The Virginia Dept. of Transportation is putting new measures in place to reduce pedestrian accidents and improve safety on Richmond Highway.
VDOT is lowering the speed limit on Richmond Highway through Fairfax County — about 7 miles of roadway — from 45 mph to 35 mph. Without traffic lights, traveling those 7 miles should take 12 minutes at 35 mph instead of slightly more than 9 minutes at 45 mph.
The goal of the reduction is "to optimize safety and operations for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and transit users." A committee studying the stretch of road recommended the speed reduction "due in part to the segment’s high crash rate.
The team also found that Richmond Highway between Buckman Road/Mount Vernon Highway and the Alexandria southern city limits had a higher incidence of pedestrian/bicycle crashes and speed-related crashes compared to other sections of Richmond Highway," according to information provided by VDOT and Fairfax County DOT.
While Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said the decision was right, he was disappointed in the process. "While I strongly support the need for safety improvements on Richmond Highway, and support the public engagement done at the beginning of this process, I am very disappointed in the lack of public engagement when the study was completed and a final decision to lower the speed was made," he wrote in an email to residents earlier this month.
