Should pedestrian underpasses be part of Route 1 widening project?
Community members have until Friday to let the Virginia Department of Transportation know how they feel about two pedestrian underpasses being part of the Richmond Highway widening project.
The underpasses would run beneath two new bridges that will need to be constructed as part of the widening project. One bridge would be built over Dogue Creek (between Jeff Todd Way and Sacramento Drive) and the other would be built over Little Hunting Creek (between Mount Vernon Highway and Napper Road).
The new bridges will be significantly longer and higher than what currently exists, which is why it is now possible for the underpasses to be constructed. Currently there are no pedestrian underpasses or overpasses planned for the widening project, which will add one lane in each direction between Jeff Todd Way and Sherwood Hall Lane. The project will also add bike lanes and connected sidewalks on each side of the road, and leave room in the median for the future Richmond Highway bus rapid transit (BRT) system.
VDOT representatives emphasized the need for more community feedback about the underpasses at a March 26 design public hearing at Mount Vernon High School. The officials fielded questions about the underpasses, and outlining a few potential advantages and disadvantages of the underpasses:
Advantages:
- Provides alternative to crosswalks at signalized intersections
- Provides a single stage of crossing Richmond Highway
- No potential conflict points between pedestrians and vehicles
Disadvantages:
- Safety
- Maintenance (trash, snow, graffiti)
- Extreme weather such as flooding or snow could make underpasses impassable
State Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36) and Del. Paul Krizek (D-44) are each in favor of the underpasses, and they recency spent a Saturday morning canvassing neighborhoods near where the underpasses would be built. Three Lee District supervisor candidates — Larysa Kautz, Rodney Lusk and James Migliaccio — joined the state politicians as they talked to residents in the Spring Garden Apartments, Harmony Place Trailer Park, the Audubon Estates and other developments in the area.
“What I explained to people is that it’s very dangerous right now for anybody to cross Route 1,” said Surovell, who said the group gathered around 300 signatures in favor of the underpasses. “Under Embark [Richmond Highway] the county is required to build out a more robust pedestrian infrastructure. Having these safe connections next to Little Hunting Creek and Dogue Creek [should] be a major part of that.”
The underpasses also have the support of the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens Associations (MVCCA) and the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling. Last month the MVCCA passed a resolution urging Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck to support of the underpasses.
“The pedestrian walkway underpasses must be safe and secure, and … must be pedestrian friendly, inviting, well maintained, and [aesthetically] pleasing in order for them to be fully utilized and safe,” the MVCCA’s resolution read in part.
The FABB noted on its website that the future bike lanes on each side of the highway will be one-way, and that the underpasses would allow riders to switch directions without encountering traffic.
However some groups have voiced concerns about the underpasses, primarily citing safety concerns. The New Gum Springs Civic Association voted against the Little Hunting Creek underpass in a meeting earlier this month. An email to members from NGSCA President Queenie Cox said worries over the homeless population using the underpass for shelter, as well concerns about potential “drug use and criminal activity,” impacted the vote.
“[It] would not be safe for use by the general public because the Fairfax County Police Department and VDOT do not have adequate resources to monitor the underpass activities,” Cox said in the email.
Cox said a pedestrian bridge should be considered instead.
“The community strongly feels that a pedestrian bridge is a more viable option with less adverse impact to Gum Springs and surrounding communities,” Cox said in the email. “A pedestrian bridge would allow pedestrians to cross Richmond Highway safely and traffic on Richmond Highway would not be impeded.”
The Mount Vernon District Republicans also indicated opposition to the underpass, saying in a Facebook post that the underpass would be unsafe and was unnecessary.
“Senator Scott Surovell and Delegate Paul Krizek think it’s a good idea to have a pedestrian underpass, also known as a tunnel, in one of the highest crime districts in Fairfax County,” the post read. “Crosswalks work everywhere else.”
Surovell reiterated his position Monday, telling Covering The Corridor that the underpass would provide a safe link for kids on the west side of Route 1 to access resources like the Gum Springs Community Center, the Martin Luther King Jr. Pool and the George Washington Recreation Center. Surovell said the paths along the creeks could help foster a better community appreciation for the Dogue Creek and Little Hunting Creek environmental corridors.
“From my point of view we have one chance to get this right for the next 50 years,” Surovell said. “We need to keep the long-term vision in mind.”
VDOT’s survey on the pedestrian underpass can be filled out here.
YES to underpasses, which would also give wildlife a fighting chance!
This is a horrid idea–pedestrian underpasses will only make the corridor look worse once the trash, graffiti, homeless and addicts claim it–and they will, without question.
Yes. We need safer ways to commute by bicycle. Less cars. Easier commute by bicycle means less cars clogging the roads.
Thank you
At least “longtimeresident” is honest about the reason (even though its a Fox News type of dystopia-illusion). These type of underground passes will be used. Those going above will not be used (and won’t be used by bikes). There are many of these in other places, along the Bike trails of the Parkway, for example. No one lives under them, and no one smokes crack there.
There are these type of underground passages already along the beltway bike trails. No one smokes crack there, no one is homeless there. This is the type of crap people start believing when they watch too much Fox “News.”
Make sure you send your comments to VDOT Jerome!
Really, Scott? Who’s going to keep these structures safe? FCPD doesn’t have enough resources, and you know it.
Absolutely! We are building a road for the next 50 years, not the last 50. We have $500 million allocated so far, the Federal Transit Administration is probably good for another $250M and we’re close to $1 billion invested into the highway.
We got most of the corridor designated as Opportunity Zones created by Congress to stimulate investment.
The table is set and 80,000 people are coming to triple the population around transit centers in new development served by new pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, bus rapid transit and utlimately the Yellow Line to Hybla Valley.
U.S. 1 is going to be the next Mosaic District and is going to be one of the fastest growing part of Fairfax County over the next 20 years.
Yes, this is a much needed service to the community. Too many people, elderly, children, families try to run across this very busy and congested highway, which also is a safety hazard. They should be very well lit and include measures for safety and regular patrolling, and possibly work with the high school or members in the art community to paint murals that represent the city in order to prevent vandalism. This city is huge place of history and beauty that can be utilized. By visually seeing positive things around us, it helps benefit the community. So if the disadvantage for the community is trash,then have community involvement, younger crowds involved in clean up. As far as weather related issues, look into larger cities that acquire snow or flooding to see what city planners have done to help keep their community safe when bad weather affects their pathways. I think there are more advantages to this than disadvantages in the long run.
I am in favor of the Underpasses. I think they will improve conditions here along the Richmond HWY corridor.
Jerome Armstrong: It works just fine on the GW Parkway so it will do the same on Route 1? That’s stunningly ignorant. Safety, crime, income levels, real estate, and more make them worlds apart. If you read the article, you would have seen that the things I stated were listed there under “cons” for this project on Route 1. Police reports tell the story, and so do the frequency of surveillance helicopters. Crime, safety and poverty by the Route 1 corridor are only getting worse. Wake up. By the way, I’m a news junkie and I’ve never watched a single day of Fox News, not even out of curiosity. So much for your expert character analysis.
It’s pointless to have _two_ underpasses for that entire stretch of Route 1. There is simply no one who is going to be using those underpasses due to their locations. Want to cross Route 1? First walk down to Dogue Creek? Really?
Last Friday I lost a friend and the biking community lost one of its greatest advocates. David Salovesh was hit head-on while on his bike a few blocks from his home. The driver of a stolen van hit a car and overcorrected across the lane lines and hit David as he was riding in the opposite direction. He never had a chance and was declared dead at the scene. David’s was the second loss of a bicyclist in the Smithsonian’s extended family. If we want this to stop, we have to take action and protect bike lanes and enforce stop signs and speed limits. Every morning as I drive from home towards the GW Parkway I see cars using the bike lane along bell Haven and Belle View Boulevard as an auxiliary lane to go around turning vehicles. These lanes need protection, and there needs to be a way to cross Route one on bike or by foot without putting one’s life at risk.
Thank you for this comment, Cathleen. Dave was a fierce advocate for bicyclists and one of the best ways to honor his memory is what you’ve just done — advocating for bicycling infrastructure and safety.
These underpasses are vital — we need a safe way to cross the planned 178 foot highway!!!