Transit Planners Seek Input From Area Residents

In a county where only 1 percent of commuters count on public transit, a workshop on the subject may seem a bit out of place. But, with the planned Metrorail expansion to Loudoun County and higher gas prices, the time was right for a public examination on the current, and future, state of Loudoun County's public transit situation.

For Loudoun County Transit Plan Advisory Committee and consultants Renaissance Planning Group who are mapping out the county's 20-year Loudoun County Transit Plan, last night's public workshop in Leesburg was the next logical step. The plan, expected to be presented to the board of supervisors early next year, will map out public transit projects leading before and after Metrorail extension to Loudoun.

Dozens of area residents gathered at the lower level of Ida Lee Park Recreation Center to offer their insight into public transit solutions. In the open house format, guests were asked to visit different stations featuring public transit options that were available in the county today, as well as initial feedback on how the county could expand or improve its service. Stations also gave guests a glimpse into what Metrorail expansion could mean for county residents.

Nancy Gourley of the county's Office of Transportation Services said that her department, along with advisory board members and the consultants, hoped to gain insight into the wants and needs of the public during the workshop.

Initial results tend to show that the public has a lot to say. Gourley said that, prior to the workshop, the Loudoun County Transit Plan Web site had already received nearly 40 comments on county public transit from residents. She said that another public meeting would be planned after the consultants were able to summarize the findings of Wednesday's workshop, where the public would be given an opportunity to weigh in on specific transit options.

Public transit is currently an underutilized resource in the county with it accounting for only 1 percent of all trips. However, Loudoun's two predominant transit options, Virginia Regional Transit buses and the Loudoun County Commuter Bus, seem to be hitting different demographics. VRT buses overwhelmingly attract riders who depend on the service to travel to work, school and shopping while the commuter bus instead is attracting riders who are making a choice to use the bus to be able to conserve gas or utilize driving time to read or do other things. Lorna Parkins, also of OTS, said that those working on the Transit Plan would be looking at ways to encourage residents from all demographics to utilize local transit to shop or dine.

Shelley Huss, chairman of the Commuter Bus Advisory Board as well as that board's representative on the Transit Plan Advisory Committee, said that a mindset change might be needed to attract area residents to all transit options as well as better advertising of the services.

"Many people here are from metropolitan areas," Huss said. "They would ride mass transit if it were available."

But the 11-year commuter bus veteran said that people need to be a bit more flexible when dealing with public transit in Loudoun County because, despite its growth, it cannot equate with the major public transit systems of metropolitan areas.

"This is still a rural area. You can't have a bus come by every 10 minutes," Huss said. "Loudoun County is built on sprawl, but as we build more walkable communities it can better be able to have bus service go through."

Leesburg Town Councilman Ken Reid was one of many who turned out for Wednesday's workshop. Reid had his own list of suggestions for the county public transit system, including allow buses to access the shoulder on Rt. 7 to allow for faster commutes, but had one important message: the county cannot wait.

"We just can't wait for Metrorail," Reid emphasized. "We need public transit right now."