New School Crosswalk Recommendations Endorsed By Loudoun Supervisors

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Road improvements to boost safety for students walking to schools were endorsed by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The action focused on seven pilot locations under the Safe Passage to Schools Program. The board endorsed the proposed improvements centered around crosswalks and other changes to improve safety near schools. The action will result in the projects being prioritized by the board in the county's future Capital Improvement Program budget process. The county will be pursuing two grants to support the projects.

The locations include areas around Farmwell Station Middle School in Ashburn, Horizon Elementary School in Sterling, Trailside Middle School in Ashburn, Gum Springs Middle School in Stone Ridge, Mill Run Elementary School in Ashburn, and Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn and Buffalo Trail Elementary School in Aldie.

A crosswalk was not recommended for an eighth location — Potomac View Road and Broadmore Drive — due to high-speed travel on Potomac View Road. A county staff report said additional analysis is needed to provide a safe crossing on Potomac View Road. The report noted Loudoun County Public Schools recommends using an existing pedestrian tunnel about 220 feet west of the intersection to cross Potomac View Road.

The county estimated $1.8 million in planning costs for all recommended projects.

Supervisor Laura TeKrony (D-Little River) said the action followed a years-long effort by a joint board and school board committee since 2022. The supervisor shared an example of a community about a half mile from Willard Middle School in Aldie. While there is a crosswalk and two crossing guards, TeKrony said students still ride the bus due to a missing sidewalk between the community and school.

"While the pilot has eight crosswalks, it's not just about crosswalks but includes missing sideaalks and trails to get students safely to school," said TeKrony. "Crosswalks cannot be viewed in isolation and need to be included as part of a comprehensive strategy to improve pedestrian access to and from school."

Supervisor Juli Briskman (D-Algonkian) shared that the Horizon Elementary crosswalk in her district will provide a safe crosswalk from several townhouse communities.

In 2022, the board had introduced an initiative to respond to community concerns about pedestrian safety around schools and missing links to sidewalks, trails and crosswalks. The board and school board committee recommended 14 locations to prioritize for crosswalks. Six of the locations are being addressed under the county's current Capital Improvement Plan or initiatives by Loudoun County Public Schools. The eight locations remaining were the focus of Tuesday's action.

Here are more details about the proposed improvements:

Farmwell Station Middle School, Gloucester Pkwy and Runnymeade Ter, Ashburn, VA

• Install a high-visibility crosswalk on all approaches (the north leg approach of Gloucester Parkway, across Runnymeade Terrace, and across Farmwell Station MS ingress/egress).
• Adjust signal timing to accommodate the safe crossing of pedestrians across the proposed marked crosswalks on all approaches at the intersection.

Horizon Elementary School, Broadmore Dr and Westover Ter, Sterling, VA

• Install a high-visibility crosswalk with school crossing warning signs on the south leg of Broadmore Drive with conversion of the painted bump-out on eastbound Broadmore Drive to a raised concrete bump-out.
• A crosswalk is not recommended for Potomac View Rd and Broadmore Drive.

Trailside Middle School, Portsmouth Blvd and Chesterton St, Ashburn, VA

• Install high-visibility crosswalks on the north and south legs of Portsmouth Boulevard.
• Install school area signs on both sides of the proposed crosswalks, along with advanced pedestrian warning signs accompanied by appropriate plaques prior to the crossing location.

Gum Spring Middle School, Mineral Springs Cir and Graywacke Dr, Stone Ridge, VA

• Install a high-visibility crosswalk with school area warning signs on the west leg of Mineral Springs Circle.
• Introduce parking restrictions along the north side of the intersection, extending approximately 150 feet to both the east and west, to improve sight distance.

Mill Run Elementary School, Stone Hollow Dr and Ridgeway Dr, Ashburn, VA

• Install a standard crosswalk with parallel lines on the east leg of Stone Hollow Drive.

Stone Bridge High School, Marshfield Dr and Cedarpost Sq / Isherwood Ter, Ashburn, VA

• Install a high-visibility crosswalk with school area signs on the west leg of Marshfield Drive.
• Introduce parking restrictions along the south side of the intersection (approximately 225 feet to the west) to improve sight distance.

Buffalo Trail Elementary School, Seven Hills Dr and Little Rocky Ter, Seven Hills Dr and Gum Spring Rd, Seven Hills Dr and Winning Glory Dr, Aldie, VA

• Install a high-visibility crosswalk with advance school warning signs on the west leg of Seven Hills Drive at the Little Rocky Terrace intersection.
• Construct a refuge island and install advanced pedestrian warning signs with appropriate plaques in advance of the crosswalk at Seven Hills Drive and Little Rocky Terrace.
• Install a standard crosswalk with parallel lines on Seven Hills Drive at the Gum Spring Road intersection.
• Install a standard crosswalk with parallel lines on Seven Hills Drive at the Winning Glory Drive intersection.