When is a bucket truck with a cherry picker not pruning trees?
When the guy in the bucket is holding a radar gun instead of shears.
That is just one of the tricks of the trade being employed by the Fairfax County Police in their crackdown on drivers along Richmond Highway. It was revealed by Lt. Dan Townsend at the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce luncheon on April 2.
"Is it fair?" Townsend, acting Commander of the Mount Vernon Police Station, asked his audience rhetorically. "The answer is that it is one way of getting the job done," he said. That job is to reduce the number of accidents and deaths along the Route 1 corridor.
"We have had eight fatalities on Route 1 this year," Townsend emphasized. As a result Fairfax County police have initiated the largest target program in their history, Operation Safe Corridor.
Since it began on March 1, 2,700 tickets have been issued to both drivers and pedestrians, according to Townsend.
The program, scheduled to conclude April 15, is a joint operation of the Mount Vernon and Franconia stations as well as the entire Traffic Division of the County police.
"As a result of the construction at both the Mixing Bowl and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge we are seeing a major increase in the traffic on Route 1," he explained. "Approximately 70,000 vehicles per day use the Route 1 corridor. Eighty percent of that is local traffic, but the construction has also triggered a significant jump in truck traffic."
He also noted that the situation has been exacerbated by the closing of Woodlawn Road by Fort Belvoir due to security concerns resulting from the Sept. 11, terrorist attacks. This has cut off a major connector road, Townsend explained.
"If an accident occurs about 4 p.m. on Route 1 in the Fort Belvoir area which blocks the highway, we have no choice but to turn traffic around and send them back four and a half miles before they can reach the next connector. That is not really acceptable," Townsend emphasized. "But talks are underway with the Fort Belvoir Provost to address the situation."
THE VIRGINIA SEGMENT OF INTERSTATE 95 is the most heavily traveled truck route in the entire nation, according to Townsend. "Many of those trucks are now exiting onto Route 1 when they are warned of backups at Springfield and the bridge," he said.
Townsend explained that not all enforcement is directed at drivers. It also includes pedestrians. "They are being issued warning tickets when we see them crossing outside crosswalks. And they are being questioned as to why they are not using the crosswalks available," he stated.
Operation Safe Corridor is placing the emphasis on enforcement and education, Townsend said. "We are doing a stepped-up campaign on enforcement and lowering our tolerance for those driving over the speed limit. Statistics have shown us most drivers exceed the posted limit by 15 miles per hour."
As for the education part, Captain Jim Morris, Franconia Police Station, noted, "The way to avoid getting a ticket, in addition to obeying the law, is through education. Know the various rules of driving."
He urged those in the audience to re-familiarize themselves with the Motor Vehicle Code. "The laws are constantly changing," he warned.
Morris cited two programs being undertaken in the Franconia District Station to encourage more knowledge of driving laws. One is geared to older drivers, Mature Operator's Driver Improvement (MODIP) and the other is designed to improve the skills and awareness of young drivers.
Being offered to drivers 55 years and older, MODIP is an eight hour class covering safe driving information. Sanctioned by the American Automobile Association, it is presented by a certified Fairfax County Auxiliary Police Officer. Upon completion of the course, drivers are eligible for a reduction in Virginia's mandated insurance premium.
"Traffic accidents in the Mount Vernon District have increased 13 percent and in the Franconia District eight percent. All other county districts have shown no increase," Morris said.
He also cited the fact that, "Fairfax County is the 42nd largest county in the nation. But it has the least number of police officers per population."