2017 vdot repaving and restriping-springfield, va: bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety...

County of Fairfax, Virginia

2017 VDOT Repaving and Restriping – Springfield, VA

MARCH 28, 2017ADAM LIND – PROJECT MANAGER

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Traffic Safety Improvements


Overview•Why are we here?•What projects are being proposed?•Where are we in the process?•What are we asking from the community?•What are the next steps?

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 2


VDOT Annual Repaving•VDOT Summer repaving includes several roads in the Hunter Mill District. Opportunity to review pavement markings and street design. Proposals are limited to restriping the existing pavement.

•Opportunity to slow speeding traffic, provide transportation options, and improve traffic, bicycle, and pedestrian safety

•No additional cost for the County

•Want to hear from the community about issues/concerns• Some concerns may be addressed through restriping

For information on all paving in Lee District visit:www.virginiaroads.org


http://www.virginiaroads.org/


•Commerce Street ◦Old Keene Mill to Franconia Road – 1.2 mi

•Loisdale Road◦Franconia Road to Spring Mall Dr – 0.4 mi


Streets Under Review



Bicycle Master PlanAdopted by the Board of SupervisorsOctober 28, 2014

Bike Lanes

Bike Lanes

Bike Lanes Sharrow


Bicycle Facility Types

•Sharrow•Climbing Lane•Striped Shoulder•Bike Lane•Buffered Bike Lane More dedicated space and comfort

Less dedicated space and comfort


Bicycle Facility Types Sharrow-Shared Lane Markings (SLMs), or “sharrows,” are road markings used to indicate a shared lane environment for bicycles and automobiles. Among other benefits shared lane markings reinforce the legitimacy of bicycle traffic on the street, recommend proper bicyclist positioning, and may be configured to offer directional and wayfinding guidance


Bicycle Facility Types Striped Shoulder-Creates dedicated space to be used by people bicycling. 3’-4’ in width, but not the full width of a bike lane (5’). Added benefit of creating additional buffer space between vehicles and people walking on the sidewalk.


Bicycle Facility Types Bike Lane-Bike lanes designate an exclusive space for bicyclists through the use of pavement markings and signage. The bike lane is located adjacent to motor vehicle travel lanes and flows in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic.


Bicycle Facility Types Climbing Lane-A climbing lane incorporates two different facilities on the same roadway segment; a bike lane is provided in the uphill direction to accommodate slower moving bicyclists and a sharrow is provided in the downhill direction, where bicyclists can typically travel at a speed closer to motorists.


Bicycle Facility Types Buffered Bike Lane-Buffered bike lanes are conventional bicycle lanes paired with a designated buffer space separating the bicycle lane from the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane and/or parking lane.


Lane Diets


A Lane Diet is generally described as narrowing travel lanes from a roadway and utilizing the space for other uses and travel modes. Does not involve reducing the number of travel lanes Benefits

◦ Providing transportation alternatives and options◦ Increasing safety for non-motorized users◦ Reduce speeding

County of Fairfax, VirginiaLane Width and Vehicle Speeds



Road Diet• Removing travel lanes from a roadway and

reallocating the space for other uses

• Rule of thumb: Roads with less than 20,000 vehicles per day don’t need four (or more) travel lanes

• Have now implemented road diets in several places in Fairfax County◦ Lawyers Rd, Soapstone Dr, Kingstowne Village Parkway, Westbranch

Dr, Greensboro Dr, Park Run Dr, Beacon Hill Road, Ravensworth Rd



Commerce Street- Existing


•Old Keene Mill to Franconia Rd•Fall 2016 Traffic Count: 10,500 vehicles per day (vpd)• VDOT 2015: 23,000 vpd between Backlick

Rd and Franconia Rd

•Speed Limit: 35 MPH•Three segments:

• 1) Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue• 2) Amherst Avenue to Brandon Avenue• 3) Brandon Avenue to Old Keene Mill



•Section 1) Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue

Commerce Street - Existing



Segment 1 Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue: 10,500 vpd

Commerce St– Traffic & Speed Data

Southbound DirectionSpeed Limit: 35 mph

85th Percentile: 37 mph76% Traffic: ≤ 35 mph19% Traffic: 36-40 mph4% Traffic: 41-45 mph0.5% Traffic: 46-50 mph

Northbound DirectionSpeed Limit: 35 mph

85th Percentile: 38 mph67% Traffic: ≤ 35 mph24% Traffic: 36-40 mph7% Traffic: 41-45 mph1% Traffic: 46-50 mph



•1) Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue• Convert the outside travel lane in each direction to a buffered bike lane• Evaluate the addition of two new crosswalks with potential concrete refuge island (funded, but separate

from repaving and restriping)

•2) Amherst Avenue to Brandon Avenue• Narrow the existing travel lanes to 11’• Add bike lane east bound towards the bridge• Shared lane/sharrow west bound away from the bridge

•3) Brandon Avenue to Old Keene Mill• Narrow the existing travel lanes to 11’• Create 4’ shoulder for bicycle use



•Section 1) Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue• Convert the outside travel lane in each direction to a buffered bike lane• Evaluate the addition of two new crosswalks with potential concrete refuge island (funded, but separate


•Section 2) Amherst Avenue to Brandon Avenue• Narrow the existing travel lanes to 11’• Add bike lane east bound towards the bridge• Shared lane/sharrow west bound away from the bridge

•Section 3) Brandon Avenue to Old Keene Mill• Narrow the existing travel lanes to 11’• Create 4’ shoulder for bicycle use

Commerce Street- Proposed



•Section 1) Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue (street width varies)


Existing Proposed



•Old Keene Mill Intersection• No changes to the lane configuration approaching the intersection




•Amherst Avenue Intersection


Existing Proposed

Through+ right

Through+ right



•Section 1) Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue•Road Diet benefits everyone by:

• Improving sight distance• Shortening crossing distance• Reducing # of travel lanes to cross in a vehicle or on foot• Providing refuge space• Creating buffer between travel cars and vehicles• Creating dedicated space for people to safely bicycle• Reducing top end speeding



Traffic Impacts• Intersections evaluated on average delay or Level of

Service (LOS)• Intersections grade A-F, based off LOS• Proposed changing of signal timing to

mitigate loss of one through lane EBLevel of Service

Average Delay

A <10 sec

B >10-20 sec

C >20-35 sec

D >35-55 sec

E >55-80 sec

F >80 sec

County of Fairfax, VirginiaTraffic Impacts – Commerce St

AM LOS Existing

AM LOS Road Diet

PM LOS Existing

PM LOS Road Diet

Amherst Ave

D(42.5 sec)

D(44.2 sec)

D(47.5 sec)

D(50.5 sec)

• Eastbound Commerce St at Amherst Avenue

• Eastbound Commerce St 50% que length changed from 74’ to 151’ (AM) and 84’ to 196’ (PM)

• VDOT has ability to change signal timing to mitigate delay impact from changing lane configuration



•Section 2) Amherst Avenue to Brandon Avenue•Amherst Avenue to Backlick Rd

• Was repaved in 2015 when Amherst Ave and Backlick Ave were repaved

• No proposed changes at this time, but may be able to add sharrows sharrows




•Backlick Rd to Brandon Avenue• Narrow Travel Lanes, EB bike lane, WB sharrow

Existing Proposed




•Section 3) Brandon Avenue to Old Keene Mill• Narrow Travel Lanes, 4’ striped shoulder in each direction (5’ in

some places)Existing Proposed


Shoulder

Shoulder



•1) Old Keene Mill to Amherst Avenue• Convert the outside travel lane in each direction to a buffered bike lane• Evaluate the addition of two new crosswalks with potential concrete refuge island (funded, but separate


•2) Amherst Avenue to Brandon Avenue• Narrow the existing travel lanes to 11’• Add bike lane east bound towards the bridge• Shared lane/sharrow west bound away from the bridge

•3) Brandon Avenue to Old Keene Mill• Narrow the existing travel lanes to 11’• Create 4’ shoulder for bicycle use


Loisdale Road - Existing


•Franconia Rd to Spring Mall Dr•VDOT 2015: 23,000 vpd

•Speed Limit: 35 MPH•Two segments:

• 1) Franconia Rd to Loisdale Ct• 2) Loisdale Ct to Spring Mall Dr



•Section 1) Franconia Road to Loisdale Ct




•Section 1) Franconia Road to Loisdale Ct• Narrow Travel Lanes, 5’ bike lanes in each direction

Existing Proposed

Loisdale Road - Proposed



•Section 2) Loisdale Ct to Spring Mall Drive




•Section 2) Loisdale Ct to Spring Mall Drive• Keep travel lanes at same width, add sharrows


Existing Proposed


Past Repaving Projects2015 Road Diet Project – Westbranch Drive•Pre-Project Conditions• Five travel lanes 12’ wide

•Post-Project Conditions• Three travel lanes 12’ wide• Two buffered (6’) bike lanes 6’ wide


County of Fairfax, Virginia2015 Project – Westbranch Drive: Before


County of Fairfax, Virginia2015 Project – Westbranch Drive: After



Past Repaving Projects2015 Lane Diet Project-Annandale Road•Pre-Project Conditions• Two travel lanes 16’+ wide•Two parking lanes 8’ wide

•Post-Project Conditions• Two travel lanes 11’ wide• Two bike lanes 5’ wide• Two parking lanes 8’ wide


County of Fairfax, Virginia2015 Project-Annandale Road: Before


County of Fairfax, Virginia2015 Project-Annandale Road: After



After – Annandale Rd


Post Lane Diet + Bike Lanes•Speed/Traffic counts at two locations in Fall 2016

•Highest average speed was 35 mph

•No 85% percentile speed over 39 mph


Big Picture


“Safety in numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer walking and bicycling” Peter Jacobsen, 2000

•Research in the US and internationally shows that when more people walk/bike the safer it becomes


Big Picture



Next Steps•Comment period open for two weeks

• April 14, 2017

•FCDOT and VDOT will review input and update designs•Finalize design plans spring 2017 and repaving occurs in summer/fall 2017



How to Comment•Fill out comment sheets and submit tonight•Mail comment sheets in over next three weeks•E-mail comments to [email protected] •Presentation will be available online: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/bike/commerce-loisdale-streetsimprovements2017.htm

Thank You for Participating


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/bike/commerce-loisdale-streetsimprovements2017.htm



2017 vdot repaving and restriping-springfield, va: bicycle, pedestrian, and traffic safety...

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