Responses to commonly used justifications by local officials for widening Rolling Road. From Civic Association of West Springfield Village (CAWSV) residents.

The residential situation along Rolling Road between Old Keene Mill Road to Fairfax County Parkway is unique and can not be compared to the widening that occurred along Rolling Road between West Springfield High School and Braddock Road. Not only are the house setbacks completely different, but every significant cross street (Forrester, Burke Road, Southhampton) has a stop light.

If the current road has too many curves and is the cause of the accidents currently along Rolling Road, then straighten it as a two lane road. Do not attract, promote, and channel more traffic onto Rolling Road.

Requesting to modify the widening project by removing a bike path and exhibiting opposition to this project are two separate arguments. Both can be made and should be made by influential elected officials at every opportunity at the local, state, and federal level despite opposition.

Elected officials need to realize that there is a unique safety hazard caused by creating a 4 lane road in a residential community. Safety mitigation strategies have not been adequately identified to reduce the harm to communities affected by the widening of the road.

Accidents happen now. Do people die? What types of accidents? Just bumper to bumper? Imagine what kind of accidents will you have when there are 4 lanes of "straightened" road and drivers driving 40-50mph. Do you think drivers, pedestrians, and residents stand a higher risk of dying when a accident occurs then? Since no one has explained a proper mitigation strategy, I assume locally elected politicians accept that risk because they seek comfort in satisfying everyone except those most impacted.

Historical VDOT traffic growth projections have shown the volume projection of 43,500 cars per day was for 2031….hardly 5 years from now. The VDOT study used the Council Of Government (COG) traffic model, based on traffic projections for the entire Washington, D.C. National Capital Region…..hardly focused on our specific area or even just our county. The growth model showed a DECREASE in growth over time of 2.2% per year. The previous growth rate used in 2001 was 2.4%, so the model actually showed a reduction in the growth rate. It’s been asked by many before and bears asking again…where is all this “growth” supposedly coming from in our area when there is no real estate around upon which to build? If traffic volume increases at all, it will be BECAUSE Rolling gets expanded to 4 lanes and thus presents a more inviting route than other roads that run parallel to it (like Sydenstricker).

As pointed out by other CAWSV residents, to maintain that expanding Rolling Road to four lanes will somehow improve access from side streets and enhance safety defies logic. Is it always easy to get out of our side streets on to Rolling (in either direction)? No, but how doubling the width that must be crossed will remedy that situation seems to elude me. And denying that speeds will increase after turning our residential street into a mini-interstate flies in the face of common sense and experience.

How about public safety? At our last meeting, summer 2008, with Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) the question was specifically asked….how many of those accidents occurred on Rolling Road between Old Keene Mill and the Parkway? VDOT was unable to answer and indications were that police data wasn’t readily available to make that determination. Building a four plus lane road, where speeds currently already exceed the posted limit by 15MPH, within mere feet of residences, might enhance public safety on some planet….just not this one.

Let’s cut to the real bottom line. The only reason this ridiculous project hasn’t been taken off the board already is that the funding is FEDERAL money. Heaven forbid we should not feed at that trough! That these are tough fiscal times for every level of government and that the money could be much better used elsewhere is of no consequence. Let’s piddle it away on a project that provides no discernable benefit and to which those most impacted object in overwhelming numbers.

The road planned IS way too wide…but cutting an eight foot wide “multimodal path” (that connects to nothing at either end) down to a 5 foot wide sidewalk is not the kind of “redesign” we are looking for.