Accident highlights safety concerns on Little River Turnpike
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| An accident on Little River Turnpike May 22. [Photo by Rob Snowhite] |
People who live on both sides of Little River Turnpike (Route 236) just east of central Annandale are concerned about safety as too many cars are speeding down the road.
Just this week there were two major accidents, including one this morning that shut down the road for hours.
A Toyota Matrix driven by a 19-year-old female heading east on 236 and turning left onto Pinecrest Vista Drive hit a Honda Pilot at about 9 a.m., causing the other driver to lose control and strike a utility pole, reports Fairfax County Police spokesperson Bud Walker.
The driver of the Honda, a 28-year-old man, was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Walker said. The driver of the Matrix was found to be at fault for not yielding the right of way. She was not injured.
Rob Snowhite, a resident of Pinecrest, says lots of people exceed the 35 mph speed limit on 236 and ignore the red light and pedestrian crossing at Pinecrest Vista Drive. “It’s a dangerous intersection that needs to be monitored regularly police,” he says.
Another nearby resident said cars rarely stop for pedestrians, making it hard to cross the street in time to catch the bus.
Mason Supervisor Penny Gross noted that there already is a lighted walk signal, known as a “ped head,” in that spot but agreed that more needs to be done to improve safety.
Gross said issue of pedestrian safety on Pinecrest Vista Drive came up at a meeting of the Pinecrest HOA May 20, and members of her staff and VDOT will be on that site tomorrow to look at the potential for improved signage.
Gross also said she is working with the county to get more ped heads installed and her long-term goal is to improve sidewalk trail access all over Mason District and, in particular, to install a sidewalk on Little River Turnpike all the way from Lincolnia to the George Mason Library.
And now we know why the power was out in Annandale for hours this morning. Sigh.
It may also help keep golfers and dog-walkers (among other pedestrians) to allow a right turn lane at the Braddock Rd, Little River Turnpike intersection so people don't cut through the golf course parking lot – again, at speeds not suitable for a parking lot!!
The reason the turn lane was eliminated was because cars weren't slowing down for pedestrians.
Too much speeding. too much red light running, only a handful of drivers to yield to pedestrians at unsignalized crosswalks (do they even know they are supposed to?) failure to signal, and of course the ever popular sport of SUV's sitting blocking the crosswalks. Much more enforcement is needed. And maybe some serious lane narrowing/traffic calming. Is this a street for people who live here, who walk and bike and take the bus and make short trips by car, or a road to funnel people between the neighborhoods west of the beltway and Alexandria?
Little River TURNPIKE is the name of the street. Not Lane or Circle, or Path, or Place….nothing that indicates it was ever built for or ever will be meant for walking or biking. Yes it is a TURNPIKE that funnels cars West to the beltway and East to 395, and will never be a local Path. If you want to use it, get in your car and obey the rules of the road. This DRIVER clearly did not and CAUSED an accident. Little River Turnpike had nothing to do with her negligence to yield the right of way.
I'll echo the last comment. This is a major routed throughfare in NoVa similar to Braddock Road or evne 29 or 50. This is not a typical negihborhood road and pedestrians should be vigilent. I would never walk my dog or take my kids along 236. The main focus of this road should be vehicular traffic throughput as it is designed. An up to six lane divided highway
The intersection of 236 and Braddock Road. They just spent a ton of money redoing that intersection so there aren't going to be any changes for a while there.