Beulah Road Crosswalk Update 

Good news! In June 2018, our crosswalk was awarded a Transportation Alternatives Project (TAP) Grant through VDOT of $200,000. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will be designing the improvements in early 2019 and will set a schedule for completion. Initial expectations are that work will be completed by 2021. The many completed parent surveys in October 2017, and letters of support from our crossing guard, Mrs. Edie Adcock, and Mrs. Khuluki all contributed to this win for our community. Thank you! We look forward to seeing what FCDOT will design to improve safety at our crosswalk. See below for updates from March 2019.

The safety issues we hope the crosswalk improvements will address include:

1) It is only safe to cross if our crossing guard is present.

2) Cars do not stop for pedestrians at the crosswalk.

3) Cars drive around cars stopped for pedestrians at the crosswalk.

4) Cars are driving over the speed limit, and the speed limit is ambiguous, either 25 or 35mph.

5) Traffic volume and speed is so great that we cannot walk home safely from after-school or evening activities when the crossing guard is not present.

In January 2019, members of the Beulah Road Safety Committee inquired with VDOT if the 35mph speed limit on Beulah Road would meet criteria to be lowered to 25mph to increase safety of pedestrians crossing. Vehicles with speeds well above 35mph approach the crosswalk from the north direction, endangering pedestrians in the crosswalk. Updates will be posted as information becomes available.

If you would like to contact the Beulah Road Safety Committee about the crosswalk or other concerns, email alison.gramann@gmail.com and peterwintermute@gmail.com .

The March 2019 Hunter Mill Highlights newsletter from Supervisor Hudgins included this update with other transportation notes:

Beulah Road Crosswalk

Pedestrian improvements are coming to Wolf Trap Elementary School in Vienna. The project will bring improvements to the school’s main crossing on Beulah Road at Talisman Drive. The improvements will provide 7-foot to 15-foot bump outs and an 8-foot median refuge for the crosswalk (which creates a possibility of a future pedestrian beacon device), and creation of a southbound right turn lane, on-road bike lanes, and transitional median striping as road diet treatments. This will help further the protection of the crosswalk while enhancing the features of the road diet and help de-ter illegal passing on the road. Peak arrival and departure hours will still be patrolled by a crossing guard. 

Check out the local update on our crosswalk from the Tysons Reporter, on February 6, 2019:

https://www.tysonsreporter.com/2019/02/06/new-pedestrian-improvements-planned-for-dangerous-wolftrap-elementary-crossing/?fbclid=IwAR2wV6ekbFPVuH-8KwDsW7PTFps2z--j7D1eo2T1GcIBW3utk0Ax1RDPkSM