Town Hall: 3 Options for Herndon Pkwy/Van Buren Street Intersection Presented

A packed room turned out for Wednesday night’s meeting with engineers and Town of Herndon representatives to discuss potential improvements for one of Herndon’s busiest and most traffic-congested intersections – Herndon Parkway and Van Buren Street.

Director of Public Works Bob Boxer and Doug Kennedy of the engineering firm Pennoni Associates presented the audience with three design concepts, which they then asked for feedback on.

Boxer said the Town will be accepting feedback by e-mail, mail or in person through July 31. He said all feedback will be considered before the Town drafts its official recommendation, which will be presented to the Town Council at a future date.

The three options presented were:

• Option 1 (Cost Estimate: $1.016 million):  Adding an additional northbound right lane, and lengthening the westbound left turn lane.

• Option 2 (Cost Estimate: $2.199 million): Dual westbound left lanes and dual northbound right turn lanes.

• Option 3 (Cost Estimate: $1.287 million): Building a two-lane roundabout (which would get rid of the traffic signal).

An additional idea, "option 2-C," was also discussed, which would be somewhat of a hybrid between options one and two.

Option two seemed to resonate with some in the audience – and is what several Patch readers themselves suggested on our Facebook page on Wednesday morning before the meeting.

Most that spoke out said they thought option one was “too little,” and that option three, the roundabout, would not work well at all.

One male resident, who said he has driven in countries throughout the world, spoke out during the public comment period, saying a roundabout was a non-viable option he didn’t think should even be considered.

“Americans do not do well with roundabouts. It’s pathetic how they do with roundabouts,” he said.

He added, by his impression, “Developers usually put roundabouts in to slow down traffic. That’s not what we want to do here.”

He also said he felt that, in winter, rain and snow could increase potential for accidents with a roundabout.

Kennedy said he understood some of the opposition toward the roundabout option, though he said VDOT is increasingly encouraging roundabouts because they offer free-flow traffic, and because traffic signals are expensive to maintain; roundabouts eliminate the need for signals.

Some audience members expressed concern that constructing such a “massive intersection” would make it more unfriendly to pedestrians, particularly nearby residents who want to walk their kids to the park.

Following the meeting, some cyclists expressed their own concerns as well. 

Members of Fairfax Advocates for Better Cycling (FABB) tweeted, "Unfortunately none of the options improve conditions for bicycles and pedestrians. Not sure additional lanes is the answer."

"The consultant presented about 25 slides. All were focused on moving cars as fast as possible. No mention of safety," FABB continued.

Additionally, when asked if extending signal cycle times was being considered, Kennedy said the current average of between 110 to 120 seconds would continue.

Kennedy also pointed out that these improvements would not replace a potential future project of extending Worldgate Drive, which he said was still on the radar in the next 10 years or so. He said, eventually extending Worldgate Drive would help relieve traffic on Van Buren. This current project could provide immediate relief in the meantime, he said.

When can residents expect to see improvements implemented?

It does not appear improvements will be coming in 2013, but plans will move steadily forward, Kennedy said.

He said more information, including FAQs (frequently asked questions) will be added to the Town’s website by the beginning of August, and that the team will be going before the Town Council to share the feedback and their recommendations soon – possibly by mid-September.

“The timetable is dependent on a lot of things…but I don’t see us breaking ground on this any time this year,” he said.

Once an option is decided upon and funding is secured, he said, depending on the option chosen and working out a temporary relocation of utilities needed for construction, Kennedy estimated one season, or six to nine months, for the construction period.

Feedback can be sent to the Town on the three options by sending an e-mail to publicworks@herndon-va.gov; mailing a letter to P.O. Box 427, Herndon, VA 20172; or delivering a letter in person to the Municipal Building at 777 Lynn St.

* VIEW THE PENNONI ASSOCIATES REPORT ONLINE HERE.

TELL US - Which option do you like best? What do you think of the options? Tell us in the comments.

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