Changes could be coming to a segment of the Four Mile Run Trail in East Falls Church as a streetscape improvement project moves forward.
The new design, according to a staff report for the Arlington County Board meeting on Saturday, would create a straighter trail spur that directly connects to the intersection of N. Sycamore and 19th Street N.
Currently, the trail has a “curving, sickle-shaped alignment that touches North Sycamore Street approximately 60 feet south of the intersection curb ramp.”
“The proposed realignment… improves access and ease of navigation for all trail users and is a key component of the overall complete streets project,” the report says.
Proposed changes to this stretch of Four Mile Run Trail were presented in 2022 as part of a larger project to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians in East Falls Church. However, the trail spur’s proximity to an I-66 onramp requires the county to submit a request to the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
The N. Sycamore Street Complete Streets Project, which concerns several intersections between 19th Street N. and Langston Blvd, is nearing 60% design, according to the staff report.
The plan calls for replacing right-turn-only lanes with protected bike lanes, removing slip lanes — which motorists use to turn while bypassing an intersection — and adding high visibility crosswalks and green skid marks for bicyclists.
It also calls for new traffic signals at N. Sycamore Street and Washington Blvd, as well as expanded bus bays and improved pedestrian crossings at the East Falls Church Metro station.
Photo 1 via Google Maps
