Category: Transportation

Anything related to transportation, including cars, traffic, other modes of transport, and so on.

2019-02-26 Transportation Safety Commission, audio recording and notes

I attended last night’s meeting of the Traffic Transportation Safety Commission (TSC).  You can find a (rather poor-quality) audio recording, and an Excel file that serves as an index to the recording, here on Google Drive. Basically, use the Excel spreadsheet to find the times for items you would care to listen to, then move to that spot in the recording to hear what was said.

I attended because TSC was considering an on-demand flashing sign at the crosswalk where Glen Avenue hits Courthouse Road.  The sign is called a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB).  It would allow pedestrians to stop traffic in order to get across Courthouse. We already have a few of these in Vienna.  Here’s a view of an RRFB pair on Beulah.

Continue reading 2019-02-26 Transportation Safety Commission, audio recording and notes

January 7 2019 Town Council Meeting — Three MAC-relevant items, updated 1/7/2019 for a better discussion of Capital Bikeshare

The 8 PM Vienna Town Council meeting on Monday 1/7/2019 will have at least three items relevant to MAC zoning and the future of Maple Avenue. Continue reading January 7 2019 Town Council Meeting — Three MAC-relevant items, updated 1/7/2019 for a better discussion of Capital Bikeshare

The traffic legacy of the W&OD railroad, 10/2/2018

Few people other than avid bicyclists know this, but to some degree, the awful traffic on Maple is a legacy of the W&OD railroad.  That railroad cut Vienna in half about a century ago.  And today, Vienna is still very nearly cut in half.  For a roughly 4.5 mile stretch, the W&OD road bed prevented roads from crossing Fairfax County in an East/West direction.  And now, for that entire 4.5 mile stretch, the only  roads that cross the W&OD are a handful of streets in downtown Vienna.  And of those, the only one that can handle any traffic is Maple. Continue reading The traffic legacy of the W&OD railroad, 10/2/2018

Slug line

Thoroughly updated 8/5/2018:  As it turns out, there’s an app for that.  And a modern slug is a well-organized slug.

On this page, I argue that maybe the best commuter use of the Mill Street garage is to make it the base for the first successful I-66 slug line from Vienna.  And that the Town should work to make that happen.   The question I address here is, could that work? Continue reading Slug line