Vision Zero in Arlington County - Summer Updates

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Vision Zero in Arlington

July/August 2022

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Slow Down to Save Lives in Arlington

speed graphic for vision zero

 

Speeding may save a SMALL amount of time, but it has a BIG impact on the severity of a crash. Driving the speed limit is the #1 thing that you can do to reduce severe and fatal crashes in our community. Learn more about Arlington’s Vision Zero Critical Crash Campaign here.

 


School has Started - Slow Down!

school bus slow zone

Arlington County students were back in session on Monday, Aug. 29. The Vision Zero team has been hard at work encouraging safe travel for these students, parents, and teachers by implementing School Slow Zones around the county.

 

In 2021, the Vision Zero team installed School Slow Zones for 13 county schools. These zones use signs and markings to indicate new permanent speed limits of 20 miles per hour on neighborhood streets that are within 600 feet of a major access point to a school.   

 

Plans for Phase 2 are currently underway to introduce Slow Zones to ten additional schools this year. The project team will continue implementing Slow Zones at approximately ten schools each year until they are in place at all schools in the county.

 

Please do your part to keep children safe in our community by adhering to speed limits and school zone signs and markings this month and throughout the school year.  

 


Intersection, Signal Changes Come to Key Corridors

The Vision Zero team has delivered proactive safety interventions along four key county streets, all part of Arlington's High Injury Network. No Right Turn on Red signage for streets crossing these arterial streets and adjusting pedestrian signals to provide a head start, or Leading Pedestrian Interval, for people crossing at any leg

of intersections along these corridors.

 

The corridors that received these treatments are:

  • Columbia Pike, from the County line to Washington Blvd
  • Fairfax Drive, from N. Glebe Road and N. Kirkwood Dr
  • Clarendon Blvd, between N. Highland Street and Ft. Myer Drive / Wilson Blvd
  • Wilson Blvd, between N. Glebe Rd and Ft. Myer Drive
person crossing with leading pedestrian interval during red light

Together these changes use proven safety interventions to substantially increase safety for people walking, taking transit and driving, while minimizing additional delay for all road users.

 

Safety data show that turning movements at intersections between arterial roads and side streets are a major contributor to severe crashes in corridors with high volumes of pedestrians. This was particularly true for these two corridors, where the combination of high pedestrian volumes and high vehicle volumes made the right turn on red movement challenging and unsafe for people walking and driving. While some intersections along these two corridors already had No Turn on Red signage, there was little consistency from street to street.

 

By implementing these two safety interventions on side streets throughout these corridors, the County is advancing a systemic approach to safety and creating a consistent experience and set of expectations for all road users.


Crystal City Bike Network Final Plan Released

The county began investigating updates to the Crystal City bike plan in Spring of 2020. After two years of study, engagement, and community feedback, the final plan and implementation timeline for the Crystal City Bike Network has been released.

 

Final map of the CCBN planned bike network

The first segments of the bike network will be implemented later this year through spot improvements and the annual repaving program. They will include:

  • 26th St S westbound buffered bike lane between S Clark and Crystal Dr
  • Flexible bollards along standard bike lane on Crystal Dr between 15th St S and 18th St S
  • Interim bike lane on 23rd St S
  • Two -way protected cycle track S Clark Street on between 23rd – 27th Street S

 

For more information on the CCBN, please visit the project page.

 


What We’re Working On

Under Construction

  • Intersection improvements and transit stop upgrades for the Bluemont Junction Trail at N. Kensington Street

 

Recently Completed

 

completed quick build safety project at N. George Mason Drive and Yorktown Blvd

 

Visit the Vision Zero Safety Projects page to learn more about safety-driven quick build projectss, capital projects, pilot projects, High-Injury Network safety audits, and more.