Shrevewood Elementary students walking to school.
FABB is pleased to report that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced recently that it will fund a planning study for Shreve Road. As part of the project, a VDOT traffic engineering consultant will review conditions along the expanse from Route 29 (Lee Highway) to Route 7 (Leesburg Pike), obtain inputs from local residents, and identify possible safety and traffic solutions. The Shreve Road Community Working Group has been an active advocate for improving safety on this dangerous street and shared the VDOT news with us.
Shreve Road has been the scene of numerous crashes and injuries, including the tragic August 2019 incident in which an impaired motorist struck and killed a 60-year old Falls Church woman while she was walking along an adjacent path. Since 2015, there have been 42 crashes on the roadway, 19 of which involved injuries. An additional 30 crashes per year go unreported in cases where property damage is less than $1500 and no one is injured. In October 2019, VDOT agreed to reduce the speed limit on a portion of Shreve Road by 5 MPH, but the bulk of the 2.5 mile corridor remains 35 MPH.
December Town Hall. Photo courtesy of Tysons Reporter.
The VDOT decision follows months of efforts by the Shreve Group to draw attention to the road’s hazardous conditions. In December of 2019, with assistance from Delegate Marcus Simon, the Shreve Group submitted a summary of community concerns to VDOT and participated in a town hall with local residents. The Shreve Group has prioritized the need for improved infrastructure to allow children to safely access Shrevewood Elementary School and cyclists and pedestrians to securely approach crossings for the W&OD trail. The Shreve Group has also highlighted the dangers at multiple 90-degree turns along the road.
The Shreve Group is a coalition of over 300 community members and eight community associations working to improve the safety of Shreve Road. Members include residents from streets on and near Shreve Road, as well as the neighborhood associations of Falls Hill, Holly Crest, Poplar Heights, Highland Estates, Westwood Park, Dominion Heights, Poplar Heights Recreation Association, and the Shrevewood Elementary PTA. You can learn more about the group and efforts here.
