Loudoun :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
UPDATE: Speed limit will be increased on Battlefield Parkway, council says
Posted by:
Loudoun News Update
()
Date: November 20, 2011 08:09PM
UPDATE: Speed limit will be increased on Battlefield Parkway, council says
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/speed_limit_on_battlefield_parkway_may_increase123/
Drivers will see an increase in the speed limit on Battlefield Parkway between Kincaid Boulevard and Route 7 from 35 mph to 40 mph due to a Leesburg Town Council vote of 4-3 during their Nov. 15 meeting.
“A lot of people in this town really, really want to see the speed limit raised,” Council member Ken Reid said.
Reid also proposed raising the speed limit to 40 mph from Sycolin Road to the Dulles Greenway which failed with a 3-4 vote .
State law allows municipalities to maintain their own roads and increase the speed limits above the current maximum speed of 35 mph as of July 1, 2011, accompanied with a traffic study, according to Leesburg town officials.
The town did traffic studies in July that showed about 10,000 vehicles a day traveled near Route 7. According to the study, the average speed between Route 7 and Kincaid Boulevard is between 41 and 43 mph traveling in both directions.
“I would be in favor of raising the speed limit to 45 [mph],” Council member Dave Butler said. “It’s not going to be developed, certainly no residential development. I go on that stretch 10 times a week. Every day I hear from so many people [as to] why that stretch of road is only 35 mph. It looks and acts like a 55 mph road.”
The area in question, according to the town, has adequate street lighting along the portion of the parkway, no pedestrian crossings and no public schools entrances that would prevent the speed limit from being increased.
“I’m not in favor of raising the speed limit in town, if there was a natural divide like [Route] 7 but there’s not,” Council member Marty Martinez said. “What I don’t want is someone going 40 to 45 mph and not seeing the speed change. I don’t want to put in a speed trap. I’d rather just leave it at 35 mph.”
“I don’t see the benefit,” Vice Mayor Kevin Wright added.
The remaining sections of Battlefield Parkway past Kincaid Boulevard to Evergreen Mill Road contains schools and residential areas that could act as a safety risk in raising the speed limit.
“I tend to agree to what relates to driver behavior and drivers drive about 5 miles over the speed limit,” Council member Katie Hammler said. “If we are trying to create a traffic calming town wide it’s kind of counter intuitive.”
Reid and Butler said that in Ashburn on Ashburn Road and Ashburn Farm Parkway the speed limit is 40 mph within schools and residential areas, but Martinez disagreed.
“Battlefield Parkway is designed to be a 45 mph road, but it’s not, and it’s not a bypass. It’s a town road in the town limit and it goes by schools,” Martinez said. “It’s not up to me how you regulate how you put your foot on the gas. If you’re going downhill put on the breaks. Because there’s nothing there it gives people the false hope. They’re going to speed like they’re speeding now.”
Mayor Kristen Umstattd agreed with Reid and Butler and has spoken with many residents who wish for the speed limit to be increased.
Martinez said the placement of speed limit/driver feedback signs in ‘hot spot’ areas along the parkway could help with safety concerns should the limit change between Kincaid Boulevard to Sycolin Road.
Council was scheduled to vote on the speed limit increase during their Nov. 15 meeting.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 by Laura Peters
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/speed_limit_on_battlefield_parkway_may_increase123/
Drivers will see an increase in the speed limit on Battlefield Parkway between Kincaid Boulevard and Route 7 from 35 mph to 40 mph due to a Leesburg Town Council vote of 4-3 during their Nov. 15 meeting.
“A lot of people in this town really, really want to see the speed limit raised,” Council member Ken Reid said.
Reid also proposed raising the speed limit to 40 mph from Sycolin Road to the Dulles Greenway which failed with a 3-4 vote .
State law allows municipalities to maintain their own roads and increase the speed limits above the current maximum speed of 35 mph as of July 1, 2011, accompanied with a traffic study, according to Leesburg town officials.
The town did traffic studies in July that showed about 10,000 vehicles a day traveled near Route 7. According to the study, the average speed between Route 7 and Kincaid Boulevard is between 41 and 43 mph traveling in both directions.
“I would be in favor of raising the speed limit to 45 [mph],” Council member Dave Butler said. “It’s not going to be developed, certainly no residential development. I go on that stretch 10 times a week. Every day I hear from so many people [as to] why that stretch of road is only 35 mph. It looks and acts like a 55 mph road.”
The area in question, according to the town, has adequate street lighting along the portion of the parkway, no pedestrian crossings and no public schools entrances that would prevent the speed limit from being increased.
“I’m not in favor of raising the speed limit in town, if there was a natural divide like [Route] 7 but there’s not,” Council member Marty Martinez said. “What I don’t want is someone going 40 to 45 mph and not seeing the speed change. I don’t want to put in a speed trap. I’d rather just leave it at 35 mph.”
“I don’t see the benefit,” Vice Mayor Kevin Wright added.
The remaining sections of Battlefield Parkway past Kincaid Boulevard to Evergreen Mill Road contains schools and residential areas that could act as a safety risk in raising the speed limit.
“I tend to agree to what relates to driver behavior and drivers drive about 5 miles over the speed limit,” Council member Katie Hammler said. “If we are trying to create a traffic calming town wide it’s kind of counter intuitive.”
Reid and Butler said that in Ashburn on Ashburn Road and Ashburn Farm Parkway the speed limit is 40 mph within schools and residential areas, but Martinez disagreed.
“Battlefield Parkway is designed to be a 45 mph road, but it’s not, and it’s not a bypass. It’s a town road in the town limit and it goes by schools,” Martinez said. “It’s not up to me how you regulate how you put your foot on the gas. If you’re going downhill put on the breaks. Because there’s nothing there it gives people the false hope. They’re going to speed like they’re speeding now.”
Mayor Kristen Umstattd agreed with Reid and Butler and has spoken with many residents who wish for the speed limit to be increased.
Martinez said the placement of speed limit/driver feedback signs in ‘hot spot’ areas along the parkway could help with safety concerns should the limit change between Kincaid Boulevard to Sycolin Road.
Council was scheduled to vote on the speed limit increase during their Nov. 15 meeting.