Community Corner
What's the Big, Blinking Sign on the GW Parkway?
The new, temporary sign is designed to help bicyclists and pedestrians who want to cross the parkway and to alert motorists of their presence.
by Sharon McLoone
Northbound drivers of the George Washington Memorial Parkway have probably noticed a newly installed big, blinking sign.
Parkway officials, in consultation with the Federal Highway Administration, temporarily have installed a flashing beacon warning system at the trail crosswalk of the northbound lanes of the parkway just prior to Arlington Memorial Bridge, one mile north of I-395.
The temporary installation is planned to be in place for approximately 30 days or until around the beginning of October as a trial to help inform the upcoming environmental assessment process that will evaluate long-term safety and traffic improvements in the area, according to the National Park Service.
The warning system is designed for bicyclists and pedestrians who want to cross the parkway and to alert motorists of the presence of trail users. Trail users can activate the flashing beacon and notify motorists of their intention to cross the parkway.
The purpose is to improve safety and increase awareness by slowing down traffic when pedestrians and bicyclists want to cross the parkway in this high-traffic area.
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