City Changes Traffic Pattern at Giant Plaza
By STEPHEN SIEGEL
Falls Church Times Staff
August 6, 2012
City officials have made some changes to the traffic pattern in and around the plaza containing the Giant Food store on the city’s west side that may make the area safer, but possibly increase congestion on Birch Street.
The first change is a new sign prohibiting left turns to eastbound Broad Street from the area immediately west of the Citgo gas station and just east of the new BB&T bank that is under construction.
The second is a re-striping of Birch Street from the plaza to Broad, making the southbound lane only one car wide.
The re-striping is intended to prevent right-turning traffic desiring to head west on Broad from snaking past cars lined up to go left. It should make it safer for pedestrians crossing at Birch, and it also is being done to prevent damage to the “storm inlet” box — “damaging it and possibly their vehicles,” said City Spokeswoman Susan Finarelli.
The no left turn sign was required by the city as part of the traffic management plan for the new bank. “It was required to address safety issues associated with the proposed flow of vehicles on the site,” Ms. Finarelli said, adding: “The problem was identified in a third-party Traffic Impact Analysis and the solution was proposed by the submitting engineer.”
An emphasis on safety is certainly a good thing in the congested area around Broad and Haycock. But a key question remains: will congestion increase substantially on Birch as a result?
The light is short on southbound Birch, as it should be in order to facilitate traffic flow on Broad Street. But the no left turn sign will likely cause more cars to use Birch for eastbound travel on Broad, and limiting Birch to one lane will increase the length of the traffic backup on Birch as well.
The Times asked if a study was done examining the possibility of a negative impact on Birch, but has not yet received a response.
By Stephen Siegel
August 7, 2012
What was unsafe about a right turn lane on Birch? Sure, its a little tight, but it reduces congestion and saves time. Reducing capacity seems like a mistake, particularly with the increased traffic on Birch from prohibiting left turns out of the parking lot.
Making vehicles idle longer increases carbon emissions.
Jason,
I think cars seeking to turn right on red at Birch would pull forward into the crosswalk, frequently without being able to see beyond a car waiting to its left.
Regards,
Stephen Siegel
FCT should take a cue from ArlNow.com and post pictures or renderings of changes like these…it would be helpful to readers.
I agree with “FC resident”, I cannot understand from the description the problem or the “proposed” solution.
I cross Broad street at Birch, and Birch at or near CVS, several times a week (on foot). Why was there no sign at that site informing residents of the plan, and allowing for public comment? Overall, I approve of the changes – but the secrecy bothers me.
I’m with Jason on this one – the proper thing to do would be lane-striping for two lanes leaving Birch (one left turn for 7 east and one right turn for 7 west). Constricting lane width to eliminate the existing (unofficial) two lane setup will routinely back up traffic beyond the four-way stop signs. Folks will start cutting through the gas station to make the right rather than sit behind the left turners who can’t get onto 7 East (which is routinely jammed during afternoon rush) – is that safer for pedestrians?
Safety? Safety! What about the cars regularly speeding around the curves on Gundry Drive? What about the stop signs on Annandale Road at Gundry Drive that many drivers ignore and therefore only increase the hazard to pedestrians by giving them a false sense of security? Has anyone been killed at Birch and Broad? That’s what the City years ago told us was necessary when we asked for traffic calming on Gundry.
The City has been messing up the Giant Plaza for years, starting with the renovation that reduced the number and size of parking places. Then they doubled down on that by approving the bank. Now they want to make an already serious congestion problem at Birch and Broad worse! Unbelievable. Bureaucrats and consultants trying to justify their existence…… and salaries. The convenience of residents doesn’t seem to matter.
The Giant parking lot and access to the lot is terrible….that’s why I shop at Loehmann’s.
Two lanes are required for exiting the plaza on Birch. The new one lane scenario has increased congestion at that intersection significantly backing traffic up past the plaza’s 2 entrances at times.
It’s a tight space, but the road should be widened to 3 lanes by taking out one of the sidewalks. I would suggest taking out the sidewalk on the east side of Birch as the west side has the rt7 crosswalk and also redesign the storm drain on the corner.
TFC! Not doing business in “TheLittle City” (brand barf)? Treasonous!
P.S. I’ve done the same thing. For the same reason.
This is insane. People living in a congested area complaining about congestion. If it was only 2 lanes to begin with, what’s so bad about those 2 lanes being marked out more clearly. If an accident had happened and there were no lane markings, how many complaints would there be about the road not being safe?
People in NOVA hate any kind of change and they always think they know better than the professionals who are trained to do their job.
I’ve seen a tremendous amount of enforcement at the Gundry/Annandale intersection. FC police regularly hide out there and catch people blowing through the stop signs every 15 minutes or so. Unfortunately, despite the presence of stop lights, red flashing lights, and regular police presence, people still fail to stop. Disregard for traffic laws can’t be completely cured, apparently.
@ whoever you are. I was not criticizing the police. They do a fine job. Throughout the City. As you said, however, they can’t be there 24/7 and drivers blow through the stop signs on a regular basis. The problem is the City traffic planners who had the brilliant idea to put the stops on Annandale in the first place. They are totally unnecessary. [The stop signs, I mean.] Anyone, including children, wishing to cross Annandale merely have to walk to the stoplights at either Broad or Maple. The stop-signs have 1. caused back-ups on Annandale in both directions; 2. created opportunities for law-breaking that didn’t exist before; and 3. created a dangerous situation for pedestrians, especially children and the elderly, by encouraging them to rely on using a stop-sign controlled crosswalk where drivers routinely ignore or fail to see the stop signs. No, no one has been killed……..yet. And yes, John Briar (who obviously doesn’t live in the City and is unfamiliar with the parking and traffic in the area), I’m sure the stop signs were studied and installed by “professionals who are trained to do their job[s].”
@ Lou Mauro, I don’t need to live in the city to be familiar with parking and traffic in the area. I’m very much aware of it which is why I choose to live away from it instead of right in the middle of it while complaining about it.
I’m also familiar with Google Maps which shows there are inlets on both sides of this intersection. This means one of the two would need to be moved the road were expanding to allow for a right turn lane. I’m glad Tom Coffin thinks it’d be a simple fix. Any time moving or redesigning any inlet is involved, so is a lot of $$$ which would mean a whole lot of taxpayers would be complaining.
It’s a nice convenience to be able to cross there, rather than walking an extra block to Broad or Maple. Don’t forget, people live in townhomes right at those crosswalks — asking them to walk a block out of their way to get to their house when they’re walking the dog or going to the park seems silly. In any event, the stop signs are probably intended to slow people down.
Regarding the “backup” on Annandale, give me a break. It’s usually a few cars waiting at the stop sign. It probably cuts down on the “backup” at the red lights at Broad and Maple, if that makes you feel better.
Golly gee, whoever you are hiding behind anonymity, we sure wouldn’t want to ask anybody to “walk a block out of their way to get to their house when they’re walking the dog or going to the park.” A whole block. Wow. No, absolutely not. After all, it’s not like they’re not already out “walking” the dog or in the park! And we sure don’t want stop signs intended to actually make vehicles stop. No, no. Stop signs “intended to slow people down” are just fine. How ridiculous……….and dangerous. The only thing “silly” is your comment.
Stop signs “slow people down” by forcing them to break up their forward movement. And forcing people to walk an extra block certainly isn’t the end of the world — but neither is forcing drivers to pause on Annandale. Some of us want a walkable city with protected cross-walks. I get the feeling you do a lot of driving and not a whole lot of walking.
There were never two lanes headed south on Birch. Just a lot of bad drivers who decide to make it two lanes. The city only made it clear that drivers shouldn’t try to squeeze by and damage the city’s infrastructure over and over again. You should all really keep your comments to something you know about. How about asking city hall instead of assuming they are just a bunch of idiots?