Arlington approves fixes to its ‘intersection of doom’

Arlington County:

“A week after a cyclist was hit at an Arlington crossing bikers refer to as the ‘intersection of doom’ and then ticketed by U.S. Park Police, county officials approved changes to the area. These modifications were in the works before the accident, and do not touch on the primary problem with the intersection — that cyclists on the Custis Trail have a green light at the same time as cars turning from I-66 onto the Key Bridge. But they will improve sight lines and make the bike and pedestrian crossing shorter.

The plan extends the curbs at the intersection to narrow the distance cyclists must cross. It also makes the turn sharper, which slows cars down. It also expands the trail leading up to the intersection, which gives bikes more space to wait, and lowers the buffer alongside it for better visibility. The plan also includes updates to the lights and signs at the intersection. Construction is supposed to begin in the spring of 2015 and end a year later.”

~Writes Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post

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