New bike lanes on Wakefield Chapel Road could be better

Wakefield Chapel Road in Annandale was recently marked with bike lanes as a traffic-calming measure. The lanes extend from just north of the intersection with Braddock Road to Pulley Court. See the county bike map for details.

Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling says Wakefield Chapel was already wide enough for bike lanes before, but that encouraged speeding. The bike lanes create a narrow lane for drivers, which should slow traffic. “Unfortunately, FABB states, “where the lanes are needed the most, at the northern end of the road leading to Northern Virginia Community College, there is not enough pavement or right of way to easily add bike lanes.”

FABB has mixed feelings about the project. “It’s great that the bike lanes are in place, but the route was already bike-friendly and there are other places that need improvements much more,” the group states. On the plus side, the bike lanes may encourage more people to go by bike, they send a message to motorists to expect bikes on this section of the road, and they add to the overall mileage of bike lanes in the county. We just wish they could have been extended to the northern section where they are most needed.”

A test run by FABB bikers found the new bike lanes are too narrow.