Southern George Washington Memorial Parkway Safety Study Next Steps

New Traffic Pattern for Belle Haven and Belle View Intersections

The National Park Service heard common themes about the Belle Haven and Belle View intersections from the public that included: high-speeds, confusion over who has the right-of-way, struggles to find gaps in traffic, and difficult sight-lines to see northbound vehicles while turning left from the side streets.

In September 2023, the National Park Service implemented a new traffic pattern at both intersections. Here are the differences motorists will notice:

• The innermost northbound lane on the parkway has become a left-turn-only lane approaching each intersection.

• Vehicles from the side streets turning left onto the parkway enter into their own northbound lane.

• Northbound vehicles turning left off of the parkway now yield, as opposed to stop.

Major Safety Issues Addressed:

• Drivers from the side streets turning left onto the parkway no longer need to find a gap in northbound traffic or try to crane their head over their right shoulder to see oncoming vehicles.

• Confusion over who has the right-of-way (drivers on the side street versus drivers turning left off the parkway) is clarified by replacing the existing “stop” for parkway traffic with a “yield” to better indicate that they have the right-of-way.

 

The updated intersection at Belle Haven Road and GWMP.

NPS

 

The updated intersection at Belle View Road and GWMP.

NPS

 

A neighborhood education event

Learn how we are making GWMP safer Click here to see a recording

 

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Study focus areas and recommendations for improvements on the southern George Washington Memorial Parkway

NPS

In March 2021, the National Park Service announced the results of a study on nine intersections between the city of Alexandria and Mount Vernon on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The resulting George Washington Memorial Parkway Traffic and Safety Context Sensitive Solutions Assessment identifies improvements to make the road safer and protect the parkway's scenery and history. The study's safety solutions are based on hundreds of public comments and expert analysis on the southern part of George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The National Park Service is considering three types of improvements:

• Education
  • Proactively encouraging good driving behavior.
• Engineering
  • Making improvements through design, construction and vegetation management.
• Enforcement
  • Encouraging drivers to lower their speed.

 

NPS

 

NPS

 

Next steps on the Southern George Washington Memorial Parkway

 

Rendering of proposed road diet at Morningside Lane

NPS

Education

• We hosted a Virtual Neighborhood Education Event on Monday, May 10 at 7 p.m., and you can see a recording at your convenience.

Neighborhood Education Event Agenda

• George Washington Memorial Parkway Superintendent's Presentation.
• Safety study background.
• Study data and outcomes.
• Implementation steps and timeline.
• Questions and answers.

 

Proposed road channelization at Belle Haven Road

NPS

Engineering

• Re-striping sections of the road
  • Road diet- Parts of the Parkway from Tulane Drive to Stratford Lane
    • Federal Highway Administration engineers have evidence that road diets can reduce the difference between drivers' speeds as well as the number and severity of crashes.
• Adding delineators (flexible posts between lanes) from Belle Haven Boulevard to Belle View Road.
  • Delineators help improve drivers' compliance with traffic laws.
• Improving sight-lines

Enforcement

• The US Park Police will put special emphasis on speed enforcement.
  • Our study found that high speeds contribute to crashes on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

 

National Park Service staff speak at a Southern George Washington Memorial Parkway Safety Study public meeting in 2019.

NPS / Jonathan Shafer