A new analysis of over 100 “near miss” traffic incidents in Arlington zeroes in on disproportionate issues on a handful of busy roads and intersections.
The report from Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets analyzed 136 incidents in Arlington where people said they were almost hit by vehicles. The data shows that “failure to yield” remains the most common risk factor, mentioned in 64% of the incidents, followed by vehicles speeding (35%) and running red lights or stop signs (29%).
“These are identifiable, recurring risks concentrated on a small number of corridors — not random bad luck,” the report says. “That makes them addressable through targeted engineering, enforcement, and outreach.”
The most-cited roads were S. Glebe Road, Washington Blvd and 7th Street S. At the intersection of Glebe and 7th Street S., the report noted issues with drivers failing to obey traffic signals, speeding and failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
The report quotes one respondent describing an incident on Dec. 3, 2025, where they saw a child almost get hit at that intersection:
“Drivers consistently run the red light on Glebe Road. In one instance, one car going south on Glebe Road ran the red light and was immediately tailgated by the driver behind him who also ran the red. A kid who was walking her bike across the street — the light was green for HER — was almost hit.”
The report recommended installing signs warning drivers about pedestrians crossing and increasing police presence during periods with heavy traffic.
Other changes recommended in the report include:
- Installing more crosswalk signage at Wilson Blvd and Washington Blvd
- Extending pedestrian crossing time and adding flashing beacons on Columbia Pike at S. Queen Street and S. Columbus Street
- Building protected bike lanes along Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive
- Adding speed bumps and improving pavement markings at S. Four Mile Run Drive and S. Walter Reed Drive
- Restricting peak-hour left turns and adding signage at Washington Blvd and S. Walter Reed Drive, and other places where highway ramps meet neighborhood streets
“The data points to a persistent, recurring safety problem — not isolated incidents — concentrated on lower-speed residential/local roads, with a substantial child-safety component,” the report says.
In total, NoVa Families for Safe Streets analyzed 506 near miss reports across Arlington, Fairfax County and Alexandria between Jan. 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
More data on over 3,000 reported incidents in Northern Virginia is available on an online dashboard.
Photo via Google Maps
