LANE RANGER: Reader: Drivers disobey signs

By The Lane Ranger
Published: August 3, 2008

Lane Ranger: Someone please tell me why someone or whomever is in charge of the signs coming out of the shopping center on Bulloch does not remove them.
I can’t see any reason why they should continue to be up. Who looks at those signs? Surely it is not anyone coming out that is in the far right hand lane coming onto [Va.] 234. This sign is perfectly clear in ever way possible as to, no right turn on red and for only vehicles going west on Interstate 66.

On more occasions than I can ever count are the number of cars that completely disobey that sign. I guess all of those people are just STUPID or can’t read and should not be on the road period!! About a month ago, I was almost hit twice by cars coming out and then cutting in front of me to get into the left lane.

I just lay on my horn because at some point someone is going to get killed. I guess that is what it will take in order for something to happen. You can be in the turning lane going into the shopping center and count car after car that are not OBEYING THE SIGN. Once I counted six vehicles coming out in the right lane and then came over to the left lane cutting other cars off.

People wake up this is a big problem and no one does anything about it ... so it just keeps happening day after day.

Does anyone care?

Thank you for your time,
Margie

Dear Margie: To answer your question, I care. In my off time, I have, to put it kindly, emphatically encouraged people to read the signs at the Va. 234/Bulloch Drive intersection as I myself am being cut off.
Personally, I would argue against removing the signs solely because I’m still holding out for the day when the police department will send out a fleet of patrol officers to set up a traffic trap there to catch some of those dipwads. If they did that every Friday night for a month, I think we would start to see a little progress over there.

Until then, all I can recommend is stay cool. Honk if necessary, but let them over, because the only thing the Lane Ranger loathes more than those motorists who flagrantly either refuse to read traffic signs or just disregard them are the hotheads who care more about making a point than keeping the roads safe.

Dear Lane Ranger: “Broke Due to Idling” recently wrote about several intersections in PWC where VDOT traffic flow restrictions cost us all huge amounts of wasted gas with only minor safety benefits. I agree. One of these is what is called a “protected-only left turn” (left turns must wait UNTIL the opposite side has a red light — even if there’s NO traffic coming at all). VDOT claims this is safer for us and therefore should be used at every single traffic light in the Commonwealth. Well, OK, at ALMOST every single traffic light. Of course, I agree it’s safer. And I’m sure VDOT could think of even more ways to make it safer yet. But please, how safe is reasonably safe and what does the extra safety cost us all in wasted gas and unnecessary pollution caused by the idling? I suggest that VDOT should change their policy so that they NOT use protected left turns except where obvious, severe hazards exist. Then I suggest that all the intersections that currently have such traffic signals be re-evaluated and changed wherever possible to “permissive” or “protected-permissive” patterns.
Sincerely,
Dale & Susan Rehak
Manassas, VA

Area road, lane closures
Southbound U.S. 29 in western Prince William County will be closed to traffic from Aug. 8-11 in the first of weekend detours you can expect over the next six weeks, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

During the closures, VDOT will be installing a new deck on the bridge over Broad Run at Buckland — about a half-mile south of U.S. 15 near the Fauquier County line, according to a news release.
The transportation department is accelerating the $2.8 million bridge replacement project by installing a total of 12 prefabricated concrete deck sections with one being installed per night over the three weekends, the news release states.

Motorists can expect the detour to add 20 to 30 minutes to their travel time, the news release states. The bridgework will not affect northbound traffic on U.S. 29.

The first closure will be from 9 p.m. Aug. 8 until 5 a.m. Aug. 11. Weekend detours are also scheduled for Aug. 22 to 25 and Sept. 5 to 8.

Detour route for cars: U.S. 29 south to U.S. 15 north to Va. 55 west to Beverly Mill Road (Route 600) to U.S. 29.

Detour route for tractor-trailers: U.S. 29 south to U.S. 15 north to Interstate 66 west to U.S. 17 south to U.S. 29.

Traffic signals throughout the corridor will be re-timed to “maximize traffic flow” and officers with Prince William County and Virginia State police will be stationed at key intersections to assist with any traffic incidents and to keep traffic moving, according to VDOT.

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced the following lane closures along Interstate 95/395 from Va. 610, Garrisonville Road, to the Pentagon as part of project development for the I-95/395 HOT Lanes project:

• I-95 North
The left shoulder will be closed from just after Exit 143 (Va. 610, Garrisonville Road) to just after Exit 150 (Route 619, Joplin Road) from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. between Aug. 4 and 7, and 9:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 8. VDOT will be conducting a test bore.

• I-95 South
The right shoulder just before Exist 143 (Va. 610, Garrisonville Road) will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. between Aug. 4 and 7, and 9:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 8. VDOT will be conducting a test bore.

• I-95/395 HOV rolling closures
There will be rolling closures (one at a time) for the left and right HOV lanes from Pentagon south to Exit 152 (Va. 234, Dumfries Road) from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Aug. 4 to 8. VDOT will be conducting a test bore. Police will be on site for motorist safety.

For the latest traffic advisories for Northern Virginia, visit http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/travel_alerts/northern_virginia/default.asp.