# 7. Date of Meeting: September 2, 2015 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BUSINESS MEETING ACTION ITEM SUBJECT:

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1 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BUSINESS MEETING ACTION ITEM Date of Meeting: September 2, 2015 # 7 SUBJECT: ELECTION DISTRICT: CRITICAL ACTION DATE: STAFF CONTACTS: Traffic Congestion and Safety Improvements at the Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard Blue Ridge At the Pleasure of the Board Eloisa Thring, Transportation & Capital Infrastructure Kathleen Leidich, Transportation & Capital Infrastructure Joe Kroboth, III, Transportation & Capital Infrastructure PURPOSE: To report back to the Board of Supervisors (Board) with recommended improvements to address traffic congestion and safety concerns along with cost estimates to implement those improvements at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Board authorize the use of the identified proffer funds and Capital Improvement Signal Contingency Fund to design and construct improvements for interim and long term solutions at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard. BACKGROUND: At the July 2, 2014 Business Meeting, in response to a Board Member Initiative brought forward by Supervisor Clarke, the Board directed staff (9-0) to identify the cost and available funding sources to complete a traffic signal warrant study and, if warranted, complete the design and construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard. Additionally, the Board directed staff to evaluate the intersection and identify any interim improvements that could enhance safety at this location. On July 23, 2014, Staff from the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure (DTCI) identified regional road improvement cash proffer funds contributed by the developer of The Towns at Belmont Ridge, ZMAP , that may be available for this purpose. DTCI Staff requested a zoning determination for the use of the fund balance including interest which totals $222,968. On August 18, 2014, it was determined by DTCI Staff and the Zoning Administrator pursuant to ZCOR that the request is an appropriate use of the cash proffer funds. On September 17, 2014, DTCI Staff received a cost proposal totaling $46,820 from Vanasse Hangen

2 Item #7, Traffic Improvements at the Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard Board of Supervisors Business Meeting September 2, 2015 Page 2 Brustlin, one of the County s task order consultants, to complete a traffic signal warrant study and evaluate alternative configurations to improve operations and safety at the subject intersection. At the November 5, 2014 Business Meeting, the Board directed staff (9-0) to proceed with an engineering study that evaluated the signal warrants and near term improvements at the subject intersection. On March 5, 2015, the Notice to Proceed was issued to the task order consultant to complete the engineering study. On June 11, 2015, the preliminary analysis for the interim improvement alternatives were submitted to the County for review. The analysis documented existing operational challenges and crash patterns and identified seven (7) interim improvements to address congestion in the near future. A cost estimate for each improvement alternative was included to identify the most costeffective solution. A discussion of existing conditions and recommended improvements is summarized below. Existing Conditions: As illustrated on Attachment 1, the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard is located between Briar Woods High School and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NRVPA) property where the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) headquarters is located. On the NVRPA property, there are athletic fields where various sport activities are held on weekday evenings and weekends. The new Brambleton Regional Park is located in the northeast quadrant of this intersection and it is scheduled to open in the Fall of Additionally, in this general area, a new traffic signal is planned for installation at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Croson Lane and at Northstar Boulevard and Ryan Road, both scheduled to be functional in Currently, the subject intersection operates under two-way stop control (meaning only the side street traffic is subject to stop sign control). The stop signs are located on the eastbound approach of the NVRPA driveway and the westbound approach of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659 relocated). According to the traffic engineering study, under existing conditions, motorists experience significant congestion during the morning and evening peak hours (Attachment 2). Southbound left and westbound right turning movements have the worst congestion and generate longest vehicle queues. The westbound right turn movement carries high volume of traffic during both peak hours. Between January 2011 and November 2014, twenty-six (26) crashes occurred at the subject intersection (Attachment 3). Ten (10) of the twenty-six (26) were angle crashes involving vehicles coming from the east on Belmont Ridge Road heading west, turning left or proceeding through to the NVRPA driveway. Under existing traffic volumes, the Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard intersection meets the minimum warrants for the installation of a traffic signal. The subject intersection is 1,300 feet south of the adjacent Belmont Ridge Road at Croson Lane intersection and 4,575 feet north of the adjacent Northstar Boulevard at Ryan Road intersection. The minimum intersection spacing between signalized intersections in accordance with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) standards is 1,050 feet.

3 Item #7, Traffic Improvements at the Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard Board of Supervisors Business Meeting September 2, 2015 Page 3 Interim Improvement Recommendation: Several unsignalized improvement options were considered to address the existing traffic operational deficiencies and safety challenges at the subject intersection. Given the County s desire to expeditiously construct an interim solution at this location, a combination of design improvements were recommended and are included in Attachment 4. The proposed interim design improvements include the following: Reducing northbound and southbound thru-lane by one lane while maintaining exclusive left and right turn lanes, and Restricting westbound and eastbound approaches to a single-lane right-turn movement only using tubular markers (i.e. flexible posts) and pavement markings Motorists will be re-routed with signs and public outreach informing the communities of the new traffic pattern. By reducing the number of thru-lanes in the southbound and northbound directions, the left-turning vehicles from the side streets will only conflict with one lane of thru-traffic. These proposed interim improvements, which include pavement markings, flexible posts, and signage, will not require additional right-of-way and/or easements. The preferred interim improvements may yield operational impacts that include (1) an increased delay for southbound left-turn movements in the morning dues to fewer gaps in northbound traffic flow and (2) southbound vehicle queues may extend beyond the Belmont Ridge Road/Croson Lane intersection. Restricted through and left turn movements from the minor approaches will require (1) westbound traffic to head south to Ryan Road and then back north on Northstar Blvd and (2) eastbound traffic to take a U-turn at intersection to the south. All of these impacts will be mitigated with a long term traffic signal improvement at the subject intersection and the future traffic signal located at the Belmont Ridge Road at Croson Lane intersection. Long-Term Improvement Recommendation: A traffic signal is the recommended long-term and permanent solution at this intersection to address the safety and operational concerns. Under signalized operations, all turning movements will be restored and permitted. Pedestrians will be accommodated with crosswalks and pedestrian signals. These accommodations will address the anticipated increase in pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the area. Additionally, signal timings would be coordinated accordingly with the future traffic signals at the intersections of Belmont Ridge Road at Croson Lane and Northstar Boulevard at Ryan Road. Additional easements will be needed to complete the construction of the proposed traffic signal. ISSUES: The interim improvement recommendation may yield operational impacts on the southbound approach in the morning and will require westbound and eastbound motorists to be rerouted since left and through movements from the minor approaches will be restricted. These impacts will be mitigated with a long term traffic signal improvement at the subject intersection and the future traffic signal located at the Belmont Ridge Road at Croson Lane intersection. Staff has conferred with the stakeholders of the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA), Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (DPRCS), Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) and VDOT regarding the proposed improvements. All stakeholders expressed support of the recommendations described herein.

4 Item #7, Traffic Improvements at the Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard Board of Supervisors Business Meeting September 2, 2015 Page 4 FISCAL IMPACT: For the interim improvement, the estimated costs for the engineering design and construction services are $29,561 (Attachment 5) with an anticipated construction cost of $108,000, totaling $137,561. For the long-term improvement, the estimated cost for the engineering design and construction services are $74,476 (Attachment 6) with an anticipated construction cost of $510,000, totaling $584,476. The cash proffer funds from The Towns at Belmont Ridge has a current balance of $176, (not including accumulated interest). The Towns of Belmont Ridge proffer may be applied to design and construction of interim improvements ($137,561) and design of long-term traffic signal ($38,605.81). The remaining $35, required for engineering design services of the long-term traffic signal will require a budget adjustment to transfer this amount from the Traffic Signal Contingency account to a capital project account for this signal in the Capital Fund. The $510,000 estimated construction cost for the permanent signal would be submitted for funding consideration in the FY Capital Improvement Program (CIP) See Table 1. Table 1. Proposed Funding Sources for Interim and Long-Term Improvements Potential Funding Sources The Towns of Belmont Ridge Proffer ZMAP Traffic Signal Contingency Current Available Balance $176, $280,302 FY Capital Improvement Program Interim Improvement: Pavement Markings, Flexible Post, Signage Design $29, Construction $108, Long-Term Improvement: Traffic Signal Design $38, $35, Construction $510,000 ALTERNATIVES: The Board may choose to authorize the use of the identified proffer funds and Capital Improvement Signal Contingency Fund to design and construct improvements for interim and long term solutions at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard; or the Board may choose another alternative. DRAFT MOTIONS: 1. I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to proceed with implementation of both 1) the preferred interim improvements (pavement marking and tubular posts) and 2) long term

5 AND AND AND OR Item #7, Traffic Improvements at the Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard Board of Supervisors Business Meeting September 2, 2015 Page 5 improvements (traffic signal) for the Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard intersection; I further move that the Board of Supervisors amend the FY 2016 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget and authorize staff to execute a budget adjustment to appropriate $176, of the regional road improvement cash proffer funds contributed to the County pursuant to the ZMAP , The Towns of Belmont Ridge, Proffer V.C (Proffer Sequence Number ) in the Public Facilities Fund and transfer that amount to the Capital Fund for engineering design services and construction of near term improvements and for engineering design services of a traffic signal at the Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and Northstar Boulevard intersection; I further move that the Board authorize staff to execute a budget adjustment to transfer $35, from the Traffic Signal Contingency account to the Belmont Ridge Road at Northstar Boulevard traffic signal project account in the Capital Fund for the design of a traffic signal at the Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and Northstar Boulevard intersection; I further move that the Board direct staff to include $510,000, the cost to construct the long term traffic signal improvement, for funding consideration in the FY CIP budget process. 2. I move to direct staff to proceed with implementation of only the preferred interim term improvements (pavement marking and tubular posts) for the Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard intersection; AND OR I further move that the Board of Supervisors amend the FY 2016 CIP budget and authorize staff to execute a budget adjustment to appropriate $137,561 of the regional road improvement cash proffer funds contributed to the County pursuant to the ZMAP , The Towns of Belmont Ridge, Proffer V.C in the Public Facilities Fund and transfer that amount to the Capital Fund for engineering design services and construction of near term improvements at the Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and Northstar Boulevard intersection. 3. I move an alternate motion.

6 Item #7, Traffic Improvements at the Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Northstar Boulevard Board of Supervisors Business Meeting September 2, 2015 Page 6 ATTACHMENTS: 1. Vicinity Map Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road at Northstar Boulevard 2. Existing Conditions 3. Crash Analysis Intersection of Belmont Ridge Road at Northstar Boulevard 4. Preferred Interim Improvements 5. Cost Estimate for Preferred Interim Improvements 6. Cost Estimate for Traffic Signal

7 ALFORD RD BELMONT RIDGE RD 659 CROSON LA 645 Brambleton Regional Park Brambleton Regional Park National Recreation and Park Association HQ Brambleton Golf Course NORTHSTAR BLVD 3171 Briar Woods HS BELMONT RIDGE RD 659 RYAN RD 772 Detail area Miles 267 Loudoun County Facility NVRPA Facility Parcel 2011 Election Districts: Blue Ridge Dulles Broad Run Northstar Boulevard and Belmont Ridge Road Proposed Intersection Improvement Blue Ridge Election District Created by Loudoun County Office of Mapping and Geographic Information Map Number Created July 22, ,000 2,000 Feet ATTCHMENT 1 A - 1

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9 Collision Diagram Intersection: Belmont Ridge Road (Rte. 659) and Northstar Boulevard/NVRPA Entrance Period: January November 2014 Date Prepared: May 2015 Belmont Ridge Road & Northstar Boulevard - Loudon County, VA Types of Collision Rear End Head On Sideswipe Out of Control Angle Crash Deer Injury Severity K A B C DOC# Fatal Incapacitating Injury Non-Incapacitating Injury Non-Visible Injury No Injury / Property Damage Only (PDO) Vehicle at Fault VDOT Document Number 1:42pm; SUN; 10/20/13 Daylight; Mist; Wet DOC# B 11:17am; THU; 05/15/14 DOC# :30am; TUE; 12/03/13 DOC# :55pm; THU; 09/18/14 (~300 ft North of Intersection) Darkness; Cloudy/Clear; Dry DOC# :37pm; TUE; 02/18/14 (~500 ft North of Intersection) Daylight; Cloudy/Clear; Wet DOC# (Route 659) Belmont Ridge Road 7:51pm; WED; 08/06/14 DOC# A 4:00pm; THU; 10/24/13 School Zone & Teen Driver DOC# NVRPA Entrance 7:10am; MON; 06/27/11 Daylight; Mist; Wet DOC# B A 4:17pm; THU; 04/17/14 DOC# :30pm; SAT; 04/12/14 DOC# :55pm; SUN; 11/06/11 DOC# :45am; FRI; 11/01/13 Daylight; Rain; Wet DOC# B 2:02pm; MON; 11/07/11 Work Zone & Teen Driver DOC# :45pm; MON; 08/18/14 Darkness; Cloudy/Clear; Dry DOC# :09pm; TUE; 04/08/14 DOC# B 8:43am; WED; 09/24/14 DOC# :07pm; TUE; 04/01/14 DOC# :40pm; WED; 11/07/12 (~120 ft South of Intersection) Darkness; Cloudy/Clear; Dry DOC# :49pm; TUE; 06/10/14 Teen Driver DOC# Northstar Boulevard 8:45pm; SAT; 10/06/12 Darkness; Cloudy/Clear; Dry DOC# :30pm; TUE; 11/20/12 Darkness; Cloudy/Clear; Dry DOC# B B 8:25am; FRI ; 11/02/12 DOC# B 3:00pm; WED; 02/20/13 DOC# :56am; SAT; 09/13/14 Teen Driver Daylight; Rain; Wet DOC# Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) 8:25pm; TUE; 09/23/14 (~500 ft South of Intersection) Darkness; Cloudy/Clear; Dry DOC# :48pm; MON; 9/29/14 (~200 ft South of Intersection) Darkness; Cloudy/Clear; Dry LoCo DOC# Year Right Angle Rear-End Head-On Collision Summary Type of Collision Time of Day Lighting Weather Surface Severity People Left Turn Side Swipe Fixed Object Pedestrian Other AM Peak (7am-10am) PM Peak (4-7pm) Off Peak Daylight Dawn/Dusk Darkness K(1) A(2) B(3) C(4) Total Cloudy/ Clear Mist ATTACHMENT 3 Rain Snow Dry Wet Snowy Icy PDO Crash A - 3 Total

10 \\vhb\proj\vienna\ belmont_northstar\graphics\figures\ _tab-intersection_alternatives_v3.indd p9 Preferred Interim Alternative Pros: Restricts all left-turns and thru-movements from the sidestreets for safety (11 out of 26 crashes studied). May increase safety by letting the southbound left-turning vehicles encounter only one lane of conflicting northbound thru-traffic. Croson Lane Major Collector Significant improvement to the Westbound rights. All modifications made with tubular markers and pavement markings, no raised concrete. Traffic re-routing can be done with signs and public outreach. Cons: Considerable increase in delay in the AM to Southbound lefts due to fewer gaps. Southbound queues extend back beyond Croson Lane. Croson Lane experiences higher delay and queues until it is signalized in early Westbound traffic must go South to Ryan Road and then back North on Northstar Blvd. Eastbound traffic must take U-turn at intersection to the south. Estimated Cost: $85k NVRPA Minor Arterial Road Belmont Ridge Free Flow Tubular Markers and Pavement Markings See Detail Legend See Detail Proposed Painted Areas Minor Arterial Tubular Marker (Flex post) Northstar Boulevard Belmont Ridge Road Major Collector NVRPA Feet Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. Belmont Ridge Road & Northstar Boulevard - Loudon County VA Proposed Design Close Northbound and Southbound right-most thru-lanes, channelize Westbound and Eastbound rights with porkchop islands to create receiving lanes. Westbound and Eastbound approaches are right-out only. ATTACHMENT 4 A - 4

11 ATTACHMENT 5 A - 5

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17 ATTACHMENT 6 A - 11

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