CHANTILLY, Va. — A nearly four-mile stretch of U.S. 50 from Va. 28 in Fairfax County to Poland Road in Loudoun County has just been widened from four lanes to six.
With the project finally done, the Virginia Department of Transportation will now study the timing of the traffic lights in that area to see if improvements can be made.
“Not just the corridor along 50 but all the signals around 50 which are part of the network. So that way we can look at the changes in the traffic in the last three or four years that have happened,” says VDOT’s Sunil Taori.
He says the process, called signal optimization, will take about three months to finish.
However, Taori warns that signal timing changes alone won’t fix all of the area’s traffic troubles.
“This program is a tool for us to manage traffic rather than do a wholesale congestion relief.”
When VDOT has major traffic signal problems such as power outages, the computer system that operates the signals notifies agency employees. But when smaller problems, such as a bad traffic sensor crop up, VDOT might not be aware.
“We’d like to hear if somebody notices unusual behavior and the signal’s not acting the way they are used to seeing it. They’re welcome to call us at 1-800-FORROAD,” Taori says.
You can also report a signal timing problem on VDOT’s website.
If you find yourself frustrated by traffic signals, these tips might help.
When you pull up to a traffic signal, make sure your car is right behind the white line. If you stop on the line, past it, or too far behind it, the sensor that tells the light to change may not know you’re there.
VDOT’s Nhan Vu says another problem he sees is drivers approaching left turn lights or lights on side streets driving slowly or leaving a large gap between them and the car in front of them.
“If you don’t get to that sensor quick enough, the light is going to gap out,” says Vu, meaning a green light will turn red.
But if you’re coming up to an intersection and the light is turning yellow, Taori urges drivers not to speed up.
“Wait for the next cycle instead of trying to beat the light.”
Taori and Vu gave a presentation Wednesday night at a town hall meeting held by Loudoun County Supervisor Matt Letourneau at J. Michael Lunsford Middle School in Chantilly.
