Near Death Experience

I know that there has been a difference of opinion about the issue. I was supportive, then questioning, then against it myself. However, I think that, though the conversations were heated, the comments were mostly not disparaging. If they had been over the line, the Moderators would have stepped in.

Still, I do agree with you. If HCA were to take the hospital to South Dulles where the residents and the vast majority of our county's elected officials want it, the Broadlands would be much less divided. So, opposing the hospital actually would bring the community closer together. []

(This is a tongue-in-cheek comment, but it actually makes sense.)

 

The hospital is an issue that has divided this community and one that isnt going away anytime soon. It seems to me that if HCA wanted to put a hospital where it was needed it wouldnt be here in broadlands it would be out by Purcellville or down by south riding. But what makes sense isnt always what gets done.

 

Sports - HCA is doing what makes sense to them. They are trying to put a hospital in a highly dense, highly lucrative area. Sure a hospital in one of the communities you mentioned would be nice but HCA is excersising free-enterprise. They are in the hospital business to make money and eastern Loudoun currently has alot of it.

 

How did someone's inquiry about stop lights ONCE AGAIN get detoured to a conversation about the hospital issue. Can it already!![xx(]

 

My response was in response to a previous post. Thats all.

 

Sportsvan:
Wasn't really targeting you personally...I know the hospital issue is a hot topic. There's an entire discussion already in full force somewhere else on the forums, and I was just trying to direct traffic (no pun intended). It's a control thing, sorry....

 

Getting back to the original topic of the need for a traffic light at Claiborne and Broadlands Parkways, there is yet another dangerous intersection badly in need of a traffic light: Truro Parish and Glebe View.

I raised this issue at a Homeowners Association meeting two years ago, when Truro Parish was being completed, and there were lots of nods, but obviously no action taken. I know of at least two vehicle collisions that have occured at this intersection, and I'm sure there have been others -- the intersection is at the crest of a hill and the approach by the main road (Truro Parish) is curved in both directions. Add to this the fact that everyone drives at least 10 mph over the speed limit on Truro Parish, and it is a recipe for disaster.

There is no other way for pedestrians (children, the elderly included) to exit from our neighborhood to get on the pathway leading to the community center, or to adjoining neighborhoods in North Broadlands, other than crossing this intersection. Even in a car, it is a challenge to see traffic approaching from either direction in order to cross Truro Parish or turn left onto the road safely.

I don't know how many more vehicle accidents or injuries it will take to meet VDOT/Loudoun's criteria for installing either stop signs or a traffic light -- I pray it won't take a fatality to convince them of the need.

 

I could see a maybe a 4-way stop being installed there, a light seems a bit overkill.

I wonder who makes these kind of decisions...I presume its VDOT, but I'm curious to know what the criteria is for getting a 4-way stop or a traffic light installed. Is there some guy at VDOT who says "Yes this intersection is deemed worthly of a traffic light."???

It would be interesting to know what the exact process is....

Anyone know?

 

I recall from an earlier Developer's Update meeting that there will never be a stop light at that intersection. I seem to remember them saying that the best that we could hope for would be a stop sign, but even that is very improbable. The whole situation as I understand it is dictated by VDOT and their calculations on traffic, number of residents and the engineering of the road.

 

I just checking back in. I read that it be almost two years before light is in!!! Two years--how crazy that is?!? No too long ago, I see two little girls on bike were almost hit by SUV at the intersection of Claiborne/Broadlands. And that is before Safeway! This is crazy that there is no light! Now with shopping center open, there is still no light! Like I say before, maybe someone die and then will be light! Is that what it take? What can we do about this? I THINK NO ONE REALLY CARE!

 

The expectation is that the light will be installed next spring. At least that's the latest I have been told by the developer.
Cliff

 

Community is GOOD. But, Management/Developer of the Propery really crazy and as crazy as not speeding up the process to install when there is absolute requirement of lights at mazor intersecitions. They don't give Damn about residents lives. This sucks !

Shame to call this development as planned development when they didn't plan for intersection lights ahead. How can one call panned community if they did not even think about lights.

 

Sudha--I agree with what you say here. And like I say before, nobody seem to care. All talking, not action. Whose child will die first, and then who will be blame? When is in headlines of newspapers, I bet nobody will want to live here. Then maybe property developer or HOA will finally care and do something. Shame it has to take something like that.

 

kids shouldn't be crossing claiborne on a bike -- there is a tunnel they can use near the school.

 

Boomertsfx, that's very true. We use that when we are out biking, but sometimes kids do their own thing! We just need to stop talking about this issue and start fixing it. I've called and spoken with our elected reps, and the staff in their offices said that it was the first that they had heard of the problem. So, I encourage others to call!

 

While I agree that traffic can be bad at these intersections, and it's likely to get worse with Safeway, etc. open now, you shouldn't rely on traffic lights to keep your kids safe, that's your responsibility as a parent. You can see plenty far enough down the road both ways at that intersection to safely cross the street...a car would have to be going 150mph to almost hit you after you looked both ways twice and started across.

 

But their are no sidewalks or a path from the tunnel going North on the safeway side of Claiborne.

 

Have you watched that intersection? The normal rules of the road do not apply to it. It's like a singularity in the fabric of space time.
I live near there and there's not a day that I don't see something boneheaded occur there.

 

Sure, I live about 300 yards from that intersection and pass through it a couple times a day. I see boneheaded stuff happen there quite often myself, but when the boneheaded stuff is kids playing in the street or crossing in an unsafe manner, that problem is remedied by better parenting and supervision rather than a stop light to babysit your kids for you. Like I said before, that intersection is as safe as any to cross on bike/foot...you have plenty of viewing distance in both directions and as long as you look both ways twice before starting to cross, you're perfectly safe.