Speed reduction pilot in the works for Mason District roads
The Board of Supervisors on June 9 greenlighted an ordinance to reduce speed limits on certain roads in each magisterial district from 25 to 20 miles per hour.
Fairfax County will launch a pilot study to test the concept in the Mason, Providence, and Dranesville Districts.
The Fairfax Department of Transportation is considering the following roads for the 20-mph pilot study in Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads:
- Patrick Henry Drive from Leesburg Pike to Beachway Drive.
- Peace Valley Lane on the west side of Justice High School.
- Beachway Drive from Patrick Henry Drive to Nevius Street.
- Nevius Street from Leesburg Pike to Beachway Drive.
- Blair Road from Beachway Drive to Glen Carlyn Drive.
The Board of Supervisors’ action follows an amendment to the Virginia Code passed in 2024 that allows localities to reduce the speed limit to less than 25 mph – but not less than 15 mph – on certain highways in business and residential districts.
Related story: FCDOT will study speed limit reductions to 20 mph
The first three zones will be submitted to VDOT, which will install new speed limit signs.
The pilot study will collect public feedback, traffic volume data, and speed data before and after implementation of the speed limit reduction.
Signage and other costs for the nine zones are estimated at $24,000.
I’m all for traffic calming and speed reductions but this seems more like the BOS is trying to make these specific houses in mason district happy.
if they aren’t permitted to change the road then nothing is really stopping people from driving 25+ like they always have
These government folk never met a road they didn’t screw up! -Why not also put in bike lanes…
As someone who lives on one of these planned road segments, please no.
This is rediculious. A waste of tax dollars. Enforce the existing 25 mph speed limits and all will be good.
Ha. Ha. The study will collect public feedback. Does anyone think that the majority of people’s opinion on reducing speed limits for law abiding people will have any effect? Speeders will continue to speed as little or no enforcement is happening. The rest of us will go at a snail’s pace because a few people complained and the BoS is fixated on “traffic calming”.
There is NEVER enforcement in this area. Make the speed limit 0 mph, 100 mph, or ham sandwich mph. It makes no difference.
This is another example of using a sledgehammer to kill an ant.
It wasn’t long ago that certain folks wanted four-way stop signs on every intersection, and speed humps every 30 feet on the road.
The problem is not the speed limit, but the speeders. There’s an old saying “crime does not pay.
But today’s “normal” focuses on punishing law abiding citizens and letting scofflaws go on their way.
Do you want to stop speeding? Here’s how you do it. Board of Supervisors or state police:
First offense: $50 fine.
Second offense: $200 fine
Third offense: $500 fine, plus you sign a statement understanding that on your fourth offense, your car will be confiscated.
End of speeding………. and law abiding citizens can go about doing what they always do – – obey the speed laws.
If you want people to slow down install speed bumps. Unfortunately, this punishes respectful drivers.
A section of Waterway Drive is 20 mph limit. Nobody obeys the limit, even FCPS buses. I’d love to know how many tickets have been given to speeders in the last 5 years.
All of the streets listed are in Falls Church, what about Annandale Terrace. Medford Drive is a speedway with kids racing their illegally mufflered, very loud Hondas up and down all night and day, Ravensworth Road is a straightaway that just invites drag racers, Heritage Drive, added some stop signs, big deal. I agree with another writer, SPEED BUMPS will be more effective. MEDFORD DRIVE from Little River Turnpike to Four Year Run the 25 MPH Speed Limit signs are a joke, and it is very dangerous to travel with almost every house having 3-5 cars illegally parked in front.