FABB applauds the Fairfax County Trails, Sidewalks and Bikeways Committee, which recently wrote the Board of Supervisors to urge more urgency on addressing pedestrian safety issues along the Route 1 Corridor. In particular, the committee noted that VDOT had made insufficient progress in enacting one of the most important risk reduction and pedestrian safety measures available– reducing the speed limit. [See the letter below.]
The extra push is needed even though VDOT officials appear to be ready to recommend a speed limit reduction along a nearly eight-mile stretch of Richmond Highway based on a study of six years of traffic data and more recent average driver speed. The study looked at seven points along the roadway and presented data on the top speed at which 50% of vehicles travel. In all but one point, most drivers traveled below the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour because of traffic and other conditions. See this Alexandria Living article and the VDOT study website for more details.
VDOT has hosted public information meetings to discuss the safety recommendations to drop the speed limit from 45 to 35 miles per hour and elicit feedback from nearby residents and commuters. You can view a video of one of the most recent meetings here.
A final report will be released this fall, but VDOT is accepting comments on the study until August 1, 2022..
FABB encourages local riders and others who travel along that unsafe portion of Richmond Highway to let VDOT know that you support the speed reduction. To comment on the study, send an email to [email protected] (and put “Richmond Highway (Route 1) Speed Limit Study in Fairfax County” in the subject line) or visit the VDOT Route 1 Speed Limit Study website.
Don’t wait. Act now to make bicycling safer in Fairfax County.
