Public comment sought on pedestrian signal at dangerous Annandale intersection

The Conwell Drive intersection at Little River Turnpike.

Representatives from the Fairfax County Department of Transportation will be at a tent at the corner of Little River Turnpike and Conwell Drive in Annandale tomorrow and Monday seeking public feedback on a proposed HAWK signal for improving pedestrian safety.

Residents are invited to drop by and discuss the project on Thursday, Sept. 10, 4-7 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 14, 4-7 p.m. The pop-up sessions will be canceled if it rains. 

The HAWK (High-Intensity Activated crossWalK) signal would be activated by pedestrians crossing Little River Turnpike at what FCDOT has designated a dangerous intersection. Cars won’t need to stop or slow down when pedestrians aren’t present. 

If the signal is implemented, drivers on Conwell would no longer be able to turn left onto Little River Turnpike. 

At a pop-up session at the intersection on Wednesday morning, Mark Van Zandt of FCDOT said opinion was about evenly split on whether there should be a HAWK signal at that spot. 

The signal is part of a walkway project on Little River, which is about half-way finished. 

That section of Little River has been designed as a “high pedestrian crash corridor,” Van Zandt said. There have been two pedestrian accidents between 2012 and 2016 – including one involving a serious injury – and that exceeds the state average. 

Many people cross there to catch a bus or get to Columbia Elementary School. 

Community members can submit comments on the HAWK signal by Sept. 28 online or via email to Project Manager Shahla Zahirieh, [email protected].