Western Loudouners need to protect our Rural Policy Area
Dear Editor:
I have always wondered why many of my western Loudoun County friends prefer their dirt roads over paved roads. The current discussion around the proposed Rt. 7 and 690 Interchange has helped me understand my friends’ preference for dirt roads instead of paved roads.
Dirt roads do two things; they serve as a natural traffic calming feature, and they reduce traffic volume. The proposed interchange will do exactly the opposite. It will not calm traffic and objectively speaking, as well as by the County’s own account, it will significantly increase the traffic volume as it seeks to draw traffic from Rt. 9.
In short, the proposed interchange is an urban area traffic mitigation being applied to our Rural Policy Area. The County has long sought to expand development into the Rural Policy Area of western Loudoun County.
The interchange is the urban camel’s nose under the Rural Policy Area tent. Be careful what we wish for; increased traffic flow begets development and development begets urban growth. And this is why many in western Loudoun County prefer their dirt roads over paved roads.
The bigger issue we are missing is the urbanization threat to the Rural Policy Area … interchanges, tournament lighted fields, new roads, park and rides are the shiny ornaments … the gift we don’t need is the urbanization of the Rural Policy Area.
Don’t blink.
Tip Stinnette
Purcellville
Comments
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The biggest con since selling the Brooklyn Bridge is the density approved in the east under what I believe is a false assumption that when these high density developers are done with the east part of Loudoun they will respect the implied promise to respect the rural west. Are you kidding me? Less Supervisors represent the west than ever before so who is going to stop it? Remember the “transition area”? What do you think the high capacity communication cable lines and power lines are for? For your viewing convenience? Data Centers and high density residential is coming westward! Perhaps more people should vote in local elections and hopefully we will see better candidates as a result!