LANE RANGER: Reader: Hill blocks view of cars stopped at light

Lane Ranger, Recently, the red light signals were changed at the intersection of Dale Boulevard and Benita Fitzgerald Drive in Dale City. This change has greatly improved traffic flow in the afternoon for most cars. I do have a concern, however. Traveling east on Dale Boulevard, there is a hill as one approaches Benita Fitzgerald, obscuring the intersection at the bottom of the hill. Often, one tops this hill and encounters stopped vehicles waiting on the light. On several occasions I have had to hit the brakes pretty hard there. I was wondering if VDOT would consider a yellow flashing light at top of this hill, as is found on Opitz Road near Route 1.
Bob Hugman
Woodbridge

Dear Bob, Looks like the Virginia Department of Transportation will be meeting you halfway on this issue.

Jerry Pauley, a VDOT traffic engineer, responded to your question via e-mail saying this: “Traffic Engineering has reviewed this location, and we did see how vehicles cresting the hill could have issues with stopped vehicles. When we reviewed the crash history the majority of crashes were located closer to the intersection this does not indicate there is a crash problem. The request was to install flashing hazard beacon at the crest of the hill. Hazard beacons are installed at locations where there are identified hazardous conditions. In this case there is not an identified hazard and does not justify the installation. However because we could see the potential for crashes we will install “Watch for Stopped Traffic” signs prior to the crest of the hill.

Dear Lane Ranger, I ride a 500 pound motorcycle partly to save gas, partly to help the environment, but mostly because its fun most of the time. Lately I’ve been having problems getting a go signal at automated traffic lights. Yes, I do all the gyrations suggested by VDOT such as revving the engine, putting the kickstand down, and stopping and starting the engine. Still the light won’t change. This afternoon I had to wait three cycles to cross Dale Boulevard at Mapledale Avenue. I was only given a green light after a gas guzzling behemoth SUV snuggled up behind me. This happens at other signals too, but I won’t bore you with the details.

My point is this. Motorcycles have been street legal vehicles for well over 100 years. Why can’t our 21st century technology accommodate them? Why must I do a voodoo dance at a red light in the hope it will change to green? I pay taxes and registration fees for my motorcycle just like any other vehicle. Why can’t I be treated like any other vehicle? Come on, we’re talking about a full-size, licensed motorcycle here, not some motorized bicycle. Why can’t I get the technological respect I deserve?

Who at VDOT is responsible for maintaining and calibrating these automated signals and why aren’t they doing their job? The technology is available to give me a speeding ticket without human intervention. All I’m asking is that the light turn green.
Dennis Keener
Dale City

Dear Dennis, I think your request is an absolutely fair one to make, particularly as more motorcyclists take to the roads in response to high gas prices. So I spoke with Mike Salmon about this intersection’s apparent preference for the vehicles with four wheels and they increased the sensitivity of the detector there. As for how these issues arise, here is what VDOT said:

“VDOT signal staff over the past 10 years has set sensitivity levels on detectors to recognize the majority of motorcycles. These detection devices recognize vehicles through an inductance change from a magnetized (low voltage energized) wire located in the pavement. Some motorcycles that are being manufactured today do not have enough metal alloy to be recognized within this magnetic field of detection. It’s my understating that manufacturers of these types are now selling an after market plate that can be bolted to the vehicle itself.

One of our biggest issues, as the gentleman stated, these SUVs are so large that they actually create what is known as “cross talk” and place a call in the adjacent lanes. We try to accommodate both types of vehicles by utilizing the sensitivity functionality of the detector. Sometimes we set the sensitivity to low to reduce the cross talk and lose a little bit of the ability to pick up all motorcycles. We get it right in most cases, however, the case as described below will sometimes happen.

Once we are notified by the citizen, we re-adjust the detector or replace it if it is starting to fail/degrade due to pavement issues and this usually takes care of the problem.”

Dear Lane Ranger, Kudos to the folks responsible for the new merge lanes at the Horner Road Commuter lot onto HOV. They just seemed to “appear” overnight a few weeks ago. What an awesome improvement (easy to merge at highway speed and easy to exit). It even seems to have helped in convincing those folks in the HOV lanes already to let you in when trying to merge. Since most folks write you to complain I thought a “good news” item might be good ... thanks ...
Gordon G. Koch
Dale City

Dear Gordon, The restriping came courtesy of the Virginia Department of Transportation. And you guessed right — your letter was a breath of fresh air for the Lane Ranger.

Off-peak I-95 HOV closures scheduled
For three days starting Tuesday, HOV lanes on Interstate 95 from Dumfries to Lorton will be closed at night as part of the I-95 Fourth Lane project. HOV will remain open and heading north from
Newington to the 14th Street Bridge.

This closure is scheduled between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 4 a.m. It is necessary to relocate temporary concrete barriers that protect crews who are working on widening I-95. All of the temporary concrete barriers on the west shoulder of the HOV lanes between Lorton Road and Fairfax County Parkway will shift south between U.S. 1 and Lorton Road during these nights.

These barriers protect the crews as they install light poles from the outside shoulder of I-95 southbound to the inside shoulder to make room for the road widening.

Prior to next week’s HOV barrier movement, crews working on the Fourth Lane project are going to be relocating barriers on the left shoulder of the regular southbound lanes starting tonight. These barriers will be shifted from their current location between Lorton Road and Fairfax County Parkway to the area between Lorton Road and U.S. 1.

HOV Lane Closures
The Virginia Department of Transportation announced HOV lane closures between Exit 158, Va. 234, and just north of Exit 163, Va. 642, as part of the I-95 widening project.

Closures will be Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. to move and set barriers for electrical work, according to VDOT. Traffic patterns will return to normal by 5 a.m.

HOV lanes from Newington to Pentagon will be open to all traffic, VDOT said.

Existing electronic message boards for HOV will alert motorists to closure.