MCLEAN, Va. — Dan Merti, a McLean father of two young kids, said that crossing Linway Terrace is like playing a 'little game of chicken.' The roadway separates his neighborhood from the well-known Linway Terrace Park, which he walks by every day.
"With a stroller and my wife and two kids - we cross this every single day," he said. "Sometimes I’ll be peeking around, and there will be a car coming really fast that almost hits us because they’re going way too fast on this road.”
Merti, who joined WUSA9 on the intersection of Linway Terrace and Huntin Ridge Ln., said that neighbors have been calling for changes for years. He was one of 40 neighbors who signed a letter, directed to members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as well as members of the state and county Department of Transportation.
"Our neighborhood is writing to impart our concerns and request action regarding the high speeds of vehicular traffic on Linway Terrace in Mclean (between Kirby Road and Birch Road)," the letter began. "The posted speed limit on this road is 25mph, however, in a recent neighborhood check using a radar gun, the average and high speeds observed were considerably higher than that. We feel these high speeds pose a serious safety risk for the children and residents in our community."
The letter went on to request safety changes from local officials including the following:
- Better 25 mph speed signage
- Watch for children signage
- Crosswalks (north and south of Hunting Ridge Lane near Linway Terrace Park)
- Pole Mounted Speed Display Sign (Westbound from Kirby Road and Eastbound from Birch Road)
Neighbors told WUSA9 that the residential road fills up with cars and pedestrians on weekends, as kids flock to the park for sporting events.
“I think crosswalks - is a must-have," said Merti. "Getting cars to slow down is big. But if you don’t know where people are crossing to get into this park, it doesn’t work.”
Neighbors have been raising these concerns for years, but have renewed their efforts, following the death of 86-year-old Brigitte Forster. She was hit by a car and killed early Friday morning, a block away on Kirby Road.
A spokesperson for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation sent WUSA9 a presentation from July, in which the local DOT proposed adding five speed humps near the park to slow traffic. At least half of the 102 nearby homeowners would have to sign off on the plan before it could be done.
"The community may be looking for additional or other kinds of facilities," said the spokesperson. "There will be a future meeting with VDOT and FCDOT to explore further options."
A spokesperson for Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors responded to our inquiry about the neighborhood letter with the following brief statement:
“The County is committed to improving safety on our roads for all users and actively engages with residents to address their concerns. This includes bringing together state partners, local law enforcement, and county transportation staff to address resident concerns. Linway Terrace is no different and I know that the Dranesville District office is in communication with their neighbors on potential solutions moving forward.”
A spokesperson for Supervisor John W. Foust, who represents the Dranesville District sent WUSA9 the following statement about the neighborhood concerns:
"Improving safety and access for pedestrians and bicyclists are critical priorities for me and the county. For many years, my office has prioritized making investments in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure such as sidewalks, pedestrian refuges, and designated bike lanes. In essence, we are superimposing sidewalk networks and bike lanes in communities that were built many years ago without them. Recently, I proposed, and the Board adopted, a plan to invest an additional $100 million over six years in pedestrian and bike improvements.
Many neighborhoods have concerns about excessive speeding and the safety risks associated with pedestrian and bike transit. The risk of a pedestrian fatality in an accident increases dramatically at higher speeds at impact. We regularly work with neighborhood representatives and personnel from the Virginia Department of Transportation to implement traffic calming measures that are designed to force drivers to reduce their speed. These traffic calming techniques include such things as speed humps and speed tables. Currently, we are working on traffic safety options with residents of the Linway Terrace community.”
Some neighbors argued that signage and crosswalks could be a more cost-effective, immediate change, that would avoid drastically disrupting traffic, like the speed humps may.
"We need our ability to get across the road safely," said Merti. "Otherwise we’re just going to have an accident at some point and you’ll be back here talking in a different tone. And we don’t want that.”