Kudos to Alexandria City Council

I'm sure some of you have noticed that the grass on the Alexandria side of Shirlington Circle has grown so tall that it is a traffic hazard, making an already precarious merge/yield even more dangerous. After weeks of waiting for the grass to be fully cut (since the City apparently thought cutting part of it was good enough), I decided to contact the Mayor's Office and City Council. I opted to use the email form on the Alexandria City Government website. I submitted the email on June 16 at about 9:45 pm and by 9 am the next morning I received the first of three emails from members of City Council. Below are the responses from Justin Wilson (City Council), Rob Krupicka (City Council), and Elaine Scott (Citizen Assistance), respectively. Elaine Scott actually CC'd all the members of City Council as well as the Mayor on her reply.

It's nice to feel that your local government hears and is receptive to the concerns of its residents. Now we'll see if the grass gets cut.

From Justin Wilson:

Thanks for the e-mail. I'm sorry to hear of the poor condition of the grass in the Circle.

During the most recently approved budget, due to severe budgetary constraints, the City Council made the decision to reduce mowing and grounds maintenance across the City. That being said, I will ask our Staff to ensure that this particular area is being maintained according to the new, reduced schedule.

I will let you know. Have a good week.

From Rob Krupicka:

We'll have staff look at this. Thank you for contacting us.

From Elaine Scott:

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with the City Council. Your concerns will be forwarded to the appropriate City department for response. Responses are generally provided within five working days. If more time is needed, we will notify you.

The resurrection of this blog

Hello Readers:

So sorry we've been MIA for the last few months. We've had quite a busy schedule, part of which included our bathroom renovation. But hopefully we'll get back on track with regular posts this summer.

We've noticed increased interest and email traffic in our community regarding the proposed HOT Lanes. Park Fairfax residents are very concerned about how the construction of the HOT Lanes and their general presence will affect our community. We recently read that Shirlington Circle itself will essentially be demolished in order to rebuild it with more lanes and 6 stop lights. I don't know if that is the proposed construction plan, but that does not sound like a traffic enhancement to me.

Personally, I don't really see why our area needs to be involved in the HOT Lanes process at all. Traffic is rarely horrendous around the Circle or on our part of 395.

Maneuvering around Shirlington Circle

Driving around Shirlington Circle is, at times, like the Indy 500. Sharp turns and yield signs that many drivers view as optional or simply do not see make for a new adventure every time.

Let's start on the Alexandria side and travel around the Circle. The Parkfairfax entry onto the Circle is located at the intersection of Gunston Road and the Quaker Lane entry ramp to I-395 North. During rush hour, this spot is frequently backed up due to those who are trying to get onto 395 North, those who need to go around the Circle to get to Shirlington, 395 South, or other nearby roads like Columbia Pike or George Mason. Fortunately there are two lanes so those hoping to get onto 395 North from Gunston can do so, but it is often difficult to get onto the Circle from the left lane unless cars coming from the Quaker Lane entrance and the Circle are kind enough to let you in.

Next, let's say you decide to go around the Circle. There is an on ramp from the HOV lanes that is rarely a problem, and there is also an exit onto Shirlington Mill Road or Four Mile Run, two streets that lead to other parts of Arlington.

However, if you continue around the Circle and want to get off in Shirlington, you have to hope that those coming onto the Circle from Shirlington Mill Road or Four Mile Run will yield as the sign right in front of them asks them to do. We have had numerous near accidents because drivers repeatedly fail to yield at this sign.

Assuming you survive this corner, let's talk about going back around the Circle to where we started. Straight ahead are two options: take the entry ramp onto 395 South or continue around the Circle to exit back in Alexandria. Be careful of the lane on the left, this is an exit from 395 North onto the Circle and the drivers sometimes speed up to cut across to the exit onto 395 South.

As we continue around back towards Gunston Road, an exit onto Quaker Lane is an option for those in the right hand lane, or you can keep going towards the most dangerous part of the Circle - the Quaker Lane yield/exit to Gunston Road/entry onto I-395 North. Drivers on the Circle have the right of way, however, sometimes those on the Quaker Lane ramp ignore the yield sign or speed through thinking they won't hit anyone. To make matters worse, for those of us who need to get off at Gunston Road, we have to cut across the end of the ramp to get onto Gunston. Once again, we've had several near accidents here. Luckily, we've only had close encounters and we've made it home every time.

We were so concerned about our safety, as well as that of other drivers, we reached out to Alexandria City to tell them this they need to improve enforcement of the yield or perhaps put in a flashing light. We got no response from Alexandria City. If anyone knows how to get their attention, let us know.