Del. Danica Roem of Virginia's 13th District (D) met with the Glenkirk Estate HOA and its residents, July 23, to talk about budget and transportation. Residents there wanted to discuss speeding and traffic visibility issues at Rollins Ford Road and Estate Manor Drive in Gainesville, Virginia.
The very next day, there was a car accident at the intersection. It prompted residents again call upon the Virginia Department of Transportation and others to provide some form of a traffic management system at the intersection.
Currently VDOT is conducting a traffic study at the request of Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson (R). Roem has also gotten on board to advocate for a solution and is planning a residential town hall to address the issue.
Rollins Ford Road is a four lane road in Gainesville (eight lanes when you consider two turn lanes on each side) that connects Linton Hall Road with Vint Hill Road. It is lined by several subdivision and a pedestrian/bike path. Though it receives little traffic, drivers often exceed the 45 mph speed limit on the road.
The Glenkirk Estate community is split by Rollins Ford Road. There are stop signs along both sides of Estate Manor Drive, but nothing to slow traffic on Rollins Ford Road.
Residents say visibility is an issue as well as the safety of pedestrians crossing the road. And Glenkirk residents often cross the road to get to the community pool, park and Glenkirk Elementary School, which encourages children to walk to school. There are also stores and a daycare facility location on Rollins Ford Road.
Residents say drivers speed downhill coming from both Linton Hall Road and Vint Hill.
“The Rollins Ford traffic hits 60 mile per hour or higher coming down the slope from Linton Hall Road,” said resident Tom Nourse. “People coming from Glenkirk sometimes timidly pull out and get stuck when others ‘park’ in the middle, waiting to turn left.”
Glenkirk Estates HOA President Tara Berry said the intersection is brought up at HOA meetings and frequently discussed on the Glenkirk Estates Facebook page. Residents notice the speeding, car accidents and the difficulty using the intersection.
She fears the car accidents could injure pedestrians since there have been some close calls in the past including a car that flipped over onto the clubhouse lawn while children were nearby. Some have alleged the accident was the result of drag-racing.
According to Prince William Police there have been a total of four car accidents on Rollins Ford since June of 2017*, including the one that occurred last week. The department is aware of speeding issues and frequently come out to monitor the area.
The most recent accident that increased residential outcry for a traffic solution and Roem said that last Tuesday she received multiple messages from residents. In respond, she issued a mass email, calling the situation “wildly unacceptable" and writing on Facebook that if something is not done, it is just a matter of time until someone gets killed on that road. She believes a solution is necessary.
To look into it further, Roem spoke with Richard Burke, Prince William's representative to VDOT who informed her of the traffic study.
Supervisor Lawson requested a study after she took a "field trip" to the site with VDOT, PWCDOT and representatives from some Rollins Ford communities.
“Both the PWCDOT and VDOT representatives agree that there are problems that need addressing,” said Lawson in her July 6 newsletter. “I am pleased these transportation experts agreed to address the existing concerns with a comprehensive approach rather than working on individual intersections.”
July 9 Lawson met with Burke. At the July 10 meeting of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, she formally requested VDOT conduct a study to see if a solution is necessary.
Michael Murphy of VDOT said the Rollins Ford Road study would look at traffic and pedestrian volumes, speed and number of crashes on the corridor.
“The department does plan to conduct a traffic study to see if a traffic signal is warranted at Rollins Ford Road and Estate Manor Drive,” Murphy said. “We plan to collect traffic counts in September."
Murphy said the answer could be a traffic light or an alternative solution such as turn restrictions or warning signage.
"We also just applied for state funding to conduct a separate planning study of Rollins Ford Road corridor between Vint Hill Road and Linton Hall Roads to look for possible alternatives to a signal," Murphy said.
While VDOT will conduct the study, Prince William County staff and elected officials will be consulted on the recommended solution.
Announcement: Del. Danica Roem will be hosting a joint town hall discussion with representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation and Prince William County Department of Transportation with remarks from Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson regarding the Rollins Ford Road corridor on Monday, August 13 from 6:30pm to 8 p.m. The town hall location is as follows:
Piney Branch Elementary School
Cafeteria
8301 Linton Hall Road
Bristow, VA 20136
*Correction: regarding the number of crashes on Rollins Ford Road, there were over the past year, not in 2018, according to police.
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