Traffic Lights in Vienna

I believe that the Town is allowed to control the timing of its own traffic lights (as opposed to unincorporated areas of the County). Try asking the Public Works director about this.

I rise every morning at 9:24am. There is no need for any traffic timing until I have my morning All Bran.

As a matter of fact, most of my loyal "pets" sleep in well after me. Why should I waste my Town's time and resources on a "problem" that affects only a few "young people" are are just "passing through" on your way to a job in the devil's land, er, Tyson's Corner.

Here's a svelte bridge to eliminate the W&OD traffic light on Maple:

Rouge River Pedestrian Bridge
Grant Pass, Oregon
The 658-ft (200.6-m) long pedestrian bridge with spans of 240 ft, 278 ft, and 140 ft (73.1 m, 84.7 m, and 42.7 m), is the first multi-span “stress-ribbon” bridge in the United States. The design criterion required a clear-span for the main channel of the river, which is used year-round for recreational boating and also provides critical habitat for threatened and endangered fish species. Keeping construction activity out of the main channel was imperative. The stress-ribbon bridge is constructed by sliding precast concrete deck panels along bearing cable ribbons strung from and anchored at the abutments on each side of the river. After construction of a cast-in-place concrete overlay, the strands were tensioned to create an extremely stiff yet slender concrete structure with a main span depth of only 14 in. (356 mm).

Jury Comments: With the minimal imposition on the wooded setting, the bridge seems to just float in the air. The undulating vertical alignment gives the bridge an extra dimension that you don’t normally expect in a pedestrian bridge; it produces appeal and provides a sense of adventure for the users.
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Cost: $1.32m, just one house!

At 5:30 AM, the lights are set so as soon as someone comes to Maple from a side street (I.E. Center, Park, Glyndon etc.) it will immediately cycle the light to Red on Maple, Green for the vehicle coming off the side street. Hence the reason you were stopped at 4 red lights coming down Maple. The lights change to the "morning rush" cycle at 6:00.

TG, the Rouge River bridge would be a wonderful addition. I was thinking about the bridge while running this morning. The sky was clear, the stars were shining brightly, and the air was crisp. There was nary a sound other than the occasional chirping of birds and the greetings from fellow runners and pedestrians. It was sublime. As I crossed Park, the lights of the Town came into view. Nearing 123 I could imagine approaching the bridge and feeling that I was floating above the traffic. Alas, I was brought back to Earth as I had to wait a minute for the traffic light at 123. As I gazed across the street I had an epiphany: the flags and the restrooms are the hallmark of an I-95 rest stop.

In addition to the aesthetic benefits, a bridge will enhance safety. Cyclists, runners and pedestrians all funnel through that intersection. On weekends when the weather is nice, you may have a couple of dozen people crossing at once. As the walk signal counts down, there are invariably cyclists rushing to make the light. Some accelerate up to 30 mph to get across. One day there will be a collision. (There was a fatal collision between a cyclist and pedestrian a year ago near Hunter Mill.) A bridge will smooth out the traffic flow and remove the incentive to try to beat the light.

>>TG, the Rouge River bridge would be a wonderful addition.

Or similar. I like its natural footbridge appeal of adventure!

Maple/123 is THE road through Town leading to Tysons Corner. The W&OD is THE premier recreational trail in our area and it runs right through Town. Any progressive college town usa would have bridged or tunneled this crossing years ago. But not Vienna where the old farts just sit around and stink!

>>As I gazed across the street I had an epiphany: the flags and the restrooms are the hallmark of an I-95 rest stop.

Indeed. I would scrap the flags and the black tombstone memorial fountain. And I would rebuild a decent public restroom on the trail side of that property so trail users don't have to wander so far off the trail. A decent restroom would be bigger with no silly doors and no obnoxious flourescent lighting... make it look like a wayside station. The restroom keeps trail users from going in the woods around Town.

>>In addition to the aesthetic benefits, a bridge will enhance safety.

Agreed. And rude people like to pass in the crosswalk into oncoming trail users. Bridge or tunnel, the crossing needs to be fixed and it makes no sense to wait... wait for what? Maud's dead body? Vote, Vienna, for a Vienna with a vision for the future!

Cars blast along Church St. at all hours of the night. I imagine one reason they take Church is to avoid the possibility of a red light on Maple Ave. Why isn't Maple Ave. given a flashing yellow light, with the side streets getting a flashing red? That way someone on Maple would be assured an uninterrupted ride.

While we dream about a pedestrian bridge or underpass, Arlington gets things done. For example, there is already a pedestrian bridge over I-395 at Shirlington, yet Arlington is about to build an underpass just a couple of blocks away. Arlingtonians pay higher property taxes than we Viennese do, so they should expect more services. But their politicians just seem different from ours somehow.

While we dream about a pedestrian bridge or underpass, Arlington gets things done. For example, there is already a pedestrian bridge over I-395 at Shirlington, yet Arlington is about to build an underpass just a couple of blocks away. Arlingtonians pay higher property taxes than we Viennese do, so they should expect more services. But their politicians just seem different from ours somehow.

Anyone go talk to Maud in person. Whether you like this site or not, the dirty little secret is that Maud is 'different'. She is off her rocker crazy regularly quoting her achievements in the 1950s and 1960s. It's like some weird Twilight Zone episode that only ends when Rod Serling appears.

FYI: Arlinton real estate tax is .818.
Vienna real estate tax is .198 plus.89 county.
Total Vienna real estate tax: 1.088

Arlington certainly has a lower property tax rate, but I had assumed that the difference in property values meant that the typical (median) Arlingtonian had a higher property tax bill. Perhaps that is incorrect, in which case we get less but pay more. Now that's a happy thought.

Forget the lighting pattern through Maple Ave - think about the MULTIPLE construction (disasters) efforts that are still under way throughout the town. I find it hilarious that our town on a regular basis has all of Beaulah going towards Reston, Branch, and various roads near West St / Louis shut down. God forbid you people ever need an ambulance. It's OK though, there are detours... filled with speed bumps prevents 911 personel from going more than 20mph. It's a good thing those old hags Jane and Maud will live forever, their disasters won't affect them... Law suit anyone?

Arlington's tax rate is relatively low for a couple reasons. first, they have better balance of commercial to residential & commercial brings in more revenue. Second, schools are usually the biggest budget item for counties. Arlington's school aged children comprise 12.3% of their population, while Fairfax's account for 18.2%, or almost 50% more. (The Town budget doesn't pay for schools.)

There will be a public hearing on Oct. 30 to discuss a proposal to put more speed bumps on Church St. and East St.

I've crossed the brige at Shirlington many times and it's not an easy task by bike. Plus interstate 395 is a little different than 30 mph 5 lane Maple Ave.