Vision Zero in Arlington County -- June Updates

June 2021 – Vision Zero Updates 

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As part of the adoption of Vision Zero the County is taking many steps to improve safety. Read below to learn more about ongoing safety efforts throughout the County. 

We’ve adopted the Action Plan! Now what?  

On May 15, the County Board unanimously adopted the five-year Vision Zero Action Plan. The Action Plan sets a roadmap for this all-community effort to make our streets, trails, and pathways safer and will be tracked through regular assessment and reporting.  

Moving forward, look out for program and safety project updates on the Vision Zero website. We will also send out feedback opportunities through this listserv (and other County channels) to gather and use feedback to steer aspects of the program moving forward.  

This email is the first official monthly Vision Zero implementation update. At the beginning of each month, we will give you a glimpse of the safety projects and activities we’re working on to help get closer to our target of zero transportation deaths or serious injuries on Arlington’s transportation network. Stay tuned and be safe!  

 

Arlington’s First Floating Bus Stop – Here’s How it Works  

Arlington County installed its first floating bus stop on Wilson Blvd at N Pierce St this week. This project was identified as part of the redevelopment project at 1555 Wilson Blvd. 

The purpose of the floating bus stop is to improve safety for people using the bike lanes and streamline transit service operations. There is a protected bike lane along this portion of westbound Wilson Blvd. When it was first built, the bus stop interrupted the protected bike lane, so bicyclists and buses needed to carefully merge to allow for safe loading and unloading.  

Now, the floating bus stop provides a dedicated waiting and boarding areas for passengers, and the bike lane has continuous protection. People using the bus stop will cross the bike lane and board the bus from the elevated bus platform. This new configuration allows buses to remain in the travel lane while picking up/dropping off passengers, which enhances bus travel time and reduces merging. 

This is a great example of Vision Zero safety strategies implemented in partnership with developers through the County’s site planning process. We are very excited to make our streets work safely for all users and look forward to bringing more innovative designs like floating bus stops to our streets in the future.  

 

Red Lanes Mean “Bus-Only” 

To improve safety and operations and safety at bus stops and on bus lanes, the County recently installed red markings that identify bus-only lanes. Cars often travel or park in designated bus areas, which can slow down the bus boarding process and also create unsafe or inaccessible loading conditions for bus riders if they cannot board at the designated stop. The red bus lanes give drivers clear notice that the lane is for buses only. The new locations that have red bus-only markings are:  

• N Moore St in Rosslyn  
• 27th Street S. and Potomac Avenue in Crystal City 
• 33rd Street S. and Crystal Drive in Crystal City 
• Hayes Street and 12th Street S. in Pentagon City 
• Crystal Drive and 26th Street S. in Crystal City 
• 15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street in Courthouse 
• Clarendon Blvd and N. Uhle Street in Courthouse 
• Wilson Blvd and N. Uhle Street in Courthouse 

 

Noticing More Crosswalks in your Neighborhood?  

Arlington County recently installed stop lines at all intersections and high visibility markings at four-way stop intersections in the southern section of Arlington, totaling 83 high visibility crosswalks and 340 stop bars so far in 2021. 

These markings help us increase awareness of safe behaviors for all modes at intersections. People are reminded to look out for people walking, driving, biking, or scooting at intersections when there is a marked crosswalk—and when there is a stop, come to a complete stop.

Over the next year, we will continue this effort by marking stop bars at all intersections and install high visibility crossings at all four-way stops in the northern part of Arlington. Additionally, we’re working to upgrade crosswalks at all signalized intersections to high-visibility markings and upgrade all unsignalized, multi-lane crossings to include high visibility markings, yield lines, and crossing signage to provide advanced warning to motorists approaching these crosswalks. 

Better markings are a first step towards making our streets and trails safer for all users, and help make our intersections more predictable and understandable for people walking, biking, and driving. 

 

Lorcom Lane Pilot Project Engagement Now Open 

The Lorcom Lane Walkability Pilot was installed in March 2021 to provide a dedicated space for people walking and those using mobility devices on the north side of Lorcom Lane, between N. Oakland Street and N. Quebec Street.

Now, the Vision Zero team is asking for your feedback on the pilot project. What’s working? What could be improved? The input we gather at this stage will provide a public perspective on the effectiveness of the pilot project and help inform decisions on the future for this segment of our transportation network. 

Share your feedback and help us make our school walk zones safer for everyone:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LNKB5XT  

 

Traffic Gardens: Growing Traffic Awareness One Kid at a Time 

Three cheers for our wonderful partners at Arlington County Public Schools for helping to build temporary traffic gardens at Hoffman-Boston and Arlington Traditional School. These projects were both funded by a Virginia Safe Routes to School Mini-Grant. Taking the lead on this community knowledge building project were APS Safe Routes to School, APS Facilities and Operations, Discover Traffic Gardens, Potomac and Chesapeake Cycling, Phoenix Bikes, Arlington Families for Safe Streets, Kidical Mass ARL, and BikeArlington.  

A traffic garden is a mini-sized transportation network with directions and signage. The traffic garden provides as a safe, kid-friendly environment for students to learn understand how to safely and lawfully walk, bike, and roll on real streets from an early age.