When Jim Alba, president of the board of trustees for the Courts and Ridges of Ashburn first read the results of the Old Ashburn Traffic Study he was pleased with the recommendations.
"I've been living in The Courts and Ridges since 1998, so I've seen traffic in the Ashburn area increase quite a bit and I'm glad to see some improvements coming," he said.
Wednesday, Feb. 21, a community meeting was held at the Ashburn Firehouse Social Hall to discuss the findings with Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run).
"We had a really good meeting," Waters said. "There was a lot of positive response from the community."
THE RECOMMENDATIONS of the study were released Jan. 12 by consulting firm, Dewberry & Davis LLC. The study looked at both the existing conditions — as of 2006 — and predicted future conditions by 2016 of Ashburn Road from Carrleigh Court to Tolamac Drive and Hay Road/Route 642 from Wild Meadow Court to Ashburn Road. The study also analyzed the pedestrian and bicycle traffic at the W&OD Trail and traffic through the parking lot at Cedar Lane Elementary School.
Build-out year data was projected based on current information, plus any future developments planned for the area and standard historical annual growth rates. The study acknowledged that there has been a 42 percent drop in daily trips along Hay Road and a 28 percent drop in trips along Ashburn Road north of Hay Road since Claiborne Parkway was completed in early 2006. However, the study still predicted the two areas would reach a level of service F by the year 2016. Level of service F represents the worst possible operating conditions.
ONE OF THE most noted recommendations in the study is the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Hay Road and Ashburn Road. Waters said residents at the community meeting were very positive about that recommendation and Alba said the signal is a positive for commuters.
"I think the businesses have suffered due to the congestion at Ashburn [Road] and Hay Road and the improvements suggested in the study are very much needed," he said.
Alba said he was also pleased to see the inclusion of a left-turn lane northbound on Ashburn Road for commuters trying to turn onto Hay Road.
"I really think the left-turn lane will keep traffic moving," he said.
Dewberry & Davis did not recommend any changes be made to the intersections of Ashburn Road and Stubble Road and Partlow Road, even though it predicted the level of service when turning onto Ashburn Road from the side roads would drop to F by the year 2016.
"There should be a sufficient amount of gaps in the northbound and southbound flows to allow for acceptable overall operation of this intersections without any improvement," the firm wrote in the study.
In addition, the consulting firm showed the average pedestrian waited for 15.5 seconds at the intersection of Ashburn Road and the W&OD Trail, but said "further studies may be necessary to determine the safety of the W&OD Trail crossing as continued growth occurs in the region."
NOT ALL OF Old Ashburn's residents' transportation concerns were addressed in study, however. Alba and residents of Courts and Ridges have been trying to get additional safety measures or traffic controls at the intersection of Gloucester Parkway and Deerview Drive to keep the children of the community safe.
"It's been a problem for probably five years now," he said.
Alba said that there is only a "poorly painted" crosswalk across Gloucester Parkway at Deerview Drive, where children will often cross to get to the community pool.
"Coming from Claiborne [Parkway] there is a rise and drivers are probably doing 50 to 55 by the time they hit Deerview," he said. "We worry about the kids more than anything."
While there is a traffic light planned for the intersection of Claiborne Parkway and Gloucester Parkway, Alba said the residents of The Courts and Ridges would rather see one at Deerview Drive. "We need some better traffic controls," he said. "Unfortunately, I think what it's going to take is someone getting seriously hurt there."
NOT MANY RESIDENTS were able to attend the Wednesday night community meeting, Waters said, due to a memorial service for Stuart Weller, a long-time Ashburn resident. In order to give residents another opportunity to speak on the study, Waters is planning a follow-up community meeting on a yet-to-be-determined date in March.