Lane Ranger: Access to shopping center remains closed

Staff
Published: October 12, 2008

Dear Lane Ranger,
Can you find out what’s up with the access to Staples Mill Shopping Center at the corner of Minnieville Road and Spriggs Road?
After the completion of Spriggs Road last year those traveling west on Spriggs Road lost one of the two entrances we used to have. Now for reasons unknown, the last entrance off of Spriggs Road has been closed as well. This has created a very hazardous situation. There is now only one [way] out of the shopping center. And for those coming from westbound Spriggs Road, there is only one way in. Both of these use the entrance on Minnieville Road, which during rush hour can be darn near impossible with the current construction issues.
Can someone tell us what’s going on and correct the issue before something happens?
Thanks,
Tim in Dale City
Dear Tim,
That area has created a headache for people like you who frequent the Bloom shopping center, but it doesn’t look like there’s a quick, easy answer.
Apparently what led to the entrance being closed is a good old-fashioned dispute between the shopping center and landowner, according to Liz Bahrns, spokeswoman for Prince William County government.
The county is working on resolving the dispute between the two parties, but until then the county has made it so there is no longer a no U-turn restriction at Staples Mill Plaza where the median breaks — and where you used to be able to make your left turn out of the shopping center.
That doesn’t help motorists on west on Spriggs Road turning into the shopping center, but the Lane Ranger is with you in hoping that those concrete barriers get taken down soon.
So for now, the Minnieville Road entrance and the right-in entrance on eastbound Spriggs Road are the only options.
Dear Lane Ranger,
In August, Dale City-resident Dennis Keener wrote to the Lane Ranger with an infuriating problem he had run into: Despite following tips from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the sensor at one of the intersections in Prince William County was not reading his motorcycle.
It was only until, in his words, a “gas guzzling behemoth SUV snuggled up behind me” that he got a green light.
After VDOT responded to his dilemma, Keener came back with a couple other things he felt needed answering. Here are his questions:
1.Why must they wait for a citizen complaint to adjust sensitivity of these sensors? Isn’t there a maintenance program to monitor these things? Aren’t there standard settings that can be used?
2. The suggestions I mentioned were in a VDOT pamphlet included with my motorcycle registration renewal. If they don’t work why did VDOT spend my tax money to print and mail me this information?
Denis Keener
Dale City
Dear Dennis,
VDOT spokesman Mike Salmon writes: “Each detector is outfitted with the MIST detector system that sends a signal to the VDOT office when it is failing and an engineer will go out and investigate. The wires get worn out sometimes through age, water damage, or pavement shifts can cut the wire.
Heavy truck traffic can cut wire, also. The VDOT traffic signal engineer recommends that motorcycles stop in the center of the sensor square. If they still aren’t being picked up by the sensor, the motorcyclist can arrange to meet our traffic signal engineer at the particular light and the engineer can investigate the problem from there.
And for your second question:
“Ninety-nine percent of the signals generated by motorcycles are picked up by the sensors. There are motorcycles made from new non-metallic materials that are lighter and don’t set off detector as well. There is a standard setting for motorcycles that is used for an average motorcycle, but it needs to be set so it doesn’t detect traffic in adjacent lanes. If it is set too lightly it will detect the adjacent lanes [and] will not work correctly.”
The Lane Ranger agrees with you that taxpayer money (or unnecessary paper) should not be spent on literature that is false and of no use to the people. But VDOT says that the tips that were likely in the brochure you got usually solve the problem. However, if you continue to have problems to contact Mike Salmon, the spokesman, at 703-383-2055 and he will set up an appointment for you to meet with the traffic engineer to address the problem.