Lower Speed Limit Recommended For Part Of Fairfax County's Richmond Highway

HUNTINGTON, VA — As part of the speed limit study on Richmond Highway in Fairfax County, preliminary recommendations call for a lower speed limit for over seven miles of the roadway.

The Virginia Department of Transportation presented the speed limit study's preliminary recommendations during a virtual meeting Wednesday. The study recommendation is lowering the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph on Richmond Highway between the Capital Beltway and Jeff Todd Way. The 45 mph speed limit is recommended to stay between Jeff Todd Way and Belvoir Road.

The recommendations are preliminary, and a final report is expected in the fall.

The speed limit study area is Richmond Highway (Route 1) between the Capital Beltway and Belvoir Road. The study aims to evaluate the speed limit with a goal of improving safety and making it more bicyclist, pedestrian and transit-friendly.

At the start of the meeting, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said the study resulted from concerns from the community about safety.

"The community has been here before many, many years ago, and there were concerns raised, and at that point in time we didn't follow through," said Storck. "I think we have a different community and a different time and absolutely a different focus on pedestrian and public safety."

Neil Freschmann with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation noted the study recommendations will be implemented in the interim while two major Richmond Highway projects are developed. VDOT's Richmond Highway widening project and Fairfax County's Bus Rapid Transit project are in the design phase and were recently chosen for funding through regional revenues.

Public comments on the preliminary recommendations will be accepted through Aug. 1. The study could then be completed over the summer, followed by a formal resolution to establish the speed limit in the fall. Any speed limit change could take effect in early 2023.

Comments may be submitted by email to MeetingComments@vdot.Virginia.gov (reference "Richmond Highway(Route 1) Speed Limit Study in Fairfax County"in the subject line, mail to Ms. Jessica Paris, P.E. VDOT’s Northern Virginia District 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, or online in the comment form.

Visit the speed limit study project webpage for more information and view the meeting video here.