The issues:
- Availability of safe and efficient transportation in all modalities – pedestrian, bicycle, scooters, cars, buses, and Metro.
- Cut through – Waze inspired alternate routes are driving commuters through our neighborhoods in an attempt to avoid slow arterials and highways.
While it would be wonderful if all residents could use alternative modes of transportation, this is not always possible. We should not make it harder for residents who rely on cars to get around. Instead we should make it easier for them to choose alternatives. Apple doesn’t force consumers to buy their products… they make them convenient and easy to use. This is the best way to encourage our residents to get out of their cars and use other modes.
Even with that, there are times when someone will be forced to use their car. In an effort to make it easier for residents to navigate the city, I would champion changes to our roadways that would prohibit non-resident cut-through traffic from using neighborhood streets, consigning them to the main roadways during rush hour. This would have the effect of leaving local roads for residents and get rid of the speeding commuters who make our neighborhoods unsafe for our neighbors who are out walking or biking.
Falls Church and Fairfax County already enjoy protection with Residential Traffic Administration Programs designed to work directly with communities to decrease the impacts of traffic and enhance safety in area neighborhoods. Richmond has granted rights for cities (and counties) like Alexandria to enact such protections, but current city council has chosen not to act. We can do better.