FABB has been covering the proposed Lawyer's Road changes pretty regularly, so I haven't, but last week Dr. Gridlock picked it up too. VDOT is proposing to restripe Layers Road, between Fox Mill Rd and Myrtle Lane in
Reston, from 4 to 3 lanes with 5-foot
bike lanes (as shown). Despite some objections ("there are other routes available to cyclists", "the road is too dangerous for cyclists", "this will cause congestion") comments have run 3-1 in favor of the restriping. Dr. Gridlock points out
Over the past three years, there were 56 crashes on this two-mile
section. VDOT engineers estimate that 15 of those could have been
avoided. Several vehicles have been hit from behind while waiting to
turn left.
So traffic engineers think they could reduce the crashes by at least
a fifth just by restriping the roadway. "VDOT has identified a no-cost
approach to reduce vehicle crashes and improve safety on Lawyers Road
while also giving cyclists additional travel options."
He points out that people think that dieted roads cause congestion and that they looks more dangerous, but on Arcola Avenue or Connecticutt Avenue drivers have gotten used to it.
My main concern with potential 4-to-3 "diets" is with traffic volumes. If you have enough traffic on the road (generally around 15K ADT), you can create some serious congestion issues on a 4-to-3, cancelling out any potential safety benefits that might ensue.
That shouldn't be a problem here, though. Lawyers Rd averages around 10K ADT, so traffic volumes are low enough to where a 4-to-3 can work...
Posted by: Froggie | June 22, 2009 at 06:40 AM
Id like to point out that the "diet" for Arcola made the road much worse for cyclists....those bump-outs now force you into the single lane of angry traffic on a regular basis.
Posted by: think a little | June 22, 2009 at 07:07 AM
It would be great if they would put a jersey barrier between the bike lane and car lane. Do that, and even your grammie would ride it.
Posted by: Lee Watkins | June 22, 2009 at 08:12 AM
I noticed another problem with the Arcola configuration recently. I was behind a bus that stopped near one of the "bump outs" and I could not pass it - the bus was a complete block to all vehicle traffic. This was a Sunday so traffic was light . . but it would be s significant problem during rush hour. (Had I been on a bike, I could have passed the bus though!)
Posted by: Purple Eagle | June 22, 2009 at 09:33 AM
Jersey barrier requires an absolute minimum of 3ft for barrier width and buffer. That doesn't count the 2ft buffer that is the minimum preferred for vehicle lanes next to a Jersey barrier.
Given the limited width of Lawyers Rd (44ft), it just isn't feasible here.
Posted by: Froggie | June 22, 2009 at 09:36 AM
Hooray for Lawyers Road!
As for Arcola Ave, Montgomery County DOT has been chastised by bicyclists (including me) for making the Arcola Ave. bumpouts stick out too far into the road. They easily could have made them smaller and helped everyone. Last time I rode there I had two dangerous situations where drivers thought they could beat me into the gap.
Posted by: Jack | June 25, 2009 at 12:03 AM