Everyone likes to make fun of Chaos Corner, the historic “V” where Jamestown Rd. meets Richmond Rd. It’s a bit dangerous, with Merchant’s Square and William & Mary students and tourists and dogs and bicycles and stop signs and yield signs and no signs and crosswalks. Many drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists don’t understand who has the right-of-way. I have, more than once, been nearly run down on my bicycle, turning from Jamestown Rd. into Merchant’s Square.
So an intersection that is worse must truly be bad. And that honor goes to the corner of 199 and Jamestown Rd. Crossing 199 on a bicycle or as a pedestrian is downright dangerous. And heaven forbid you try to turn left onto Jamestown Rd. from 199 any time during the week between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (I’ve heard it’s also bad in the morning. As someone who prefers to get up at the ‘crack of noon,’ I haven’t experienced the morning crush myself.)
Project Pipeline
Enter VDOT Project Pipeline, a program to help VDOT identify, prioritize, and pay for multimodal (read: more than one use) transportation improvements. From the website:
Project Pipeline aims to implement a statewide look at needs and formalize the connection with planning, funding and programming transportation solutions for Virginia.
https://vaprojectpipeline.org/default.asp
If you want to learn more about how Project Pipeline studies work, you can watch a video here or read the documentation. In a nutshell, a PP project is a three-phase study where Phase 1 determines where the problems are, Phase 2 engages local government(s) and local populations to come up with possible plans and payment options, and Phase 3 finalizes the plans and funding options before getting in line to ask for approval.
The Bowtie
HR05 is VDOT’s project to help ease traffic congestion and improve safety on Route 199. As you can guess by the project number, HR05 is one of the first problem areas identified by Project Pipeline. From the HR05 project site:
The purpose of this study will be to analyze the operational and safety issues identified along Route 199 (Humelsine Parkway) between Jamestown Road and John Tyler Highway, with a focus on providing enhanced pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access.
https://vaprojectpipeline.org/studies/hampton-roads/hr05-route-199—humelsine-parkway.asp
Phases 1 and 2 of HR05 have been completed. If you want to dig into the details, the project site has several relevant documents. If you just want the bottom-line, I suggest you read the final report and watch the following, admittedly dull video which details exactly how VDOT suggests traffic patterns change to improve traffic flow and safety.
If you are a bit confused about bowtie intersections, here’s another video, which I found very instructive.
I’m certain we could get used to traffic circles on Jamestown Rd. and 199. After all, even Homer Simpson figured them out eventually.
The Rock
Phases 1 and 2 are done. So, “What’s next?” you may ask.
It now rests with the two local governments, James City County and The City of Williamsburg. They have exactly two options.
Option 1: The City of Williamsburg and James City County governments approve the proposed changes and decide to begin Phase 3. They complete a funding plan and submit a final proposal to VDOT by 1 August 2024. If approved by VDOT, construction will begin in 2034. And yes, I really did mean 10 years after completing Phase 3. Note: PP assigned HR05 priority 3, the lowest program priority. I have no idea if a low overall priority changes the possibility of our proposal being approved.
Option 2: The City of Williamsburg or James City County or both disapprove the proposed changes and decide not to continue with Phase 3. The governments get back in line for funding, with additional Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies. The ‘new’ suggested improvements may, or may not, be better than the one being considered currently. If the local governments like the new proposal, and VDOT OKs the project, improvements would probably begin sometime around 2040.
That’s it. There is no door number 3.
The Hard Place
Yesterday, on May 8th, the City Council held a working meeting to discuss, in part, whether to exercise option 1 or option 2. The CC hosted Chad Tucker from VDOT to advocate for the current improvement plan, and to answer questions.
I had started to take notes so I could let you know what each of our elected officials had to say about the proposed changes to 199. However, it became very clear very fast that they (almost) all had the same concerns. So I’ll summarize.
Kern-Scherrer, Dent, Pons, Ramsey: We want improvements to 199, but we don’t want these improvements. The bowties stink, and we want different options.
Tucker: Bummer for you.
Kern-Scherrer, Dent, Pons, Ramsey: If we approve going to Phase 3, will we be able to modify the plan?
Tucker: Nope.
Kern-Scherrer, Dent, Pons, Ramsey: Can we approve parts of the plan, but not others?
Tucker: Nope. And you’d be pretty stupid to try it.
I don’t mean to imply that Mr. Tucker was impolite. He wasn’t. In fact, I was impressed by the number of polite ways he said, “No.” In the end, it was clear VDOT was saying, “Take it, or leave it.”
I didn’t include Councilman Rogers in the above summary. He was last to comment, and by the time it was his turn, he fully understood that VDOT wasn’t going to budge. He did have a relevant comment that summarized the dillema.
Rogers: If we decide not to start Phase 3, it isn’t going to get less expensive to fix the problems on 199. It’s just going to take longer.
Pity the Fool on the Williamsburg City Council
What’s a City Council to do?
If they approve the proposal and we go ahead with Phase 3 of the project, I’m certain many constituents will complain about the terrible bowtie intersections, the long wait for improvements, and the cost of paying for something we didn’t like while having to wait ten years to get it.
If they don’t approve the proposal and we get back in line for a different PP project, I’m certain many constituents will complain about the terrible traffic on 199, the long queues at John Tyler, Jamestown, and Brookwood during rush hour, and the human cost of traffic accidents and even deaths. “Can’t the CC do anything about 199?” they will ask.
Looking into my crystal ball, I suspect CC will go ahead and recommend advancing to Phase 3. For, as Mr. Rogers pointed out, it isn’t going to get less expensive if we wait. It might not even be better. It will just take longer.