I've been driving over the same potholes and imperfections/jarring bumps for years now. The completed roads on 95 north under the mixing bowl in particular are terrible. I've recently been to other states and the roads are much better.

No $. Instead, we get Metro to Tyson's/Dulles/godonlyknowswhere + $1B + spent on H.O.T. lanes. Let me know how that's working out for everyone...

In most of NoVa the responsiblity for road maintenance lies with the state, and is administered by the VIRGINIA Department of Transportation (VDoT). Fairfax does spend a certain amount of local funds on local road projects that don't seem to be on the state's radar. Problem is that both VDoT and Fairfax are faced with more projects than they can pay for. Of course it isn't helping that they still haven't finished the Wilson Bridge project and the whole HOT Lane construction fiasco have reduced the Beltway west of I95 and many feeder roads into it to near 3rd World status.

VDOT has a pothole reporting service, and it isn't fairfaxunderground.com.

VDOT has already stated that NOVA will get almost ZERO for maintenance this year based on the budget. That's right ZERO! They still can't figure out how to fund anything (except sell it to private companies like HOT lanes) because of the "we won't even consider adjusting the gas tax) mentality.

Call it a TAX, call it a FEE, call it a TOLL, call it whatever you want, but our roads are falling apart! Our neighborhood was scheduled for re-do three years ago - and now it's not even on the horizon - WHEN you put asphault on top of potholes on top of potholes something has to give!

If you get a real person to answer the phone pass this along. The Fairfax Parkway southbound just south of 66 has a trench of a pothole that could swallow a Prius. It has been that way for over two months. Calls and emails to VDOT netted zero results. A call to my state delegate was answered that they are looking into it.

With the absence of snow this year and lack of salt on the roads the state should have a huge surplus of pothole funds. Yet nothing.

Well if one is big enough to swallow a prius, leave it alone. I hate seeing those crap ugly monstrosities anyway.

Not under the current administration sir and this economy. Please bear this in mind its election year

I wonder if the people bitching about the roads are the same ones who constantly bitch about taxes.

Would increasing taxes = better roads? Last time I checked the NR got the transportation $ - and we got... Metro to Dulles (that'll be a winner) and a billion + on HOT lanes. Here's an idea - don't blow tax $ on vapid "projects". Spend the various road use taxes on... roads.

http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/citizen.asp

99.8% of all Fairfax County roads are the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation. VDOT is underfunded because your elected General Assembly representatives in the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate have repeatedly done two things:

(1) They refuse to adequately fund VDOT,
(2) They have refused to increase the gas tax since the 1980s.

Out streets are falling apart.

According to a recent Herrity newsletter (Or was it from Bulova? I don't recall exactly, but I know it wasn't from Frey b/c he doesn't communicate with his constituents unless he's cutting some ribbon or breaking ground with a ceremonial shovel. Frey, what the hell's he good for? Absolutely nothing.), VDOT is scheduled to repave the *entire* Parkway beginning this summer. That is just one of the benefits of its status being converted from secondary to primary.

While they're at it, I hope they accidentally pave over the median, adding a third lane in each direction.

So, "road meister" - spending over $1B on HOT lanes is A - OK - just raise taxes and everything will be fine? Seriously?
Here's an idea - NoVa Representatives in Richmond apologize to NoVa residents for their abject failure in using our tax dollars wisely, and pledge to work within exisiting budgets while seeking every way imaginable to reduce the amount of taxes wasted on the HOT lanes, and then promise that every $ saved will go into local roads. VA citizens pay more than enough in all RUTs to repave every improved road in the Commonwealth many times over. It's time to stop the most favored projects!

Whatever happened to all the stimulus money designated for roads and infrastructure?

That money has been built into the Fed Gov't base line budget every year since it passed.

Jess that's short term thinking. Best way to keep the roads in decent shape is to reduce usage, hence metro to Dulles. Plus, that increases property tax revenue in the nearby areas.

Seriously? What new business will come from Metro?
I note that you're not adressing the 1B+ for HOT lanes... which would repave every road in FFX county - twice.

+1 to Jess1: "No $. Instead, we get Metro to Tyson's/Dulles/godonlyknowswhere + $1B + spent on H.O.T. lanes. Let me know how that's working out for everyone."

Also, when the Dems controlled the General Assembly for decades, they used NoVa as the Golden Goose. We got back far less than 100% of our taxes for both roads and ed. So what a surprise that "Virginia is for Lovers, but Northern Virginia is for Gridlock." While the downstate Dems engineered that theft, local Dems split into those in the People's Republics of Arl and Alex (and their fellow travellers in FFX), who never saw a road they liked, and others who decried this but still voted their Party instead of their constituents.

The Dems also managed to screw up their few new local projects (Wilson interchanges, HOT, Silver Line). Doing Wilson and HOT as Megaprojects rather than 1 interchange at a time may be a bit cheaper on paper, but it's much more dangerous under at-speed conditions with no shoulders, surprise merges (e.g. Inner Loop before Braddock), big potholes, etc., and more costly in gridlocked conditions with more gas and vehicle wear. Silver Line Phase 1 is behind schedule and over budget; look for abuses to be publicized when US DOT OIG issues its audit. Silver Line will be zero help for western Co. residents but our Co. is on the hook for $$$ in taxes. These are Dems' hidden taxes on us.

Fairfax has a Dept. of Transportation? Wow. I never knew,

Out in PWC, they repaved the PW Parkway last summer from the FBI building to Montclair just about. In the past week, on the country roads I drive down coming into work, a crew has gone out and marked sections of pavement to be replaced. All these areas had cold patches in them. Seems like the VDOT crews in PWC are actually fixing the roads and from what I have seen, not half assing it.

Then you look at Henderson Road and that thing needs a re-pave, but it won't happen for another 5 years. The FFX County Parkway from 66 to Lee Chapel is complete show. I hate driving my car down it (low profile tires, slightly lowered). At least in my trick, I don't feel it as much and I have a lot of rummer to absorb the potholes instead of bending a rim which are not cheap to replace if I had to buy one new.

Quote

Seriously? What new business will come from Metro?
I note that you're not adressing the 1B+ for HOT lanes... which would repave every road in FFX county - twice.

i said property tax revenue.

Some of you sound like you are recent arrivals and so not full appraised of the history of our fair region.

First, I'm unsure where some of you are getting the idea that the "1 Billion" figure you bat around is some type of taxpaper liability saddled on NOVA by Democrats. While it is true that the agreement was struck during the Kaine Administration, Transurban Inc., an Austrialian company, is funding the construction of the HOT lanes on the the Beltway, and will collect all the tolls. Like the Dulles Greenway, no real taxpayer money is involved, at least not yet. The lanes are "owned" by VDOT so that the State Police can enforce Transurban's toll collection.

Second, if you don't think subway lines bring economic growth to the areas they traverse, I'd suggest you take a drive along the Orange, or Blue, or Yellow, or Red, or, yes, even the Green lines and see for yourself what type of development has occurred and is continuing. Contrast Ballston or Dunn Loring, or heck even Suitland, MD. with what they were 25 years ago. How could anyone claim the Silver Line won't benefit western Fairfax -- unless said individual considers growth unbeneficial.

Third, I fail to see why anyone would manufacture a "Dem" conspiracy to deprive NOVa of it's fair share of tax dollars from Richmond. We've been the cash cow of Virginia for decades, under Democrat and Republican administrations. The simple fact is our economic impact is much larger than our population. There are simply more state representatives and senators from ROVA than NOVA, and they've never acted/voted in our interest. With current population trends, this will hopefully change sometime in the not too distant future.

The Commonwealth has very little to do with NOVA's gridlock. We are to blame for that ourselves. When I was in high school in the mid 1970s', we would have considered anything south of Springfield and west of Fairfax City as "uninhibited". In 1975, however, Jack Harrity and a largely Republican Board of Supervisors took over and proceeded to approve seemingly every Developer proposal that came before them. Yet, with the exception of I-66, a Federal/State project, nothing was done to improve the road infrastructure that was even close to what was needed. Okay, to be fair, Harrity was instrumental in getting the FFX CO. Parkway built, but primarily to open up the western part of the County to more development.

There's no conspiracy here. Just a bunch of short-sighted and "semi-corrupt" politicians willing to pander and a whole lot of taxpayers unwilling to pay for what they want unless it can be done with other peoples money.

VDOT has been a waste for many years. I've lived in this area all my life, and back in the 1960s-1970s especially, they did a much better job. They are particularly inept at dealing with snow storms. They used to plow side streets- now they often ignore secondary major roads.

During the two huge blizzards a few years ago, I was astounded to see snow plow after snow plow driving along with their plows UP, not doing anything to clear the mess everywhere. To top off this incompetence, local media (as always) ignores reality and praises VDOT, as if they're doing anything useful. I recall one t.v. report, where the vacuous, wannabe model batted her eyes and explained to the viewers how hard VDOT was trying to clear the roads, and pointed to a plow coming along behind her. Yep- the plow was UP in the air, yet the crusading reporter somehow missed that.

Our corrupt officials are too busy giving themselves bonuses, getting and giving kickbacks, and otherwise doing the wrong thing at all times, to prioritize correctly. Clearly, the woeful condition of our infrastructure should have been addressed long ago. The roads in Fairfax County- still one of the wealthiest places in this country- are a disgrace. But then again, someone earlier mentioned Third World status- this is sad but true. Our pot hole infested roads advertise the fact that we are now a Third World country.

Native -
I've lived here (FC/Annandale/FFXCounty) for many, many years. Drop the attitude, 'k?
As to Metro - I too suggest that you drive along the various Maryland extensions - preferably @ 3:00 AM during a hot summer weekend. Do let us all know what kind of "Developments" ensue.

Does anyone seriously believe that the Rt. 7 corridor needs "more Development"? Seriously? What color is the sky in your world?

The current issue is one of funding, period. "We" get our "fair share" - and blow it like drunken sailors; $2.1 Billion ADDITIONAL on Metro would make a fine addition to the current road situation, and serve far more taxpayers...

BTW, I doubt that Western FFX county was "uninhibited" - even during the free love 70's...

The Highway Dept. just filled potholes in my neighborhood.





























Of course I live in Arlington. 8-)

The Highway Dept. just filled potholes in my neighborhood.





























Of course I live in Arlington. 8-)

Then you should know it's Environmental Services that filled the pothole, not the "highway dept."

incorrect Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Highway Dept. just filled potholes in my
> neighborhood.
>
>
> [snip]
>
>
> Of course I live in Arlington. 8-)
>
> Then you should know it's Environmental Services
> that filled the pothole, not the "highway dept."

He should also know that VDOT doesn't do squat in Arlington for non-primary roads. Arlington County has an agreement w/ Virginia to look after its own roads.