Fairfax City is moving ahead with a plan to add bicycle lanes on University Drive, north of Old Town.
The Fairfax City Council unanimously approved awarding a $725,551 contract to Arthur Construction Company Inc. to construct the bike lanes during a meeting last Tuesday (Sept. 8). The project calls for parts of the roadway to be reduced to make room for the proposed changes.
“Right now, it’s a four-lane cross section, and we’re proposing to convert it to one lane in each direction, a center turn lane, and then bike lanes on the curbs,” Chloe Ritter, the city’s multimodal transportation planner, told the council. “And then at the intersection of Layton Hall Drive and University Drive, there, we are making some additional pedestrian improvements.”
The project will resurface and restripe the existing pavement on University Drive “to add on-road bike lanes between Layton Hall Drive and North Street and shared-lanes arrows between North Street and South Street,” a city document reads.
According to Ritter, city studies found the roadway has enough capacity to accommodate the changes, and the city’s Bicycle Master Plan recommended a “road diet,” which reduces the number of travel lanes to make room for bike infrastructure.
Ritter noted that the project would benefit all road users, not just cyclists, since the design also calls for pedestrian improvements that could help reduce conflicts for motor vehicles.
“There’s pedestrian crossing improvements included with this project. The bicycle lanes provide additional separation between the vehicle lanes and the sidewalk.”
Traffic on University Drive has also trended downward over the years, with the roadway now carrying about 10,000 cars a day, Ritter said. An analysis also found that adding bike lanes would not result in a significant increase in traffic delays.
The project also includes changes at the intersection of University Drive and Layton Hall Drive.
According to city documents, the existing right-turn slip lane will be removed, while new ADA-compliant curb ramps and curb modifications will be installed, along with a pedestrian crossing on the south side of University Drive.
However, the council also voted on Sept. 8 to scrap plans for a traffic signal at the intersection after the project team determined one “was not warranted under current condition” or based on projected road conditions in 2033, according to a staff report.
Councilmember Anthony Amos voiced support for the project, saying it will help clear up confusion on the roadway.
“I’ve seen a significant amount of confusion of folks coming down University wanting to make that left, and then people just completely forget how right of way works. So, I think this will help shore that up a bit,” he said.
The contract award still requires the Virginia Department of Transportation’s approval.
