The Roots of Saner Traffic in Virginia's Piedmont

A June 29 Close to Home article, "Flowers Won't Slow Traffic in Virginia," which criticized a grass-roots effort to slow traffic down to safe and posted speeds in the historic and scenic sections of Route 50 in Virginia, was unfair to the many citizens who have worked so hard on this project.

Route 50 suffers from too much traffic as the Washington metropolitan area expands and moves ever westward. The question is what to do about it, bearing in mind that the Route 50 traffic calming task force has no zoning authority. Before the task force was formed, the original solution to the problem of traffic in the Virginia Piedmont from the Virginia Department of Transportation was the construction of a four-lane bypass around Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville with a cloverleaf interchange at Gilberts Corner. This approach was unrealistic from the beginning; it would have cost several hundred million dollars, which would never be available. Also, that approach would have destroyed some of the most scenic and historic farmland in the nation.

After consulting with internationally recognized experts in traffic calming, VDOT engineers and the task force came up with a solid plan to slow traffic in the villages to the posted legal speed limits. At Gilberts Corner, a major choke point, roundabouts and a connector road (already under construction) will eliminate gridlock, according to VDOT engineers. This improvement will remove a major headache for commuters going to their jobs, emergency vehicles headed to the hospital and travelers headed to Dulles International Airport. All of this will be accomplished with a significantly reduced footprint at a fraction of the cost of the original proposals.

Residents of the Route 50 communities and commuters have been closely involved throughout the entire process. VDOT has been responsive to citizen input. With regard to the Upperville segment, members of the task force walked every step of the project with VDOT engineers and consultants to ensure that citizen advice and counsel were heeded.

What we have built in Upperville is a project that reduces speed and improves pedestrian safety. Most of the design features are the result of citizen input. Will we be able to stop everyone from speeding? Only in a perfect world where people think more about others in the neighborhood than about getting to work or the store five minutes faster.

I invite Washingtonians to drive through Upperville and look at a different way of traffic calming. I know it is working because many people are telling me that they are slowing down as they drive through town. Wishing traffic in our special part of the world could be the same as it was 30 years ago just won't help solve the problem.

As for Upperville resident John Ross's assertion that traffic in his town is more frightening than New York City, all I can say is that I know New York City and it is nothing like Upperville. Come and see for yourselves -- but don't speed through town!

-- James Rich

Middleburg

The writer is co-chairman of the Route 50 Task Force.