Neighborhood Meeting for VPRA Franconia Area Projects Meeting Summer 2023   7/21/2023

We have a few people trickling in, so I'm just going to give folks another minute before we get started.

Okay, let's go ahead and get started.

Supervisor Luss,

So let me start by saying I've had the opportunity to talk with the VRE staff

conceptually about this project.

Thank you.

Stephen.

On the left bottom is a map showing future railroad corridor improvements VPRA will be undertaking.

Next slide.

All construction will be within the existing CSX right of way with minimal additional property required.

Next slide.

and VRE will have more on the station improvements later in the presentation.

Next slide.

And I'll turn it over to Jason Bortz with VRE.

since we'll be occupying a lot of the same footprint.

We do have to follow all of the Federal and Commonwealth requirements.

Next slide.

I will now turn it back to Meredith for the question and answer portion of the meeting.

I will call on you, then I'll activate your microphone and you may unmute yourself to ask a question.

Chennabee, I believe I'm saying that correct.

Sorry.

Mr. Chenoveek, are you able to speak?

Naomi, are you able to unmute someone to speak here?

Are you having the same issue?

I'm trying to unmute.

OK, why don't we just just just to keep it just to keep it going to keep it moving.

OK, but if we could get folks to put their questions in the chat.

Now I saw some hands raised.

It's usually up in the top right corner of the screen.

Okay, they've removed the disable button.

But certainly, maybe go to the chat for now and see the question came in.

Okay, here we go.

Will there be alternate road access for Loisdale Estates Darby Lane residents to access the newly built platforms?

This access would effectively be the same, except instead of walking up an asphalt service road, it would be through a pedestrian underpass.

All right, next question.

Do you actually test at residences?

No, it's an analysis, an engineering analysis based on the geology of the area and the project foundation designs.

Also on the train loadings, obviously.

What is the plan to police the tunnel to keep homeless out, et cetera?

things like trying to make the turn in the tunnel not a hard 90 degree turn so you could see a little better around it and adding a convex mirror at the corner so you could see around it so you're not caught off guard as you walk around the corner by people going in the opposite direction or things like that.

Next question, for the bridge bypass, how high will the new rail surface be above the existing track height?

Things will be fixed at that point, so that's when we'll know what the actual bridge elements are going to be.

I live in Windsor Estates right on top of the station.

This time the existing conditions out there are not under the current designs anticipated to be worse than they are now.

I see some more, one minute.

Given the likely use of Berry Road for construction traffic and the lack of a sidewalk on either side of Berry Road, what is the plan for ensuring pedestrian safety for walkers on Berry Road?

I don't know anything about Fairfax County's possible sidewalk, new sidewalks in the area.

I can't speak to that.

Next question.

Are vibration and noise data available for the other existing bridge bypass project that could serve as a baseline for local predictions?

And I'm not sure that anything that would come from that would really be applicable to where we are.

If the bridge extends 30 feet above the existing track, won't that increase noise to the neighborhoods?

That's what the studies have shown.

I think Naomi also has something to add to that.

And so those retaining walls are going to be and the cuts that will be made to the land to build those retaining walls will help to be a barrier to that noise.

Thank you, Naomi.

Can you guarantee that won't happen again?

It's just a necessity for the type of work that we have to do.

All right, next question.

and only carry the freight trains.

So I would anticipate sound would be less, but I don't know.

Let's see.

There's a question about the amount of construction traffic on Berry Road.

for that project.

Naomi, did you say you had a response to that?

Yes, we are subject to local noise and construction laws and maybe that is in regards to we were talking about doing nighttime work, but obviously we will obtain all permits and follow all regulations that are required surrounding nighttime work.

I don't know if they want to speak to that.

Maybe we don't anymore.

Oh, there we go.

I can probably address that.

I'll go ahead, Stephen, and then Martha is also on.

That should be in a future plan with VDOT.

Yes, the plan is that it will accommodate any future comp plan recommendations as well as pedestrian access as well.

Let me get to the next question.

So you're saying the third track closest to Windsor Estates will only carry passenger trains?

Passenger and Commuter Rail Service, not for CSX.

That would be a freight only track.

Oh, go ahead, Stephen, and I think you.

Again, there will be retaining walls on that east side, so it should alleviate some of the sound issues.

So when we talk about only being able to be used by passenger trains, we're talking only about the bypass structure.

All right, another question.

Will we maintain and improve it?

and turned back over in its current state.

I saw you have a note in the chat.

Is Aaron Campbell is the aid for Supervisor Lusk?

can be included on our unfunded project list.

A question about when the public may be able to see diagrams of the retaining walls and where they will be and how they will look.

and that would be sometime early next year.

I know Naomi would take, oh go ahead Steven.

I can't.

Will you take the next question while I go get through my email to answer that that last part of who did the study and get back to you?

OK, let's see.

No pressure.

I don't see why we couldn't if it was part of our NEPA.

We can follow up with you, Mr. Coder, specifically on that request.

Yeah, absolutely.

But I think the answer is, Naomi, that the studies showed that the sound was not going to increase.

I can say 66 decibels is described as the sound level of an air conditioner or a conversation.

So it has to be kept below that level.

Yes, correct.

What are hundreds of cement trucks going to do?

But as for improving or making betterments, that's not part of what we're required to do.

All right, those are all the questions I see in the chat.

So before we wrap up, do you have any questions or any final words, Supervisor Lusk?

And again, appreciate all folks here from the county and the state who are very, very engaged with this project.

Thank you.

Good night.