In an attempt to decrease the amount of pedestrians being hit by cars on Arlington County, Virginia, streets, several intersections will see a pilot program of hardened centerlines starting this spring.
Hardened centerlines are small raised bumps placed at the centerlines between lanes at intersections. They are meant to impede any sharp, fast and dangerous left hand turn that often leave pedestrians severely injured, instead encouraging wider and slower turns that allow more pedestrian visibility to drivers.
Arlington County’s Vision Zero initiative announced that it would install these centerlines at five intersections:
- Clarendon Boulevard at N Rhodes St
- Fairfax Drive at N Randolph Street
- Columbia Pike at Dinwiddie Street
- Columbia Pike at Four Mile Run Drive
- Kenmore Street at 24th Street.
All of the locations were chosen because they are crash hot spots, experiencing numerous left turn crashes over the past decades, often involving pedestrians who have been severely injured or even killed.
The county claims that it will likely see a 46% reduction in all crashes after installation of the hardened centerlines.
County transportation officials will monitor traffic patterns, including car speeds and if the raised bumps are run over for the next few months, and evaluate next steps in the program by fall.
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