Planning Office

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Prince William County is a suburban and partly urban community that is experiencing rapid development, which comes with greater needs for stormwater management and long-term considerations for sustainability and resiliency. Green infrastructure offers an opportunity to simultaneously address stormwater management and a range of co-benefits, from climate resilience to better public health outcomes, to green job creation. Its implementation, however, can be limited by current design standard and funding requirements. This study will provide green infrastructure implementation guidance to help PWC promote strategic green infrastructure implementation in planned transportation-related capital improvement projects, as well as recommend potential policy changes for improved green infrastructure funding and implementation on future projects. These recommendations may inform near-term updates to the PWC Design and Construction Standards and intersect with on-going work on the Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan (CESMP). The recommendations will consider anticipated changes to the VA SWM Handbook, VRRM Spreadsheet, and new GI types such as tree planting. Green infrastructure for the purposes of this study refers to rain gardens, permeable pavement, and enhanced landscape/tree planting.

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The  Transportation Land-use Connection Program (TLC) was established by the Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board  (WashCOG- TPB) in 2007 to provide short-term consultant services to local jurisdictions for small planning projects that promote mixed-use, walkable communities and support transportation alternatives. The program offers consultant assistance of $30,000 to $80,000 for planning projects or design projects, and up to $80,000 for design or preliminary engineering projects.

In 2023, the WashCOG TPB awarded a planning study to establish a process for ensuring the infrastructure constructed is in alignment with locally adopted goals for sustainability, resiliency, and climate change mitigation. The project will evaluate green infrastructure alternatives, including permeable surfaces, rain gardens, and landscaping.

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