Pedestrian Safety
The at-grade crosswalk at the Wiehle-Toll Road intersection remains the top concern among residents, both at the 5 September meeting and the Reston P&Z session. TF Cornerstone has proposed a crosswalk that deposits pedestrians on a concrete island in the middle of the Toll Road’s western exit ramp, putting pedestrians’ personal safety at risk.
While TF Cornerstone's draft proffer includes a proposal to study a possible pedestrian overpass, that proposal will expire after a mere 18 months, leaving the crosswalk as the sole way to cross Wiehle near the Toll Road.
The Reston Master Plan requires the “provision for enhanced linkages to transit stations” and “improved station area connectivity” to ensure that residents and workers can access Metro quickly and without risk to life and limb. This particular crosswalk cannot reasonably be described as “enhanced” or “improved” in any way.
Both the crosswalk and the proposed pedestrian overpass must be resolved first with a consensus solution among all key stakeholders.