A Fairfax Connector bus hit a CHS student approximately 15 years ago, forcing her to amputate a leg. Now, as the 2023-24 school year comes to a close, administration continues working to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.  

The last time the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) modified the portion of Stringfellow Road outside CHS was in response to the aforementioned collision. Since then, the school’s population has almost doubled in size and now 63 students park their cars across Stringfellow Road at the Chantilly Regional Library. 

According to communications manager for the VDOT Northern Virginia District Alex Liggitt, traffic engineers have already performed a traffic study for this portion of road in the past—though he did not specify when. Liggitt said VDOT does not produce formal reports on the traffic studies they do. Instead, he describes it as a “casual” process in which data is stored in emails, phone calls or voicemails. 

“We are often asked by citizens to provide a ‘copy of the report’ since they assume that the depth of their concern rises to the level of requiring such an action,” Liggitt said in a Feb. 9 email. “However, a very high percentage of the inquiries that we receive involve requests for conventional traffic control devices. In these circumstances, there is already guidance regarding the application of the various devices to assist in a streamlined and efficient assessment process.”

In the last traffic study, traffic engineers obtained two numbers: how many cars drive through this portion of road at peak travel times (19,000) and how far away the proposed crosswalk would be from the other two existing ones (approximately 600 ft). But Liggitt’s clarification only raises more questions for principal Amy Goodloe. 

“My wondering is if there have been quite a few concerns raised about safety and need for additional crosswalk and signage which this quote might imply, what has VDOT’s response been and what is the guidance regarding an additional crosswalk?” Goodloe said. “I could argue that this is highly concerning in that we’re in a school zone across from a large public library accessed by a huge part of our Fairfax County population and due to traffic concerns and high volume on Stringfellow road that this would be a significant priority.”

Meanwhile, another request for a crosswalk and rectangular rapidly flashing beacon (RRFBs), casually known as a pedestrian signal, was made to VDOT. Traffic engineers refused to install either of the devices, citing unfavorably high traffic and low pedestrian volume, but leaving numbers that would justify these installations unsaid. According to a VDOT traffic engineer, the department does not install RRFBs, but the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) does in places with high pedestrian traffic under VDOT recommendation. The Purple Tide reached out to FCDOT but they were unavailable for comment.

According to Michael Coyle, Chief of Staff in the office of Sully District Supervisor Kathy L. Smith, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2013 that allowed for additional money collected through sales taxes to go to the northern region of the state for transportation projects. One of the duties of FCDOT is to review projects the department believes need to be done and request regional funding for them. But even with this additional money floating around, Coyle says funding is still a very real concern.

“There are lots of transportation needs, but there’s not enough funding for all of them,” Coyle said. “There are lots of projects that are worthy of funding, but because the funding is scarce, we’re only able to do certain ones at certain times and something that is a very good project to do, a very worthy project to do, just may not get funded in that current funding round. So it’s not that folks aren’t listening and they don’t see the value in that project, it’s just that there’s only so much funding.”

While things progress, Goodloe continues to keep her eyes on the prize with student safety at the forefront of her mind.

“I just want us to continue this conversation and make sure that we reach out to those who can help us ensure that there’s safe arrival and dismissal for our students,” Goodloe said. 

From here, financing options are being explored and The Purple Tide will continue to report on the issue. Check back next month for the third and final part of the series. 

This is the second installation of a three-part series.