As Planned Highway Traverses Occoquan Watershed, Questions on Bi-County Parkway Remain

OPINION 

By AL ALBORN
Contributing Editor

This Bi-County Parkway / North-South Corridor is a very polarizing issue.

Based upon what I know, I support the parkway. I have heard conspiracy theories that Virginia, its Department of Transportation, the Secretary of Transportation, and the local government is conspiring to build a road to benefit a few developers. I just don’t buy that.

Development and business will follow this road; however, I believe it is a reasonable response to the growth predicted for Northern Virginia. Anyone who has used the Prince William Parkway or driven on Va. 234 from Interstate 95 to I-66 understands how major road connections improve our quality of life, and make getting around Northern Virginia much easier.

Prince William County commuters will appreciate anything that gives them a new alternative to get to work. According to Prince William’s Demographic and Economic Newsletter, July – September 2012, The 2011 American Community Survey indicates that on the average, Prince William County workers continue to face long commute times. Some 27.1% of all County workers travel an hour or more one way to work. This figure is more than three times the national number of 8.2% and is the sixth longest commute among the largest 818 counties in the United States.

I know that my friends in the Rural Crescent make valid arguments regarding the infrastructure required to increase density in their neighborhood, and the change this road will bring to the character of Prince William County. Unfortunately, those of us in the much denser Eastern Prince William listen skeptically, finding it difficult to consider these arguments nothing more than “not in my back yard” thinking.

The math indicates we will need this road. That’s math based upon the way things are. With sequestration on the verge of coming to fruition, an end to our overseas military adventures, and general pressure to downsize government and the many contractors is a bit fuzzy at the moment. I suggest we need an “exit strategy” to recompute the math as we get closer to turning the first shovel of earth.

In modeling, we perform something called “sensitivity analysis,” or ask the “what if” questions to see if the math stands up. Perhaps VDOT needs to model a few “what if” scenarios to see if we still need this road should the economy in Northern Virginia experience a dramatic downturn on the next couple of years.

I’m surprised more people aren’t asking about environmental impact. As the picture at the beginning of this post indicates, the Bi-County Parkway pretty much transverses the Occoquan Watershed. For those of you drinking a cup of coffee or tea in Prince William or Fairfax County, there’s a good chance the water in that tea came from the Occoquan Reservoir.

For good measure, it all flows into the Chesapeake Bay. I’m guessing you are all familiar with the problems the bay is experiencing and the Chesapeake Bay Act.

An Environmental Impact Statement was prepared by the Virginia Department of Transportation in 2005 and submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation. It might be wise to “dust that off” a bit as things have changed in the past eight years. Assumptions about water quality, construction techniques, and storm water management have advanced significantly. The rules have changed.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance is a very vocal advocate of this road. They specialize in transportation research. I searched their website using the terms “environment,” “water,” “Occoquan,” and “Chesapeake Bay,” and found nothing, or saw comments that had nothing to do with environmental impact.

The Virginia Department of Transportation throws in a few sparkling generalities about the environment; however, I don’t really see any math.

Who is doing the environmental math?

I support multi-modal transportation solutions. I also support, based upon what I know, the Bi-County Parkway/North-South Corridor. I would like to know more. Asphalt is forever. Before making dramatic changes to the landscape of our community, we really, really need to make sure we understand the math – and it needs to be done before VDOT starts digging.