RTAP Task Force

March 27, 2024 Wilmington Drive Update:

Residential Traffic Administration Program Update – March 27, 2024: Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) remains in the initial stages of roadway review to determine potential locations for traffic calming devices and plans to present the proposed traffic calming plan to the RTAP Task Force in April. Once the traffic calming plan is determined, the task force will notify property owners who will be impacted by the proposed traffic calming measures due to the proximity to their home(s).

Noteworthy: To have a traffic measure remain in the proposed plan, the property owner(s) must indicate approval by signing off on their documentation. If a property owner does not approve, the device will either be moved to an alternative location, if feasible, or removed from the proposed plan. Once the task force has obtained the necessary signatures, a community meeting will be held and FCDOT will share the proposed plan with the community, address questions and concerns as well as explain the ballot process. If the task force deems the RTAP plan to be suitable for meeting the needs of those on Wilmington Drive and the adjacent streets the owners with residences within the proposed project areas will receive a ballot to cast their vote which will be submitted to Supervisor Walkinshaw’s office.

It is critical to keep this project active -- that more than 50% of the issued ballots be returned with a yes vote accepting the calming measures to pass -- and be submitted to the Board of Supervisors office for final approval and eventually installation. Be mindful that this process takes time, and we are still several steps away from being prepared for potential action (including any installations of traffic-calming measures). The Task Force will continue to publish updates through the Conservancy via the BCC website.

All updates can be found here, on the BCC homepage under Quick Links, where RTAP has its designated link to all up-to-date information.



Website Link: Residential Traffic Administration Program (RTAP) | Transportation (fairfaxcounty.gov).
Mike Holmes RTAP Task Force Chair [email protected]




February 23, 2024 Update:

The Wilmington Drive RTAP process is currently at Step 3 of 8 with Fairfax County as they continue to complete a recommendation plan to provide traffic-calming on Wilmington Drive as requested by local residents. The County Supervisor’s Office reported that the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) Wilmington Drive recommendation brief will be presented to us in the late March early April time frame. With the school holiday the last week of March we expect this might roll into early April. This will be the local communities first look at the Fairfax County recommendations for traffic calming on Wilmington Drive.


The RTAP Task Force has also been officially formed with 10 community members who have expressed a desire to work this issue and the leadership was officially appointed in December 23, 2023. The Task Force Leaders are Michael Holmes (Chair), Chris Townsend (Vice-Chair) and Audra Gibson (Secretary). These individuals are the conduit for comments and organization of all responses to FCDOT via the Conservancy and Supervisor's Office.

While we await the recommendation from FCDOT, we initiated a January Conservator article reminding residents of the 25 MPH speed limit on all Burke Centre residential streets. We thought this was a good first step in our approach to slow traffic down not just on Wilmington Drive but throughout Burke Centre. More articles are planned to remind everyone of their responsibility to drive safely on our streets and observe speed limit and stop signs.

 

The Task Force is also investigating other options including discussions with Fairfax County Police Department West Springfield Division, possible installation of a 4-way stop at Rand Drive and additional 25 MPH signs along Wilmington Drive. This is outside the RTAP Process and falls under VDOT control. We are working on defining what the requirements and steps are for these approaches and resident support.