As an attendee, the vast majority of the audience was very supportive of Connector buses running on Old Courthouse, Towlston and even Beulah Rd. To live within 3 miles and not be able to 'catch' a ride to Silver Line would be a huge mistake was basically the mantra. The devil is in the details as noted but most of that is solvable.

As far as additional traffic around schools - that is a complete misnomer by those that oppose the Connectors. Buses would remove those drivers who opt to bus vs drive and a great many of the cars around schools are not commuters but parents who drive their children to school and then return home. The safety of children are impacted more by those drivers than a bus that might pass by the school exactly at arrival time - given the Connectors will run every 30 mins. And children are more in danger to the current set of drivers who regularly ignore the flashing lights of the bus. I was also encouraged to hear of the Madison HS student who lives off Follin Lane who uses the Connector to get to school....excellent to hear of such.

I am not surprised that many people were for the proposed route 432. Of course, it's not running right down your street, is it? If it were your street they were talking about, I'm sure we would get a NIMBY (not in my backyard). The residents of Old Courthouse Road will not stand idly by as busses roll down our street.

Seriously.....you should be asking for more buses given the amount of traffic on OC Road. And yes, I'd like a bus on Beulah which is my backyard. Get over the fact that OC Road is no longer a side street....it's a minor artery.....and will be for the foreseeable future. I'd like to hear a solution vs. simply whining.

As a resident of the area, I am not opposed to buses on Old Courthouse Road, but I hope the plan is tested, with stops at places don't impact traffic flow, and adjusted as necessary. I was glad to read this:

The route would have to use smaller, 30-foot buses that hold 29 people, Wegener said, to move forward as proposed; the larger Connector buses wouldn’t be able to make some of the turns near Old Courthouse Road.

Jeff, if the metro is suppose to open at the end of the year as they stated, infrastructure like sidewalks, trails, crosswalks should be in place so people can access and safely cross a very busy road. I was at the meeting last night, I oppose this bus service because of the type of volume and speeding on this street not to mention residents who at this time can not come out of their driveway and has to wait for at least 2 mins for someone to let them out. Families here are your typical busy American family -- we have to run from soccer practice, piano, grab something to eat for all, run to Giant -- bus service in a community like this will have small ridership from the families here ( and where will the stroller, diaper bag, computer bag, book bag go -- is there a compartment in the bus for everything we families have to lug when we leave the house?)

From where we were standing in Westbriar ES last night, we can go down Pine Valley and cross the woods and be at Rt 7 in 5 minutes if there was a path cleared for people who need Silver Line access. This is not splitting atoms -- we need the infrastructure in place, the current is close to 70 yrs old and where is the proposal on completing missing sidewalks, trails, paths, crosswalks the connect the entire network???

And btw, I am one of those people like you who walks, runs, bikes to most places like what I did last night and I know many in this community who are very much like me because I see them out there.

Also, is the taxpayer paying for the cookies, drinks, keychains, bags, mugs that were freebies last night? Wow... as the Federal Government talks of budgets, sequestration loom, I am a little flabbergasted...

How does bus service designed to allow local residents access to the Silver Line so they no longer have to drive to DC or other Metro locations equate to missing infrastructure. In fact one might argue because that infrastructure is lacking - as was noted last nite to some degree - a bus service helps create a safer environment for those that want to walk but can't today. And a bus traveling at 11mph average speed passing by every 30 mins during rush hour in the AM/PM is the least of residents' worries - but instead it's the shear volume of cars that travel OC Road (and Beulah Rd). And if this bus and others being proposed - can help lessen that traffic volume then how can it be a detriment? And the bus is not designed as a replacement to the mini van trip but instead the single occupant car that drives up/down these roads every day in the AM and PM.

No doubt walking infrastructure needs to improve here as well as across the County. I am aware of 3 access points being planned to Tysons through the 'forest' as well as improvements on OC Road for sidewalks on the uphill bend towards Gosnell Road. Those plans were presented at the various public Bicycle Master Plan Meetings held last year.

Part 2....

End of day...the argument that a single 29 person bus passing on Old Courthouse Rd every 30 mins - which if it runs 5-9am and 4-8pm equates to 16 passes - is going to create unacceptable traffic volume is simply wrong. And if it actually stops to pick up passengers....it might even slow traffic down.

It would be worth noting to FCDOT to review where stops will be placed and how residents will cross OC Rd to get to those stops....that I can see as a safety concern. And I will do that as part of my feedback to them. It might be a good application to use one of these devices that is now being rolled out by FCDOT.

http://youtu.be/KBltx0Argag

The beauty of all this is that we are having a dialogue and FCDOT wants your input...so please provide it.

So right now, you are basically saying it is ok for people to wait for the bus on the road, the part without the sidewalk. Now let's say I took a bus and I need to walk back home, and there is no sidewalk like along, is it acceptable for people to be walking on the street with speeding cars?

Children right now are having to wait for the school bus on the street, having to walk to school on the street on certain parts of Old Courthouse Road. You of all people should be opposing any child walking on the street with speeding cars. Go to www.saferouteswestbriar.com, check out how the crossing guard and children dodge speeding cars on a daily basis.

If the metro is opening at the end of the year, the network should also be available for access the same time it opens. Aren't you in Safe Routes to school program and isn't safety of children primary focus along with health?

BTW, this community just found out about this "proposal" last Thursday -- so the only dialogue I know of was last night's meeting

Now that Washington has proven once again to have the worst traffic in the nation, buses are one of the few ways to remove cars from the streets. On Old Courthouse Road that could be 29 at a time - 16 times a day.

So Jeff, there are 2 issues I brought up -- safety of Westbriar students crossing OCR and missing infrastructure --

Here are the rest ( excerpt from the letter I sent dated 1 Feb 2013)

1. I am very surprised by this proposal of a "park and ride" route for the Silver line. I went to the Planning Commission meetings from 2009 to 2011 on Comprehensive Plan for Tysons re-development. This concept of "park and ride" and our community, specifically Old Courthouse Road were NOT part of Tysons re-development. I believe it is misleading or even misrepresentation for Fairfax County to advertise, promote, market to the public the whole concept of "imagine people not cars" when it will be bringing and routing more buses in the surrounding communities of Tysons. Is this the result of poor planning? poor design?

Part 2

2. On 6 May 2011, I spoke with Mr. Randall White from Countywide Transit Services Coordinator, Transit Services Div at Fairfax County Department of Transportation. During this conversation, he said that Old Courthouse Road is not a good bus route, he "added several more concerns to that list based on recent observations of field conditions". Mr. White also stated missing infrastructure, geological (yes, this community sits on a large slab of stone so when a FEDEX truck passes by, the entire house shakes as evidence of the picture attached) as well as sight distance issues on the curve going down the hill from Gosnell has a blind spot (dog leg right) before the intersection of Old Courthouse Road and Westbriar Ct/Rd, another is the upward hill/curve on Old Courthouse Road and Creek Crossing.

If there are issues with bus stops and where children are standing then that should be raised to FCPS. I am not aware of FCPS having bus stops in the street and in fact they err on the side of caution when it comes to such. And FCPS also provides hazard bussing when a student is within one mile of the school but has no sidewalk/path to use. My children and another 20 or so are hazard bussed and we live 0.6 miles from the school. If this is something that is real then it should be raised to FCPS and they will immediately address the situation.

And if cars are 'speeding thru the crosswalk while pedestrians are present then FCPD needs to be alerted so they can provide adequate enforcement. And if it's parents of students then other parents need to let them know it is unacceptable.

I won't address your attempt to say I don't have safety/health as foremost......

These arguments run hollow because they have NOTHING to do w/ a proposed bus ..... but instead are traffic problems that have existing and will continue to exist even with a bus.

The concerns raised have nothing to do w/ a bus passing by 16x a day and in fact should help alleviate the issue 'if' residents use this bus as well as the others in the area that will bring them to the Silver Line. Like anything ..... habits will need to change so don't expect it overnite. As far as missing sidewalks etc....FCDOT needs to understand this so as to ensure the safety of pedestrians and where to place their bus stops. It is unrealistic to want or expect 100% sidewalks continuity on day one. Tysons Corner and the 3 mile radius is a long term project - one in which many of us likely will never see to completion....but we need to ensure the younger generation has that access and applaud them when they ride to school when others say they can't or shouldn't or take public transit to school vs embrace the cost of a car for a teenager when it's not required. Kudos to those kids who get it.

Final point: One of my best memories with my grandmother was walking 3 blocks to catch the bus to downtown Providence to shop for school clothes. Little did she know the impact that had and how I'd like to impact my children the same way.

OC Road has a CAR problem....that is the issue not busses or kids walking to school.

Part 3 Diesel fuel Emissions, Traffic Pollution, Carcinogens
http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Air_Source_Guide_web.pdf

Research show traffic pollution has adverse effects on public health specifically on children, elderly, and people with pulmonary, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases.

Below is an excerpt from Safe Routes to School and Traffic Pollution, Get Children Moving and Reduce Exposure to Unhealthy Air, published in June 2012, page 6 –
a. "Common types of traffic pollution include particle pollution, such as fine and ultrafine particulate matter; nitrogen oxides (NOx); hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), including carcinogens such as benzene and formaldehyde; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); carbon monoxide (CO); and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In addition, two of these types of traffic pollutants, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, produce ozone (O3) when they mix in the presence of sunlight. [See page 8 for additional information.] Results of scientific studies have shown that short- and long-term exposure to these emissions may cause adverse health effects, particularly in sensitive populations, such as children, the elderly, low-income populations and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions including asthma or cardiovascular disease."

I appreciate your point of view Jeff, but you seem to be agitated, what this is just an exercise in arguing one's case. I am not attacking you or SRTS ( in fact, we are pursuing it), so don't take anything personally -- you're doing a good job. Busing kids should only come into play in special circumstances or if they live more than a couple of miles.

W/new construction like Loudoun, well heck, let's go w/the Tysons scenario. Sidewalks are REQUIRED in all new development i.e. Tysons per Comprehensive Plan. FHWA states that sidewalks separated from the roadway are the preferred accommodation for peds. Sidewalks provide many benefits like safety, mobility, healthier communities.

Our community is old. In my opinion, it should be outfitted/updated to prep for the upcoming Silver line opening so people who live in this community can access it safely, easily.

My point is that cost of sidewalks, crosswalks, or paths is a fraction of a new roadway construction or a bus service & will last 50+ yrs w/very little maintenance or repairs & the benefits far outweigh the initial small investment. My community was built in 1950s & needs a lot of "modifications" to tackle the challenges of 2013 and beyond. W/your community, you may only need touch-ups.

We should be provided w/a side by side cost-benefits analysis of the bus service vs. outfitting the community with sidewalks, crosswalks, paths, connecting all to create a comprehensive network. :)

Jen, the majority of the traffic comes from Reston, Herndon, Sterling and beyond as evidence of the speeding citations from ToV police and Fairfax County Police (2011). So here is my suggestion, MWAA needs to look at empty parking spaces situated near all toll plazas on the toll road and run a bus service that will pick up those folks and drop them off at Rt 7 Silver line -- NOW THAT FOLKS will decrease traffic on this street by at least 60%.

As much as I enjoy the friendly banter we had, I will have to say OVER & OUT! Have a good evening all!

112 Residents on or near Creek Crossing Road signed a petition last year which was AGAINST a public bus route on Creek Crossing. That petition was submitted to Randy White and Kris Morley-Nikfar in Fairfax County. Now we hear the contact person is Christin Wegener at Christin.wegener@fairfaxcounty.gov. I understand that of the 50-60 people at the Westbiar meeting on Monday, a vocal majority were AGAINST a bus running down Creek Crossing, but in favor of other routes. In particular, the population on Beulah seems to favor a bus on Beulah. Fairfax County please listen to your residents!

http://www.wbcrier.com