Traffic

Another Crash on SB I-395 Near Washington Blvd Ramp

By ARLnow.com
1/2

For the second day in a row, a significant crash has occurred on southbound I-395 near the Washington Blvd/Arlington Ridge Road ramp.

A pickup truck and a van collided, initially trapping one of the drivers in his or her vehicle, according to scanner traffic. The driver was quickly freed by first responders and no serious injuries were reported.

Yesterday a vehicle overturned as a result of a crash in nearly the same location. In 2011, at least five crashes occurred in the same general area — a curvy stretch of southbound I-395 — during rainy weather.

Clear Sailing on Local Highways This Morning

By ARLnow.com

Clear sailing on I-395 on 1/26/16If you have to drive to work today, your commute will at least be smooth once you get on the local highways.

Traffic volume on I-395, I-66 and Route 50 was relatively light this morning. Some delays were reported on I-395 at King Street earlier, possibly the result of snow clearing operations.

Every Metrorail line is running every 12 minutes except the Silver Line, which remains closed. WMATA was unable to open aboveground service on the Orange Line between East Falls Church and Vienna this morning, so Ballston is the Virginia end of the line.

Metrobuses are operating on a “severe snow plan” with half hour delays, while Arlington Transit service is operating on a Sunday schedule between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. with “severe service” detours. Only the ART 41, 42, 45, 51, 55 and 87 lines are running.

Arlington County snow removal crews, meanwhile, are making slow but steady progress on clearing neighborhood streets. Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services said this morning that 30 percent of residential streets had been plowed.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Car Overturns in Crash on I-395

By Tim Regan

395-ridge-ot

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) Police and firefighters were on the scene of a crash involving an overturned vehicle on I-395 earlier today.

The crash occurred near exit 8B on the southbound lane of I-395 just before 3:30 p.m. this afternoon.

No injuries were reported and everyone was able to safely escape the car, a Toyota, according to scanner traffic.

Workers removed the flipped car around 4 p.m. and traffic began moving normally shortly thereafter.

Major Roads Passable as County Enters ‘Phase 3’ of Snow Removal

By Tim Regan

snow plow jan. 24(Updated at 8:40 a.m.) Primary roads across Arlington County have been plowed and are at least somewhat clear of snow, the county announced last night.

The county has begun “phase three” of its snow removal process, during which workers will clear snow-covered neighborhood streets. Crews may take until Tuesday night to reach every street, the county said.

Though some major roads remain treacherous due to patches of ice, most traffic across the area appeared to be light or moderate with no major backups or road closures reported as of 8 a.m. this morning.

Want to know which streets are clear? Arlington’s snow plow map keeps track of where road crews have and haven’t been. And starting at noon today, residents can use the county’s snow reporting form to “identify snow issues that need attention.” Residents can also report issues by calling the streets hotline at 703-228-6485.

VDOT Urges Drivers to Stay Put Amid Snow Removal

By Tim Regan

I66 29Though the snow has stopped falling, Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) says plenty of work must be done to dig out area roads.

Although VDOT says most interstates and primary routes in “minor to moderate condition,” many side roads are still completely covered in snow and ice.

“Even though the snow has stopped and dry weather is on the horizon, snow removal will be very extensive through the week,” VDOT said in a statement released earlier this morning.

VDOT urges drivers to “stay off roads to give crews space to clear snow and ice.”

Image via VDOT traffic camera

Traffic Update: Roads Buried in Snow as Winter Storm Rages On

By Tim Regan
1/10

Most roads throughout the region are currently buried in snow and ice as snowflakes continue to fall.

Residents are being strongly urged by Virginia’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) to stay off the road unless absolutely necessary, but it seems like many across the area are heeding that advice.

Normally busy streets across Arlington have been virtually devoid of cars all morning. Though some people have ventured out into the snow and ice — two drivers were spotted struggling to climb a hill on Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn earlier this morning — many appear to have stayed home.

Those that do drive, expectedly, are running into trouble. According to scanner traffic, a few cars have gotten struck on treacherous roads throughout the area, including one emergency vehicle.

What are you seeing out there? We want to hear from you. Tweet at us or send us an e-mail. We will provide live updates as the storm progresses today.

Flashing Yellow Arrows Coming to Arlington Intersections

By ARLnow.com

Flashing yellow light diagram (via Arlington County)Arlington County will be installing new traffic signals, featuring a blinking yellow arrow, along certain high-traffic roadways.

The flashing yellow signals will replace the familiar left turn signal with unblinking green and yellow arrows.

The older signals run from green arrow, to yellow arrow, to a solid green light, followed by a solid red. They’re accompanied by a metal sign that says “left turn yield on green.”

The new signals will run from a green arrow to a flashing yellow arrow, then to a steady yellow arrow followed by a red arrow. A sign with the words “left turn yield on flashing yellow arrow” will be placed next to the signal.

“The blinking yellow arrows help motorists know when to yield to oncoming traffic while attempting a left turn and support recommendations from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program,” according to a county press release. “Studies show that the flashing arrow signal is better understood by drivers than the more common circular green and yellow lights.”

“The flashing yellow arrow has been proven to increase compliance and reduce collisions. It’s already in use in other parts of Virginia,” the press release continues. “The new signals also provide traffic engineers with more flexibility in the way left turns are directed if traffic conditions change.”

Arlington will initially be installing the new signals along parts of Arlington Blvd, Glebe Road and Lee Highway, at a cost of $60,000. Additional installations are expected to follow.

VDOT is currently installing the new signals in parts of southern Virginia.

Video: Collisions Down at Rosslyn’s ‘Intersection of Doom’

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4 p.m.) Once one of Arlington’s top 5 intersections for collisions — particularly those involving pedestrians and cyclists — the “Intersection of Doom” in Rosslyn now isn’t even in the top 25.

Safety improvements at the intersection have dramatically reduced accidents at the intersection of Lynn Street and Lee Highway, said Larry Marcus, the county’s head of transportation engineering, in a new county-produced video.

Illustration of bicycle-vehicle accident at Lee Highway and N. Lynn Street, as provided by the cyclistThe county faced a challenge with the intersection: how to design quick and relatively inexpensive improvements at an intersection where 1,700 bicyclists per day try to cross a street also being crossed by 600 vehicles per hour exiting I-66.

“The obvious thing to do is separate these movements,” Marcus said.

Bicyclists and pedestrians now get a 10 second head start to start crossing Lynn Street while the traffic exiting I-66 waits at a red light with an illuminated no right turn signal. Pedestrians and cyclists then get a don’t cross signal while traffic turning right onto Lynn Street clears out.

Those relatively simple “operational improvements,” along with traffic enforcement and a public education campaign by Arlington County police, have dropped the intersection out of the county’s top 25 most crash-prone, Marcus says.

Despite the improvement, Marcus said the county is getting ready to begin a planning process for a more permanent solution to pedestrian-car conflicts at the intersection.

“There’s certainly an opportunity to build something,” he said.

Heavy Traffic Reported as Rain Slows Down Post-Holiday Commute

By ARLnow.com

Morning commute on 12/1/15

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving (and first day of December) is proving to be a turkey in terms of traffic.

Steady rain and accidents have helped to slow the commute to a crawl across much of Arlington.

On I-395 at 9 a.m., nearly the entire length of inbound I-395 was slow. I-66 is reported to be backed up all the way to Falls church. And the GW Parkway is a slog starting at the first overlook.

A reader reports that Route 50 was no picnic, either.

https://twitter.com/RNS48/status/671679134242840576

Elsewhere, minor flooding was reported in the area of Chain Bridge. Expect the rain to continue throughout the morning, forecasters say.

State Police Out in Force During Thanksgiving Holiday

By ARLnow.com

Virginia State Police (courtesy photo)Traffic deaths are up this year in Virginia, and Virginia State Police will be out in force during one of the biggest travel holidays of the year to try to tamp down on dangerous driving.

State police say 652 lives have been lost on Virginia’s roads and highways this year, compared to 633 at this time last year.

“State police are very concerned about the safety of the Commonwealth’s highways,” VSP said in a press release (below, after the jump). “To counter the increase in traffic crashes and fatalities caused by speeding, impaired driving and failure to use occupant restraints, state police will once again be participating in the Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.).”

VSP says motorists can expect to see an increase in troopers on the road between today and Sunday night.

During last year’s Thanksgiving holiday, state police cited 9,856 speeders, 2,315 reckless drivers, 706 seat belt law violators, and 91 DUI drivers.

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VDOT Plans I-395 HOT Lanes as Arlington Endorses I-66 Tolling Plan

By ARLnow.com

Heavy traffic on I-395 (file photo)VDOT has a new plan for High Occupancy Toll lanes on I-395, the Washington Post reported late Friday.

The news comes nearly five years after the state scrapped plans to build HOT lanes on I-395, following a legal battle with Arlington County. In a lawsuit, the county argued that HOT lanes, as then planned, would exacerbate pollution from and congestion on I-395, negatively impacting Arlington residents.

Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Lane told the Post that the new plan comes with guaranteed funding for carpooling and transit from private partner Transurban. Construction could start as soon as 2017 and would involve adding a third lanes to the existing HOV lanes while keeping the highway’s overall footprint mostly the same, the Post reports.

No word yet on a reaction from local officials.

Meanwhile, Arlington County has given its endorsement to a controversial plan for adding tolls to I-66 inside the Beltway during peak travel times. By a vote of 3-2 — John Vihstadt and Libby Garvey voted against it — the County Board adopted a resolution supporting the “Transform 66” project.

Traffic on I-66Last month Fairfax County offered conditional support for the plan, while calling for the widening of I-66. Loudoun County officials oppose the plan, which has faced heavy criticism from suburban commuters.

The plan calls for changing HOV rules on I-66 from requiring at least two people per vehicle during rush hour (HOV-2) to giving drivers the option of either having three people in a car (HOV-3) or paying a toll during peak hours.

In their endorsement, County Board members said they hoped that the changes would prevent the possible widening of I-66 inside the Beltway. The county wants VDOT to at least commit to not considering widening from two to three lanes in each direction through Arlington until 2025 at the earliest.

Lane has previously been quoted as saying the widening of I-66 through Arlington is inevitable.

After the jump, the press release from Arlington County on the I-66 project endorsement.

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