The Gallows Road International Speedway

[MRH5028]

Every time that I head out of my apartment to go for a ride I end up on Gallows Road at some point. Every time, without fail, I get passed by several people going way over the 35mph speed limit who are also cutting it a bit close to the bike lane. I get that having drivers go 35 will never happen, even I go at 40 when on the road, but these people are going in excess of 50mph. If the Mosaic to Tysons area ever hopes to become more bike and pedestrian friendly than a simple bike line on Gallows something needs to be done about the speeding.

Yesterday I crossed at the W&OD crossing and then got in the bike lane to head south. A guy in a silver sedan was creeping over the stop line during the entire pedestrian crossing signal to the point where he was inches from the crosswalk when the light turned green. He then floored it down Gallows… where he promptly caught the next light.

I’m sure others have similar stories. What can be done to have enforcement stepped up?

[dasgeh]

@MRH5028 143579 wrote:

Every time that I head out of my apartment to go for a ride I end up on Gallows Road at some point. Every time, without fail, I get passed by several people going way over the 35mph speed limit who are also cutting it a bit close to the bike lane. I get that having drivers go 35 will never happen, even I go at 40 when on the road, but these people are going in excess of 50mph. If the Mosaic to Tysons area ever hopes to become more bike and pedestrian friendly than a simple bike line on Gallows something needs to be done about the speeding.

Yesterday I crossed at the W&OD crossing and then got in the bike lane to head south. A guy in a silver sedan was creeping over the stop line during the entire pedestrian crossing signal to the point where he was inches from the crosswalk when the light turned green. He then floored it down Gallows… where he promptly caught the next light.

I’m sure others have similar stories. What can be done to have enforcement stepped up?

Have you reported this to the police? Arlington Police, at least, claim to be complaint driven. So a concerted effort of daily calls in by you and some others should get some results, if only just a sign.

[Rockford10]

I have similar stories (though I am usually North? of Gallows) and don’t know what to do. If you find out, let us know! My solution is to avoid that road as much as possible.

[jabberwocky]

The problem is that Gallows looks like a highway. Its relatively straight, multi lane and high traffic. You can set whatever speed limit you want and do as much enforcement as you want, but its not gonna really slow people down because the road design invites high speeds.

Same basic problem as the GW parkway.

[dplasters]

Every driver knows they are untouchable as long as they are within 10mph. Its one of the reasons i’m just wracked with guilt when I idaho stop. :rolleyes:

My hope is that the corridor between Vienna/Merrifield/Tysons gets so developed the traffic volume essentially makes such speeds impossible.

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

@jabberwocky 143616 wrote:

The problem is that Gallows looks like a highway. Its relatively straight, multi lane and high traffic. You can set whatever speed limit you want and do as much enforcement as you want, but its not gonna really slow people down because the road design invites high speeds.

Same basic problem as the GW parkway.

This is like Quaker Lane btwn Duke St. and King in Alexandria. It has a posted 25 mph limit with electronic monitor signs everywhere but the old wide straight many lane road design demands and achieves a consistent 35 mph minimum at all times.

[KWL]

@LeprosyStudyGroup 143628 wrote:

This is like Quaker Lane btwn Duke St. and King in Alexandria. It has a posted 25 mph limit with electronic monitor signs everywhere but the old wide straight many lane road design demands and achieves a consistent 35 mph minimum at all times.

I’m pretty sure Quaker Lane in that stretch is posted at 35mph.

[bobco85]

@KWL 143629 wrote:

I’m pretty sure Quaker Lane in that stretch is posted at 35mph.

They officially reduced the speed limit from 35 to 25 mph in March. https://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=90314 Before, the speeds would be 40+, but now the speeds are closer to 30-35 mph which is at least an improvement.

[Vicegrip]

@jabberwocky 143616 wrote:

The problem is that Gallows looks like a highway. Its relatively straight, multi lane and high traffic. You can set whatever speed limit you want and do as much enforcement as you want, but its not gonna really slow people down because the road design invites high speeds.

Same basic problem as the GW parkway.

Cars are going to go what looks like a common sense speed for the road. I think the key here is a better protected bike lane. Cars encroach into the bike lane too often. I drive on this road 3 or 4 times a week. Yesterday I was on Gallows going towards mosaic and watched a driver split driving and face in phone while wandering fully into and out of the bike lane.

[Tania]

@Vicegrip 143631 wrote:

Yesterday I was on Gallows going towards mosaic and watched a driver split driving and face in phone while wandering fully into and out of the bike lane.

This happens ALL the time, more so going south than north for some reason, maybe it’s the direction the road curves. Coming south in the evenings I have to be extra careful, especially if traffic is backed up, because cars drift into the bike lane frequently (likely because they’re inching along and looking at their phone). I also hate that the lane disappears at Cottage and then re-appears for a brief bit by Blackfinn and then disappears again. I bail at the new shopping area by the metro so this doesn’t impact me thankfully.

The speed limit on Gallows is a joke although I generally don’t find it too bad to bike along because of the bike lane and I’ve adjusted my work schedule so that I can avoid super high traffic times. Or maybe I’m just now inured to it all.

Good morning btw Vicegrip. That was me yelling and waving at you on Virginia Lane this am (from a mountain bike). You seemed focused on your climb and the fact that it’s not Friday.

[Dickie]

I used to travel on Gallows everyday including weekends between Mosaic and the WOD Southbound in the AM and Northbound in the PM. I have seen speed traps many times in the church parking lot but they don’t seem to discourage the speeds. Because of the inconsistent bike lanes I now wander through the metro, cross at Stenwood School over to Cottage and then take Sandburg St. to the WOD, this is especially helpful in reverse heading Southbound in the AM. I just feel safer away from Gallows…. plus less flats (the debris in the bike lane is brutal).

[lordofthemark]

@bobco85 143630 wrote:

They officially reduced the speed limit from 35 to 25 mph in March. https://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=90314 Before, the speeds would be 40+, but now the speeds are closer to 30-35 mph which is at least an improvement.

This. The community, which has seen lots of speeding traffic accessing the new building at Marc Center (by going this way they can bybass 395, and use the streets to get from the beltway) wanted this, and did not care to wait for major road dieting. Eventually road dieting and better bike facilities will be called for here, I believe.

[ursus]

@Dickie 143635 wrote:

I used to travel on Gallows everyday including weekends between Mosaic and the WOD Southbound in the AM and Northbound in the PM. I have seen speed traps many times in the church parking lot but they don’t seem to discourage the speeds. Because of the inconsistent bike lanes I now wander through the metro, cross at Stenwood School over to Cottage and then take Sandburg St. to the WOD, this is especially helpful in reverse heading Southbound in the AM. I just feel safer away from Gallows…. plus less flats (the debris in the bike lane is brutal).

I am going to have to try that next time I want to get to the Metro from the WOD there.

[Tania]

I take Sandburg occasionally (thanks to dkel for pointing it out to me a while ago). It is way less stress although you do need to travel on a short (25 ft?) bit of bumpy sidewalk which is only an issue if the people in the neighborhood are out walking with their dogs or kids (I find they scurry into the grass as I approach even though I yell “no no! you’re fine!” and always give them the right of way).

The light at Cottage won’t change unless there’s a car (or you use the beg button) and the light’s just as long as the one at Gallows (looooooong).

But it is nice to coast down the hill from the W&OD along quiet neighborhood streets. If I’m just completely “done” with people on bikes and people in cars by the time I’m almost home, I’ll take Sandburg. In the am I’ll go up Gallows and turn right on Iliff (just before the W&OD) and then a left on Sandburg since I find making a right on the W&OD is easier from Sandburg than Gallows. I also mentally race the people crossing Gallows on the W&OD to see if I can get to Sandburg/W&OD before them.

Just watch for deer on Iliff – there’s almost always a momma and babies hanging out there.

[ursus]

@Dickie 143635 wrote:

I used to travel on Gallows everyday including weekends between Mosaic and the WOD Southbound in the AM and Northbound in the PM. I have seen speed traps many times in the church parking lot but they don’t seem to discourage the speeds. Because of the inconsistent bike lanes I now wander through the metro, cross at Stenwood School over to Cottage and then take Sandburg St. to the WOD, this is especially helpful in reverse heading Southbound in the AM. I just feel safer away from Gallows…. plus less flats (the debris in the bike lane is brutal).

I was just looing at Google Maps. Does “cross at Stenwood School over to Cottage” mean that you cross Gallows at the Stenwood School and then take the path paralleling the sidewalk on the east side of Gallows to Cottage?

[Author]

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