Issue with drive thru nature center

I am voicing this now before there is an accident. Many folks cut thru the parking lot at the nature center to avoid the extra 30 secs to go Claiborne to Ridgeway or vice versa.

The problem is that the road at one end empties out near the elementary school. Some of the people that use this road speed thru it fairly quick. Can we put several speed bumps in this lot or close it to thru traffic?

 

I also have the same concern about the new entrance (on Ridgeway) to the elementary school. People are driving through the school parking lot like it is a regular road, and, sometimes, do so at high speeds. I guess that they use it as a cut-through to the Mobil station or wherever. Since there are no speed limit signs, people may be driving through it carelessly. Unlike the nature center drive thru, this is an actual part of the elementary school grounds and may result in an accident. On the other side of the coin, the entrance is very useful to parents dropping off and picking up their kids at school. I would think that some happy medium could exist to cut down on the traffic at non-essential times.

 

Speckhard-
Right now, the Nature Center road/parking lot is maintained by Terrabrook. They installed one speed bump, but it obviously isn't sufficient. I will talk to them about this issue. My thoughts, once the roads are turned over to the HOA, are this:
LARGE speed bumps should be installed at both ends of the parking lot. This will stop cars from being able to gain speed. Signs will be posted at both ends stating "Road closed to through traffic".
Wick-
THe school property is owned by Loudoun County. It will be up to them to enforce rules/post signs as they see fit. I suggest you share your concern with the School Board.
Cliff

 

It was a concern on my behalf and I think that solution would work. I don't even care so much about the thru traffic just that it makes it harder to save time by cutting the corner so to speak. Though this is only my opinion.

 

I too have noticed the cut through traffic at the Nature Center. It is dangerous to kids and stupid, especially since it saves maybe 15 seconds (which by the way is lost at the Waxpool stop sign.) One day I saw a couple of County Sheriff crusiers parked in the Nature center lot. I hope the tickets issued will deter those drivers from cutting through again.

The cut through traffic should subside once Ridgeway-Wynridge (new road) connects through to route 722 (exit 6 off Greenway) See community map @ http://www.broadlands.org/pages/home_pages/siteplan_big.html
I know I'm looking forward to entering/exiting the community via Wynridge instead of traveling all the way up Claiborne to get on the Greenway. Should save 5 minutes or so.

 

I think the sheriff in the Nature Center parking lot was trying to deter the non-Broadland residents who've been using the basketball court. I heard a fight broke out a month or so ago, which drew the Sheriff's attention.

I agree the speeding problem through the nature center parking lot needs to be corrected. There is a worse problem along Ridgeway on either side of the school entrance. People come FLYING down this road. People gain much more speed on Ridgeway in the short distance bewteen Claiborne and where the Nature Center dumps out, then they do when cutting through the Nature Center. The eventual Ridgeway-Wynridge connection will only make this worse.

In addressing this Nature Center issue, please consider the larger picture that includes dangerously fast traffic on Ridgeway (45 MPH in a school zone on a residential street).