 Arlington Public Schools will begin welcoming students back into their classrooms on Monday, August 31, 2026, which means there will soon be an increase in children walking, bicycling, and riding the bus to schools throughout Arlington. Transportation safety is a group effort; it takes all of us working together and following the rules of the road to keep our community safe. To learn more, visit our Safe Routes to School page.
As students prepare to return to school on August 31, Arlington County is reminding drivers to use extra caution near schools and be aware of upcoming traffic safety improvements. PhotoSPEED safety cameras have been installed in school zones across Arlington County in phases since fall 2024, and the results have been encouraging. Following camera installations, the data shows that driver speeds and crashes have declined, helping to create safer streets for all.
This fall, Arlington County will expand the program by installing PhotoSPEED safety cameras in 10 new school zone locations. Most of the new cameras will become operational on August 31, the first day of the school year.
To give drivers time to adjust to the new PhotoSPEED cameras, the County will provide a 30-day grace period before citations are issued. As schools reopen, everyone can promote safe driving by slowing down, staying alert, and following posted speed limits in school zones.
Below are the locations of the new PhotoSPEED cameras:
- SB 1500 block of Patrick Henry Dr
- NB 300 block of N George Mason Dr
- NB 2500 block of Military Rd
- NB 2400 block of N Sycamore St
- WB 3200 block of 2nd St S
- SB 2600 block of N Sycamore St
- SB 4700 block of Williamsburg Blvd
- EB 6000 block of Little Falls Rd
- SB 2300 block of Military Rd
- SB 1700 block of N Veitch St*
*The installation and testing of this camera is in progress. Completion is expected by the end of September, and additional information will be provided prior to the camera becoming operational.
Click here to learn more about the PhotoSPEED safety camera program and the full list of locations.
|
 In 2025, Arlington launched a Leading Through Interval (LTI) pilot at two intersections: Wilson Blvd & N Lynn St and Washington Blvd & 10th St N. The pilot introduced a signal timing strategy that provides a longer headstart for people crossing the street. Before/after analysis demonstrated that the LTI allowed more pedestrians to cross before vehicles received a flashing yellow signal, and community feedback indicated positive effects of the pilot. Arlington will add the LTI as a pedestrian crossing safety measure to Arlington’s Multimodal Engineering Safety Toolbox.
To learn more about the pilot results, community feedback, and detailed findings for each location, read the Pilot Data & Community Feedback Wrap-Up Summary.
 The segment of S Four Mile Dr between S George Mason Dr and S Walter Reed Dr will undergo a roadway reconfiguration this fall during routing repaving maintenance work. Planned improvements include the removal of existing medians, the addition of permanent parking on both sides of the roadway, and the installation of center left turn lanes. Repaving is scheduled to begin in early fall. To learn more information, visit the project page.
 As a follow-up to the Tactical Speed Humps pilot, the County will install speed humps and cushions at the following school zone locations:
- 28th Street South near Gunston Middle School
- North Greenbrier Street near Yorktown High School
- South Chesterfield Road near Claremont Elementary School and Wakefield High School
- North Lexington Street near Cardinal Elementary School
- 5th Road North near Ashlawn Elementary School
- 7th Street South near Arlington Montessori Elementary School
- 15th Street North near Washington-Liberty High School
- N Underwood St near Tuckahoe Elementary School and Bishop O’Connell High School
- Fairfax Drive near St. Ann Catholic School
The speed humps and cushions will help reduce vehicle speeds, increase driver yielding behavior, and improve bicyclist and pedestrian crossing safety. Speed cushions have cut through areas to ease access for emergency vehicles. Speed humps do not. The type of device applied depends on roadway features like width, parking, and other factors.
Once they are installed, we will collect after data to understand the effects of the speed cushions on speeds and driver behavior, which will help guide future policies on speed cushions or humps.
The Vision Zero team was at the County Fair! Thank you all who stopped by to learn more about our transportation safety initiatives. We handed out snack facts and e-moto vs. e-bike resources.
As a reminder back to one of our summer campaigns, it’s important to read up on e-devices prior to purchasing for yourself or your teen. E-bikes, E-motos, and E-scooters are not appropriate for children or younger teens. Learn more here.
Interested in part-time employment that will improve safety in the community?
Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) is seeking to hire multiple School Crossing Guards for Arlington Public Schools (APS) located around the County to provide vehicular and pedestrian traffic control and to promote maximum safety efforts in the movement of children to and from schools.
There is a high demand for crossing guards, but not many on staff. Help us increase our capacity to serve school crossings in Arlington! Apply before October 1, 2026.
|
 |
|
Meet Arlington’s Vision Zero mascot: the Cautionary Snail. While traffic safety is a serious issue that impacts people deeply each day, this friendly mascot helps share the message of slowing down in a fun and approachable way.
To get your own Vision Zero lawn sign, please contact jselander@arlingtonva.us for more information on how you can pick up a sign from the County's offices located in Courthouse! Supplies are limited as we are still gauging the community's interest in this initiative.
|
 Below are updates regarding recently installed or upcoming safety projects:
Pilot Safety Projects:
-
Speed Management Pilot Safety Project
- S Courthouse Rd, 5th St S to 8th St S –Installed
- 10thSt N, Arlington Blvd to Washington Blvd- Installed
- Williamsburg Blvd, N Edison St to N George Mason Dr – Installed
- S Carlin Springs Rd, N George Mason Dr to 3rd St S - Upcoming
- N Meade St, Fairfax Dr to 14thSt N - Upcoming
- Washington Blvd, Arlington Blvd Ramp to N Pershing Dr- Upcoming
- S Hayes St, Army Navy Dr to 15thSt S- Upcoming
- S Walter Reed Dr, S Pollard St to S Wakefield St - Upcoming
- S George Mason Dr, 4thSt S to Columbia Pike- Upcoming
-
Westbound Langston Blvd & Fort Myer Dr - Installed
High-Injury Network Safety Audits:
- Langston Blvd from N Oakland St to N Barton St – Audit coming in September 2026
- N/S Carlin Springs Rd from 2nd St N to 7th Rd S/County line – Audited in July 2026, documentation upcoming Summer 2026
- 23rdSt S from S Inge St to Crystal Dr – Audited in April 2026
- S Glebe Rd from Columbia Pike to 24th St S – Audited February 2026
Quick-Build Safety Projects
Safety-Driven Capital Project Updates:
-
Fort Myer Sidewalk Improvements Project: Crews have started preparation for the Fort Myer Sidewalk Improvements project on Fort Myer Drive at Gateway Park, and at two adjacent intersections. This work will make pedestrian and bike travel through the area safer. Construction began in spring of 2026 and will be completed in spring of 2027, as weather allows.
-
Army Navy Drive Protected Bike Lane: In July, the segment at Army Navy Drive from Joyce Street to Memorial Drive was milled and repaved. This will be followed by the installation of pavement markings and traffic control devices. This work will complete a two-way bike lane on Army Navy Drive between South Joyce St and Memorial Drive, and will connect with completed improvements on Army Navy Drive east of South Joyce Street.
-
South Walter Reed Drive Complete Streets Improvements: Construction is in progress with a target for the new traffic signal at S Walter Reed Dr & 9th St S to be in operational before the start of school on August 31.
-
Military Road Safety Improvements: This project will implement safety improvements at three intersections on Military Road: at Nelly Custis Drive, at Marcey Road, and at 36th Road North. In 2021, the project team installed a temporary roundabout as part of a pilot safety initiative. The project is currently under construction to permanently install the roundabout. Final project completion is contingent upon utility companies removing outdated equipment.
-
Lorcom Lane & Vacation Lane Intersection Improvements: This project will enhance safety for people walking, biking, using transit, and driving at this school-zone intersection by installing stop signs on all approaches. The project will also add mountable medians on Lorcom Lane to visually narrow the roadway, calm traffic, and discourage speeding. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the start of the Arlington Public Schools 2026-2027 academic year.
Safety-Driven Signal Phasing Modifications:
- Columbia Pike and S Frederick St: Addition of a westbound protected-permissive left-turn phase – Installed
- Columbia Pike and S Dinwiddie St: Addition of an eastbound protected-permissive left-turn phase – Installed
- 12th St S & S Eads St: Addition of protected eastbound and westbound left-turn as part of the transitway project. – Installed
- 12th St S & S Fern St: Addition of protected westbound, northbound, and southbound left-turn as part of the transitway project. – Installed
Visit the Vision Zero Safety Projects page to learn more about safety-driven quick build projects, capital projects, pilot projects, High-Injury Network safety audits, and more.
Also, check out our Crash Data Dashboard that shows crash data over the last 10 years, how and where we implement safety tools from the multimodal safety toolbox, our various safety initiatives, speed reduction corridors, and where we are doing outreach/engagement.
|
