Potential Lower Richmond Highway Speed Limit Not Supported By Many In Survey

MOUNT VERNON, VA — A Patch survey found many respondents would not favor a lower speed limit for Richmond Highway being considered by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

VDOT's preliminary recommendation to reduce Richmond Highway's speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph between the Capital Beltway and Jeff Todd Way was introduced at a July 20 virtual meeting. The 45 speed limit is recommended to remain the same for a small stretch between Jeff Todd Way and Belvoir Road.

As VDOT collects public feedback, we surveyed readers between noon Tuesday, July 27 and noon Friday, July 29. We shared the survey with Greater Alexandria, Mount Vernon and Lorton Patch readers, who generally live in or near the Richmond Highway corridor.

Of the 210 responses, 68.6 percent said they do not believe Richmond Highway's speed should not be reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph between the Capital Beltway and Jeff Todd Way. There were 29 percent who believe the speed limit should be reduced and 2.4 percent who were undecided.

To get a grasp of how respondents use Richmond Highway, we asked if they drive, walk, bike or ride transit and how often they travel on Richmond Highway.

The majority — 98.1 percent of respondents — said they drive on Richmond Highway. We gave respondents the option of choosing multiple answers, so 9.5 percent said they walk, 7.6 percent said they use public transit and 7.1 percent said they bike.

A large portion — 49 percent — said they travel on Richmond Highway daily. There were 37.1 percent who indicated they travel on Richmond Highway once or multiple times per week, 10.5 percent once or multiple times per month and 3.3 percent once or multiple times per year.

There were mixed responses from respondents on what types of road users Richmond Highway poses safety concerns to between the Capital Beltway and Jeff Todd Way. Respondents were allowed to choose multiple answers.

In the survey, 57.6 percent of respondents who indicated Richmond Highway poses safety concerns to pedestrians and 45.7 percent said bicyclists.

There were 35.2 percent who said Richmond Highway has safety concerns for vehicle drivers and passengers, and 20 percent said transit users. However, 36.7 percent of respondents said Richmond Highway poses concerns to none of these road users.

We gave respondents the option to shed light on their Richmond Highway safety concerns. Some of the commonly shared concerns were speeding, pedestrians crossing outside crosswalks, not enough enforcement of speeding, panhandling in lanes of traffic, signal timing, vehicles making turns where there aren't traffic signals, and drivers changing lanes suddenly.

Here are some other notable responses on safety concerns:

• Richmond Hwy is not treated as a highway. Too many street lights. Should have service roads where vehicles can enter and exit cross roads. Should have shrubbery to prevent pedestrians from crossing from non-cross walks. Have police enforce jay walking law. The highway is fine. The problem lies with the politicians who don't know what they are doing.
• Long distances between pedestrian crossings which are supported by traffic lights. People dart across the road rather than go to a traffic crossing with a light.
• That while reducing the speed limit is a great idea, ENFORCEMENT will be paramount towards the success. Otherwise the county is spending unnecessary money on changing the signs.
• Lack of sidewalks and bicycle paths.
• Lack of pedestrian bridges.
• Failure to maintain speed and failure to enforce current laws. In addition to distracted drivers, there are too many jaywalkers, and too many people driving 5-10 miles below the posted speed limit in the left lane.
• Enforce speed limits; ticket jaywalkers, educational campaign of importance of wearing light clothing, walk/bike in the proper direction and importance of using crosswalks.
• Too many turns out of businesses across 3 lanes of traffic without traffic signals
• The narrow lanes that are planned are very scary! I see reckless driving every time I am on Rt. 1 (speeding and recklessly switching lanes). Those people driving recklessly need to receive tickets. With more narrow lanes, there will be more accidents. It will not be safer. Traffic already moves slowly.
• Presently appears to be very little speed enforcement at current permitted speeds. What guarantee is there that Fairfax County police will enforce the new 35-mph if they don't actively enforce the 45-mph speed limit?
• Pedestrians crossing the highway are at high risk. Crossing with the light is not safe because of all the turning vehicles.
• Drivers who have no regard for human life. Need more police to patrol not lowered speed limits. Most people do less than posted speed.
• People not using crosswalks; panhandlers; inappropriate right-on-red turns; volume of traffic due to growth
• Pedestrians need to obey the laws and walk in the crosswalk, don’t punish all of us because of a few illegal drivers or pedestrians
• Too many lights makes it a constant slog and too many places for collisions.
• Left turns across three lanes of traffic in the middle of blocks, between traffic lights. Left turns should only be made at the traffic lights.
• Getting hit by a car that either didn't see me, ignored the speed limit, or didn't have enough time to react

Some suggestions for improvements include more lanes, more enforcement of current laws, lowering the speed limit, raising the speed limit, more continuous sidewalks, speeding and red light cameras, better signal timing, additional crosswalks, removing panhandlers, pedestrian bridges, bike lanes, addressing the Richmond Highway/Kings Highway intersection, better road striping, flashing crosswalk signs and more.

VDOT is accepting public comments on the preliminary recommendation through Aug. 1. After VDOT reviews the recommendation report and public comments, a final report will be finished by the late summer, followed by a formal resolution to establish the speed limit in the fall. Any speed limit change would take effect in early 2023.

Comments may be submitted through VDOT's online comment form, email to meetingcomments@vdot.virginia.gov or mail to Ms. Jessica Paris, P.E. VDOT, 4975 Alliance Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030.