Pedestrian Enforcement in Merrifield-Mosaic District
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/news-releases/2012/053012pedestrian_copy.htm

Fairfax County Police Department
Public Information Office
4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Va. 22030
703-246-2253. TTY 703-204-2264. Fax 703-246-4253
FCPD-PIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police
News Release:12/144/LHC(3)
May 30, 2012



Pedestrian Enforcement in
Merrifield Area

McLean Police District – After two pedestrians have been struck so far in 2012 and a subsequent education campaign, officers will begin active enforcement of pedestrian crossing violations on Gallows Road near the Dunn Loring Metro station on June 4.

Over a five day period, officers wrote 361 warning citations for failure to cross in a crosswalk. Due to ongoing construction, the sidewalks have been closed or blocked and pedestrians are asked to veer in a slightly different route towards a crosswalk, which takes walkers approximately three minutes longer. Most of the pedestrians are commuters en route to Metro.

Violators for these infractions may be charged with failure to cross in a crosswalk which may result in up to a $250 fine. This construction project is slated to take up to four years as the re-development of the Merrifield area continues.

warning sign; June 4 enforcement begins
Attachments:

What are the rules regarding handicap access and crosswalk? That picture looks screwy with the lack of a ramp and the obstruction caused by (ironically) the detour sign itself

"and a subsequent education campaign"

That is just a waste of my taxpayer dollars. You shouldnt have to educate an adult that it is not safe to walk in front of moving cars.

@scrooge - well two dead already tells me something needs to happen.............

two struck not dead

Gordon Blvd Wrote:
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> @scrooge - well two dead already tells me
> something needs to happen.............

True its called personal responsiblity. You can only protect people from themselves so much. If you think you can beat the car when you cross the road take the gamble and go for it. You lose dont come whining about it, that is if you are still alive to tell. Maybe we need to start putting warning labels on all venoumous snake so this doesnt happen either:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/serpent-handling-west-virginia-pastor-dies-snake-bite/story?id=16459455

As far as I am concerned play stupid games get stupid prizes.

I'm almost willing to bet the ones hit by cars were in this country
illegally and have no clue as to what a crosswalk is for. We've
had the same problem along Rt. 50. No comprende becuase we not have
in El Salbadore.

@scrooge, HLO - yeah, that's all fine and dandy WHO CARES!
Me? I'm in the car minding my own business wanna go home when BAM!!! all of a sudden I've hit some j-walker who thinks I see all and read minds. Could care less what country they are from I JUST WANT THEM TO KEEP THEIR ASS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!!!

Them stupid ppl mess up regular ppls lives. Hence the FCPD doing something about it..................

Gordon if you are an adult and the police have to teach you not to run in front of cars something is very wrong. Maybe we can expand and have the police teach you to wash your hands after handling raw chicken. How to not use a hair dryer in the shower, the proper use of step ladders and so on. I never commented on what country anyone is from, stupidty knows no boundaries.

But since you bought up the subject I am sure if I get hit by the exact same car in El Salvador with all things being equal in regard to elevation, speed and road conditions the end results will be the same.

no no, you got it right the first time
something is VERY wrong LoLz

and I didnt bring up El Salvador. No offense, yo........but you are a COMPLETE DUMBASS if you manage to find yourself getting hit by a car down there :)

Ticket their asses! And while they are enforcing the crosswalks also ticket those bikers that don't stop at stop signs and don't signal.

I'm so sick of theses hazards that cause accidents and impact the safety of drivers.

Gordon Blvd Wrote:
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> no no, you got it right the first time
> something is VERY wrong LoLz
>
> and I didnt bring up El Salvador. No offense,
> yo........but you are a COMPLETE DUMBASS if you
> manage to find yourself getting hit by a car down
> there :)

I have no plans to travel to el salvador but maybe you can be our goodwill ambassador to the garden spot of latin america. maybe teach them a thing or two

How about the cops citing those drivers turning from Gallows on to Prosperity and not yielding for pedestrians in the crosswalk?

I used to live near the Dunn Loring Metro and walked there for my commute. I had numerous near misses from drivers not yielding for me at that intersection.

damn missed you!

Where does Gallows cross Prosperity?????

blanche Wrote:
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> Where does Gallows cross Prosperity?????

Look at a map then. You must be one of those newbies around here.

And now its time for Mexican Frogger, the Fairfax Edition!

"Failure to cross in a crosswalk may result in a $250 fine."

Really?

Has something in Virginia law changed?

All a pedestrian crossing at a place other than a crosswalk has to do is not cause any traffic issues. If he crosses somewhere other than a crosswalk, the pedestrian doesn't have right of way, but he also can certainly still do it according to this:

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-923

When crossing highways, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections contain no marked crosswalks, pedestrians shall not be guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at any such intersection or between intersections when crossing by the most direct route.

Actually, the law you linked is for roads without crosswalks attached to them. Either way, the crosswalk should be moved or added to this location since most of the foot traffic comes from this location. The one crosswalk that is in place is dangerous since they've added those bus shelters and no one slows down on that right turn or looks for pedestrians before making it. Gallows is so busy all day long that we're just creating more traffic with that crosswalk.

Anyways, after a week the police won't be there so I'll just continue to cross then.

you know what else is a waste of taxpayer dollars? All of the accident reconstruction and carcass cleaning that goes into scooping up some jackass's brains all over the road because he's too damn stupid and lazy to walk 10 more feet to a crosswalk. CHARGE THEM ALL. Bring in that revenue.

It's more than 10 feet and you have a better chance to pick up someones brains from the crosswalk than the jaywalking intersection.

They weren't out there this afternoon.. this won't last long. I give it a week until they are no longer out there.

So a week of dangerous crosswalking.. sweeett..

"This construction project is slated to take up to four years as the re-development of the Merrifield area continues"

Isn't the reconstruction already in almost it's 11th - 12th year ? seems like they started it back in 2000 - Early 2001 . I understand the issues of budget , planning etc , but get real. At this point they should just politely state that they do not yet have a realistic time frame of completion. Kabul and North Waziristan will probably be paved before they complete the road work in Merrifield.

How about building a 4-ft high fence a half block in each direction with a gate at the proper crossing? That would stop all the jaywalking.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/2012 01:29PM by LetsRock.

@Let's rock - the same reason they wont put a fence up on the Golden Gate to prevent suicides...............because Human Life is not worth it when compared to having a fence................ it looks bad, you see o_0

HuH ? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "This construction project is slated to take up to
> four years as the re-development of the Merrifield
> area continues"
>
> Isn't the reconstruction already in almost it's
> 11th - 12th year ? seems like they started it back
> in 2000 - Early 2001 . I understand the issues of
> budget , planning etc , but get real. At this
> point they should just politely state that they do
> not yet have a realistic time frame of completion.
> Kabul and North Waziristan will probably be paved
> before they complete the road work in Merrifield.


No, I would say around 2004 2005 they started doing stuff, like moving utlities ect. I think with the crash around 2008 it put a hold on stuff, like everything else. They have been building condos hotels, and remodeling stuff since the 90's

Gordon Blvd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @Let's rock - the same reason they wont put a
> fence up on the Golden Gate to prevent
> suicides...............because Human Life is not
> worth it when compared to having a
> fence................

I think Gordon is right. Its a vast right wing conspiracy to kill off illegals by forcing them to run in front of moving cars. Why didnt I see this before.