Suggested Route 28 Corridor Improvements Emerge From Yorkshire Study

MANASSAS, VA — A transportation study into the Route 28 corridor between the Fairfax County and Manassas Park borders has been completed by Prince William County government.

Yorkshire, an area providing a key connection between Fairfax County, Manassas and Manassas Park, is a mainly car-centric corridor with few pedestrian crossings. As the county predicts Yorkshire and Route 28 will experience more congestion and population growth, the study recommends improvements the county and other regional partners can pursue to address congestion and improve multimodal travel.

The study area was Route 28 with Orchard Bridge Drive to the north, Manassas Drive to the south, Bull Run to the east and Old Centreville Road to the west. Potential improvements in the Route 28 corridor could include sidewalks, pedestrian refuge medians, pedestrian crossing signals, shared-use paths, traffic-calming measures, high-visibility crosswalk improvements, tighter curbs and curb extensions, roadway realignments, consolidating entrances, bus stop amenities and placemaking amenities.

According to the county, pedestrian challenges in the Route 28 corridor are sidewalk gaps, missing crosswalks, complex intersections, few crossings, slopes and frequent driveways.

"Pedestrian safety was a big consideration," said Bryce Barrett, Prince William County Department of Transportation's principal planner. "A lot of crosswalks were recommended as part of this study, not just at intersections, but also at commercial entrances. Combined with recommendations to fill gaps in the pedestrian network, this should greatly enhance comfort and safety for pedestrians utilizing this corridor."

A similar Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions (STARS) study by VDOT identified short and long-term improvements in the Route 28 corridor. These include traffic signal timing optimization, a new median, continuous sidewalk between the City of Manassas Park and Fairfax County, signalized pedestrian crosswalks at Browns Lane, Spruce Street, Leland Road, and Yorkshire Lane, restricted u-turn intersections at Browns Lane, Maplewood Drive, Leland Road and Orchard Bridge Drive, and median u-turn intersection at Yorkshire Lane.

The Yorkshire transportation study was done as the county is developing a small area plan for Yorkshire. The small area plan will provide a vision for future development, including guidelines on planning, land use, mobility, parks, economic development and more. Prince William County already has small area plans for North Woodbridge, The Landings at Prince William, Innovation Park, Independent Hill, Dale City and Triangle.

County staff will present a summary of study recommendations to the Prince William County Planning Commission on Sept. 11. County staff will look for ways to incorporate improvements into other planned projects in the corridor, including the Route 28 STARS study. See the full study results here.