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Projects & Planning

Vision Zero — Pilot Projects

Sometimes there are unique safety problems or issues that traditional transportation engineering tools or policies cannot solve. In these cases, Arlington’s transportation team must think outside the box to develop and test new, context-appropriate solutions. When we apply a new method for the first time, it is considered as a “pilot project.” 

Arlington County staff apply pilot projects when a safety need arises in: 

    • A location where traditional methods have proven ineffective once implemented.  
    • A location with unique roadway or pathway configurations where traditional measures would not address the safety issue.  
    • A location where there is no precedent method to improve safety.  
    • A location were traditional methods are too costly to implement given available funding sources. 

Pilot projects require approval from Transportation Staff Leadership and entail at least a six-months timeframe for monitoring conditions/user behavior once in place.  

Location

County-wide: DES is implementing pilot safety projects throughout Arlington at locations identified either through (1) data analysis, including reviews of crash or behavior data, or (2) reports from the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington Public Schools, or members of the community.   

About the Project

Arlington County’s Vision Zero transportation safety program provides a comprehensive and holistic approach to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. These pilot safety projects are a part of the greater Vision Zero program effort. They include any safety projects identified through programmatic analysis or community reports and are funded under either general funds or the Vision Zero safety program. 

Analysis   

DES identifies pilot safety projects through analysis on both on an annual and ongoing basis:  

  • Annual Crash Analysis: Staff conduct a comprehensive annual analysis each year, which includes a review of the previous year’s crash patterns, as well as longer term crash trends and patterns. This includes:
    • A systemic review of common factors in severe/fatal crashes to identify high risk circumstances and roadway characteristics
    • A “Hot Spot” analysis that identifies individual intersections or locations that experience high numbers of crashes.

Following the annual crash analysis, staff identify and implement mitigation efforts to address the patterns and hot spots found through the crash analysis.

For more information on annual crash analysis, click here.   

  • Community-Reported Crash Analysis: Ad-hoc crash analysis is prompted by safety-related reports from County staff, our partners, or community members. These ad-hoc analyses focus on identifying specific needs or conditions related to a site.    

Implementation 

Implementation of these pilot projects will occur on a rolling basis throughout the year. In 2021, we plan to install and monitor the pilot projects listed below.

2021 Pilot Safety Projects  

S Carlin Springs Rd Walkability Improvement Pilot  – Ended July 2021 
  • Project Description: The northbound right travel lane of S Carlin Springs Rd from 8th Pl S heading north to 5th Rd S temporarily closed using bollards, wheel stops, barriers, and traffic barrels to provide an additional buffer space for people walking or biking along S Carlin Springs Rd.  
  • Safety Need: Identified through the 2017 hot spots program (S Carlin Springs Rd from 7th Rd S to County line) and through collaboration and coordination with Arlington Public Schools in 2017 (S Carlin Springs Rd from 7th Rd S to Arlington Blvd/US-50).  
  • Status / Timeline:  
    • Temporary lane closure to end with removal of barriers on Saturday, July 24, 2021, based on community feedback and field study
    • Pilot began March 2021 
    • Monitored pilot with two data collection/observational checkpoints 
    • Gathered community feedback
  • Additional Notes: Since travel changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic volumes were much lower along S Carlin Springs Rd, which allowed staff to temporarily close a travel lane for the pilot. The additional buffer for pedestrians was intended to help improve walking and biking conditions for those along the corridor, including students.  
Lorcom Lane Walkability Improvement Pilot  
  • Project Description: The County, in partnership with Arlington Public Schools, is piloting temporary parking restrictions on Lorcom Lane between N Oakland St and N Quebec St to provide a walking path for pedestrians and kids walking to and from school.
    • Click here for the project plan.  
  • Safety Need: The primary motivation for this project is to create a safer walking path for students accessing Dorothy Hamm Middle School. The need for a walking path is elevated due to COVID-19 and transportation challenges for school children as walking to school is now encouraged to limit the number of students on buses. 
  • Status / Timeline:  
    • Begin pilot in March 2021 
    • Monitor pilot through Summer 2021 with at least one data collection/observational checkpoint 
    • Gather community feedback on the pilot in Summer 2021
    •  Determine next steps for this pilot project towards the end of Summer 2021
  • Additional Notes: Since travel changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, traffic volumes are much lower along Lorcom Lane, which will allow temporary closure of a parking lane for the pilot. 
N Oak St Walkability Improvement Pilot
  • Project Description: The County is piloting temporary barriers on N Oak St between Clarendon Blvd and 17th St N to provide a walking path for pedestrians where there is currently no sidewalk. 
  • Safety Need: This project creates a safer path for people walking and biking on the west side of N Oak St in this dense, high-volume area of Rosslyn. The need for a walking path is elevated due to a history of seven crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists between 2017 and 2021.  
  • Status / Timeline:  
    • Begin pilot in Spring 2021 
    • Monitor pilot through Summer 2021 with at least one data collection/observational checkpoint 
    • Gather community feedback on the pilot toward the end of Summer 2021 
  • Additional Notes: The pedestrian pathway is created by adding a barrier between the travel lane and the curb. This will slightly narrow the southbound lane, but access for vehicles, including the driveway to the coffee shop, will be retained.  

Funding

Some projects are funded through the general operating fund. Others are funded through the Vision Zero program under the Arlington County Capital Improvement Plan and are funded by a mix of state and local sources.