Present for the event were Tom Biesiadny, Director of Fairfax County Department of Transportation; Dranesville Supervisor John Foust; Department of Transportation Senior Transportation Planner, Tad Borkowski; Haycock Elementary School Principal, Dr. Kelly Sheers; Construction Project Engineer Fairfax County Capital Facilities Department, Lisa McCorkle; and Michael J. Stevens, Engineering Inspector Fairfax County Capital Facilities Department.
On Nov. 5, Supervisor John Foust (D- Dranesville), Haycock Elementary School Principal, Dr. Kelly Sheers, and Fairfax County Departments of Transportation and Capital Facilities personnel met at the intersection of Westmoreland Street and Haycock Road to celebrate the completion of a pedestrian walkway, signal crossing and right turn lane recently installed by Fairfax County. The transportation improvements coincide with significant changes to the kiss-and-ride and parking facilities at Haycock Elementary School constructed by Fairfax County Public Schools. The new walkway connects to an existing trail on the east side of Westmoreland Street, across from Placid Street. The sidewalk continues south on Westmoreland Street, west on Haycock Road, and terminates at an existing trail at the western entrance of Haycock Elementary School.
These transportation improvements were initiated in 2009 by Supervisor Foust and funded by Fairfax County Commercial and Industrial tax revenues. Construction efforts took place over the summer months of 2013 with the project substantially completed in October 2013.
Westmoreland Street is a busy road that serves as a primary walking route for students of Haycock Elementary School and Longfellow Middle School. With the completion of the walkway, there is now continuous pedestrian access along the west side of Westmoreland Street between Kirby Road and Haycock Road. Recently, Fairfax County installed other pedestrian safety measures along Westmoreland Street, including a walkway between the Chesterbrook Taiwanese Presbyterian Church and Temple Rodef Shalom. In recent years, at the request of Supervisor Foust, numerous improvements have been installed to address pedestrian safety concerns along Westmoreland Street between Kirby Road and Chain Bridge Road, including pedestrian crossing medians, upgraded crosswalks and signage, and an experimental "Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon" at McLean High School.
In addition, the Haycock Road segment of the new walkway completes a missing pedestrian link to provide continuous sidewalk on the northern side of Haycock Road from Boxwood Drive to the West Falls Church Metro Station.
"These are long-needed changes," said Foust. "Students at Haycock can now safely walk that last block to school and cross this busy intersection with pedestrian-activated walk lights. Drivers should also notice improvements with the additional right turn lane on Westmoreland."