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Goose
Creek Association John
Singleton Mosby Piedmont
Environmental Snickersville Turnpike Association
IF ROADS COULD TALK,
The story would include the birth of our country, the American Revolution, the Civil War, rural life, and interesting places, people, and events.
Endorsers Scenic America The
Surface Transportation Policy Project National
Trust for Historic Preservation Taxpayers
for Common Sense
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The Coalition’s original grass roots group has been joined by hundreds
of citizens and other organizations throughout the region and elsewhere.
The Coalition is guided by an active steering committee that represents
a broad spectrum of the community. Funds
to carry out its work have come from individual contributions, large and
small, and from several foundations.
Continued financial support is vital to sustain the organization’s
efforts. The Issues
In 1994, the Virginia Department
of Transportation (VDOT) rekindled an idea to build Route 50 bypasses
around Aldie and Middleburg. This would lead to expanding Route 50 from
a two-lane road to a multi-lane divided highway from Lenah to just east
of Paris, a distance of about 20 miles, with an additional bypass around
Upperville. Local citizens and business owners grew profoundly concerned
regarding the prospective effects of this proposed construction on local
commerce, the environment, and the scenic and historic integrity of the
area. Residents were appalled
by the specter of a 200-foot wide right-of-way for a high-speed highway
(probably to be designated a truck route) being carved out of the beautiful,
largely unspoiled Virginia Piedmont countryside. The Citizens Respond
In response, local and regional
citizens’ organizations formed the Route 50 Corridor Coalition in 1995
to seek alternatives to VDOT’s high-speed, multi-lane highway with bypasses. The Coalition did its own research, raised
private funds, and hired Ian Lockwood, an internationally known and respected
transportation engineer who suggested that traffic calming would be an
ideal solution. Emergence of a Traffic Calming Plan
Mr. Lockwood assisted the
Coalition and the community in conducting a series of educational and
hands-on design workshops attended by about 700 people.
The principal concerns from a transportation perspective were identified
as excessive speed of motor vehicle traffic, aggressive driving, poor
and unsafe conditions for pedestrians, harm to historic buildings, and
noise from high-speed traffic, particularly trucks.
The intensive effort at the workshops resulted in the development
of an innovative traffic calming plan for the 20-mile section of rural
Route 50. The plan and the process
by which it was developed are documented in a two-volume report, “A Traffic
Calming Plan for Virginia’s Rural Route 50 Corridor, Fauquier and Loudoun
Counties, Including Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville” published by the
Coalition in 1996. The many public meetings could not have been held without the generous
help of local entities that made facilities available – particularly the
Middleburg Community Center, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Middleburg Methodist
Church, the American Legion Hall, Hill School, Aldie Methodist Church,
Upperville Baptist Church, Middleburg Elementary School and Oatlands. Recognition and Support
In addition to support from local, regional, state
and federal entities, the Coalition has received requests for information
from planners, engineers, citizens’ groups, and state departments of transportation
located in more than 40 states. National
organizations have endorsed the plan, and major articles and stories have
appeared in journals, magazines, and newspapers, including the New York
Times and the Washington Post. The
project has been presented at national, regional and local conferences. The Institute of Transportation Engineers granted
Ian Lockwood and the Route 50 Traffic Calming Plan its prestigious 1997
Past Presidents Award. The Coalition’s Goals
As part of the process of producing the traffic calming
plan, the citizens defined a vision of the Route 50 corridor as: “a scenic, unique, rural community in an historical,
agricultural, quiet, and natural setting.” This vision statement was developed as a means
to guide and assess land use planning and transportation decisions for
the corridor. The Route 50 Corridor
Coalition’s goal is to participate in community initiatives to further
this vision Important issues other than traffic calming will continue to require attention. The Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan (now in the process of major revision), the proposed Western Bypass, and potential developments at Gilberts Corner are major concerns at present. So, although progress on the traffic calming project is cause for optimism, the Coalition’s work is by no means over. Contact us — click here.
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