enforcement Ordinance The proposed Transitway enforcement ordinance: Establishes the exclusive and dedicated lanes for transit Sets the times of day for transit-only operation of the dedicated lanes Defines the vehicles allowed to use the transit-only lanes as transit vehicles and emergency vehicles Allows automobile drivers to enter the on-street dedicated lanes for the purpose of making a turn at the next intersection or driveway Establishes a $200 fine for violating the transit-only lane use prohibitions Makes changes to the fare evasion provision to allow for future off-board fare collection 5

6 Enforcement Ordinance Proposed wording change in response to community input: Vehicles entering the Transitway to make a turn may only enter the Transitway where a dashed pavement marking separates the Transitway from the adjacent general purpose lane, unless safety dictates entering the Transitway earlier. In no event shall the driver of the vehicle: (1) use the Transitway to by-pass traffic congestion in the general purpose lane, (2) travel through the approaching intersection and not turn right, or (3) obstruct the operation of the Transitway buses outside the dashed markings. Original hours of transit-only dedication: 5 10 a.m. and 3 8 p.m. (10 hours) Revised hours of transit-only dedication: 6 9 a.m. and 3:30 7 p.m. (6.5 hours) 6

7 original revised proposal original revised proposal 7

8 Follow Up on Community Concerns Topic Project and ordinance background Hours of transit dedication Access to bus-only lane Right-hand turns Left-hand turns County Action Presented to community and updated County website with additional project history Proposed peak period bus-only lane hours to coincide with peak bus service levels Presented to community and updated County website with information about signs and pavement markings Updated proposed ordinance language to clarify use of transit lane for right turns Re-striped Crystal Drive with center left turn lane to allow left turns without blocking through lane 8

9 Topic Truck deliveries Bike riders Paving and striping of Crystal Drive Education, enforcement, and evaluation Follow Up on Community Concerns County Action Developed plan for additional loading zones on Crystal Drive to serve commercial properties Re-striped Crystal Drive maintaining northbound and southbound bike lanes Completed re-paving and re-striping of Crystal Drive in October in time for Marine Corps Marathon As presented at the October community meeting: Education will begin at least two months leading up to opening and will continue past opening Police officers will be educated to observe and correct improper behavior Committed to evaluating performance once in operation; tools already in place; quarterly updates at BID 9

10 Pre-Start Up Communications & Outreach Broad-based outreach for Transitway operations For at least two months leading up to Transitway opening and continuing after opening Activities to include: Partnering with Crystal City Civic Association and BID Website, social media E-newsletters Flyers and brochures Postcard mailing Street teams at neighborhood events Commuter Stores Arlington Transportation Partners outreach to businesses, residential properties 10

11 Next steps Pre-Start Up Communications & Outreach Work with our contractor and Metro operations staff to identify a firm start date Develop additional educational materials with more specific information about how the Transitway will operate Distribute materials following the plan on the prior slide Complete signing and pavement marking installation 11

12 Post-Start Up Enforcement Arlington Police will assist in the Transitway education program and work with the community to make this partnership a success. Officers will be educated to observe and correct improper behavior. Increased enforcement will be triggered when bus drivers report that their on-time performance is off due to bus lane violators. 12

13 County will actively monitor Transitway operations through: Traffic counts (pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles) 24hr. mid-block counts Permanent count stations Ongoing Operations Evaluation Transit metrics - Bus ridership, on-time performance Parking occupancy data CCTV traffic monitoring at signalized intersections As the above data streams become publicly available, County will inform people how to access them County will also provide updates at ongoing Crystal City BID quarterly transportation briefings 13

14 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE 14

15 Progress Remaining Work Station F Station D Crystal Drive near Station B Transitway near 27 th St Station G Finish bricks at Station D Install shelters at Stations F and G Install windscreens Install real-time information displays Fabricate and install public art Install roof deck Fabricate and install roof panels Complete pavement markings on transit lanes Complete sign installation Final placement of street furniture Print and install maps and schedules Testing and acceptance 15

16 Schedule Changes At start of construction Now Reasons NTP 3/18/14 Spring 2015 NTP 3/18/14 Delay in VDOT permit Delay in building permit Winter & Spring weather delays Underground obstructions at Stations A, E, & G Unknown dry utilities Roof material supplier issue Soils conditions at Stations D & F Roof re-design Spring

17 Scope changes: example images Station D Station G Station C 17

18 Scope Changes At start of construction Now Reasons Two construct-in-place shelters at Station D Construct-in-place shelters at Stations F and G Light poles at Stations F and G Retaining walls at Stations D and F Translucent, polycarbonate roof panels at all stations Signing and pavement marking fabricated and installed under GC contract One construct-in-place shelter at Station D Prefabricated shelters at Stations F and G Shelter-mounted lighting at Stations F and G Eliminated retaining walls at Stations D and F Standing seam metal roofs at all stations (except Stations F & G) Signing and pavement marking fabricated and installed by County crews Reduced soil remediation Avoid underground utility obstruction General cost reduction Poor soils too costly to remediate Lower expected ridership Future realignment of Clark Street General cost reduction Poor soils General cost reduction Unable to identify suitable supplier for specified material Alternate translucent option identified were too costly General cost reduction 18

19 Safe construction zones Travel lanes and sidewalks have been closed for the protection of the traveling public as well as construction workers Access to businesses has been maintained to the greatest extent possible through construction Closures have been removed as soon as it has been safe and practical to do so Closures will be reinstated from time to time as additional construction work demands 19

20 Summary The CCPY Transitway will provide higher capacity, faster, and more reliable transit service connecting Crystal City, Potomac Yard, Pentagon City, and Braddock Road Project is expected to be completed in the Spring on-budget Even with the necessary scope changes the original intent of the project will be fully met We regret the delays, but difficult choices have been made and those choices affected the schedule 20

21 Related Issues The community has expressed concerns about people riding bicycles on sidewalks in Crystal City, particularly near the Water Park. Staff have heard the concerns and have developed the following sequence of actions to address: Staff propose to improve signage at the Mount Vernon Trail connection Staff propose to install a curb ramp to improve the link between the onstreet bike lanes on Crystal Drive and the Mount Vernon Trail connection If the above actions are not successful, staff would endeavor to craft an exception to current policy regarding riding bicycles on sidewalks, for Manager and Board consideration, with or without a recommendation 21

22 Staff propose to create time-of-day loading zones along the west side of Crystal Drive Work orders finalized this week Initiates sign fabrication and scheduling crews Timeline for installation: 6 to 8 weeks Related Issues 22

23 Thank you Visit the County website: and search for Transitway December 2015