Crosswalk needed on Plantation Drive, says pedestrian

March 3, 2008 12:16 am

VIRGINIA Railway Express is hold- ing a public hearing tomorrow night in Fredericksburg on a proposed 3 percent fare increase.

The hearing starts at 7 p.m in the theater room of Central Rappahannock Regional Library on Caroline Street.

Dear Kelly: If you walk down Plantation Drive toward Truslow Road in Stafford, you have to cross Lyons Boulevard/Gladstone Drive. There is no crosswalk painted on the road. I've been fussed at, had car horns blare at me and have received many gestures for walking from a paved sidewalk to a paved sidewalk.

Does there need to be a sign or painted crosswalk for cars to be expected to yield to walkers?

--Douglas Githens, Stafford

I believe the answer is yes, there needs to be a crosswalk for cars to stop.

I called the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to find out if cars must yield to walkers, with or without a crosswalk. DMV spokeswoman Melanie Stokes directed me to Virginia State Code 46.2-923.

"When crossing highways, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections contain no marked crosswalks, pedestrians shall not be guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at any such intersection or between intersections when crossing by the most direct route," the law states.

I'm not a lawyer, but I believe this means you can cross at the intersection of Plantation Drive and Lyons Boulevard at your own risk, and as long as you do not "carelessly or maliciously" impede traffic, you will not be held negligent if a crash occurs.

I imagine that would be little comfort if you are struck by a car.

The law says nothing about vehicles stopping to let you cross, and the horns and gestures will probably continue until a crosswalk is installed.

Drivers who travel this way should look out for pedestrians, since this is a suburban area with lots of foot traffic.

A traffic signal has been approved for the intersection of Plantation Drive and Lyons Boulevard/Gladstone Drive, in connection with the planned new branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library at that spot. The signal cannot be installed until a contract is signed for the new library branch, said Mike Neuhard, Stafford's deputy county administrator. The contract is likely to be signed in late 2008. The library is expected to open in late 2009 or early 2010, at the earliest, Neuhard said.

The signal has not been designed yet, so Stafford does not know whether crosswalks will be part of the intersection. "I know they will be taking into consideration not only the library but the total traffic and other issues around that intersection when they do the design," Neuhard said.

In the meantime, VDOT is studying that intersection. It may have recommendations for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements in the short-term, Neuhard said.

Dear Kelly: Why is there no left-turn lane at the intersection of Forbes Street and U.S. 1 in Stafford? When turning right onto U.S. 1 north, traffic gets backed up waiting for cars turning left. With the traffic at the Falmouth signal, they are waiting for someone to let them in. There should be a right-turn-only sign there.

--Gail Boyer, Fredericksburg

The Virginia Department of Transportation visited this location, and has decided to allow left turns to continue from Forbes Street onto U.S. 1 south.

A high number of crashes related to left turns from Forbes Street onto U.S. 1 would trigger a left-turn ban, but at this time, the crash history does not merit a ban, said Tina Bundy, VDOT spokeswoman, Fredericksburg District. Also, VDOT does not own enough space--right of way--to create separate right- and left-turn lanes on Forbes Street. That's a very narrow road. But I know how much conflict this traffic maneuver creates. As someone who has waited in a long queue of cars on U.S. 1 south to get through the Falmouth signal, I'm never thrilled about vehicles jumping in so close to the end (especially when the delay to let the vehicles in means you get to wait through another signal cycle). At the same time, residents did not design that intersection, and they would have to drive far out of their way to find another path through the Falmouth intersection. Hopefully the planned reconstruction of the Falmouth intersection will help the situation.

Dear Kelly:

Recently the intersection at Cosner's Corner and Lee's Parke was completed and the southbound turn lanes opened. The southbound left lane of U.S. 1 becomes one of the left-turn lanes into Cosner's Corner. VDOT needs to update the signs along the median, as it still marks the lane as ending and not as a "left lane, left-turn only" condition. Also, one of those white signs showing the lane flow configuration would help there.

--Terry Hair, Spotsylvania

The signs now correctly indicate the traffic pattern, said Tina Bundy, VDOT spokeswoman.

Kelly Hannon is The Free Lance-Star's transportation reporter. If you have questions, send them to Getting There, c/o The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401; or fill out the Getting There form on freder icksburg.com.