Politics & Government

VDOT: Crosswalks Take One Month to Complete

An inside look at the crosswalk placement process.

If you've found yourself wondering how to get a marked crosswalk placed in your neighborhood, there's an easy solution. 

Residents and civic associations can start the process by calling the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

Residents can make a request for a marked crosswalk by contacting VDOT’s Customer Service Center (1-800-FOR-ROAD). Once the request is made, traffic engineering staff will review requests on a case-by-case basis as soon as scheduling permits.

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According to VDOT traffic engineer Don Ostrander, the following criteria are reviewed when the engineering team evaluates crosswalk requests:

  • Speed limit
  • Crash history
  • Traffic and pedestrian volumes
  • The number of lanes
  • Roadway width and geometrics
  • Sight distance
  • Availability of supporting pedestrian facilities (sidewalks or trails along the roadway)
  • Lighting
  • Whether other crosswalks or traffic control devices are located nearby.

Once the factors are reviewed, the engineering staff decides whether or not to put in a marked crosswalk at that location. Generally, a crosswalk can be installed a month from when the request was filed. 

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“The time it takes to complete the review process and install a crosswalk, if appropriate, varies depending on the amount of other pending requests,” said Ostrander. “However, about one month is a reasonable estimate.”

When asked if there are any current crosswalk requests in Mount Vernon, Ostrander replied that he was not aware of any.

“However, we get numerous requests for a wide variety of issues on a daily basis so this could change quickly,” he said. 

What do residents think of pedestrian safety in Mount Vernon? Click here. 


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