Hickory Street and Kennedy Street Neighborhood Mini-Roundabout
Road work will begin week of April 22nd. Please proceed with caution!
Project Description
The purpose of this project is to improve safety at the intersection of Hickory Street and Kennedy Street in Warwick Village.
Background
The City's Neighborhood Traffic Calming program is focused on improving safety by slowing speeds within neighborhoods. The intersection of Hickory Street and Kennedy Street was identified as a location of concern by Warwick Village residents in February 2023.
The intersection has numerous pedestrians and bikes hourly and over 1,200 vehicle users per day. Speeding on Kennedy Street and the size of the intersection make it hard and uncomfortable for people walking to cross. It is also difficult for drivers to understand who has the right-of-way.
In 2023, City staff coordinated with residents on identifying options to address safety for all users. Countermeasures that will be implemented as part of this project include:
- Curb Extensions: The existing medians from the northside service roads and southwest corner of the intersection will be extended to help reduce active time that pedestrians are in the roadway as well as reduce vehicle turning speeds.
- High-Visibility Crosswalks: In addition to the "Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk" plaques, the high-visibility crosswalks increase driver attentiveness and visibility of pedestrian crossings.
- Mini-Roundabout / Traffic Circle: The roundabout improves intersection flow of the intersection while also reducing conflict points with all users and reducing vehicle speeds, thereby lowering the risk of injury-related crashes.
Staff expects the roundabout to be completed by end of April or the first week of May. Staff will continue to monitor and post updates to this webpage.
Project Development
Community Engagement
Status: Completed
Staff met with the Warwick Village Citizens Association on multiple occasions over the course of the effort. Staff presented a recommended concept at the July 2023 Traffic & Parking Board Public Hearing. The Board endorsed the staff recommendation.
Staff will continue to work with the community during implementation and following project completion.
Design & Construction
Status: Ongoing
Construction on the project will begin the week of April 22nd. Work is expected to be completed end of April or first week of May.
public art PILOT
Status: Initiated
The intersection has been selected to be part of a public art pilot project. More information will be provided later this year.
Mini-Roundabouts
More Information on Mini-Roundabouts
What is a Mini-Roundabout?
- A circular, unsignalized intersection where all traffic moves in a counter clockwise direction around a central island
- Traffic entering the mini-roundabout slows down and yields to traffic already inside
- Mini-roundabouts have a fully-traversable central island and splitter islands that larger vehicles can drive over
How do I navigate a Mini-Roundabout?
Follow these tips to navigate the mini-roundabout:
- People driving should:
- Stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk or entering the crosswalk.
- Yield to traffic already inside the circle, then proceed through the circle counterclockwise.
- Turn more slowly than they did previously.
- People walking should use the high-visibility crosswalks, pausing at the curb extensions, if desired.
- People biking should use the road like cars do and yield right-of-way to those in the circle.
The mini-roundabout is designed to be approached at 15 MPH or less. Large vehicles like box trucks, buses, or trailers may ride over the center circle. The City will be using modular curbs similar to those on Commonwealth Avenue that can be traveled over by larger vehicles, albeit at very low speeds. An example of the materials used can be found in the image below:
In addition to the graphic below, watch the Virginia Department of Transportation video on how to navigate a mini-roundabout.
Project Contact
Project Contact: Daniel Scolese