Braddock Road needs traffic calming
A driver crashed into this sign on Braddock Road. [Photos: Richard Zambito]
A sign put up on Braddock Road in Parklawn urging drivers to watch out for pedestrians last week was knocked down by a vehicle that jumped the curb just four days later.
That symbolizes the dangerous conditions on Braddock Road and the failure of transportation officials to take real action, says Braddock Road resident Richard Zambito.
The sign, on Braddock between the Columbia Pike service road and Arcadia Road, is still down. And while the sign says “Yield to pedestrians in crosswalk,” there is no crosswalk at that spot.
Zambito says nearly all his neighbors who’ve parked on Braddock Road in recent years had their vehicles destroyed or damaged by speeding cars.
“We’re terrified to park on the street,” he says. The utility pole in front of this house has been knocked down, too.
Zambito and other residents have been complaining for years about the need for traffic calming measures on Braddock Road, He requested a stop sign, speed camera, and crosswalk at the Braddock/Arcadia intersection,
The Virginia Department of Transportation told him traffic calming “is not warranted” at that location. “VDOT doesn’t want to do anything,” he says.
According to Zambito, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation won’t consider traffic calming on roads with more than 6,000 vehicles a day. Braddock Road has 7,500 to 8,000.
About 10 years ago, he worked with Mason Supervisor Penny Gross’ office to get an additional parking lane put in and to have the fine raised to $200 for speeding – but that isn’t enough. Cars are still speeding, he says, because the police aren’t there enforcing the speed limit.
“VDOT and FCDOT are the problem,” Zambito says. When he requested a permanent solar-powered electronic speed check sign, “they claimed they don’t have the money for that.”
26 responses to “Braddock Road needs traffic calming”
Leave a reply
I would say that this knocking down of a sign does not symbolize the dangerous conditions. This is a total overreaction as usual to any traffic problem. Knocking down the sign points out that somebody was not paying attention to their driving and they went off the road. I have been driving for 60 years, and so far I have managed to avoid knocking down any stationary sign on the side of the road. That is because I pay attention to my driving, don’t text while driving, don’t shave, put on makeup, etc. as I am driving. I love Penny raising the traffic fines. When was the last time you saw a patrol officer stop someone for speeding? Maybe someone needs to figure out how to address distracted driving.
You do that by having cameras and patrols enforcing speed and pulling over the crazies. You also do that by dropping the limits down to 35 mph like they have on LRT where it turns to Duke Street. High volume roads need to be slowed down.
I am okay with patrols, not so for cameras. I got a ticket from a camera in Fairfax last month – first one ever. It came 3 weeks after the alleged incident. I was going 36 mph, so I am pretty sure I thought the speed limit was 35 there. Of course, I have no recourse. I don’t remember much about that day or what exactly was happening at that time. I can’t believe I missed a 25 mph speed limit on Rt 50, but apparently I did. I would have liked the chance to learn on the spot or defend myself on the spot rather than having a computer decide my fate. Fa. County does not want to provide some resources to checking speeds.
LOL
“Pay attention while driving” deserves the Fairfax county driver of the year award. They don’t speed and never text while driving, so that means the people who all live along Braddock Rd and were interviewed about the traffic problems THEIR neighborhood are wrong or lying. *eye roll*
Good luck getting FCPD to do anything. Won’t ever happen. They have their designated speed traps that they hang out in, and other areas that are dangerous to pedestrians and drivers are just perpetually unmonitored.
You wokesters ruined policing. No complaining now. Bask in the lawlessness you created.
The police created the lawlessness by not doing the job they are paid for. They want to work without accountability or they won’t work at all.
Exactly. Our police respond to crimes and incidents after they happen. Nothing more. We have an entire force of incident report writers that we are paying salaries, pensions, and benefits to. They could patrol all of our dangerous, high-volume streets far more often than they do, which is hardly ever.
Dawna, if you believe that, than you must be a strong 2A supporter.
Let me bring some perspective to this discussion:
1. This is the third traffic sign that I know about that has been plowed down on the east side of Braddock Rd between the south Arcadia/Braddock Rd intersection and the Columbia Pike/Braddock Rd intersection. All documented and reported to the Mason Supervisor’s office. Additionally, there was a power pole split in half in front of my home leaving us without power for a day on a hot June day. The sign that is illustrated in this post was placed by FDOT about two weeks ago to warn drivers of the crosswalk that traverses Columbia Pike at Braddock Road. My argument is, what good is a sign if there is no enforcement. There should be a crosswalk that connects the relative recent VDOT sidewalk ADA curb cuts that are not supported by a crosswalk that could traverse the western side of Braddock Rd with the north Arcadia/Braddock Rd intersection.
2. The speed limit is 25 MPH on this portion of Braddock Rd. It is totally ignored. The VDOT/FDOT engineering report states that the avg speed to be somewhere between 34 to 37 MPH. I have done my own monitoring when a temporary speed check trailer was put on the east side of the street, and most vehicles clocked close to 40 MPH.
3. I agree, a big part of this problem has been driver distraction, but these incidents had been happening before the advent of the smartphone. This is a problem that is NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.
4. My take, given the increased number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, it is clear we have an epidemic problem. VDOT/FDOT needs to bring their thinking and planning to address current traffic/pedestrian safety issues rather than default to strategies that are decades old and no longer effective. Most transportation agencies have a huge toolbox of traffic calming measures such as electronic speed check signs, stop signs, speed bumps (can’t be used on Braddock Rd because it is an EMS roadway) etc. Our demand is, bring some intelligence to the discussion and implement what is needed.
5. When one speeds, the driver’s reaction time to stop or take back control of their vehicle is exponentially reduced.
6. Every resident from the south Arcadia/Braddock Rd intersection to the north Arcadia/Braddock Rd intersection have had numerous vehicles hit and, in most cases totaled. A car flipped out of control about 10 years ago and ended up on its roof in the middle of the road. Although there have been less of these incidents on the west side, a vehicle ended up 3 feet from a resident’s bedroom window across the road from me around 11PM one evening. Plowed down a few trees in its path that slowed the out-of-control vehicle, otherwise it would have been sharing the resident’s bed.
7. The community has requested a stop sign at the south Arcadia/Braddock Rd intersection and/or a permanent solar/electronic speed check sign each of which have been denied by our transportation officials. The irony that Braddock Road exceeds the threshold for traffic calming by FDOT’s traffic engineers is infuriating. Any rational person would process that Braddock Rd needs additional and serious traffic calming because it exceeds the threshold by close to 2000 vehicles per day. As much as I despise speed cameras, I ask that Parklawn Elementary/Braddock Road get one for all previous traffic calming measures have not effectively mediated the safety threat we endure on this road daily.
Many residents, strollers, dog walkers, cyclists and Parklawn Elementary school children use Parklawn’s extensive network of sidewalks. Fortunately, there is about a 4’ green right of way between the curb and the sidewalks that gives us a bit of a buffer from frequent vehicles jumping the curb.
Kaye Kory had a video town hall meeting about a month ago with interested residents and VDOT. VDOT’s reaction to my concerns was “we are taking notes and will look into these issues, but there is not much we think we can do.” It was all lip service and NO ACTION. As I have mentioned many times to our elected officials and VDOT, I have 15 years of photos and documentation that supports Braddock Road residents’ concerns. So, this is not some overreaction, this is our reality.
The clock is ticking on Braddock Rd for another pedestrian fatality in Mason. It’s not a matter of if, it is a matter of when. That victim could be me, a neighbor, a cyclist, a visitor, a school child, another driver, a parked vehicle or YOU! These deadly vehicle incidents have no geographic, demographic or economic boundaries. VDOT/FDOT needs to their jobs that does not only include traffic flow but a serious commitment to our overall vehicle, personal property and pedestrian safety.
I fully agree with you LiveSafely. There are three components of a strong solution to traffic safety issues: the three E’s: engineering, enforcement, and education. Engineering to look at traffic calming devices of various types; enforcement, so speeders are caught and fined regularly (roving mobile or permanent automatic speed or red-light running ticketing cameras and/or live traffic enforcers); and education, to get drivers to take a moment to drive, walk and bike safely and with awareness, and make personal behavioral changes to prevent those near misses and actual traffic injuries and fatalities. We need the three E’s to make it painful for speeders rushing along our streets while at the same time educating and not seriously inconveniencing law-abiding drivers. The speeding issues, red light and stop sign running incidents will not stop without vigilant implementation of the three E’s. Petitions,rallies, and lots citizen outrage and participation to get elected officials, state and local, to see the we voters want action or we’ll vote out those who refuse to act on what is needed. Let’s make traffic safety a major issue in election campaigns to get the attention it deserves for the sake of all residents.
You’re going about it the wrong way. Complaining at some random citizen meeting is not effective. Tap your networks and figure out who has a contact with the authority or connections to do something about it. So, think top-down instead of bottom-up. If you have a good case, which you do, you’ll likely get it addressed.
Distracted driving is a huge issue, as well as driving ability in itself. the DMV practically hands anyone with enough money a driver’s license. It takes very little actual driving experience to pass a driving school course. The written portion is also a joke. Most driving schools practically fill in the answers for you.
But on the other hand, DMV is not inclined to make licenses more difficult to obtain. If they did, far less people would be able to drive and our landscape is not suited towards any type of transportation besides driving a personal vehicle.
It’s a catch-22 for transportation authorities. Unfortunately, they are stuck in the old “car is king” mentality, if not by choice then by force. It’s a horrible situation all around and is only getting worse as increasing pedestrian fatalities have shown.
Build rapid transit in Fairfax County. Build transit oriented development in Fairfax County.
Great posts LiveSafely! Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do because we are all just collateral damage in this big transportation machine that they’ve created.
Greg Adams, the Wokesters did ruin policing. I can prove it because when I complained on Nextdoor about the vehicles with loud mufflers racing up and down our streets waking people up and making way too much noise, not to mention breaking the law, they told me it was racist to say that. Almost got kicked off of there. I hope Elon musk buys next-door too.
I doubt, that VDOT, FDOT or our elected official will do anything. They are best at doing nothing, while we lose lives and get tax increases. This really is a dump. Those VDOT/FDOT officials probably live in some sweet exurb culdesac where they are insulated from our urban issues here in Mason.
Thank you BCRC. I try, just not sure we will have success. Kaye Kory and Penny Gross’s office had been contacted many times. I am afraid VDOT and FDOT have turned a deaf ear. Do not have anyone that I know in the governor’s office to push this further. Therefore, we will rely on continuing discussions with Kaye and Penny’s office and hope that our persistence pays off. Additionally, I will reach out to the candidates for the Mason District Supervisor’s office.
Should there be a major incident or a fatality on Braddock Road, be sure that I will do a cronologic data transfer of 15 years of emails and photos to the Washington Post.
Any recommendations for other state officials and/or the Washington Post to contact would be appreciated.
Here is an idea. This summer, buy a bunch of cheap inflatable balls. Aim for 1k. Call media, & Then put them in the street. This will slow folks down and teach Fairfax Mason District elected officials a lesson.
Just don’t park on the street incase some crazy driver proves the point f plowing through or slamming on breaks.
Braddock road from LRT to Columbia Pike is a high speed cut through that needs mountain sized speed humps.
Nails would work:-)
Braddock Road is a public street that people are entitled to use. I’m sorry to anyone that brought a home abutting a busy public road and then wants people to stop driving by their house, but come on.
Stop parking your car on the street if you have space in your driveway. Parklawn has a wonderful network of sidewalks that should be utilized for pedestrian safety. Stop salivating over the thought of a pedestrian getting killed by a driver and getting to be proven “right”.
Dawna, here is a thought, move to Florida with the rest of the idiots. Clearly you don’t have school children that walk to school or a brain in your head. Unfortunately people like you have no respect for speed limits or pedestrian safety. And while you’re at it, maybe there is a pole you can hit.
I do, and I live in a neighborhood without any sidewalks. Parklawn’s well-connected network of sidewalks and trails is really quite rare in our little area of the county, some information, mainly the miles of sidewalks available, is being left out of this call for traffic calming.
I have never felt unsafe walking around Braddock Road in Parklawn. There are two parking lanes next to the sidewalk, which adds a buffer for pedestrians. Crossing the street isn’t too overwhelming.
It is natural, but childish, to think that everyone driving by your house should just use another route and drive next to someone else’s house or just only use routes that do not pass through neighborhoods, but that simply isn’t going to be reality.
I think police could patrol there most days, but I don’t recall ever seeing one patrolling that area. Lower the speed limit to 25, and enact daily patrols.
This is by far not the most dangerous area to traverse in Mason District and the hysterics are ridiculous.
Dawna, you should appreciate the efforts of the Parklawn Community for requesting in years past to add the parking lanes and crosswalks for increased safety so that you can enjoy your strolls in Parklawn and on Braddock Road. That was an effort spearheaded by the Parklawn Civic Association in addition to other safety measures requested and implemented in the neighborhood and at Glasgow Middle School.
Why on earth would you think that the residents of Braddock Road are asking for vehicles to take another route? Nothing in this article suggests that position. We are simply asking VDOT/FDOT for additional traffic calming to keep the speeders from jumping curbs, hitting utility poles and rear ending parked cars. When that vehicle hit the utility in front of my house, three children were rushed to the hospital. Be glad that you were not there. BTW the speed limit has always been 25 MPH on this section of Braddock Road, but vehicles typically travel at 35-45MPH. That is way too fast for vehicles to travel on a narrow two lane roadway in a residential neighborhood with an elementary school on it.
This is not hysterics, we are asking for the calming of our roadway to mitigate future incidents so that we can all continue using Braddock Road safely.
LiveSafely, I do appreciate the efforts of the Parklawn Community, and I have extensively used its network of sidewalks since moving nearby, as I generally feel very safe and protected from cars and dangerous, errant drivers there. If FCDOT/VDOT et al. are prioritizing other areas for traffic calming, I can see why. I have felt far more at risk walking along and crossing Little River, Gallows Road, and in numerous neighborhoods with zero sidewalks, parking lanes, etc. The intersection at Braddock and Columbia Pike is a mess and could use an entire reworking, but that is a different story.
Obviously speed humps cannot go on high volume streets. Signs and utility poles are knocked over everywhere.
Dawna, there is no debate that there are other areas of the district that need traffic calming. But we that live here on Braddock Road 24/7 know the threats better than anyone. What the residents like about living on this roadway, is that there are dynamic activities: strollers, dog walkers, cyclists, runners, and all sorts of interesting characters. That is the lure. Our concerns are the aggressive drivers and speeders, the roaring suped-up drag racers during the night, the tailgaters that harass us as we pull in and out of our driveways, the drivers that don’t stop for pedestrian crossing at the crosswalks, and as I mentioned, the damage to personal vehicles that park in the parking lane, particularly when guests visit. As for utility poles being run down, it is not as common as you think in residential neighborhoods, those kind of incidents are more common on major roadways such as Columbia Pike and LRT. Braddock Road is classified as a secondary minor arterial road and not a super highway.
The Braddock Rd residents are not asking for anything over the top: a stop sign at Braddock Rd/South Arcadia intersection where there is a pedestrian crosswalk (initiated by PCA) to slow down drivers; FCPD patrols to implement the $200 additional fines (initiated by PCA) for speeders driving beyond the 25 MPH speed limit; and a permanent electronic speed check sign on the east side of the roadway to alert drivers of their speed. Currently VDOT/FDOT has no plans for these electronic speed check signs ANYWHERE in the County; and a speed camera for Parklawn Elementary. In general, what we are requesting is not any more than what has been implemented in other adjacent jurisdictions: Arlington County, Falls Ch and Alexandria City. It is mind boggling that a County as wealthy and populated as Fairfax is decades behind on traffic calming.
As for the intersection of Braddock Rd/North Arcadia and Columbia Pike, it is a mess. Having that reconfigured is a pipe dream and an unrealistic request for it would require major and an expensive reconfiguration project. What we have requested are additional crosswalks there to help guide pedestrians safely from Parklawn to the bus stop on the southside of Columbia Pike and Braddock Road. A study is currently being conducted by VDOT at our request.
If you enjoy using Parklawn sidewalks and the adjacent trails we invite you to be part of the push to press for additional traffic calming on Braddock Rd and its surrounds so that we can all feel safe on our roadways. Road safety is no longer a priority or a privilege. That is why many neighbors in Parklawn and posters of the many Annandale Today related articles are demanding that VDOT, FDOT and the County address this growing and deadly problem.
LiveSafely, stop wasting your key strokes on Dawna-do-nothing. She is a bit of a blockhead. Reminds me of a not so distant facsimile comment by Bozo the Clown. In this case it would be: “I could kill someone on Braddock Road and no one would do anything.”