Sidewalk project funded for Columbia Pike
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| A sidewalk is planned for this section of Columbia Pike in Annandale. |
The Transportation Planning Board (TPB) at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments approved $780,000 for the first phase of the Columbia Pike Complete Streets project.
That is one of seven projects, totaling $5.5 million, approved by the TPB Feb. 19 aimed at expanding transportation options for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders in Virginia.
The Columbia Pike project, the only one in Mason District, would provide a sidewalk along the south side of Columbia Pike in Annandale between Backlick Road and Tom Davis Drive and a crosswalk at the Tom Davis Drive intersection.
Funding comes from the federal Transportation Alternatives Program, which supports small-scale projects that are considered alternatives to highway construction, such as pedestrian, bicycle, trail, and Safe Routes to School projects. The TAP funds cover 80 percent of projects’ costs; local governments pay the remaining 20 percent.
Related story: Sidewalk proposed for Columbia Pike
“These projects serve our regional goals,” says John Swanson, program manager at the TPB. “We want to make sure people don’t drive if they don’t need to – if a sidewalk can get people to a bus or train station and makes for a safe journey from home to work or from home to school.”
The Columbia Pike project is super intriguing for me,” Swanson says. “There’s a lot of need out there.” It also fits the TPB’s vision to fund projects with multiple phases and that could stand on their own if additional funding isn’t available.
If more money is provided later for Columbia Pike, he says, it could be used to narrow the road and add a median.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will develop the design and engineering plan – which would include obtaining land in the right of way and relocating utilities – and will coordinate the project with the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Nice
Why would anyone want to narrow Columbia Pike? It seems that there is enough traffic on it to warrant leaving it 4 lanes. Oh, I know, the Supervisors want bike lanes everywhere (even though the usage does not seem that high) and Columbia Pike won't allow them in the present configuration.
Where do you see it’s getting narrowed?
"If more money is provided later for Columbia Pike, he says, it could be used to narrow the road and add a median."
Got it, don’t know how I missed that. Hoping they don’t narrow and ditch a lane either way, that’d be insane. I don’t know where you’re getting room for a median otherwise though.