FYI: VDOT and Transurban Announce Public Presentation on Conversion of I-395/Seminary Rd. HOV Ramp to HOT Ramp
Since last year, the city has been opposed to the project.
Alexandria, VA – The Virginia Department of Transportation and TransUrban have announced a public information meeting on converting the interstate 395/Seminary Road high occupancy vehicle-only ramp to a high occupancy toll ramp. Since last year, the city has been opposed to the project.
In a letter to the VDOT last year, then-Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg said that the city was opposed to the conversion.
“[A] number of City residential neighborhoods currently experience severe cut-through traffic related to their geographic position between the center of the Alexandria 1-395 corridor and the south of Alexandria 1-95 Beltway corridor,” Silberberg wrote. “This is in fact one of our most challenging issues. The City’S position has long been and continues to be one of strongly opposing the use of the Seminary HOV ramp for HOT-lane purposes because of the concern about the impact of cut-through traffic.”
The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, at the Minnie Howard Campus of T.C. Williams High School at 3801 West Braddock Road. A presentation on the proposal will begin at 7 p.m.
City Manager Mark Jinks said last year that the city’s role is to review all of the necessary documentation for the change and oppose the plan.
“The obligation to analyze the impacts, engage with the public, decide how to proceed, and mitigate any impacts lies with VDOT and Transurban,” Jinks wrote in a memo.
Last month, the city received and is currently reviewing an Intersection Modification Report on the project.
Under the proposal, the south-facing ramp would continue to provide access to the 395 Express Lanes but would be available to vehicles with fewer than three occupants who pay a toll, and for free to vehicles with three or more occupants.
