Arlington Now – Plan for trio of Rosslyn residential towers raises pedestrian safety concerns
2025-04-03
by: Scott McCaffreypublished April 2, 2025 at 9:00AM …. Mike Doyle, founder of Arlington Families for Safe Streets, and Aaron Roberts, chair of the North Highlands Civic Association’s planning/zoning committee, opposed the planned removal of an above-ground walkway over eastbound Langston Blvd between N. Moore Street and Fort Myer Drive. The North Highlands neighborhood is located immediately north of Rosslyn’s core, separated from it by Langston Blvd. Residents wanting to get to the Metro station, parks or other amenities face major risks crossing at-grade intersections, Roberts said. “The danger … is real and palpable,” he said. “I know of someone who died within a block of…
AFSS Board member Dane Lauritzen is a panelist for a public discussion of the City’s Complete Streets Program
2025-03-27
By Ryan BelmorePublished March 24, 2025 at 9:10PM|Updated March 25, 2025 at 10:30AM Alexandria’s Complete Streets program continues to spark debate among residents, with some praising its safety benefits while others criticize its impact on traffic flow. The issue took center stage at the Lyceum during an Agenda: Alexandria forum on Monday, March 24, where panelists representing various perspectives discussed the merits and challenges of the city’s approach to street design. Complete Streets is a national movement adopted by over 1,500 communities across the United States, including Alexandria. The concept aims to design roadways that safely accommodate all users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and transit riders. “Complete…
Why a Memorial for Victims of Traffic Violence Matters (Op-Ed)
2025-02-02
By Peter Norton Op-ed: The Vietnam wall changed the way Americans think about war. For traffic violence, the transformative power of a well-conceived national memorial is still untapped. READ THE FULL ARTICLE…
A Virginia law to protect pedestrians has almost never been used (WaPo)
2025-02-02
By Rachel Weiner, Washington Post January 15, 2025: “In 2020, Virginia passed a law intended to make it easier to prosecute driverswho hit pedestrians or cyclists. But prosecutors across the state have brought charges under the law 32 times in the last four years. In only eight of those cases was someone convicted of the charge. It’s a national problem with what are known as “vulnerable road user” laws, which generally penalize “careless or distracted” driving that results in a serious injury or death for someone outside a car. The laws are meant to punish drivers in those scenarios who, because they weren’t speeding, drunk or…
Fairfax FSS Submits Comments Supporting Pedestrian Safety, Active Transportation, and Public Transportation in AT&T Site Development Plans
2025-01-12
Published January 12, 2025 The advisory board of Fairfax Families for Safe Streets submitted comments to Fairfax County leaders asking them to commit to improving pedestrian safety, active transportation infrastructure, and public transportation with approved site plans, should they decide to move forward with the developer’s proposed project at 3033 Chain Bridge Road, commonly know as the AT&T site. Our comments are available here: AT&T Development Pedestrian Safety Comments…
PRESS RELEASE: NORTHERN VIRGINIA’S MOST FATAL ROADS FOR PEDESTRIANS
2024-12-14
NoVA FSS RELEASES INAUGURAL STUDY ON VDOT’S TREDS DATA OF PEDESTRIAN / BIKE CRASHES IN ALEXANDRIA, ARLINGTON & FAIRFAX For Immediate Release: December 10, 2024 Alexandria, VA: Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS), the leading pedestrian safety advocacy organization in Northern Virginia and with affiliated FSS chapters in Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax (collectively NoVA FSS) has released its inaugural study on VDOT’s TREDS ped / bike crash data for: Each NoVA FSS chapter’s report of the TREDS data brings awareness to the long-standing and increasing risks of street safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users in the communities of Northern Virginia.…
NBC4 Washington covers Fairfax County’s 20th ped/bike fatality in 2024
2024-12-07
By Julie Carey, NBC Washington Published December 6, 2024 The teen’s death becomes the 20th pedestrian or cyclist fatality in Fairfax County so far this year, double the number killed last year. “The numbers are going in the wrong direction,” said Chris French from Fairfax Families for Safe Streets. Pedestrian- and bicyclist-involved crashes steadily increased in the county each year from 2020, French said. There have been 211 pedestrian-involved crashes leading to injury in Fairfax County this year, French said. That’s down from last year’s count of 237 and up from 134 in 2020. Watch the full story: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/girl-14-struck-and-killed-by-car-in-fairfax-county/3786120…