Lower speed limits are going into effect on five Arlington roads.
The Arlington County Board on Saturday voted to reduce the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph on the following streets north of Arlington Blvd:
- Military Road from Nelly Custis Drive to Langston Blvd, through the Donaldson Run and Cherrydale neighborhoods
- N. Carlin Springs Road from N. Glebe Road to N. George Mason Drive, through Buckingham and Bluemont
- N. George Mason Drive from N. Carlin Springs Road to Arlington Blvd, through Buckingham
- Fairfax Drive from N. Kirkwood Road to I-66 ramps, through Virginia Square and Ballston
- 10th Street N. from Washington Blvd to N. Kirkwood Road, near Clarendon
These roads are notable for their “high volumes of pedestrian crossings and higher density land development,” a county report says. Speed limit reductions are supported by a study from Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services seeking to curb traffic deaths and injuries.
The new speed limit signs will cost about $700 per corridor, for a total of $3,500.
Notably missing from the list, Board Chair Libby Garvey acknowledged on Saturday, is S. Carlin Springs Road — a busy street with several schools that has been the site of numerous crashes over the years.
Several Board members previously voiced reluctance about this omission. However, they were ultimately swayed by arguments that lowering the speed limit on S. Carlin Springs would be ineffective and would, in fact, be inconsistent with the law because it is not backed up by an engineering study.
Instead, that road will be receiving additional speed-enforcement cameras and red-light cameras, Garvey said.
Photo via Google Maps