october 2 public meeting - presentation

7/27/2019 October 2 Public Meeting - Presentation

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Welcome to the Crystal City Streetcar

Environmental Assessment Community Forum

Welcome

Or, contact the study team at:

[email protected]

Public Comment

Message Line: 571-482-9734

Crystal City Streetcar

P.O. Box 18023Washington, DC 20036

To learn more about the study

or to submit your questions

or comments, visit our website:

www.crystalcitystreetcar.com

Tonight’s meeting focuses on:

• Future No Build & Build Conditions

• Streetcar alignment

• Preliminary results of the Environmental Assessment

• Crystal City Sector Plan

• Opportunities for public comment and questions

Presentation will be given at 7:00 p.m.



What is the Proposed Project?



• Modern fixed rail streetcar line

• Links Pentagon City, Crystal City, and Potomac Yard• Connects to Columbia Pike Streetcar line

• Complements existing transit network

The Environmental Assessment (EA) will:

• Document the project elements

• Evaluate the potential environmental impacts

• Identify necessary mitigation strategies

Photo rend ering of Crystal City Streetcar

What is the Crystal City Streetcar Project?



Relationship to Other Local TransportationProjects

CCPY Transitway

• Exclusive transit lanes

along portions of the Route 1

corridor in Arlington County

and City of Alexandria

• Station stops for buses andfuture streetcars

Columbia Pike Streetcar

• Streetcar line along Columbia

Pike from Skyline to Pentagon

City

• Connects to Crystal City

Streetcar in Pentagon City



The No Build alternative

is the existing transportationnetwork (both roads and transit)

along with improvements that are

planned for construction. Arlington

County is committed to a number

of transportation improvements

including:

• Improvements to the street

network identified in the

Crystal City Sector Plan

• Construction of the Crystal

City Potomac Yard

Transitway

• Construction of the Columbia

Pike Streetcar

These improvements are

considered part of the

Future No Build condition.

No Build Alternative



Build Alternative

Tracks

• Standard railroad gauge

• Embedded into the pavement

• In existing rights-of-way

• Overhead wires

Power Substations

• Approx. 5 substations

• About 20'x30’ of space

• Locations will be determined

in design phaseSubstation With Architectural

Treatment (Norfolk, Virginia)

Seattle, WADublin, IrelandPortland, ORTacoma, WA

Vehicles

• Modern

• Electric-powered

• Low floor vehicles

• Carry up to 115 passengers

Storage and Maintenance

• Vehicle storage facility

• Hold up to 8 streetcars

• Could be incorporated into a

building

• Maintenance facility built with

Columbia Pike Streetcar

Project

Stops

• 6 northbound and 6 southbound

stops

• 8 stops will be built as part of

the CCPY Transitway project

• Each stop will have:

• Raised Platform for

easy, level boarding

• Open Shelter

• Ticket Vending Machines

• Benches and trash cans



Alignment Development

Sector Plan AlignmentSB alignment between 12 th St.

& 18 th St. follows Clark-Bell St.




Sector Plan AlignmentSB alignment between 12 th St.

& 18 th St. follows Clark-Bell St.




• Southbound streetcar tracks along east side

of Jefferson Davis Highway between 12th

and 18th Streets, at grade with Clark / Bell

Street

• Maintains feasible new development parcels

• Direct access to the Crystal City Metrostation

• Avoids potential conflicts with

o Underground retail shops and corridors

o Low clearance over Bell Street

o Bus operations on Bell Street

• Consistent with the Sector Plan vision

• Southbound streetcar tracks along the west

side of Clark / Bell Street between 12 th and

18th Streets

• New development parcels between Clark /

Bell Street and Jefferson Davis Highway

north of 18th Street

Sector Plan

Streetcar Alignment

Refined

Streetcar Alignment



What are the potential

impacts?



Natural Environment

• Project is located in an Urbanized

Environment with few natural features.

• Coordinated with VA Department of

Environmental Quality, Department of

Game and Inland Fisheries, Department of

Conservation and Recreation-Natural

Heritage Program, and the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service.

Natural Resource Nature of Effect

Rare / Threatened / Endangered Species No Resources Present

Wetlands No Resources Present

Waterways No Resources Present

Wildlife Habitats No Resources Present

Ecologically Sensitive Areas No Effects on Resource

Water Quality No Effects on Resource

Floodplains No Effects on Resource

Typic al enviro nments to be imp acted

by the propos ed streetcar



Cultural Resources

Cultural resources include:

• National Register of Historic Places – Listed

Historic Districts, Buildings, and Structures

• Area of Potential Effect - Archaeological

Sites

Possible effects could include:

• Changes to exterior appearance

• Affecting the view of or from resource• Disturbing or destroying the resource

National Register-listed properties:

• George Washington Memorial Parkway

• Aurora Highlands Historic District

• Well outside area in which effects on

historic properties would occur

Analysis results:

• Crystal City Streetcar project will have no

effect on historic properties or

archaeological sites



Environmental Justice

• Executive Order 12898 Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority and Low-Income Populations

• Environmental Justice evaluates potential impacts to minority and low income populations

• Conclusion: Minority and low-income populations are not disproportionately affected by project

Potential Minority Populat ion s Potential Low Income Populat ions

Population Type Study Corridor Arlington

County

Total Population in 2010 11,701 207,627

Minority Population in

2010

(% of Total Population)

3,137

(27%)

76,766

(36%)

Population for whom

low-income is

determined in 2010

9,128 194,187

Low-Income Population

in 2000 (% of Population for

whom low-income isdetermined)

646

(7%)

13,556

(7%)

Minor i ty and Low-Income

Populat ions in Study Corr idor

Source: 2010 U.S. Census Source: 2010 American Community Survey



Noise & Vibration

Noise and vibration levels

were monitored at locations

representative of typical

background levels and at all

noise-and vibration-sensitive

locations. All residences &

sensitive locations are

considered in the analyses.

• Long term monitoring

sites provide information

on how noise levels vary

during the day and night

• Short term monitoring

sites provide information

about the geographic

changes in noise levels

• Vibration sites

characterize vibration

levels in the corridor



Noise & Vibration

Example Noise Source

(at a Given Distance)

Sound Pressure

Level in dBA

Example Noise

Environment

Human Judgment of Noise

Loudness

Commercial Jet Takeoff (200 ft) 120 Threshold of pain

Pile Driver (50 ft) 110 Rock Music Concert* 16 times louder than the

sound of passing cars

Ambulance Siren (100 ft) 100 Very loud

Motorcycle (25 ft) 90 Boiler Room* 4 times louder than the

sound of passing cars

Highway Vehicles (50 ft) 80* Twice as loud as the sound

of passing cars

Passing Cars (25 ft) 70 Urban Daytime * Reference Loudness

Normal Conversation (5 ft) 60 Busy Office* Half as loud as the sound of

passing cars

Light Traffic (100 ft) 50 Suburban Daytime* ¼ as loud as the sound of

passing cars

Bird Calls (distant) 40 Rural Daytime Quiet

Soft Whisper (5 ft) 30 Quiet Bedroom Very Quiet

__ 20 Recording Studio Just Audible

__ 0 Threshold of hearing

Sound Pressure Levels (in dBA) of Typical Noise Sources and Environments

• Noise and vibration from streetcar operations generally

compatible with an urban environment

• Mitigation may be needed for particularly sensitive locations or

near sharp curves in the track

• Bells and horns on streetcars generally used only for

emergency situations

• Detailed noise and vibration analysis included in EA

document.

Existing background noise

levels in the study area were

measured and ranged from

50-70 dBA. The sound of a

running streetcar is typically

in the range of

40-60 dBA at 50 feet.

The only detectable vibrationlevels recorded were

associated with passing freight

trains. Freight trains generate

significantly higher vibration

levels than the proposed

streetcars would generate due

to the weight of the vehicle and

the condition of the tracks.



Streetcar Operations / Safety

How will the streetcar function within traffic?

• Streetcars operate like other vehicles

• Controlled by same traffic signals

• Streetcars will mostly travel in their own travel lane

• In some areas, will travel in “mixed-use” lanes

• Detailed operational plan to be developed during design

phase

• Areas needing special traffic control to be incorporated

into design

• Detailed traffic simulation included in the EA

How will cyclists be affected?

• Safe bicycle travel will be considered in

the design phase

• Bike lanes are being added or modified aspart of the No Build Alternative to assure

safety for bicyclists

How will passengers board the streetcar,

particularly on Crystal Drive?

• Most boarding will take place curbside –

no need to cross travel lanes

• Center platforms will be accessed by

signalized crosswalks

Safe streetcar operations are paramount in the design process. The streetcar

design will provide for safe interactions with vehicles, pedestrians and

bicycles. The Crystal City Sector Plan provides a plan for continuoussidewalks and bike routes, which will be maintained through the streetcar

design. All streetcar facilities will be designed in compliance with the

Americans with Disabilities Act.

Proposed cycle track adjacent to Seatt le streetcar (Source: Alta) Bike lane adjacent to Port land streetcar track



What are the next steps?



Current Project Timeline

Environmental Assessmentand Project Milestones

Current Study Project Schedule

2013 2014

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Baseline Conditions

Assess Environmental Effects

Prepare Draft EA

Notice of Availability

Public Comment Period

Public Meeting

Prepare Final EA



Please take a few moments to share your views with the study

team to help us better meet the needs of the community.

Be sure to include your contact information if you’d like to

receive future updates as the project progresses.

To learn more about the study or to

submit your questions or comments

at a later time, visit our website:www.CrystalCityStreetcar.com

Or, contact the study team at:

Email: [email protected]

Public Comment

Message Line: 571-482-9734

By mail:

Crystal City Streetcar

P.O. Box 18023

Washington, DC 20036

We Encourage Your Feedback!

october 2 public meeting - presentation

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