On 1/29/2020 the Northern Virginia Daily ran an article entitled “Town park accessibility a challenge for officials”. The article describes comments that Melissa Schleig, a resident of Madison Heights, made at a meeting of the town’s Recreation, Parks and Trails Committee. Ms. Schleig stated that her children don’t have a safe way to walk or bike from their home in Madison Heights to Town Park.
Pedestrians and bicyclists from Madison Heights and the other nearby neighborhoods must cross East King Street (US Route 55) to get to Town Park. East King Street at this location is wide. Speeding cars and trucks make it particularly hazardous to cross for both children and adults, especially those who are elderly and handicapped.
so what's been done in the year and a half since Ms. Schleig made her comments to the town's recreation, parks and trails committee?
answer: nothing to my knowledge. it appears that the committee blew her off.
so, let's pretend that you're a parent in madison heights and your child wants to go to the pool. you work--you can't drive your child to the pool. what are you going to tell your child?
are you going to let your child walk or ride a bicycle on route 55?
answer: no way! no parent in their right mind would allow their child to walk or ride a bike on rte. 55 from madison heights to town park (and vice versa). there are no sidewalks or shoulders in some places. where there are shoulders, they're narrow. the roadway is narrow. large trucks in both directions. speeders frequently exceed the 35 mph speed limit. there are no crosswalks except for the one all the way back at the route 55/route 11 intersection.
what other alternatives are there for your child to walk or ride their bike to the pool?
answer: the good news is (or may be) that there may be one. if the shenandoah valley rail-to-trail initiative for a 48.5 miles trail becomes a reality, then a rte. 55 crossing at the old NS railroad tracks at the museum (near funk st.) will provide a relatively safe way for children, elderly and handicapped to cross rte. 55. the bad news is that it may take years--if it happens at all--for the trail through strasburg to be built. other than this, currently there is no safe way for pedestrians, bicyclists, children, elderly and handicapped persons to get from the madison heights side of rte. 55 to town park (and vice versa).
what good is town government that doesn't address the concerns of its citizens in a timely manner?
answer: at the very least, the town could have asked vdot to look into this matter. at the very least, the speed limit on east king street could have been lowered from 35 mph to 25 mph and crosswalks (with advance warning signs that pedestrians and cyclists have the right of way) could have been provided.
people who live and work in strasburg aren't here to serve the town. it should be the other way around. one and a half years ago Melissa Schleig voiced her very valid concerns at a meeting of the town's recreation, parks and trails committee. the town has done nothing. the town should be ashamed.
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