Council Approves Lane Narrowing On Westbriar Drive

The Vienna Town Council approved lane narrowing and striping along Westbriar Drive NE at its Monday night meeting, a victory for residents who for more than a year have asked for traffic calming on the road often used as a cut-through from Tysons Corner.

The road is currently 36 feet from curb to curb between Old Courthouse Road and a sharp bend at 1007 Westbriar Drive NE, where it widens to 42 feet until the road joins Maple Avenue. 

The project, recommended to the council by the Transportation Safety Commission, will draw lines 11 feet from the center of the road in either direction in the section of Westbriar Drive before the curve, reducing the total width of the road to 22 feet for both directions.

After the bend, the lines would be drawn 12 feet from the center, giving drivers 24 feet of total travel space until they connect with Maple Avenue.

There will be no physical narrowing of the road, according to plans filed with the town. Striping has slowed down drivers in other areas of town, TSC Chairman Drew Meren told the council Monday night, , a cut-through for drivers trying to get between Nutley Street and Rt. 123 in Oakton.

Unlike on Old Courthouse Road, though, the space between the stripes and the curb on Westbriar Drive will not be used for bike routes or lanes, though it could be repurposed for that use in the future if the program is effective, Meren said.

Westbriar Drive Residents first asked the TSC for traffic calming relief last year, complaining drivers who traveled at high speeds along the road as a faster way to access Maple Avenue were endangering local residents and children. Resident Jack Mitchell filed a petition with the commission last November, asking for three speed bumps along the road. In April, Mitchell filed more signatures to open a hearing on the issue.

Because Westbriar Drive NE is part of the fire department's primary emergency route, the commission worried about the speed tables' impact on emergency vehicles, Meren told the council Monday night.

"Each speed table added 15 to 20 seconds [to an emergency vehicle's travel time]," Meren said.

After three hearings with community members, the commission decided to see if the situation will improve with lane narrowing, which Meren called a cheaper, less permanent alternative to speed bumps.

"We want to go with a more cost effective solution first," Meren said.

Vienna Police will conduct a traffic study four months after the striping is completed to determine if the project was successful, or, if the town needs to explore additional solutions.

This article has been updated.