TAC Presentation - Placemaking: Nov. 17, 2020

1. PLACEMAKING:
Transportation, Land Use, Economic Vitality

2. 1800s
1900s
1700s
Tysons
Corner
1900s
How Did Fairfax Develop Over Time?
1800s
2000s
2000s
2000s

3. 1745: First Map of Fairfax County
RURAL: Country Roads, Farms, Forests & Crossroads Villages

4. 1745: First Map of Fairfax County

5. 1700s: The King’s Highway
The Potomac Path (1600s), The King’s Highway (1700s), Accotink Turnpike (1800s), Route 1/Richmond Hwy (1900s)

6. 1749: First Map of Alexandria
A planned City with a street grid of 3-acre blocks

7. 1850s: First Map illustrating Canals and Railroads:
The Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire RR & the Orange & Alexandria RR

8. 1860s: Country Roads, Turnpikes, Railroads, & Crossroads Villages in FxCo
Planned City Grids & Ports of D.C. & Alexandria

9. RURAL FAIRFAX:
LAND USES:
Farms and Forests
Small Towns & Villages to support farmers and travelers:
Colchester, Town of Providence, Centerville
TRANSPORTATION:
Country roads, Turnpikes, Crossroads, Railroads
Crossroads Towns: Bailey’s, Annandale, Centerville, Fairfax C.H.
Railroad Towns: Clifton, Fairfax Stn, Vienna
Ferry Towns: Colchester and then Occoquan
All travel by foot, horse, train, ferry
Villages/Towns were typically 5-miles apart – accessible by foot/horse (for local farmers) & by RR/Ferry (for thru-travelers)

10. 1800s: Sparsely Developed Countryside with Farmhouses & Barns

11. 1700s/1800s: Estates
1734: Mt. Vernon
1754: Gunston Hall

12. 1805: Town of Providence
(Crossroads of Little River Tpk & Ox Road)

13. 1850s: RR Town of Vienna

14. Town of Herndon
1850s: RR Town of Herndon

15. 1860s: Country Roads, Turnpikes, Railroads Expand

16. 1860s: Country Roads, Turnpikes, Railroads Expand

17. 1860s: Country Roads, Turnpikes, Railroads Expand

18. 1882: Post War -- More Country Roads & 3 Railroad Lines
No County Plan

19. 1882: Dozens of Towns/Villages Formed by Transportation Systems
New RR Line: Alexandria & Frederick RR New Ferry: Occoquan
New Crossroads: Lorton, Mills X-Roads (Merrifield), Dranesville

20. 1900: Present Day Rt. 1 – Village of Clustered Buildings

21. URBAN AREAS:
Mixed uses: Residential, Retail, Office, Parks & Plazas
Density and Height
TRANSPORTATION:
Planned with a Grid of Streets – Highly connected
Walkable
Transit reliant: RRs, Streetcars, subways (Metro)

22. 1800s: Alexandria
A Well-Planned City with a Walkable Grid of Streets

23. 1800s: Alexandria
A Well-Planned City with a Walkable Grid of Streets

24. 1800: Washington, D.C.
A Well-Planned City with a Walkable Grid of Streets

25. 1900: Washington, D.C.
Active Multi-Modal Streets: Pedestrians, Horses, Bicycles, Streetcars & Automobiles in Street Grid

29. MOVIE TIME!

32. In 1924, recognizing the crisis on America’s streets,
President Herbert Hoover launched the
National Conference on Street and Highway Safety.

34. 1910s: Broad Street & 4th Street in Richmond, VA

35. 2010s: Broad Street & 4th Street in Richmond, VA

36. 1940: Washington, D.C.
Active Multi-Modal Streets: Pedestrians, Streetcars & Studebakers in Street Grid

37. 1950: Washington D.C. population peaks
1980s: Fairfax County surpasses D.C.’s population

38. 1950s – 70s: Washington, D.C. Decline
Automobile Proliferation

39. 1976: Washington, D.C.
Metro Opens and Revitalization Begins

40. Washington, D.C. Today
Walkable, Restored, and Vibrant

41. SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT:
Single-Use: “Euclidean” Zoning
Residential Subdivisions, Shopping Centers & Malls, Office Parks
Low Density, Low Heights, Parking Lots
TRANSPORTATION:
Auto-Focused
Arterial roads, Collector roads, cul-de-sacs
Transit: Buses, Some streetcar-accessible, Some Metro-accessible

42. 1961: Fairfax Plan 1749: Alexandria Plan

43. 1961: Tysons Master Plan 1964: Beltway Vision

44. 1950: Pimmit Hills Subdivision
First subdivision in Fairfax County

45. 1953: Pimmit Hills Subdivision
Affordable Housing: Government-subsidized Mortgages (F.H.A. & V.A. Loans)
But NOT for most Minority Populations

46. 1968: Tysons Corner Mall opens
Beltway
123
7

47. 1960s + 1970s: Road widenings & overpass @ 123 & 7
Single-use Development: Mall, office buildings

48. 1953: Site of the future Seven Corners Shopping Center
Note: Roundabout (top of photo) @ the intersection of Rt. 50 and Rt. 7

49. 1956: Seven Corners Shopping Center
“first major shopping center in suburban Washington, D.C.”

50. 1950s-60s: Rt. 50 and Rt. 7 are Widened for Cars
Roundabout is Replaced with Overpasses
Seven Corners becomes challenging for pedestrians

51. NEW URBANISM + REVITALIZATION:
A new approach to address a new term: “sprawl”
A return to mixed-use development
Higher density & building heights - to concentrate development
TRANSPORTATION:
A return to the street grid – a connected network
Priority on walking & biking
Transit: Often near Metro
Some are planned for BRT (future streetcar)
All have Fairfax Connector service

52. 1961 – 1963: Reston Master Plan for a New Town
A Planned Community on
7,000+ acres of farmland:
• Variety of Densities
• Variety of Land Uses
• Village Centers (5)
• Town Center District/Core
• Open Space, Parks, Trails
• Walkable & Bikeable

53. 1980s – 1990s:
The “Town Center Urban Core” becomes Reston Town Center
2014:
The “Business and R&D” becomes 3 Transit Station Areas (TSAs)

54. 1980s: Reston Town Center Master Plan

55. 1980s: Reston Town Center

56. 2000s: Reston TSAs
Halley Rise @
Reston Town Center Metro
Reston Station @
Wiehle Metro Station

57. 57
$8.7B
$11B
+26.4%
$B
$2B
$4B
$6B
$8B
$10B
$12B
2017 2019
AssessedValue(Billions)
Year
Real Estate Assessments in Tysons in 2015 and 2019
2017: $8.7 billion in RE assessments
2019: $11 billion in RE assessments
Reston TSA Real Estate Growth in the Last 3 years

58. 1962: Reston Town Center
2010s: Mosaic District

59. Mosaic Real Estate Growth Since 2007
59
$38.3M
$678M
+1670.2%
$M
$100M
$200M
$300M
$400M
$500M
$600M
$700M
$800M
2007 2020
AssessedValue(Millions)
Year
Real Estate Assessments in Mosaic in 2007 and 2019
2007: $38.3 million in RE assessments
2020: $673 million in RE assessments

60. Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV)
Pilot in Mosaic - 2020

61. 2010: The Tysons Plan is Adopted

62. 2010: The Tysons Plan is Adopted

63. Tyson’s Corner (Originally named Peach Grove) is based on Country Crossroads

64. From 2-Lane Country Road to 10-Lane Auto Strip
Rt. 123: 30,000 ADT
11’-12’ Lanes, No On-Street Parking, High Speed, No Street Trees, No Ground Floor Retail, No Peds/Cyclists

65. The Tysons Plan envisions Multi-Modal Streets

66. 2010s: The Boro in Tysons – Placemaking through
Quality Public Spaces and Walkable Streets

67. Tysons Real Estate Growth in Last 6 Years
2014: $12.4 billion in RE assessments
2020: $18 billion in RE assessments
67
$12.4B
$18B
+45.2%
$B
$2B
$4B
$6B
$8B
$10B
$12B
$14B
$16B
$18B
$20B
2014 2020
AssessedValue(Billions)
Year
Real Estate Assessments in Tysons in 2014 and 2020

68. Commercial Revitalization Districts/Areas

70. 1910: Rt. 1 at Popkins Ln

71. Civic Plaza Vision: Humanize Richmond Highway

72. Image courtesy of Peter Swift
Rt. 1 @ Frye Rd: 5 lanes, 40,000 ADT and 45 mph
After widening: 10 lanes (6 thru-lanes, 2 turn lanes, 2 BRT lanes)

73. Rt. 1 in Alexandria: BRT “Metro Way” @ Custis Way

74. Rt. 1 in Alexandria:
Strong relationship btwn
buildings and street

75. Rt. 1 in FxCo: Existing Street Section and Widened Street Section
Rt. 1 is categorized as a National Highway System route

76. LOWER THE SPEED:
1. Currently design for 45 mph
2. FCDOT and VDOT are exploring a speed of 35 mph
(safer, quieter, ped friendly)

77. Gum Springs Woodlawn Gardens
Woodlawn Area - Northern
These residential
developments on Rt. 1
may end up with sound
walls, due to 45 mph
Sound walls not required
with 35 mph

78. Image courtesy of Peter Swift
Woodlawn Area - Southern
Mt. Zephyr Area
If sound walls are built,
this will result in a poor
relationship btwn the
land uses and the street,
creating a “highway” not
a “main street”

79. Rt. 1 in Arlington is being redesigned as a walkable boulevard

80. Crystal City: The type of place that attracted Amazon

81. Rt. 1 “North Gateway” (50,000 ADT)
Can we transform it to attract economic development?

82. Rt. 1 - Alexandria Gateway (75,000 ADT)

83. THE CHALLENGE:
Fairfax County: Built on a SUBURBAN model
The SUBURBAN model is automobile dominant
We “solve” for traffic by widening and INDUCING more traffic
THE SOLUTION:
Design our streets for ALL users: focus on pedestrians
Cut single-occupant-vehicle (SOV) rate

84. Single-occupant-vehicle (SOV) rate is too high

85. 1964: The Beltway (through McLean) – 4 lanes when built

86. 2000: The Beltway Gets Wider

87. And Wider

88. 1946 - 2020: Springfield
Auto-Dominated Roads and No Mixed-Use Developments

90. Connecticut Ave: Urban Street of Six-Lanes
Major Arterial: 29,250 ADT (similar to Rt. 7)
10’ Lanes, On-Street Parking, Slow Speed, Street Trees, Ground Floor Retail, Peds/Cyclists

91. From 2-Lane Country Road to 4-Lane Main Street
Historic Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike in Falls Church: 21,000 ADT
W. Broad Street/Route 7
10.5’-11’ Lanes, Slow Speed, Street Trees, Ground Floor Retail, Peds/Cyclists

92. Lee Highway/Route 29
12’ Lanes, High Speed, No On-Street Parking, No Street Trees, No Ground Floor Retail, No Peds/Cyclists
From 2-Lane Country Road to 8-Lane Arterial
Poor relationship between buildings and road -- results in minimal economic value

93. Monument Drive
Sidewalks, street trees, 6 lanes
Strong relationship between buildings & road -- results in greater walkability, placemaking, etc.

94. From 2-Lane Country Road to 5-6 Lane Through Road
Wall between buildings and street – results in poor sense of “place”
Leesburg Pike/Route 7 in W Falls Church
12’ Lanes, High Speed, No On-Street Parking, No Street Trees, No Ground Floor Retail, No Peds/Cyclists

95. Imagine Rt. 7 like this . . .

96. The street has a strong relationship with the buildings & results in community/placemaking

97. This Bridge Gives Highest Priority to High-Speed Vehicles

98. This Bridge Gives High Priority to Pedestrians and Cyclists

99. Streets & Bridges as Great Civic Spaces

100. Suburban Roads are
designed using the
LOS Methodology

101. LOS is the Key Determinant of Street Design in Fairfax
It Only Measures Vehicle Throughput
Level of Service (LOS) Measures Vehicle Delays at Traffic Lights

102. Waste
Use
The Cost of LOS: Infrastructure for Peak Hours
2:00 AM Noon Midnight5:00 PM8:00 AM
TrafficVolume
LOS F!
Capacity

103. What’s important depends upon perspective
Traffic engineer:
103
F A
A FEconomist:

104. LOS Mitigations – Widen the Road

105. The LOS Methodology is
INDUCING More Traffic

107. We Cannot “Solve”
Congestion/Traffic

108. U.S. Averages
Source: Smart Growth America
“The Congestion Con” 2020

109. Source: Smart Growth America
“The Congestion Con” 2020

110. Source: Smart Growth America Source: U.S. Census Bureau

111. ONE SOLUTION:
Replace Level of Service (LOS)
Arlington, Alexandria, D.C., MoCo
Use other TIA Tools:
They Give Peds/Cyclists/Transit
Higher Priority
FCDOT and VDOT have convened
a task force to explore TIA options

112. There are also
Health & Safety Reasons to
Reduce Auto Dependency

113. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions From Automobiles are Unhealthy

114. Automobiles Can Be Dangerous

115. 18,000 children are hospitalized each year for ped injuries

116. Slow the Speed!

117. Image courtesy of Peter Swift
Wide Streets Increase Speed

118. V i s i o n C o n e / N AC TO

120. PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES ON RT. 1 – 12-month period
5900 block of Richmond Hwy on 02-08-19
(near Old Richmond Hwy)
6100 block of Richmond Hwy on 03-26-19 (morning)
(at Fairhaven Avenue)
6300 block of Richmond Hwy – 01-09-20 (evening)
(near S. Kings Hwy)
9100 block of Richmond Hwy on 01-16-20 (evening)
(near Pohick Road & Backlick Road)
10000 block of Richmond Hwy on 02-11-20 (night)
(near Giles Run Road)

122. This is where Ms. Alston was Killed

123. This is where Ms. Asante was Killed

124. This is where Mr. Yeboah was Killed

125. COMMON THEMES:
1. Wide Roads: # of lanes, width of lanes
2. High Speeds: Not safe for pedestrians or cyclists
3. Large Block Sizes: Encourages jaywalking
4. Narrow Sidewalks/No Trees: Discourages walking
5. Narrow Bike Lanes: Discourages cycling
6. AUTOMOBILES ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY

128. The public space needed
for automobiles is extensive

129. Building Infrastructure for Cars is Very Expensive

132. Are there solutions?
Yes!

133. Design “Complete Streets” that are Beautiful and Humane
Pedestrians, Cyclists, Cars, Public Transit are ALL Valued

134. Metro Expansion into Fairfax

135. Fairfax Connector Bus Service

137. Capital Bike Share

138. E-Scooters (Micro-mobility)

139. Before After
Capital Facilities/Utilities Design and Construction Division/Transportation Construction Branch
KIRBY RD. SIDEWALK – BIRCH RD. TO IVY HILL DR.
KIRBY RD. SIDEWALK – IVY HILL DR. TO CORLISS CT.

140. Before After
Capital Facilities/Utilities Design and Construction Division/Transportation Construction Branch
Innovation Ave Walkway
(Innovation Metro Station to Dulles Greene Blvd)

141. Before After
Capital Facilities/Utilities Design and Construction Division/Transportation Construction Branch
Tysons East Sidewalk South Side of Route 123

142. Retrofit for Bike Lanes

143. New Vesper Trail

144. A Thoroughfare with a new sidewalk

145. Autonomous Vehicles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqOZRJPRJtU

146. 1. Replace LOS with other TIAs that include all travel modes.
Give equal priority to Peds/Cyclists/Transit Riders/Cars
2. Humanize our Streets & Make them “Complete Streets”:
a. Slow vehicle speeds to 25-35 mph
b. Narrow the lanes to 10.5’ wide
c. Limit the number to 6 lanes
d. Add on-street parking (this will slow the speed and benefit retailers)
e. Shorten the blocks 300’-400’ apart
e. Incorporate well-designed sidewalks/bike lanes
f. Provide shade trees (they will induce ped/bike travel)
FAIRFAX NEEDS A “COMPLETE STREETS” POLICY

147. “Tactical Urbanism” – Akron, Ohio -
Temporary street improvements to experiment with placemaking

148. How about applying Tactical Urbanism here?
It is an important GATEWAY to Mt. Vernon and Lee Districts

149. Flowers, Trees, Bikes, Lawn Chairs!

150. How about closing a slip lane for PEOPLE?

151. Engage the Community to Create Community

152. Safe Streets, Placemaking and Economic Vitality
through Quality Street Design