Comments on Residents want Seven Corners safer for walking and biking - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by stevek_fairfax

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:36:14 EDT

Conceptual Seven Corners, VA re-work.
1. Deck over existing grade-depressed Route 50
2. Re-route SB Route 7 to a parallel 1-way street using the existing turn bridge over Route 50 (street parking on SB & NB lanes)
3. Re-appropriate SB lanes as N/S DEDICATED LRT or BRT
4. 6 to 8 story urban infill with street level retail
Images:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33944765@N02/6758065543/

Comment by Falls Church

Thu, 24 May 2012 19:07:25 EDT

*police racism and harassment is what I meant

Comment by Falls Church

Thu, 24 May 2012 19:06:21 EDT

Oh, and the other cheap and completely vital fix is to crack down on the blatant racism against the vietnamese businesses. We should be providing these job creators with awards, not harassing them. It's a great example of gov't gone wild, infringing on the basic rights we have in the constitution.

Comment by Falls Church

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:51:05 EDT

I bike to and around 7 corners semi-frequently (and certainly more frequently than driving). Tge road situation is beyond solving without massive cash which is not happening anytime soon, so its best to look at other options.

First off, its not that bad biking or even walking because everything is so concentrated and close by (particularly the short distance among target, safewat, and home depot). There are alsi two good places to cross 50, at the intersection with Pat Henry and the ped bridge. There are also service lanes that are safe and not terribly unpleasant to walk/bike along.

That said, more needs to be done to make walking/biking safe for residents even if it makes it worse for drivers going through 7 corners on their way to somewhere else. I don't know specifically what that is but traffic calming devices and service lanes would seem to be a good idea. Also, a way to get from 50 to 7 easily by bike/ped is needed. It would also be nice if some of the parking lots were turned into tax revenue generating businesses or residences. That way folks wouldn't have to traverse vast lots to get where they were going. It would also be a way to raise money for the improvements and of course fewer parking spots means fewer cars coming in and causing congestion or making walking difficult.

7 Corner's diverse population and intetesting small businesses give it a lot of potential for further development. The question is how we do this in a way that's cost effective and some quick and dirty ped/bike improvements, paid for by permitting greater density, and encouraged through less red tape and regulation (particularly fewer burdensome parking min regs) seems like the most practical way to move forward and create jobs.

Comment by I. Rex

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:22:42 EDT

Good luck. That place can raise tour blood pressure just driving through. Can't imagine biking there. A few years ago i drove through seven corners when the traffic lights were down. What a cluster f$@&.

Comment by J.C.

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:22:12 EDT

It's a shame that Seven Corners was ever allowed to become the mess that it is. I live nearby and although I enjoy the assets mentioned above, for obvious reasons I can't imagine living here indefinitely.

Comment by Ellie Ashford

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:58:49 EDT

I commute through 7 Corners every day. It's a huge mess and only going to get worse. An apartment tower and hotel are in the works for Route 50, and there are rumors about a townhouse project on the site of the medical buildings on Castle.

Comment by Miles Grant

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:38:57 EDT

Seven Corners has character?

(To be clear, Eden Center has character. The rest of the area has ... whatever the opposite of character is.)

Comment by Lucre

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:31:45 EDT

I remember a discussion on ImagineDC about this area several years ago. In the comments the idea of turning Seven Corners into a traffic circle with Rte 50 running underneath became popular. Of course, that's a massive project that would probably cost a fortune and severely impact everyone nearby during construction. Dave Murphy's idea for an improved street grid for the area might be a better first step, since it would inconvenience fewer people traveling through the seven corners intersection.

Comment by MW

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:21:24 EDT

I am so glad you are writing about 7 corners. It has a lot of potential with so much commerical zoning. Clearly thus far, none of that potential has been realized

Comment by Jasper

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:16:23 EDT

Seven Corners is so bad on so many levels, while having good stores, that improvement can not be hard. Though, what will be hard is to figure out where to start in this mess.

Comment by Geof Gee

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:12:52 EDT

Hmmmmm ...

Off the top of my head, without a major reconfiguration of the area including rte 50, rte 7, Wilson Blvd, and several ancillary roads in the area, I think that this is a fantasy. I still think it's worthwhile to go through the mental exercise. But there has to be low hanging fruit before tackling this monster.

Comment by Michael Perkins

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:53:47 EDT

I live near here. All efforts to make 7 corners a better place are welcome.