George Mason Drive

After several crashes, county fast-tracks intersection near Lubber Run Community Center for safety improvements

By Jo DeVoe
A collision on Nov. 11, 2023, at N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive (courtesy Esther Bowring)

Relief is coming for a crash-prone intersection in front of the Lubber Run Community Center.

Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says it is working on an expedited design and construction timeline to install a traffic signal at the intersection of N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive, near Barrett Elementary School, by the end of 2024.

Last month, the county told ARLnow it was working to get a signal installed within the next three years. The decision to shorten the timeline responds to an uptick in crashes there this year, DES told the Arlington Forest Civic Association in a meeting yesterday (Wednesday).

“The signal project is on target for completion by the end of next year,” Vision Zero Coordinator Christine Baker tells ARLnow. “We must procure all materials and finalize construction plans.”

With the installation date a year away, the county evaluated a trio of interim solutions while removing and trimming overgrown trees and shrubs in the median to improve sight distances.

At this troubled intersection, drivers on N. Park Drive have a two-way stop sign before traversing the four lanes of traffic on N. George Mason Drive.

Left turns and through traffic on N. Park Drive are the primary causes of crashes, says Baker.

After evaluating temporary stop signs, traffic signals or barriers to restrict certain traffic patterns, DES decided to keep exploring how to add barriers.

“We are also assessing the potential impacts to nearby intersections, such as Henderson, to ensure safe alternative routing,” Baker said.

Potential turn restrictions on N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive (courtesy Arlington County)

In its presentation last night, DES said turn restrictions are easy to install and effective. Crashes dropped at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road when similar turn restrictions were introduced there.

The restrictions on turning and going straight on N. Park Drive are set to be installed before the end of 2023. They will be removed when the traffic signals go in at the end of next year.

Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road turn restriction impacts (courtesy Arlington County)

The updates are good news for residents, who have been asking for a solution soon, predicting pedestrians could get hurt. So far this year, the county has lowered speeds on the road near Barrett, repaved and restriped intersection — adding a “SLOW SCHOOL XING” message.

“Arlington Forest residents have been very concerned about safety at the intersection of George Mason Drive and North Park Drive for several years,” Arlington Forest Citizens Association President Esther Bowring said in a statement.

“That is why we are appreciative that Arlington County has now committed to not only expediting installation of a traffic signal at that location, but also to installing interim measures to improve pedestrian and traffic safety until the signal is installed,” she continued.

A traffic signal was recommended back in 2017, when traffic near the site was studied as part of plans for the new Lubber Run Community Center. Ultimately, the county moved forward with a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon and pedestrian refuge.

Staff did pledge to conduct a traffic signal analysis after the community center was finished and new travel patterns settled.

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Intersection near Lubber Run Community Center logs at least two more crashes as it awaits stop light

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

(Updated at 12:50 p.m.) In the last four days, a crash-prone intersection near Lubber Run Community Center has logged nearly as many crashes.

Two crashes on Monday at the intersection of N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive — also near Barrett Elementary School — resulted in reported minor injuries. The other, this past Friday, caused only property damage. In two of the cases, a driver was cited, according to ACPD.

At this troubled intersection, drivers on N. Park Drive have a two-way stop sign before traversing the four lanes of traffic on N. George Mason Drive. There have been some changes intended to improve safety but it may take upwards of three years before some neighbors get what they have been pushing for: stop lights.

“We are looking to fully signalize the intersection in all four directions,” says Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors. “The County is developing plans to install the signal within the next three years.”

The county also intends to make pedestrian ramps accessible to people with disabilities and make other changes that require construction. This means the project would have to use Capital Improvement Program funds.

“The precise combination of funds or programs has not been identified as of yet,” she said.

The pair of crashes bring the total number of reportable crashes — those resulting in injuries, death, or at least $1,500 of damage — to three this calendar year, ACPD says. The intersection has averaged three or four crashes annually since 2017.

Crash reports at N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive as of Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 (data courtesy ACPD)

Two of the crashes involved drivers on N. Park Drive trying to cross N. George Mason Drive or turn onto the road.

The preliminary investigation into a crash Monday morning, around 9:30 a.m., “indicates the a driver was traveling on N. Park Drive when they attempted to cross N. George Mason Drive resulting in a collision with another motorist who was traveling on N. George Mason Drive,” ACPD said.

That evening, police were dispatched to the report of a crash with injuries just before 5:30 p.m., ACPD later told ARLnow.

The investigation into Friday’s crash, shortly after 1 p.m., “indicates the driver of the striking vehicle was attempting to turn from N. Park Drive onto George Mason Drive when they stuck a vehicle traveling on George Mason Drive,” ACPD says.

Angle crashes — which comprise the largest share of crashes in Arlington — made up most if not all the crashes last year, according to a 2022 crash report. This intersection is one of nearly a dozen that saw upwards of five angle crashes last year, and only one other intersection saw six or more.

The recent crashes reignited calls from some neighbors to act more quickly to install a traffic light.

“We feel like the County is waiting for a serious injury before they do something here,” says neighbor John Broehm.

So far this year, the the county has lowered speeds on the road near Barrett, repaved and restriped intersection — adding a “SLOW SCHOOL XING” message, Pors said.

Responding to county-wide policy, speeds were reduced on parts of N. Park Drive near the school to 20 mph at all times. The speed limit on N. George Mason Drive in the area is 30 mph, reduced to 20 mph when a light near the community center is flashing.

Previously, in 2020, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons were installed to give pedestrians a more “protected” window to cross at the N. Park Road intersection.

Crash with overturned vehicle closes portion of N. George Mason Drive

By ARLnow.com
1/6

(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) A portion of N. George Mason Drive was closed this afternoon in the Buckingham neighborhood, near Ballston, after a crash.

The crash left one car overturned and on its roof in the roadway. It was not immediately clear how the crash happened nor whether anyone was hurt. It appeared that at least one other car — pushed partially onto the sidewalk — was involved.

The northbound lanes of George Mason were blocked in the area of 4th Street N. while police talked to witnesses and crews worked to clear the wreck. As of 3:35 p.m., all lanes were back open.

Police and firefighters responded to scene while a crowd of onlookers gathered nearby, many with smartphones in hand.

Crash-prone intersection near Lubber Run Community Center still awaiting school slow zone markings

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) A troubled intersection near Lubber Run Community Center clocked another vehicle crash last week.

The collision at N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive last Tuesday happened as neighbors await the installation of street markings and, eventually, signage, alerting drivers to a lower speed limit of 20 mph in the area.

“A Porsche SUV gunned it through a busy intersection and collided with another SUV,” said Phillip Berenbroick, who saw the crash. “[It] happened right as kids and parents are rushing over to Barrett Elementary [School] for 9 a.m. school start.”

And that wasn’t all. While first responders were still on scene, an Audi SUV headed from the Arlington Forest neighborhood toward Ballston on Park Drive sped through the intersection and was pulled over by police, Berenbroick said. He noted that Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons stopping traffic and allowing pedestrians to cross N. Park Drive were flashing.

“It’s super dangerous for pedestrians when cars traveling eastbound on Park Drive out of Arlington Forest try to cross through the intersection and turn northbound on George Mason,” he said. “ACPD pulled the car over and let the driver off with a warning. It was a little surprising since the accident that police and EMTs were responding to was a result of the same type of dangerous driving.”

The collision reignited one neighbor’s push for a traffic signal there, particularly given the presence of Barrett Elementary one block away. Drivers tend to go fast on the four-lane expanse of N. George Mason Drive, leaving few windows for people on N. Park Drive trying to cross or turn left, including those going to and coming from the popular Lubber Run Community Center.

Arlington has a county-wide policy setting a permanent 20 mph speed limit on neighborhood streets within 600 feet of a school. Arlington County expects markings alerting drivers will cost $150,000 and will be added over the next 2-3 years.

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, which give pedestrians are more “protected” window to cross the road, were installed at the N. Park Drive intersection in late 2020 as part of a transportation study related to the community center project.

Currently, the speed limit on N. George Mason Drive in the area is 30 mph, reduced to 25 mph when a light near the community center is flashing. Later this spring, speeds on the road will drop another 5 mph — to 20 mph — when lights are flashing, in response to a new county-wide policy.

As part of the updated school zone policy, the speed limit on parts of Park Drive near Barrett will be reduced to 20 mph at all times.

Also this spring, the intersection is expected to get new “SLOW SCHOOL XING” markings after it is repaved, according to Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Claudia Pors.

“The Water Sewer Streets crew is putting together the schedule for what streets are getting repaved this season, so the timing of when the N. George Mason Drive and Park Drive [intersection gets] paved will depend on them,” said Pors.

The intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive will be repaved this paving season (via Arlington County)

In all, there have been 23 crashes at George Mason sand Park since 2017, of which nine occurred in the two years the Lubber Run Community Center has been open, according to data from Arlington County Police Department. Last week’s crash does not register because it does not reporting criteria outlined in state code.

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County to propose safety upgrades at an intersection that has seen two pedestrian-involved crashes this year

By Jo DeVoe
1/2

A South Arlington intersection that has seen two pedestrian-involved crashes this year, including one last week, is set to be updated to improve safety.

In the evening on Tuesday, March 14, an adult man was struck by a driver at the intersection of S. George Mason Drive and S. Four Mile Run Drive, causing bleeding from his head, per initial reports. His support dog ran off but was later returned, according to social media.

Planned renovation to this intersection are part of the South George Mason Drive Multimodal Transportation Study, which will bring changes along the major road from Arlington Blvd to the county border. The county and a resident involved in the process say complexities at this intersection have slowed down progress on this initiative, which was first expected to wrap up last fall.

“This project is part of the larger S. George Mason Drive project, but the county discovered fairly quickly that this intersection specifically was going to cause them to have to slow down the project to allow for additional study and design,” Douglas Park resident Jason Kaufman said.

A virtual meeting a few months behind schedule was scheduled to be held last night from 7-8:30 p.m., around the same time as the contentious Missing Middle vote, to discuss new designs for the proposed changes along S. George Mason Drive.

Concept plans from last summer proposed treatments including narrower roads, widened sidewalks and vegetation buffers between pedestrians and road users. One option included protected bike lanes while another mixed cyclists and drivers.

A county webpage for the project says staff have conducted an in-depth analysis of S. George Mason Drive where it intersects with S. Four Mile Run Drive, as well as with Columbia Pike, in preparing its plans.

The high-traffic intersection is a major artery for three neighborhoods that links road users to the City of Alexandria, I-395 and Shirlington. A service road, also called S. Four Mile Run Drive, runs parallel to the main road, basically creating a “double intersection.” The W&OD Trail runs parallel to and in between these two roads, crossing six lanes of traffic on S. George Mason Drive.

“Anyone that bikes, rides, drives, scoots or traverses through that intersection on a daily basis is aware of its challenges,” Kaufman said. “There are a number of conflict points that are dangerous. That intersection has one of the highest incidents of accidents in the county, including accidents that are considered ‘severe’ for the purposes of Vision Zero calculations, and it needs to be fixed.”

S. George Mason Drive and S. Four Mile Run Drive (via Google Maps)

The county considers this intersection a “hot spot,” based on a review of crash data from 2019 and 2022. Between 2017 and 2019, there had been more than 15 vehicle crashes and at least two cyclist-involved crashes, per a 2020 report. The county’s crash dashboard lists two crashes with severe injuries, one in 2015 and another in 2017, and ARLnow reported on a hit-and-run with severe injuries in November 2021.

That’s in addition to last week’s crash.

For all road users, navigating the intersection requires hyper-vigilance, but people are rarely able to pay attention to “an overwhelming number of inputs,” says Douglas Park resident Kristin Francis.

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County seeks input on new designs for stretch of S. George Mason Drive

By Mavis Chan
1/3

Members of the public can weigh in on proposed improvements to a stretch of S. George Mason Drive that’s being studied.

The road renovation project from Arlington Blvd to the Fairfax County border is part of the South George Mason Drive Multimodal Transportation Study, which aims to “identify improvements” along this “key corridor,” according to the project’s website.

Residents can provide online feedback on proposed design concepts through Sunday, Aug. 7.

The stretch of the roadway being studied is divided into three segments:

  • between Arlington Blvd and Columbia Pike
  • between Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive
  • between S. Four Mile Run Drive and the Fairfax County border
A plan showing the first design concept for the three road segments (via Arlington County)

Earlier this month, the county’s Dept. of Environmental Services released its preliminary designs for the three road segments. The first option for all three segments would separate cyclists and cars into different lanes on both sides of the road, and widen the sidewalks and the vegetation buffers on both sides to six feet, according to the concept plans.

However, this design would increase the number of lanes pedestrians have to cross, as well as remove sections of on-street parking and require additional right-of-way behind the curb. Buses would also have to enter the bike lane to pick up passengers, instead of pulling up to the curb, according to an online community meeting.

A plan showing the second design concept for the first road segment between Arlington Blvd and Columbia Pike (via Arlington County)

The second option for the segment from Arlington Boulevard to Columbia Pike would widen the west side sidewalk to a 12-foot, multi-use trail and the east sidewalk to six feet. It would also narrow the driving lanes while keeping the parking lane on the east side. The new multi-use trail would connect several county parks, such as Alcova Heights Park and trails like the Arlington Boulevard Trail.

However, this design would remove parking on the west side and require signal phasing changes to reduce conflict with people on the multi-use trail.

A plan showing the second design concept for the second road segment between Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive (via Arlington County)

The second design option for the segment from Columbia Pike to S. Four Mile Run Drive would be largely similar except it would keep the two parking lanes on both sides of the road.

A plan showing the second design concept for the third road segment between S. Four Mile Run Drive and the Fairfax County border (via Arlington County)

The second design plan for the third road segment would narrow all the driving lanes between S. Four Mile Run and the Fairfax County border to 11 feet and the central median to 14 feet, but it would widen the vegetation buffers on both sides and the sidewalk on the west side to a 12-foot, multi-use trail.

However, this plan may result in tree removal due to narrowing the central median, as well as the removal of some parking spots at intersections and driveways. The county would need to consider more design details, such as how the new road would interact with the driveways of houses along the road segment.

The corridor study is set to conclude between October and November this year. The county then plans to apply for grant funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

Photos via Google Maps

County to study potential improvements for S. George Mason Drive

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

Arlington County will be studying a two-mile stretch of S. George Mason Drive, from Route 50 to the border with Fairfax County, to identify potential transportation improvements.

The study is happening now because the road is a solid candidate for grants that have applications due in the winter. But before they can apply, county staff need to examine current conditions and hear from locals about their biggest safety concerns, according to Leah Gerber, an county transportation planner.

She said one reason staff are optimistic about grant funding is because the upgrades would benefit residents of census tracts with high concentrations of ethnic minorities, or “equity emphasis areas,” according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Over the next two months, staff will analyze data such as transit ridership and traffic counts and develop concept plans for three segments of the road:

  • North Segment — Arlington Blvd to Columbia Pike
  • Middle Segment — Columbia Pike to S. Four Mile Run Drive
  • South Segment — S. Four Mile Run Drive to county line

Staff will also develop 15% designs for the Columbia Pike-county line segment.

“The southern portion we feel will really be eligible for grant funding,” said Valerie Mosley, the bureau chief of Transportation Planning and Capital Project Management for Arlingtons Department of Environmental Services.

The study is slated for commission and County Board review this fall, in time for applications to go out this winter.

“We’re working on a fairly truncated timetable for this study and we wanted to start by asking about your experience,” public engagement coordinator Nate Graham said during a community kick-off meeting last week. “That feedback from the community will help us, along with data analysis, plan a study and identify solutions that can resolve those issues.”

A survey, open through Sunday, May 1, asks respondents how safe they feel walking, scooting, driving and biking the road. People can signal their preferred upgrades from options such as protected bike lanes, sheltered bus stops, bus-only lanes and widened sidewalks. Using an interactive map, respondents can pinpoint specific locations they say need attention.

The segments of S. George Mason Drive being studied by the county (via Arlington County)

What staff members know so far is that some residents have long requested safer pedestrian crossings through improvements such as flashing beacons. One oft-cited intersection is with 6th Street S., near the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, where shrubbery and trees make it hard to see oncoming cars.

Some cyclists, meanwhile, have pointed out inconsistent bike infrastructure, with lanes that start and stop at random. Other residents say more parking enforcement is needed between Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive, where large commercial trucks park despite being too wide for the parking spaces available.

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Driver flees after striking and seriously injuring pedestrian near W&OD Trail crossing

By ARLnow.com
W&OD Trail crossing near the intersection of S. George Mason Drive and S. Four Mile Run Drive (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) A pedestrian was struck and seriously injured by a driver who then fled the scene last night.

The crash happened near the intersection of S. George Mason Drive and Four Mile Run Drive, just before 8:30 p.m. The road was closed while police investigated.

The W&OD Trail crosses just north of the busy intersection, next to a service road that’s also labeled as S. Four Mile Run Drive.

“At 8:25 p.m. on November 29, police were dispatched to a crash with injuries involving a pedestrian at S. Four Mile Run Dr. and S. George Mason Drive,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, officers located the pedestrian, an adult male, in the roadway. He was transported to an area hospital and remains hospitalized in critical condition.”

“During the preliminary investigation, officers did not locate any witnesses to the crash and there is no description of the striking vehicle,” Savage continued. “The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact ACPD’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).”

Photo via Google Maps

Arlington Man Sentenced to Prison for 2018 Killing in Douglas Park

By Jo DeVoe
Gavel (Flickr photo by Joe Gratz)

An Arlington man has been sentenced to decades in prison for killing a man in the Douglas Park neighborhood three years ago.

Michael Nash, 29, is set to spend nearly 35 years behind bars. Five years and one month of the 40 years sentence was suspended. Nash will have five years of supervised probation.

Earlier this summer, Nash pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for killing Arlington resident Patricio Salazar, who had tried to intervene when he found Nash sexually and physically assaulting his then-girlfriend. Other charges, including forcible sodomy and robbery, were dropped as part of the agreement.

“It was the most accurate charge for the most serious conduct, and it had the support of the other victims,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said.

At a 2019 hearing, Nash’s then-girlfriend told a judge that they argued loudly enough for police to come, but were allowed to leave together after separate interviews, the Washington Post reported. They continued walking and ended up on near Doctor’s Run Park.

That’s when Nash “pushed her to the ground and began beating her, stripping her of her clothing and touching her sexually,” the Post reports.

Salazar tried to stop him, but Nash beat him and knocked him unconscious, police said at the time. Salazar was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Nash fled the scene and robbed a woman of her cell phone, police previously said. Officers and a police helicopter eventually apprehended Nash near the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. George Mason Drive.

Salazar’s sister Loty launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to honor her brother’s life and raise money for three organizations that support victims of sexual assault in the U.S. and Bolivia. It brought in more than $30,000. Bradley Flood, a witness, also raised money for the family.

His sister remembered Salazar as “one of the most kindhearted and genuine people I have ever met.”

“And, as he showed by his final act of great courage, he was a man of integrity and character, who believed in doing the right thing no matter what the cost,” she wrote.

Flood wrote that it chills him to think what would have happened if Salazar had not intervened.

“He is a Good Samaritan if there ever was one,” he said.

Man Survived Serious Bike Crash in Yorktown Last Month

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

The man who suffered potentially life-threatening injuries in a bicycle crash in Yorktown last month says he is making a full recovery.

“I can’t believe I was almost killed in the bicycle accident,” said Joseph Schanuel. “I have nobody to blame but myself — nobody caused my bike to fall.”

Schanuel, 25, was riding his bike — which he modified to be powered by a two-stroke gas engine — along N. George Mason Drive on the afternoon of July 28 when suddenly it fell apart.

“The front wheel came off after my carbon fork [a part that attaches the front wheel to the frame] broke in half due to overuse and local bumpy terrain,” he said. “My skull dropped into the pavement, face-planted at 20 mph.”

The crash happened around 1 p.m. on the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive, just south of Yorktown Blvd, and the detached wheel could be seen next to the bike. According to a Nextdoor post, a woman walking her dog called the paramedics.

“I was on a work call when my wife, who was walking our dog, screamed for me to come outside,” a man said on Nextdoor. “She was already on with 9-11. I saw you lying in the road and ran into the middle of the road to stop traffic. Within minutes, the paramedics were there. We were worried sick about you and are so glad to hear you are ok and on the mend.”

Another poster said she drove by the scene before the road had been blocked off. She saw Schanuel surrounded by Arlington County Fire Department personnel.

“I was horrified to see you lying unmoving on the street,” she said. “I was very shaken and am so relieved to hear that you survived!! I wish you well in your recovery!”

Schanuel was rushed to Virginia Hospital Center, which was only five minutes away. According to his Instagram, he was discharged Aug. 13, a Friday.

“I owe my thanks to the 911 caller at the… scene of the accident and to the [Emergency Medical Services], also [Emergency Room] physicians and facial neurologist trauma doctors at VHC, which was only five minutes away,” he said. “Thank you for providing me rapid transport — I am alive because of your heroism.”

Schanuel was wearing a helmet at the time and said it might have saved his life. Still, the force of hitting his face on the pavement knocked him unconscious “for at least five hours,” according to his account of the crash on Nextdoor. Firefighters had to use water to wash Schanuel’s blood from the pavement.

His fall resulted in shattered facial bones and traumatic injury to Schanuel’s brain. He says he suffered a concussion so bad that he could have had permanent cognitive impairment, as well as deficits in balance, agility and the ability to sense his body’s movements. But he’s happy to be alive.

“I’m lucky I can still bathe and swallow and lift objects and walk in a straight line without any mobility assistance,” he said.

BREAKING: Police Investigating Serious Bike Crash Near Yorktown HS

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) A bicyclist has suffered potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash 2-3 blocks from Yorktown High School.

The crash happened around 1 p.m. on the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive, just south of Yorktown Blvd. Initial reports suggest the front wheel of the bike somehow came off and the cyclist flipped over the handlebars, suffering a possible head injury.

The detached wheel could be seen next to the bike, which appeared to have a motor that powered it. A pool of blood was nearby, in the middle of the bike lane.

The cyclist was rushed to a local trauma center for treatment. So far there are no reports of any vehicles being involved in the crash.

“ACFD arrived on the scene of a single-bicycle crash in the 2700 block of N. George Mason Drive,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said. “The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Police were dispatched to the area and remain on scene investigating the crash.”

Drivers should expect the northbound lanes of N. George Mason Drive to remain closed while police document the scene and investigate the crash.

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