"Improving" rural roads can attract development

by Don Audette, Winter 2002-2003

Destinations have always triggered transportation and development. In the mid-1800s, gold in California, fertile land in the interior of the United States, and ports on the west coast that enabled trade with China were the destinations that drove the creation of trails and transcontinental railroads across America. Development soon followed as new towns, cities, and vast farmlands came into being.

In 1956, major cities, industrial complexes, military bases, and ports were the destinations that triggered the creation of the high-speed transportation system called the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. Development quickly appeared around the Interstate's interchanges and beltways.

In the last half of the 20th century, Washington, D.C., and its suburbs became the destination for many people as the capital rose to world prominence. Local transportation systems, unfortunately, were soon overwhelmed by unfettered development, especially in Virginia.

The nexus between transportation and development has also had a major impact on the environment. Destinations have shifted from far-flung places to the countryside, and the resultant sprawl has consumed endless acres of forest and farmlands. A good 15 to 25 percent of any development is paved over with asphalt, causing major water-runoff problems; air, water, and ground pollution; and the loss of local wildlife habitat. Roads and development spreading over rural areas has turned the daily commute into a scene of increased stress, speed, road rage, and accidents.

The relationship between road improvement and development is apparent along Route 211, one of Rappahannock County's two major highways. "McMansions" are springing up on knolls of farmland along Route 211 between Warrenton and Rappahannock County. Evening rush-hour traffic turning onto Route 211 at Warrenton has become a frenzied jockeying for position, with vehicles hitting up to 75 miles an hour as they speed westward.

To accommodate a major new development planned for Clevenger's Corner in Culpeper County, three miles away from the Rappahannock County line, Route 211 will be widened to six lanes at the intersection with Route 229. Three stoplights are also planned there along 211. A suggestion has even been made that traffic at Clevenger's Corner may become so intense that a new highway should be struck northward from Route 229 through Fauquier County, to channel commuters to I-66 instead of adding to the traffic woes of Warrenton and Gainesville along Route 29.

With rapid development at Rappahannock's borders, the county has remained lucky, mainly because it has not become a major destination point. Except for tourists going to and from Shenandoah National Park, the county does not have much to foster transportation and development. The county's road system has remained essentially rural, with a relatively low impact on the environment.

However, development is in the air. New homes are not being built in the villages, as recommended by the Rappahannock County Comprehensive Plan. Instead, they continue to appear along the edges of the rural roadways, and some McMansions are being built on knolls in open farmland. That means more people may be requesting that Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) widen, straighten, and level the rural roads they live on, all to increase speed. We've seen how "improving" roads can lead to increased development and adverse impacts to the environment.

There are some remedies. Neighbors may band together and request VDOT designate their rural roadway as a "scenic byway," provided their road has aesthetic or cultural value and is near areas of historical, natural, or recreational significance. A few byways in the county have been so designated already: Route 231, Route 522, Fodderstack Road (Route 628), and Ben Venue Road (Route 729). Anyone can request a scenic byway designation, but the county's Board of Supervisors must support it and hold a public hearing. Then VDOT and the Commonwealth Transportation Board must approve it.

Another remedy is to request a Rural Rustic Road Project. This means the "improvement" would be made between the existing ditches on either side of the road. Drainage improvements would be minor, if at all. Side slopes would not be changed, and essentially no vegetation would be disturbed. For these reasons, the environmental approval process would be significantly shortened, as the environmental impact is minimized. More importantly, the road will remain rural.

This option may be the wave of the future if the current Virginia General Assembly allows the innovative Rural Rustic Roads program to be the first option for counties with qualifying roads. Recent pilot efforts have shown that the program can generate significant financial savings and provides greater flexibility when certain rural roads are paved. The rural, rustic nature of such roads is preserved.

You can obtain further information about the Scenic Byways and Rural Rustic Roads programs by calling VDOT's Bob Moore (540-829-7513) or Jim Jennings (540-829-7537) at their Culpeper District Office.