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Two-way traffic returns to Cameron, Braddock streets in Winchester
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By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com
WINCHESTER -- More than 50 years of one-way travel on two major city streets ended Saturday morning.
Drivers took advantage of the new traffic patterns on Cameron and Braddock streets as soon as workers painted the double yellow lines on the pavement. Officials said it appeared the transition went smoothly but continued to warn drivers to pay attention to the two-way traffic patterns on the streets.
Police plan to increase their presence in the areas of the two roads to make sure drivers stay in the proper lanes and obey the new patterns.
City officials and elected leaders attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Piccadilly and Braddock streets Saturday morning. Mayor Elizabeth "Liz" Minor rode in an antique car as the first vehicle to travel north on Braddock -- at least legally -- since the early 1950s.
"This has been a long time coming," Minor said, "since 1951 was the last time we had two-way traffic on Braddock, and we all feel that it will certainly make for better traffic flow and certainly better viability for our downtown merchants.
"I think we'll all have to have a greater attention span for a while, but I do feel it's going to work beautifully," Minor added. "Piccadilly, as we all have seen, has worked like a charm. I think everyone appreciates the two-way traffic, and I think it's gonna be great."
Former Councilwoman Carolyn Griffin, whose last act on council was to vote in favor of the switch, also appeared at the ribbon cutting.
Councilman Michael Butler lauded the efforts of Public Services Director Perry Eisenach and his staff to make the switch happen.
"So far, so good," Eisenach said of the transition. "Couldn't ask for better weather."
The switch coincided with the completion of the $12 million Downtown Utility Infrastructure Improvements project, which replaced aging water and sewer lines and included new curb and gutters and concrete and brick sidewalks.
Lloyd Washington stood at the southeast corner of Piccadilly and Braddock streets in front of his Tropical Island Coffee & Cafe and watched as vehicles traveled through the intersection.
"It's a big change," Washington said. "Wonderful. Definitely will flow traffic by much better. I won't have to go all the way up Washington [Street] ... just to come back here [to his business]."
Robinett Stubbs, who lives on Washington Street, also appeared thankful for the change.
"I love it and I think it's gonna take the traffic off Washington," Stubbs said.
Drivers will have to pay attention to traffic patterns, Washington said.
"It's gonna take people a while to catch that there's actually a yellow line," he added.
Some drivers made sharp lefts from Piccadilly Street to head south on Braddock Street and remained at least part way in the northbound lane of Braddock for distances before moving into the right lane. No collisions occurred but some of the northbound vehicles had to slow down before coming to Piccadilly as the southbound drivers corrected their course.
A tractor-trailer heading south on Braddock Street crossed the double-yellow line for several yards as it neared Piccadilly Street shortly after the ribbon cutting.
The same process occurred on Cameron Street with crews painting double yellow lines from Gerrard Street to where the two-way traffic pattern ends at Oates Avenue.
Workers still have to finish putting bricks on Cameron Street, Eisenach said. Parking meters will be installed in the coming days, he said.
The Old Town Development Board endorsed the switch, its director, Karen Helm, recalled.
"Our downtown has so many out-of-town visitors coming through," Helm said. "It's really a destination. People getting down here would get confused and get lost so we think this will make getting downtown much easier and a much more friendly environment and also slow down traffic and people can really see what we have down here."
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