Intersection of Doom – Fancy Road Sign

[Tim Kelley]

Yes, this is part of the annual Street Smart campaign put on by local jurisdictions in the greater DC area:

http://bestreetsmart.net/

[jrenaut]

Can the sign be changed to flash something like “Slow the f*** down and yield, deathmongers!” I feel like that would be more effective.

[rcannon100]

If you ever drive up the ramp from 66, count the number of signs that already exist. Then note how many cyclists are visible. Then count the number of visible cross walks. Good for you; you have just engaged in distracted driving Seriously, one more sign, establishing the obvious, aint gonna do a whole lotta nothing. The intersection of doom needs an infrastructure solution. Either cops in the Intersection (like big grown up cities do) or moving the path.

[pfunkallstar]

@rcannon100 17817 wrote:

If you ever drive up the ramp from 66, count the number of signs that already exist. Then note how many cyclists are visible. Then count the number of visible cross walks. Good for you; you have just engaged in distracted driving Seriously, one more sign, establishing the obvious, aint gonna do a whole lotta nothing. The intersection of doom needs an infrastructure solution. Either cops in the Intersection (like big grown up cities do) or moving the path.

I think we should go for a Jetsonian tube-style solution. A giant plexiglass intestine that arcs its way from the MVT to the beginning of Rosslyn hill, there will also be a ball pit.

[Mikey]

IMHO, the answer (short of re-aligning the 66 exit ramp to coincide with the GWP exit ramp to the north of the CUSTIS/Laurel intersection) is a high bridge running diagonally from Gateway park to the MVT/Custis connector trail. You would take the ramp just west of the Key Marriot that leads to the raised portion of gateway park and staying at the same elevation ride above traffic down to the trail. This would also take the entrance to the Key Marriot out of play.

Just a thought.

Mike

[dasgeh]

I had this idea the other day, which is, admittedly, a much more radical solution. But it would address the intersection of doom AND the cluster that is the beginning of the Custis:

Two-way protected cycletrack on the East-bound section of Lee Hwy between Spout Run and Rosslyn.

The idea would be an improved crossing of Spout Run and Lee from the Custis (post S-curve of death) to the cycle track. Encourage commuters and more serious (read: faster) cyclists to take the cycle track, leaving the Custis to recreational cyclists, kids, runners and dogs. Cyclists would end up at the Southern intersection of Lee and Lynn, allowing them to cross with traffic going straight onto 66, then wait on the far corner, then continue on with traffic going straight onto the Key Bridge, either on an improved sidewalk/trail or a cycletrack on that street. Then an easy improvement to the curb cut would allow those cyclists to continue to the MVT or along the sidewalk onto the Key Bridge.

[DismalScientist]

Going east from Lee and Veitch, you can already use Veitch, 21 st, Scott, and Key turning left on Lynn.
From Lee and Scott, you can use Scott and Key turning left on Lynn.
Both routes involve few turns and effectively parallel the Custis trail in the most dangerous (eastbound) direction.
Of course, you can avoid the whole mess by taking Fairfax and Clarendon from Ballston.:rolleyes:

[creadinger]

I’ve been through there a few dozens times in a car lately coming from the 66 off-ramp and I can think of a couple of minor problems that add to the nightmare.

A) I never went through here during rush hour, but the double right turn lane was unnecessary and a pain. As you make the right turn you have to pay so much attention to staying in your lane and not hitting a car to your left or right that watching for peds and cyclists unfortunately becomes secondary.

Get rid of some of the fence separating the off-ramp from the small section of trail adjacent to it. The fence limits visibility of drivers looking for peds/cyclists standing on the NE corner of the intersection wanting to cross Lynn St heading west.

C) Again from the 66-off ramp, somehow improve the visibility to the left looking up Lynn Street so you can more quickly tell whether you can turn right on red or not. There shouldn’t be any peds or bikes in the crosswalk then but some crazy fools may try to cross and drivers have to pay so much attention to inching your car up to see far enough up Lynn St. to see if you can go or not that looking right again before going is an afterthought.

D) Drivers need to calm the F*&$ down! I’ve been honked at more than once by cautiously making a right turn and not going full throttle on green.

[consularrider]

@creadinger 17835 wrote:

I’ve been through there a few dozens times in a car lately coming from the 66 off-ramp and I can think of a couple of minor problems that add to the nightmare.

…C) Again from the 66-off ramp, somehow improve the visibility to the left looking up Lynn Street so you can more quickly tell whether you can turn right on red or not. There shouldn’t be any peds or bikes in the crosswalk then but some crazy fools may try to cross and drivers have to pay so much attention to inching your car up to see far enough up Lynn St. to see if you can go or not that looking right again before going is an afterthought…

I actually believe that should have a no right turn on red just like for southbound Ft Myer traffic turning onto Lee Highway one block further west. I use the crosswalk across the off ramp and am tired of having to dodge cars that are creeping (or speeding) through the crosswalk while only looking to their left (south on Lynn), ignoring the not inconsequential number of pedestrians/cyclists that are coming from their right. And let’s not even get into the large number of cars that run the red light there when the advance walk light is on to cross Lynn St, again only looking at the traffic coming from their left or the cars that will turn right on red onto Lynn when it is backed up to the intersection and the traffic heading north on Lynn is judiciously waiting so as to not “block the box.” 😡

[creadinger]

@consularrider 17837 wrote:

I actually believe that should have a no right turn on red just like for southbound Ft Myer traffic turning onto Lee Highway one block further west.

Yeah you’re right that just banning right on red would eliminate several problems at once. That’s probably the simplest solution for now.

[Mikey]

How about no right turn from 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm.

[baiskeli]

I think a bike control light like the ones further up would work. The problem is cyclists going through the flashing red hand, which is designed for pedestrians who are almost out of the intersection. Cyclists enter the intersection long after the hand starts to flash, and that coincides with the green for cars. If cyclists only crossed in the green part, there would be no conflict. I always stop and wait if the hand is red, simply because I have kids who need me not to die, plus I don’t like death myself either.

I think right on red is already illegal there. It’s right on green that is the problem.

[JeffC]

@baiskeli 17897 wrote:

I think a bike control light like the ones further up would work. The problem is cyclists going through the flashing red hand, which is designed for pedestrians who are almost out of the intersection. Cyclists enter the intersection long after the hand starts to flash, and that coincides with the green for cars. If cyclists only crossed in the green part, there would be no conflict. I always stop and wait if the hand is red, simply because I have kids who need me not to die, plus I don’t like death myself either.

I think right on red is already illegal there. It’s right on green that is the problem.

My thoughts exactly and I treat it the same way. If bikers just took turns and only crossed when the white walking figure was present, rather than when the red hand was flashing, many problems would be minimized.

[baiskeli]

@JeffC 17905 wrote:

My thoughts exactly and I treat it the same way. If bikers just took turns and only crossed when the white walking figure was present, rather than when the red hand was flashing, many problems would be minimized.

We should be able to find each other then – we’ll be the only two cyclists who are sitting there stopped on the red flashing hand. We’ll watch the rest fly by, including the one or two who run the red altogether after it gets to zero.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Similarly, if cars were given a dedicated “right turn only on green” arrow, that would give them a chance to clear the intersection without conflict with peds/bikes and keep them from getting antsy at having to yield. Maybe?

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