The Buckingham Herald Tribblog

Construction crews began work renovating the N. Henderson Road at N. Thomas Street intersection, Friday.

The work will make a dangerous intersection a little more pedestrian friendly. The changes will “bump” the sidewalks a little into the travel lanes, slowing drivers as they turn, while shortening the distance pedestrians will have to travel to cross the streets. "Zebra stiping" of the crosswalks for greater visibility over N. Henderson is part of the plan.

The project will also improve drainage and lighting at the intersection. As well, the sidewalk in front of the Hyde Park Condominium’s pool, just east of the intersection, will get curb cuts for better wheelchair, scooter and bicycle accessibility.

According to Patrick Hope, Buckingham Community Civic Association president, the work should be completed in about two weeks. This was the first project in Buckingham to be completed under the Neighborhood Conservation Project process.

The $123,000 project is likely to get funded as it is Buckingham’s first time to ask for funding through this source, and it is the top priority in the Buckingham Neighborhood Conservation Plan. The project has 65 “points,” (a scale used to rank projects). No other project has more than 65 points.

Patrick Hope, the Buckingham Community Civic Association president, has said in the past and reiterated in an email, that the project has a very slim chance of failure.

If funded, the project should be completed in about a year, said county planner Dan Reinhard, at a meeting in March.

Pedestrian Safety and Visibility Are Topics of Meeting

BCCA Neighborhood Conservation Plan

NCAC Projects 2008

Labels: henderson, intersection, redevelopment, thomas street

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 5:16 AM 0 comments

The intersection, known in the neighborhood for limited visibility and unmarked crosswalks, will be upgraded through the Neighborhood Conservation Program. It’s the first project to get funding in the neighborhood under the Buckingham Conservation Plan, written last year. [See a link to the full NCP under the drop-down menu "County Links" at right. --ST]

“The major design, I think we agree on,” said Stuart Engel, of Jackson Manor Condominium, which sits on the northeast corner of the intersection. He joined two people from Hyde Park Condominium and county staffers Angela Courtney and Dan Reinhard at the meeting.

The design pushes the sidewalks out into the streets a little more, giving drivers turning from N. Thomas onto N. Henderson a better view before crossing or merging with traffic. These sidewalk “nubs” should push the no parking zone farther from the intersection, increasing visibility, and shortening the distance for pedestrians to cross.

“It should get you out where you’ll be able to see past the parked cars,” Mr. Reinhard said. Drivers on N. Thomas will stop before the crosswalk and then roll forward and stop for the traffic on N. Henderson. “Virginia is a two-stop state.”

Available space on N. Henderson Road does not allow for the sidewalk nubs to shorten the distance on both sides of N. Thomas; however, the crosswalks will be “ladder” or “zebra” painted for increased visibility.

Mr. Reinhard suggested moving the street light that is tucked away in a corner of the sidewalk (see the upper right hand corner of the drawing) from the space between Jackson Manor and Hyde Park and putting a new one in front of Jackson Manor.

That section of the sidewalk, with awkward right-angle turns and little room for maneuverability, is a problem for the planners.

“I didn’t find anything that really helped us out here other than moving the light,” Mr. Reinhard said.

Moving that light, which is hidden in the tree canopy, would mean a dark corner would get darker, and could feel dangerous to pedestrians.

Discussion led to adding another light near Hyde Park, just east of the current light.

A third light is planned for the northwest corner of the intersection. In all, four new lights are planned, including one on the south side of N. Henderson that will be installed when Paradigm development builds townhomes on the southwest corner of the intersection.

Mr. Engel also suggested moving the bus stop currently just east of the intersection to a location just west. He hoped this would push the no parking area even farther down the street, allowing for more visibility. However, the stop is a Metrobus, so it is not controlled by Arlington. As well, moving the stop might have other problems with traffic flow. There was a question of whether it is possible at all.

“We’ll put the question to our transportation people and our bus people,” Mr. Reinhard said. “We’ll find out.”

By the end of the meeting, Mr. Reinhard’s copy of the plan had many notes and reminders covering it.

Other changes and timeline:

County: Give Bham Real Crosswalks

Labels: henderson, pedestrian, thomas street

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 1:16 PM 0 comments