Report to the

Strategic Development Committee

Recommendation to Approve Virginia Department

of Transportation’s Request for Easements within

the Dulles International Airport Access Highway

for the “Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway”

Project

October 2016

PURPOSE

Staff requests that the Strategic Development Committee approve and

recommend to the Board of Directors that it authorize the President and Chief

Executive Officer to execute permanent and temporary easements across

certain Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Airports Authority) land

located within the Dulles International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH) in

favor of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for the

“Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway” project.

BACKGROUND

• VDOT is currently working on a project - known as “Transform I-66

Inside the Beltway” - (Project) to convert the segment of I-66 inside the

Capital Beltway to dynamically-priced toll lanes in the peak direction

during morning and afternoon rush hours.

• VDOT will charge tolls to all single occupant vehicles, including hybrid

vehicles, travelling in the peak direction during peak hours.

• Currently, traffic on this segment of I-66 is restricted to high occupancy

vehicles with two or more passengers (HOV 2+) from 6:30 a.m. until 9:00

a.m. eastbound and from 4:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. westbound.

BACKGROUND (Continued)

• Upon completion of the Project, eastbound vehicles will pay tolls from 5:30

a.m. until 9:30 a.m. on weekdays and westbound vehicles will pay tolls

from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on weekdays.

• HOV-2+ vehicles and buses will not be tolled.

• The lanes will remain free to all traffic during off-peak periods and on

weekends.

• Single occupant vehicles travelling to and from Washington Dulles

International Airport during the peak hours will be required to pay the toll.

Today such vehicles are not subject to the HOV-2+ restrictions on I-66.

BACKGROUND (Continued)

• The Commonwealth of Virginia will use all revenue generated from the

Project to benefit the I-66 corridor, both inside and outside the Capital

Beltway.

• According to VDOT, the average toll is expected to be approximately $5-6

per trip; however, the tolls will vary, and will increase or decrease based on

demand, in order to provide users a more constant rate of speed for the

entire trip.

• Tolling will be accomplished via E-ZPass and is expected to begin in the

summer of 2017.

DISCUSSION

• VDOT is required to inform drivers bound for the tolled segment of I-66

that travel on this part of I-66 requires payment of a toll during certain

hours and is also required to state the amount of the toll.

• In order to provide this information, VDOT will install advisory signs in

locations that give drivers wishing to avoid the tolls the ability to choose

alternative toll-free routes.

• Six of these signs, as well as associated tolling system elements, including

conduits for carrying fiber optic cable, are proposed to be installed on

Airports Authority property, along the eastbound Dulles Toll Road (DTR)

and the eastbound DIAAH, between Spring Hill Road and I-495.

DISCUSSION (Continued)

• VDOT is requesting a permanent easement of 1.13 acres for placement of

the signs and equipment, along with a temporary easement of 0.88 acres, to

accommodate construction activity related to the installation.

• VDOT has agreed to allow the Airports Authority the right to install

cameras, sensors and related traffic monitoring equipment on the VDOT

structures within the easement, should the Airports Authority desire to do

so in the future.

• VDOT will not be assessed a charge for this easement, consistent with the

Airports Authority’s practice of providing easements to governmental

entities at no cost.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff requests that the Strategic Development Committee approve and

recommend to the Board of Directors that it authorize the President and Chief

Executive Officer to execute a permanent easement of approximately 1.13

acres and a temporary easement of approximately 0.88 acres, across Airports

Authority property located within the Dulles International Airport Access

Highway in favor of VDOT in connection with its “Transform I-66 Inside the

Beltway” project.

Proposed Resolution

Authorizing the Conveyance of Easements to the Virginia Department of Transportation

Across Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Property Within the Dulles International Airport Access Highway for the

“Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway” Project WHEREAS, The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is undertaking a project known as “Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway” (Project) to convert the segment of I-66 inside the Capital Beltway to dynamically-priced toll lanes in the peak direction during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours; WHEREAS, Upon completion of this Project, single occupant eastbound vehicles on I-66 inside the Beltway will pay tolls on weekdays from 5:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. and single occupant westbound vehicles will pay tolls on weekdays from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.; WHEREAS, Vehicles with two or more persons and buses will not be tolled and the lanes will remain free to all traffic during off-peak periods and on weekends; WHEREAS, Single occupant vehicles travelling to and from Washington Dulles International Airport during the peak hours will also be required to pay the toll; WHEREAS, Tolling will be accomplished via E-ZPass and is expected to begin in the summer of 2017;

WHEREAS, VDOT is required to inform drivers bound for I-66 that travel on I-66 is subject to a toll during certain hours, and the amount of the toll;

WHEREAS, In order to provide this information, VDOT will install advisory

signs in locations that give drivers the ability to choose alternative toll-free routes;

WHEREAS, Six of these signs, as well as some associated tolling system elements, including fiber optic cable conduits, are proposed to be installed on Airports Authority property, along the eastbound Dulles Toll Road and the

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eastbound Dulles International Airport Access Highway, between Spring Hill Road and I-495;

WHEREAS, In order to complete this project, the VDOT has requested a permanent easement totaling 1.13 acres and a temporary construction easement totaling 0.88 acres; WHEREAS, The Airports Authority will be permitted to install cameras, sensors and traffic monitoring equipment on the VDOT structures within the easement area; and WHEREAS, The Strategic Development Committee has reviewed the proposed easement, as presented by staff at its October 2016 meeting, and recommended that the easement should be granted at no cost; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the President and Chief Executive Officer is authorized and directed to execute the easement to the Virginia Department of Transportation as identified in detail in the documents presented to the Board of Directors at its October 2016 meeting.

For Consideration by the Strategic Development Committee and Board of Directors on October 19, 2016

REPORT TO THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF

TRANSPORTATION’S REQUEST FOR

EASEMENTS WITHIN THE DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

ACCESS HIGHWAY

FOR THE “TRANSFORM I-66 INSIDE THE BELTWAY” PROJECT

OCTOBER 2016

ACTION REQUESTED

That the Strategic Development Committee approve and recommend to the Board

of Directors that it authorize the President and Chief Executive Officer to execute

permanent and temporary easements across certain Metropolitan Washington

Airports Authority (Airports Authority) land located within the Dulles

International Airport Access Highway (DIAAH) in favor of the Virginia

Department of Transportation (VDOT) for the “Transform I-66 Inside the

Beltway” project.

BACKGROUND

VDOT is currently working on a project – known as “Transform I-66 Inside the

Beltway” (Project) – to convert the segment of I-66 inside the Capital Beltway

(Beltway) to dynamically-priced toll lanes in the peak direction during morning

and afternoon rush hours. The tolling equipment for the Project will be similar to

the equipment that is currently used for the high occupancy vehicle travel lanes on

the Beltway and I-95 in Virginia. Tolling on I-66 will be accomplished via E-

ZPass transponders, and VDOT will install equipment along the interstate roadway

that recognizes these transponders and, in addition, identifies vehicles using the

tolled lanes without a transponder.

VDOT will charge tolls to all single occupant vehicles, including hybrid vehicles,

travelling in the peak direction during peak hours. Currently, traffic on this

segment of I-66 is restricted to high occupancy vehicles with two or more

passengers (HOV-2+), from 6:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. eastbound and from 4:00

p.m. until 6:30 p.m. westbound. Upon completion of the Project, single occupant

vehicles using this segment of I-66 will pay tolls when travelling eastbound from

5:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. and westbound from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.; HOV-2+

vehicles and buses will not be assessed a toll. During off-peak periods and

weekends, these I-66 lanes will remain free to all traffic. Single occupant vehicles

travelling to and from Washington Dulles International Airport during the peak

period will be required to pay the toll. Today, such vehicles are not subject to the

HOV-2+ restrictions on I-66.

The Commonwealth of Virginia will use all generated toll revenue from the Project

to benefit the I-66 corridor, both inside and outside the Beltway. According to

VDOT, the average toll is expected to be approximately $5-6 per trip; however,

tolls will vary, and will increase or decrease based on demand, in order to provide

users a more constant rate of speed for the entire trip. VDOT began construction

in the summer of 2016, and expects to complete the Project and begin tolling in the

summer of 2017.

DISCUSSION

VDOT is required to inform drivers bound for the Project’s tolled segment of I-66

that travel on this part of I-66 requires payment of a toll during certain hours, and

is also required to state the amount of the toll these drivers will be assessed if they

elect to use the tolled roadway. VDOT will provide this notice by placing advisory

signs in locations that give drivers wishing to avoid the I-66 tolls the ability to

choose alternative toll-free routes.

Six of these signs and associated tolling system elements necessary for operation

of the signs (e.g., conduits for carrying fiber optic cable) are proposed to be

installed on Airports Authority property. The signs will be installed between the

eastbound lanes of Dulles Toll Road (DTR) and the eastbound lanes of the DIAAH

between Spring Hill Road and I-495. Before and during the morning peak period,

these signs will alert eastbound DTR and DIAAH drivers of the upcoming tolled I-

66 lanes and of the toll the drivers will be assessed if they continue on to I-66.

Page A-1 of the attached Exhibit A provides an overview of the entire area of

Airports Authority property affected by the easements. Pages A-2 and A-3, which

provide more detailed views of the easement areas, show in orange, the proposed

permanent easement area of 1.13 acres for the placement of these signs and related

equipment and also show, in blue, a proposed temporary easement area of 0.88

acres that will accommodate construction of the signs and related equipment. The

temporary easement will automatically terminate upon completion of the Project’s

construction.

The Airports Authority has expressed to VDOT an interest in placing cameras,

sensors and related equipment on the structures holding these new VDOT signs at

some point in the future to facilitate the monitoring of traffic on the DTR and the

DIAAH. VDOT has agreed to allow the Airports Authority to place such

equipment on its new sign structures, so long as the Airports Authority equipment

does not interfere with VDOT’s operations. Language to this effect will be

included in the deed of easement that the Airports Authority issues to VDOT.

VDOT will not be assessed a charge for the easements. The Airports Authority’s

longstanding practice has been to provide easements on its land to governmental

entities at no cost.

CONCLUSION

Staff requests that the Strategic Development Committee approve and recommend

to the Board that it authorize the President and Chief Executive Officer to execute

a permanent easement of approximately 1.13 acres and a temporary easement of

approximately 0.88 acres, across Airports Authority property located within the

Dulles International Airport Access Highway, both as shown on Exhibit A, in

favor of VDOT in connection with its “Transform I-66 Inside the Beltway” project.

Prepared by:

Office of General Counsel

October 2016

Attachment