Manassas Journal Messenger | Lane Ranger

RELATED Traffic & Transportation

Dear Lane Ranger: Will there be a light put at the intersection of Queens Chapel Road and Hoadly Road anytime in the near future? The elementary school has cars and buses by the hundreds turning onto a 45-mph road during the morning rush with no light. If nothing is done there will eventually be a bad school bus accident there. 

bob22193

Dear bob22103: The Virginia Department of Transportation conducted a signal study for this intersection in February 2005. When a study is conducted, VDOT is looking at many factors to determine if a signal should be considered, said VDOT spokesman Ryan Hall.

VDOT looks at crash data, traffic volumes, capacity of the road, type of movements vehicles are making (turning left or right), number of pedestrians crossing and type of crashes and if those crashes could be corrected by the installation of a traffic signal, Hall said.

Once VDOT performed a field analysis and looked at the data collected, it was determined a signal at that location did not meet established guidelines and was not recommended by our traffic engineers, Hall said.

The following came to the Lane Ranger in online feedback:

Dear Lane Ranger: The Prince William Parkway is now connected to U.S. 1, but someone needs to check the time on the left hand turning light.

During rush time in the morning there is now additional traffic but the light is only letting about four cars turn left at a time.

Because of this — you have cars trying to beat the yellow or going straight across and cutting through the Marumsco Shopping Center to the next light. Anonymous

Dear Lane Ranger: It’s great that the parkway now goes through to U.S. 1.

But wow! Like Anonymous said, the timing on the light has got to be corrected.

With a ton of traffic using the parkway now, you need to allow more than three or four cars to turn left onto Northbound US 1 in the morning rush.

This is frustrating and dangerous because in addition to changing lanes and going straight to cut through Marumsco Plaza, some drivers are simply turning left anyway against the red light. Please help! IdealDoll

Dear Folks: Consider the Lane Ranger on the problem. He’s checking it out as we speak. Look for results soon and a follow-up in a future column.

New U.S. 1 Local Bus Service

Fall means it’s time for the PRTC service change — when bus routes are added and altered to better meet the needs of the community.

Last week, PRTC added a new OmniLink route along U.S. 1 serving the Potomac Communities. The new route, called the “Route 1 OmniLink” operates Monday through Saturday between the Woodbridge and Quantico Virginia Railway Express stations. The bus route will primarily remain on U.S. 1, allowing passengers to travel the length of the corridor without transferring buses at the Transit Center.

There are changes on the the new U.S. 1 service and changes to the Dumfries OmniLink route. Dumfries buses:

Once again have a regular bus stop in front of the A.J. Ferlazzo Building;

Discontinue service to stops along Powell’s Creek Boulevard and River Ridge Boulevard (except for the stop at Powell’s Creek Boulevard and Woodmark Drive); instead, those stops will be part of the new Route 1 OmniLink route; and

Discontinue service to Quantico, which will be part of the Route 1 OmniLink route; instead, the Dumfries route will end at Fuller Heights Road.

Other service changes that started Oct. 17 include:

Retiming of these routes: Woodbridge OmniLink, Cross County Connector, Manassas OmniRide, Manassas Metro Direct, and Linton Hall Metro Direct;

Extending the Montclair OmniRide and Capitol Hill OmniRide services to start and end at the Dale City commuter lot; and

Discontinuing service to Lake Ridge OmniRide commuter bus stops along Ridgefield Road because of low ridership. The start and end point for the Lake Ridge OmniRide routes will once again be Festival at Old Bridge (Dillingham Square).

Also, PRTC will refine its free fare policy for those with valid VRE tickets or passes. Effective Oct. 17, passengers with a valid VRE ticket or pass may ride free only when their bus trip begins or ends at the bus stop closest to a VRE station.

Please send questions or comments on transportation to: Lane Ranger, c/o Potomac News, P.O. Box 2470, Woodbridge, VA 22195; fax: (703) 878-8099; e-mail: [email protected]; or by phone: (703) 878-8063

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