Great Falls has finally received its own variable message sign, to complement the two others that have been operating since Memorial Day weekend. The sign, which the transportation people call a VMS, displays information on conditions at Great Falls National Park, alerting visitors about closures, parking and wait times, and fees. The Great Falls VMS faces inbound traffic on Georgetown Pike and is located near the library. The three VMS units are part of a number of steps being taken by the National Park Service to address traffic congestion, parking and pedestrian issues on local roads.
These measures are designed help deal with the problems caused by visitors who park up and down Georgetown Pike, and the traffic slowdowns and safety hazards their numbers create. Many in the community have used social media to express their concerns, which mostly boil down to anxieties regarding safety issues, including:
- The danger to pedestrians as they walk along the sides of, or actually in, the narrow traffic lanes of Georgetown Pike and other neighborhood streets;
- Tightly-packed lines of poorly parked cars creating a road hazard for through-traffic and emergency vehicles;
- Additional slowdowns caused by trapped vehicles that need towing from muddy road shoulders;
- The vulnerability to the park itself from careless visitors who have nowhere to deposit trash and other waste;
- The risks to first-time visitors who are not alert to the perils of slipping on the rocks or wading in calm-looking but dangerous waters that have strong currents and underwater debris.
The problems of traffic, parking, and pedestrians were recently discussed at a June 15th meeting, organized by the Transportation Committee of the Great Falls Citizens Association, which brought together representatives from the NPS, VDOT, and Fairfax County to engage with citizens to talk about these issues. That discussion included information about how the pandemic has caused operational changes, such as closed parking lots, no entrance fees, and closed restrooms and other facilities, at a time when park-usage demand remains high. Despite many warnings and tickets from local police, problems with illegally or precariously parked vehicles has not diminished. VDOT is investigating the possibility of adding more No Parking signs near the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Georgetown Pike, but cautioned that there are other factors and safety issues involved in any decisions that are made.
These problems are not new. In 1992, residents along Old Dominion Drive met with NPS representatives to discuss their concerns and map out possible solutions, and GFCA has been meeting with NPS and others on ways to mitigate the impact of back-ups from the park entrance since at least 2014.
In 2017, NPS performed a Congestion Assessment of Great Falls National Park. At that time, an analysis of vehicle counts revealed increasing traffic to the park – from approximately 160,000 vehicles in 2006 to 268,000 in 2016. Recreational visitation trends (meaning the number of visitors to the park) are similar – a 65% increase was seen over the same ten-year period. Site-specific issues were analyzed and specific recommendations were made, along with costs and implementation timeframes.
While recent operational changes because of the pandemic have resulted in new problems, the Park Service has taken steps to address the long-standing issue of back-ups on Old Dominion Drive that can affect Georgetown Pike. Measures that have been taken include:
- A second lane at the entrance station, as well as additional staff at strategic times;
- Traffic control at the intersection of Georgetown Pike and Old Dominion Drive when the volume of visitors is anticipated to be high;
- More active monitoring of parking lot capacity levels;
- Using social and other media outlets to inform the public about conditions at the park;
- Employing the VMS signs to alert visitors about park closures and entrance wait times, and other information about entry to park.
VMS units were used last year on Old Dominion Drive and Georgetown Pike adjacent the park. This year, the units have been placed on Georgetown Pike just past the Beltway, on Old Dominion Drive just past Springhill Road, and the new one in Great Falls.