safety | ARLnow.com

‘Intersection of Doom’ Getting Interim Safety Upgrades

Published September 30, 2014 at 3:35PM

Cars and bicyclists fight for space at Lee Highway and N. Lynn Street.

The Rosslyn intersection where cyclists and pedestrians face drivers exiting I-66 has received safety modifications in the past two weeks and more changes are on the way, county officials said on a tour of the site Tuesday morning.

In advance of a $5 million overhaul slated to be complete in summer 2016, Arlington County and the Virginia Department of Transportation changed the timing of the traffic lights and walk signals at Lee Highway and N. Lynn Street last week, said Larry Marcus, the county’s head of transportation engineering.

Around Town

Builder Busted for Unauthorized Sidewalk Closure

By ARLnow.com

Published September 29, 2014 at 12:05PM

A resident’s complaint about a sidewalk closure led to action by county officials on Friday.

Arlington Ridge area resident Ted Billings snapped the photo above, showing a woman pushing a double stroller in the northbound lane of Army Navy Drive. The woman and her children were in the path of fast-moving traffic due to the closure of the only sidewalk on the long stretch between S. Nash Street and 20th Street S.

News

Pedestrian Struck in ‘Intersection of Doom’ Near Key Bridge

By Andrea Swalec

Published September 26, 2014 at 10:00AM | Updated September 26, 2014 at 10:25AM

The pedestrian was crossing Lee Highway at a corner locals have called the “Intersection of Doom” about 8:20 a.m. when the driver of a black SUV plowed into her, officers and a witness said. The driver was headed north on N. Lynn Street and was making a left turn onto Lee Highway when she hit a northbound pedestrian who was using the crosswalk and had the walk signal, according to officers and witness David Clark.

Clark, a 56-year-old Rosslyn resident, was doing his daily exercise routine in Arlington Gateway Park near the intersection when he heard a yell.

Traffic

Park Service Seeking Public Comment on GW Parkway Safety Upgrades

By Andrea Swalec

Published September 5, 2014 at 11:10AM

NPS is preparing a new transportation plan and environmental assessment for the heavily-trafficked zone, Park Service Superintendent Alexcy Romero announced Thursday.

“The purpose of the [environmental assessment] is to reduce conflicts between trail, walkway and roadway users and to increase overall visitor safety around the memorial area,” Romero said in a statement.

Schools

APS Buys New Football Helmets to Prevent Concussions

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 15, 2014 at 2:15PM | Updated August 15, 2014 at 3:56PM

APS purchased more than 325 Riddell Revolution Speed helmets this summer with carryover superintendent funds from last year’s budget, APS Supervisor for Health, Physical Education and Athletics Debbie DeFranco told ARLnow.com. The helmets all received five-star ratings from a new Virginia Tech Helmet Rating System, which grades helmets on safety from one (lowest) to five (highest) stars.

The helmets will replace current helmets that graded between two- and four-stars, said DeFranco, who added that all helmets APS has used in football practices and games had previously passed the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment tests for safety.

Around Town

‘Love Locks’ Showing Up on Key Bridge Railings

By Morgan Fecto

Published August 5, 2014 at 12:45PM | Updated August 7, 2014 at 11:29AM

Update on 8/7/14 at 11:30 a.m. — D.C. Department of Transportation spokesman Reggie Sanders says the love locks will be removed from Key Bridge today. “Locks are being removed because we don’t want to establish a precedence where our structures could become polluted with these types of campaigns. Also, it could jeopardize the functionality of the railings,” said Sanders.

Earlier: Lovers have started keeping their love under lock and key by latching padlocks bearing their names to the Key Bridge’s railings.

Events

Events for National Night Out on Tuesday

By ARLnow.com

Published August 4, 2014 at 5:00PM

Residents and business owners are encouraged to spend the evening getting out of the house and meeting their neighbors for National Night Out. Police officers and community leaders also will make the rounds to chat with residents.

The nationwide event happens the first Tuesday of every August and is sponsored by the non-profit organization National Association of Town Watch. It raises safety awareness and gives residents the opportunity to get better acquainted with the officers who patrol their neighborhoods.

Around Town

Video: ACPD Tips When Kids Are Home Alone

By ARLnow.com

Published July 2, 2014 at 9:00AM

Are mom and dad heading out for dinner and leaving the kids at home?

Around Town

Video: Outdoor Play Safety Tips from ACPD

By ARLnow.com

Published June 27, 2014 at 11:30AM

“Even playtime can be a dangerous time if kids aren’t careful,” says a new video from the county-run Arlington TV channel, released just in time for the start of summer.

News

‘Intersection of Doom’ Safety Improvements Coming

By Ethan Rothstein

Published May 14, 2014 at 10:00AM | Updated May 14, 2014 at 10:27AM

The planned improvements to the area, which includes the trail’s intersection with Fort Myer Drive, include removing a travel lane from Lee Highway and extending the curb at the intersection’s corners. It also calls for upgraded traffic signals, on-street bike lanes, signs and landscape areas and a “Corridor of Light” public art feature.

The most troublesome part of the intersection. where numerous car-on-bike accidents have occurred, has been where two lanes of traffic from I-66 turn right on N. Lynn Street toward the Key Bridge. That traffic comes in conflict with pedestrians and cyclists on the trail, who get the green light at about the same time.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 23, 2014 at 10:00AM | Updated April 23, 2014 at 10:51AM

Obama Visit Boosted Business at Bookstore — The November 2012 visit to One More Page Books (2200 N. Westmoreland Street) by President Obama and his family boosted revenue at the East Falls Church store by 20 percent. The visit still continues to benefit the store, according to owner Eileen McGervey. [Washington Business Journal]

Miss Gay Arlington Crowned — The new 2014 Miss Gay Arlington is Coco B. Colby. Colby was crowned after besting three competitors during the April 18 event at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Crystal City. Previous Miss Gay Arlington winners include Shaunda Leer, Stardust and Diamond D. Bottoms. [InsideNoVa]

News

Nowhere to Go: Construction Blocks Sidewalks to Rosslyn Metro Elevators

By ARLnow.com

Published March 28, 2014 at 6:00PM | Updated March 29, 2014 at 9:06AM

(Updated at 6:05 p.m.) Construction has created a glaring safety hazard in the middle of Rosslyn, and so far no one has done anything about it.

The new, $50 million high-speed elevator bank to the Rosslyn Metro station is now surrounded by construction fences — blocking the sidewalk in both directions — and leaving pedestrians only one way to go: across three lanes of N. Moore Street, a road heavily used by buses and taxis, in a mid-block stretch without so much as a marked crosswalk.