Optical velocity bars meant to Decelerate drivers have been put in on Lee Chapel Road in Fairfax Station (by way of Pat Herrity/Twitter)
Requires safety enhancements on Lee Chapel Road in Fairfax Station have resurfaced Inside the wake of final week’s automotive crash that killed two teenagers and put A third Inside the hospital.
As An internet-based mostly petition urging Fairfax County to prioritize common upmaintain and new safety options surpassed 12,000 signalatures, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity — who represents The world — met with state and county transportation staff To debate brief, mid and prolonged-time period decisions for addressing prolonged-standing safety considerations.
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck and Del. Kathy Tran (D-42) additionally attended the meeting yesterday (Wednesday).
“Each VDOT and County staff acquired here to the meeting with ideas for enhancing The safety of the road and Shall be working To deal with the feasibility and timing Of these potential enhancements collectively with these useful by residents,” Herrity tweeted, including that one other meeting Shall be held subsequent week.
Each VDOT and County staff acquired here to the meeting with ideas for enhancing The safety of the road and Shall be working To deal with the feasibility and timing Of these potential enhancements collectively with these useful by residents.
— Supervisor Pat Herrity (@PatHerrity) January 18, 2023
A key connection between Lorton by way of Route 123 and the Burke/Fairfax Station space, Lee Chapel Road has been The state of affairs of 243 car crashes since 2011, Ensuing in 148 accidents and two deaths, Based on state knowledge.
That options the lethal Jan. 10 crash, the place a sedan veered off the road the placeas going over a hill approaching the Fairfax County Parkway intersection, Based on police. The crash killed 16-yr-previous South County Highschool college students Ariana Haftsavar and Ashlyn Brotemarkle, who have been recognized publicly by househprevious and pals.
Started by classmates of Ariana and Ashlyn, the petition says native residents have been questioning the road’s safety for yrs, noting that a 19-yr-previous died in a crash On The identical intersection in 2015.
“The reply for this battle is To maintain the road maintained frequently by doing one factor huge like placing in safety options to one factor small like filling in potholes,” the petition says. “Safety options embrace indicators that blink Everytime You are to Decelerate at flips, road lights, safety indicators earlier than the road begins, and guardrails.”
After the final week’s crash, the Virginia Division of Transportation added “optical velocity bars” on the road final Friday (Jan. 13). The striped markings are thought To Scale again velocitys on curves with an optical phantasm that makes drivers Aware of How briskly they’re going.
“We’re saddened To Take heed to of The briefage of two of our group members,” VDOT said in A press launch. “As is customary, we permit time for the police department To utterly examine the crash To Search out out the particulars, circumstances, and set off. As quickly as we acquire the finalized police report, our Visitors Engineering group will carry out A safety consider of the location.”
In accordance to VDOT, there have been a quantity of signalage and marking modifications on the road In current occasions, collectively with a pilot research that put in optical velocity bars on a half-mile stretch between Route 123 and Fairfax County Parkway in March 2006.
Completely different modifications have embraced:
- 45 mph indicators changed with 40 mph indicators in March 2005
- Markings and signalage enhanced in August 2006, collectively with proper flip lane marking and “Right Lane Should Turn Right” signalage on southbound Lee Chapel Road Earlier to Pond Level Drive
- Curve warning, advisory velocity (30 mph) and object marker signalage was added northbound in October 2006, collectively with “Hill Blocks View” and “School Bus Cease Forward” indicators
- Painted and put in “pork chop island” southbound in 2014 To deal with drivers using it to bypass by way of traffic and The biggest flip arrows have been repainted
- Installed flip lane arrows and repainted “pork chop island” in proper lane to Pond Level Drive in Might 2015
- “Do not Block Intersection” signal put in northbound at Pond Level Drive in November 2017
However, extra substantial modifications to the road designal have but to materialize.
A critical overhaul Which may widen the road from two to 4 lanes between Route 123 and the parkway stays unfunded. Herrity useful the enterprise for inclusion on the county’s Transportation Priorities Plan (TPP) in 2017 after the lethal 2015 crash.
“That is Definitely one of Pretty A pair of roads Inside the district and countywide That are left over from Fairfax County’s previouser, rural previous That Can be unsafe in trendy occasions with our greater traffic volumes and faster automobiles,” he said. “My objective is to make this road safer for all of our drivers Inside the brief time period the placeas I work to fund The final phrase enhancements to take away the hills and curves Associated to these tragedies.”
Together with widening the road, the enterprise would “enhance the alignment, take away the hills…and add curb and gutter As properly as to pedestrian enhancements,” Herrity tprevious FFXnow by e-mail.
The Lee Chapel widening Isn’t Amongst The numerous dozens of tasks embraced in a draft replace of the TPP that was launched to the Board of Supervisors’ transportation committee on Sept. 30.
A Gofundme started by a househprevious good friend of Ariana To assist her mom and father with funeral prices is nearing its $20,000 objective. A memorial service Shall be held on Sunday (Jan. 22). A service for Ashlyn was held final Evening time.