Vienna residents keep up fight against bus route
Some express concerns about buses operating on narrow residential streets
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140109/NEWS/140109328/1117/vienna-residents-keep-up-fight-against-bus-route&template=fairfaxTimes

Residents of several Vienna neighborhoods along a planned new bus route are continuing their efforts to get Fairfax County officials to eliminate or alter the planned service.

The planned Fairfax Connector Route 432, which the Board of Supervisors approved in July despite the community opposition, would offer bus service to the Spring Hill Metro Station and adjacent Tysons businesses from Old Courthouse, Creek Crossing and Beulah roads. It would make 10 trips per day, with service only during the morning and evening rush hours.

“Tysons is transforming and, as it transforms, it is becoming more urban,” said Tom Biesiadny, director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. “We want to provide alternatives so, as Tysons develops, people can get to Tysons without having to drive your car.”

Residents who live in communities off Creek Crossing Road and East Street say that virtually no one in their neighborhoods would use the bus and that they have safety concerns about buses running on the narrow residential streets.

“Creek Crossing Road is a cut-through street,” said resident Sidney Skjei. “They drive fast and they don’t drive well. … Throwing a bus onto that street is like throwing gasoline on a fire.”

In a public meeting Wednesday that became quite heated at times, residents excoriated Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) for not respecting their desire to not have the bus.

“No one has ever explained to us why this route is the best,” said Creek Crossing Civic Association President Beverly Jurenko. “You need to prove to us that this is the only viable route.”

Some suggested that there must be some larger motivation for the proposal, such as a plan to use their community for de facto parking for the Tysons Metro stations, which will not have public parking lots.

“Who is this bus really for?” asked resident Pam Styles. “It is not for us. We don’t want it.”

Biesiadny and Hudgins said that they do not expect people to park in the neighborhoods to take a bus to Metro, but noted that the county has a number of options including permit parking, should parking become a problem.

They also noted that there are communities along other portions of the route that are very supportive of the new bus route.

Hudgins said she has tried to address the community’s concerns about safety. The Board of Supervisors asked county transportation staff to review pedestrian safety concerns in the community.

Transportation planners also evaluated eight different possible routes for the 432, Biesiadny said, and came to the conclusion that the proposed route was the most feasible in terms of cost, safety and other factors.

“This is the route that we feel has the best chance of success,” Biesiadny said.

Wednesday’s meeting originally was designed to solicit community input on proposed sidewalk and trail repair and installation along Creek Crossing and Old Courthouse, as well as possible traffic calming measures. The community already suffers from regular cut-through traffic from commuters, according to residents.

However, while some said the infrastructure upgrades are sorely needed whether the bus moves ahead or not, most residents attending the meeting were not interested in discussing infrastructure improvements.

Hudgins pledged to meet with residents again to discuss in detail the criteria for selecting the proposed route and to talk through possible alternatives.

Without additional action by the Board of Supervisors, service on Route 432 and other new routes serving the Silver Line stations is slated to begin when the new rail line opens, expected to be this spring.

Psssh. Those fuckin cunts just don't want poor people standing in front of their house waiting for the bus.

But without the government subsidized bus routes how will their cleaning ladies and nannies get home?

Quote

Throwing a bus onto that street is like throwing gasoline on a fire.

If there were any question as to whether these people should be taken seriously, that line should remove all doubt.

"Wednesday’s meeting originally was designed to solicit community input on proposed sidewalk and trail repair and installation along Creek Crossing and Old Courthouse, as well as possible traffic calming measures. The community already suffers from regular cut-through traffic from commuters, according to residents."


Sorry, but not every street can end in a cul-de-sac. We do need to get around you know.

I hate self-entitled people like those pricks. While they may not want the bus line, there may be others who will depend on it. They say "we" a lot, as in "we" don't want it, but they are just talking about their selfish selves. If you don't like it, fucking move. Assholes.

church street Wrote:
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>

Quote

Throwing a bus onto that street is like
> throwing gasoline on a fire.

>
> If there were any question as to whether these
> people should be taken seriously, that line should
> remove all doubt.

Thanks for more traffic congestion.

Buses are for poor people. Keep them off my street!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jacques Offe Wrote:
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> I hate self-entitled people like those pricks.
> While they may not want the bus line, there may be
> others who will depend on it. They say "we" a
> lot, as in "we" don't want it, but they are just
> talking about their selfish selves. If you don't
> like it, fucking move. Assholes.


You say that because you don't live there. I don't, but I understand where they are coming from. Having the area more accessible to lower income people will increase crime and drop property values by tens to hundreds of thousands.

That area is always congested anyways. The last thing we need is more buses to slow everything up when people are trying to get the fuck outta dodge.

Proposed bus route fails Vienna residents
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20140117/OPINION/140119312/1065/proposed-bus-route-fails-vienna-residents&template=fairfaxTimes

Open letter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors:

I live on Creek Crossing — the section of my street that is slated for a commuter bus traveling and stopping to pick up passengers. You will be making our residential neighborhood a parking lot for all of Fairfax County.

Questions: Why did part of Creek Crossing not have the commuter bus going down it? Who or what political entity like the town of Vienna got the route changed for their benefit? And why are streets (Fairway Drive and three other streets parallel to it) in my neighborhood (inside the town of Vienna) closed to traffic twice a day except on holidays? For 30 years or more they have had grace by the town of Vienna to have traffic stay off their streets and routed it on to my street. Isn’t it time for Creek Crossing to be given grace? Remove the signs that protect these neighborhoods from traffic. Why am I impacted twice by the town of Vienna and by Fairfax County now due to some county transportation planning committee making us a highway for their political purposes? Is the town of Vienna affecting this route?

Why not have the route go down Beulah Road all the way to Maple Avenue and then cut over to Gosnell Road? These are streets that are not residential. They are four-lane streets. Our street, on the other hand, is a residential neighborhood and only two lanes. They could not handle the persons needing a parking lot. We do not have parking lots here nor do we want them. Furthermore, we do not want $3 million dollars spent to make us a parking lot for your political purposes. As I said before, we are a residential neighborhood. We are only a two lane street. This is where we have our homes, our families and our children. This is where we enjoy our neighbors and walk our dogs in peace and quiet. Why would any of you desire to make us live the way you yourself would not want to live? Do you want our children to go out into the parking lot and get run over? Where is your heart for families in Fairfax County? You are supposed to represent us and care for us and desire our good in this county. Why do you desire for us what you would not desire for yourself?

Since you have no plans for parking lots do not use our residential neighborhood for one in place of your lack of planning along Leesburg Pike. I recommend that you vote no to this route through our residential neighborhood where we deserve protection because we are people just like you who want a nice quiet and safe neighborhood for our families, neighbors, and most of all for our children. We want our children to live in a normal neighborhood without impact from all of the outside world that will walk, ride and scour our neighborhood such that it will no longer be a true residential neighborhood like we wanted for our families when we first moved here. We came here to bring up our families just as you did. We desire to keep a quiet, safe and secure residential neighborhood just as you want for your families. Will you be able to sleep at night sending us to a nightmare status of your making? Those of you who claim to be Christians tell me what will your God think of you for misrepresenting such a fine residential neighborhood like ours and sending us to holy ruin and destruction and our children to an unsafe environment to live in — an environment that you yourselves would not desire for yourself not in a million years. If you force us to ruin and even one of our children gets run over due to the terrible impact that you desire for us you have truly made a selfish and horrible mistake. If I were you I could not live with myself. I have always prayed to my God that I would not ever run over any person. I could not live with the thought, even if it was called an accident, to end the life of a child. This commuter bus route is an accident waiting to happen if you impact our neighborhood and especially our children as you know it will. We do not want your transportation plan. Do go back to the drawing board please, we pray.

Carolyn Windle, Vienna

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