Core of Rosslyn Transportation Study

Location

Rosslyn, Arlington, VA 22209  View Map

Status

Planned

After two years of thorough analysis and public engagement, County staff finalized the study’s Preferred Alternative. This alternative lays out a set of projects to be built by 2030 that will move Rosslyn closer to the transportation vision outlined in the Sector Plan.

The study's final report describes the project process, the alternatives considered, and a prioritized implementation plan for proposed projects.

County staff will continue to engage with the community on each project in the Preferred Alternative as they move forward. Each new project will have its own webpage for community reference. Continue to check this study page for updates.

The first project to be implemented is the Dark Star Slip Lane Closure and Park Expansion Project.

About the Project

In 2015 the County Board adopted a Rosslyn Sector Plan that included a multimodal transportation vision set forth by the community. In 2017 the County’s Transportation Division, in partnership with the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID), started the Core of Rosslyn Transportation Study to assess the feasibility and potential impacts, through 2030, of the proposed Sector Plan changes to the Rosslyn transportation network.

Collaboration between the County and the BID also included short-term roadway enhancements to improve safety and circulation using low-cost, quick-build strategies.

Core of Rosslyn Transportation Study

This study examined the feasibility and potential impacts of permanent changes to the street network in the core of Rosslyn, with the goals of improving safety and accessibility for all users – those walking, biking, using transit and driving.

The study’s goals included:

• Evaluating multimodal design concepts (Concept 1 then Concept 2)
• Measuring how each concept achieves the Sector Plan goals
• Engaging the public and stakeholders
• Adopting a 2030 Preferred Alternative concept composed of individual projects that will move through the County’s design process
• Sequencing those projects to create a fluid network transition into 2030
• Identifying improvements that go beyond 2030 to continue realizing the Rosslyn Sector Plan in the future

Study Milestones

• October 2017 project kick-off: Project scoping, data collection, existing conditions analysis.
• April 2018 public meeting: Review of existing conditions and assumptions for 2030 redevelopment and infrastructure forecasts.
• October 2018 public meeting: Discuss pros and cons of Concept 1 – an alternative including all of the infrastructure changes listed in the Sector Plan based on what could be realistically built by 2030.
• March 2019 public meeting: Discuss pros and cons of Concept 2 – an alternative that incorporates public feedback and lessons learned from Concept 1.
• June 2019 public meeting: Review and discuss the Preferred Alternative and implementation.
• Summer 2019: Final Preferred Alternative and supporting documentation available online.
• Fall-Winter 2019: Integration of Preferred Alternative projects into the County budgeting process.
• 2020 and Onward: Implementation of projects.

Study Final Documents

• Final Report
• Appendix A: List of References
• Appendix B: Final Existing Conditions Report
  • A – Traffic Data
  • B – Forecasting and Traffic Operations Analysis Framework
  • C – Travel Demand Model Validation and Data Collection Summary
  • D – Multimodal Measures of Effectiveness
  • E – VISSIM Model Calibration Summary
  • F – Synchro Model Measures of Effectiveness
  • G – VISSIM Model Measures of Effectiveness
  • H – Core Rosslyn Reconfiguration Area Crash Statistics
• Appendix C: Future Concepts Analysis Report
  • A – Traffic Volume Figures
• Appendix D: Ramp Select Link Analysis
• Appendix E: Implementation Projects
• Appendix F: Study Area Cross Sections

Preferred Alternative

In June 2019 the project team arrived at a Preferred Alternative that was provided to the community for review and comment. The Preferred Alternative applies lessons learned and public input from Concepts 1 and 2 to better balance multimodal operations.

View the Preferred Alternative map

The Preferred Alternative includes the following major projects, which stem directly from the Rosslyn Sector Plan, to be constructed during the next 10 years:

• Removal of the Fort Myer Drive Tunnel to increase pedestrian crossing options (access to Metro) over Fort Myer Drive and to help reduce vehicle speeds in the Rosslyn urban core.
• Incremental conversion of Fort Myer Drive to a two-way street once the tunnel is closed.
• Emphasis on enhancing the bicycle network within the Rosslyn core by including continuous, protected bicycle/scooter facilities on Fort Myer Drive, North Lynn Street, Nash Street, and Wilson Boulevard. These connections within the Rosslyn core will also serve to enhance connections to major regional bike routes.
• Enhancing the pedestrian experience through the removal of slip lanes, enhancement of 18 existing or new crosswalks, and inclusion of wider sidewalks.
• Reconfiguration and signalization of the intersection of westbound US-50 and Meade Street to allow for northbound traffic flow on Fort Myer Drive and to improve pedestrian and bicycle access.

Short-term Roadway Enhancements

Concurrent with the transportation study, we are considering short-term, lower-cost opportunities to improve the overall street and sidewalk experience in Rosslyn. The effort began with a community workshop on March 4, 2017, where we introduced the concept of Tactical Urbanism – the use of short-term strategies to test long-term transportation solutions and capitalize on place-making opportunities.

Examples of short-term enhancements include installing temporary curb extensions to shorten the distance one has to walk when crossing a street, and converting some underutilized street space for pedestrian use.

In fall 2017, Arlington County and the Rosslyn BID began implementing short-term strategies identified in the March 2017 workshop.

• Improvements at 3 Fort Myer Drive intersections
• Results of March-April 2018 Online Public Engagement on Short-Term Improvements

View photos of street enhancements in our Flickr album.

Public Process

Understanding the Process

View a timeline of study milestones and the process for community feedback (click the image to see a larger version):

Public Meetings

June 2019 - Core of Rosslyn Study Public Meeting #4

At the fourth public meeting we presented the Preferred Alternative, which further refined Concept 2, and proposed implementation phasing.

• Preferred Alternative meeting display boards
• Implementation phases display boards
• Summary of feedback
• The study process and how the community has been involved

March 2019 - Core of Rosslyn Study Public Meeting #3

At the third public meeting we presented Concept 2, which incorporates public feedback and lessons learned from the first concept, includes most changes listed in the Sector Plan, but keeps Lynn Street and Moore Street as one-way.

• Meeting display boards
• Conceptual renderings of Fort Myer Drive as a two-way street
• Summary of feedback
• The study process and how the community has been involved

October 2018 - Core of Rosslyn Study Public Meeting #2

The study's second public meeting shared the results of Concept 1, which uses street network recommendations from the 2015 Rosslyn Sector Plan and analyzes how Rosslyn streets would perform if the recommendations are implemented.

• Display boards
• Summary of feedback

April 2018 - Core of Rosslyn Study Public Meeting #1

The first public meeting for the study presented the baseline analysis of existing transportation conditions in the Rosslyn core study area.

• Presentation
• Display boards
• Summary of feedback

September 2017 - Rosslyn Transportation Open House

At this open house in September 2017, staff from the County and the Rosslyn BID provided details on recent street enhancements and how they will inform the transportation study examining permanent changes to the street network in the core of Rosslyn.

March 2017 - Rosslyn Transportation Workshop

Participants at the March 2017 workshop

Participants at the March 2017 workshop

Participants at the March 2017 workshop

The Rosslyn BID and Arlington County hosted a community workshop in March 2017 to envision how vehicles, buses, bikes, and pedestrians can better use streets in the core of Rosslyn.

Participants, representing residents, local businesses, developers, visitors, commuters and transportation officials, examined some of Rosslyn’s busiest intersections and worked together to come up with pilot strategies to make them flow better.

Workshop materials:

• Presentation
• Strategies developed by participants
• Workshop recap from Rosslyn BID

Stakeholder Advisory & Strategy Groups

The County’s Transportation Division created a Stakeholder Advisory Group and Strategy Group to aid in identifying and developing improvements to the street network in the core of Rosslyn.

Advisory group members, which include residents, business representatives, and the Rosslyn BID, attended meetings at key milestones throughout the transportation study process, and shared information about these efforts with their respective community networks.

• Advisory and Strategy Group members