Letters to the Editor: August 2 – 8, 2018

New Park & Maple Parking Make Roads Less Safe

Editor,

I was driving in Falls Church this week when I nearly struck and injured a young woman with my car. I was driving east on Park Ave. and had slowed to turn into the south parking lot of Park Towers Condominium. The young woman was just emerging from a car parked along the south side of Park near the new Northside Social restaurant. My car was proceeding very slowly and the young woman opened her door cautiously. In spite of our care, we were both aware of how close we had come to having an accident.

This incident has reinforced my opinion that the changes made to parking regulations and street markings along Park Ave. and N. Maple Ave. by our city have made both of those streets and their intersection much less safe for drivers and pedestrians.

Additional safety concerns include the decreased visibility afforded to drivers coming out of the south parking lot of Park Towers Condominium. Motorists using N. Maple Ave. and Park Ave. are also unable to see when a driver is leaving the Park Towers lot.

Motorists driving south on N. Maple Ave. must negotiate the crest of a hill and curve in the street. Our city has failed to provide a center line along that portion of N. Maple. This omission combined with additional parking places along N. Maple seems to be very ill advised.

I am urging the City Manager and members of our City Council to readdress this matter before a tragedy occurs.

Peter Markham

Falls Church

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