Long Overdue Safety Improvements on Arlington Blvd + a can't-miss Trail Opportunity
Level of Effort: 5 minutes, at home, in your PJs
Deadline: Tue 11/12 11:59pm

Arlington Boulevard has a long history of crashes between Glebe and Fillmore Street.  There are several uncontrolled intersections, a controlled intersection that lacks turn lanes, and the road often aligns with the rising and setting sun impairing driver visibility.  In 2019 and 2020, VDOT conducted a study of this area under the auspices of their "Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions" or STARS program.  Ironically, rather than selecting a strategic, targeted, or affordable solution to the problems, they chose a $25 million capital project solution to the problem, with a 6 to 8-year wait for funding (more detail from 2020). The project will add left turn lanes to the 50/Irving intersection, a median to prevent left turns into and out of other uncontrolled side street intersections, and extend the left turn lane to Fillmore St. It will also remove driveway access to Arlington Blvd by extending and reconfiguring the service roads, and make some improvements to the Arlington Boulevard Trail.

Well, the wait is coming to an end, and the design for the capital project is moving forward.  While this will be little comfort to the victims of the 3 fatal and 29 severe crashes that took place within the project area since the 2020 study, we still need to make sure that the project moves forward with all haste and solves as many problems as possible within its budget.

Since the 2020 STARS Study, the County has completed the Arlington Boulevard Trails study so there is now a clear guide for trail improvements in the area.  WMATA has also canceled all bus service on Arlington Boulevard, so the bus stop improvements that were originally imagined for this project will not move forward.  This should leave space within the project budget to implement more of the improvements envisioned in the Arlington Boulevard Trail Study and limit the need to do multiple rounds of construction in the area.

Additionally, the project should add pedestrian refuges to the long crosswalks at Fillmore & Irving and shrink the curb radii to slow turning vehicles.

Suggested Feedback

Do you support the project? NO

Textbox beneath that question:

As currently envisioned, this project does much to make things safer for drivers and little to make things any better for people walking and biking.  This project needs to implement the preferred alternatives for the Arlington Boulevard Trail: widening the trail to 11' where possible without disturbing mature trees, adding the new trail connection on the south side from Glebe Road, and building the new bypass trail beneath the existing pedestrian bridge connecting to Glebe to Irving Street.

Additionally, it devotes way more impervious surface to cars than is necessary.  The dedicated right turn lane onto Irving Street is no longer necessary with the bus stop gone.  The service road only needs to be 20' wide not 22.5' wide.  The extension of the westbound left turn lane is insane.  Left-turn traffic never backs up that far.

Pedestrian refuges should be provide as part of the crosswalks at Fillmore St and Irving Street. The curb radii shown are too large and encourage cars to turn through the trail crosswalks at high speeds. They should be shrunk, particularly at non-arterials intersections.

Thank you for your time, these changes would be make this project an improvement for all users, rather than just for drivers.

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