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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Leesburg Traffic Commission Meeting - November 4, 2026

Town Council & Commissions — Wednesday, November 4, 2026

BodyLeesburg, Virginia

SessionTown Council & Commissions

DateWednesday, November 4, 2026

StatusNEW · FILED

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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:04

Any discussion?

0:05

All in favor.

0:07

Thank you very much.

0:08

We reserve the beginning of every meeting for public comments.

0:11

We would ask our guests to hold it to three minutes.

0:15

If the commission has questions, we'll gladly ask you, we will readily ask

Unassigned speaker

0:19

them.

Speaker 1

0:21

Generally, that's enough for us.

0:22

And if you were here for the same reason some of the person in front of you is it helps if you say I'm with him or her.

0:31

But if you do have something to add to what was previously said, by all means, please do.

0:36

Otherwise, this allows us

Unassigned speaker

0:38

Speaker 1

0:38

get through.

0:39

We acknowledge that you're here.

0:44

But we'd like to hear everybody through.

0:47

That said, uh, I

Speaker 2

0:48

think Elizabeth, you're the first one to sign

Unassigned speaker

0:50

in.

Speaker 3

0:58

Uh street.

1:01

Um currently that is all residential that is surrounding a public street.

1:06

Um and the concern that we have is there's a large amount of commercial vehicles parking in the middle of a residential area.

1:14

Um, it's an eyesore.

1:17

Two, it really limits the ability to see like it's like you have a giant van, even though like yes, that would be safe if normal vehicles were parking there.

1:27

You can't see, like, it's kind of a blind turn into that street if you have a very large vehicle parking there.

1:33

There's also a playground, so there's children running in between the cars consistently right there.

1:38

So it's a pretty big safety issue.

1:41

Um we have requested previously to make that a fire lane just because we were kind of like, look, if we can't enforce and get rid of all these commercial vehicles, which like frankly, having um only two violations when multiple construction vehicles are parked there every day, transport vans.

1:59

Um, there's been a trailer there that's just not attached to anything for like weeks on end.

2:05

Um, I've seen sleeper vans there with people that I'm unfamiliar people sleeping there.

2:10

Um, and it's a neighborhood with families.

2:12

So we're really just looking for one, you know, we obviously don't want to expend a ton of town resources enforcing this all the time, but if that's what it takes, like that's an option.

2:23

Um, I think two, right?

2:24

Like if we could make I've seen honestly, this is an issue in other areas of Leaksburg too, where you see a lot of construction vans parked like right up next to a neighborhood.

2:33

We can just make the parking rules stricter so that we don't have 20 commercial vans like right next to a neighborhood, it it doesn't look good.

2:40

Um and then three, you know, like potentially if if we don't have we don't want to be sending the police out there all the time giving 20 tickets, like if it's just a no-parking street, makes it safer for kids to play in that cul-de-sac.

2:53

I think that could also be an option.

Unassigned speaker

2:55

Speaker 3

2:55

so our HOA had proposed making it a fire lane before, and we were kind of told, you know, no, like we think it's fine, and we really don't feel that way because we see it every day.

3:06

Um so we'd really like to partner with the town to figure out a path forward.

3:10

I know you guys have proposed buying the street, but that requires 67% of our entire community to say yes currently with the legality, the legal rules behind our HOA.

3:21

And our HOA is massive.

3:23

So a majority of them are going to vote no.

3:26

We don't want this.

3:27

So we would actually have to find some other way.

3:29

Like if you really didn't want that street, you would have to find some other way to like force us to take it over, basically for us to like easily acquire that street.

3:38

And trust me, like I'm having the same conversations with the HOA of like what can we do?

3:44

But I think they really want um from my understanding to partner with the town to find a solution that works, like potentially while we explore that in the meantime, so that you know it's it's actually benefiting the neighborhood, and it's not a commercial parking lot for vehicles that really should be finding somewhere to put vehicles for their for their business, like people should be finding an appropriate spot for their business vehicles to go.

4:07

So that's kind of what we're hoping to to really just find a better solution than what's happening right now.

Speaker 4

4:14

Where's that again?

Speaker 3

4:15

Uh Planters Grove.

4:17

So um Potomac Station, there's like the intersection of Battlefield and Potomac Station.

4:22

There's that, yeah.

Speaker 5

4:23

Yeah, diagonal from the Best Buy in the South bring it

Unassigned speaker

4:28

up.

Speaker 5

4:29

Yeah, sure.

Unassigned speaker

4:30

We'll

Speaker 2

4:31

bring it up on the map.

4:32

Thank you.

Speaker 6

4:33

Um,

Speaker 2

4:37

if you were

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Safety████████████████████████████████32%

Transportation Safety████████████████████████████████32%

Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████16%

Public Engagement████████████12%

Public Works███3%

Procedural██2%

Parking██2%

Urban Planning█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Leesburg Traffic Commission Meeting - November 4, 2026

The Traffic Commission convened on November 4, 2026, at 11:30 AM to hear public comments on traffic and parking concerns, receive enforcement updates from police, review the East Market Street Improvements Project, and act on speed management and pedestrian safety measures. The meeting included four public comment periods, several staff presentations, and two formal motions.

Public Comments & Testimony

Elizabeth (Planters Grove Court resident) and her husband voiced strong concerns about commercial vehicles (construction vans, trailers, sleepers) parking daily in their residential cul-de-sac adjacent to a playground. They described it as an eyesore, a safety hazard blocking sightlines, and a nuisance with transient occupants. They requested stricter parking rules town-wide, enforcement as a fire lane, or making the street no-parking. They noted their HOA’s prior proposal for a fire lane was rejected by the town. They urged the town to partner on a solution. The commission acknowledged the issue and noted it would be placed on next month’s agenda.
Catherine Jeannie Rice (Woodley Manor resident, HOA chairperson) reported excessive speeding on Woodley Drive, which she called a "runway." She cited 17 children on Jacob Court and 10 on Woodley Drive, with four school bus stops and children with autism. She requested a no-U-turn sign at the median (partly in Loudoun County, partly in town) and traffic calming measures (e.g., speed bumps). The commission noted the jurisdictional complexity and asked staff to review signage and consider selective enforcement.
John (HOA president of a 15-unit private road off Slack Lane) described a dangerous blind hill at the exit of their private road onto a public street. A single parking spot on the public side blocks sightlines, causing near-misses. He requested removal of that parking space. The commission recommended he first get a petition from his HOA to confirm support, then staff would evaluate.
Richard (Loudoun Street SW resident for 30 years) complained that Loudoun Street SW has become a "raceway" with speeds of 30–50 mph in a 20 mph zone. He noted accidents, including totaled parked cars and an SUV that crashed onto the sidewalk. He requested traffic calming or more enforcement. The commission added the issue to next month’s agenda for a comprehensive study.

Discussion Items

Police Enforcement Update: Police provided speed and stop sign enforcement data for October. Key stats: On Market Street near Trinity Church, 182,000 cars eastbound (25 mph limit, 85th percentile 32 mph). On Harrison Street at Nottaway, 50,000 cars westbound (25 mph, 99% compliance). On Davis Avenue, 80,000 cars/week, 6.5 hours of enforcement yielded 7 tickets. On Woods Edge Drive at Lackawanna, 10 hours produced 18 tickets for stop sign violations. Potomac Station Drive had 36 tickets in October. The commission discussed the persistent problem on Davis Avenue and Potomac Station Drive, noting that future CIP construction will change road geometry.
East Market Street Improvements Project (Christine Rowe, Capital Projects): Presented the 30% design for improvements from Plaza Street to the Route 15 bypass. Key elements: adding a dedicated right-turn lane westbound at Plaza Street (moving south curb 8 feet), installing a raised median between Fort Evans Road and Plaza Street (limiting businesses to right-in/right-out), street lighting at the northbound ramp, and speed management signage. Construction is expected to end by 2031. The fire department expressed concerns about median impacts on emergency vehicle access and construction phasing. The commission requested a follow-up presentation in May/June 2027.
Pedestrian Enhancements: Reported installation of rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs) at Battlefield Parkway and Cattail Creek Drive. Two residents reported confusion over the right-turn-only signage with time restrictions. Police will conduct focused enforcement for 30 days. The commission agreed to review sign design.
Kincaid Boulevard Speed Study: Data showed average speed 31.4 mph, 85th percentile 37 mph on a 25 mph road. The commission voted to recommend that town council adopt a $200 enhanced fine for speeding on Kincaid Boulevard within town limits, contingent on staff drafting the letter for commission review. The motion passed unanimously.
RRFB Budget and Purchase: The commission approved a motion to purchase one additional RRFB post (estimated $8,000) to pair with an existing post for installation at Catoctin Circle and Crestwood Street, pending right-of-way confirmation. Remaining budget after purchase would be about $4,000, reserved for future needs.
Crosswalk Request at Sycamore Hill and Sparkleberry Terrace: Staff reported the request for a new crosswalk is not recommended due to proximity (within 300 feet) of an existing crosswalk and ADA compliance costs. The commission decided to let staff respond with the rationale.
Other Updates: Speeding on North King Street and Fairview Street NW had no new updates. A staff presentation on cut-through traffic was scheduled for the December meeting. The commission discussed ongoing parking issues in Potomac Station and agreed to review the matter next month.

Key Outcomes

Motion (unanimous): Recommend town council approve a $200 enhanced fine for speeding on Kincaid Boulevard within town limits. Staff will draft a letter for commission review before submission.
Motion (unanimous): Purchase one RRFB post (≈$8,000) to be combined with an existing post for installation at Catoctin Circle and Crestwood Street, conditional on staff confirmation of right-of-way.
Agenda Items for December 2026: Planters Grove Court parking concerns; Loudoun Street SW speed study; Woodley Drive speed and U-turn requests; staff presentation on cut-through traffic definition and management.
Commission Homework: Members will visit Planters Grove Court and Woodley Manor in the evening to observe conditions. Staff will deploy speed tubes (if available) or use small feedback signs on Woodley Drive and Loudoun Street.
Follow-up on East Market Street Project: Commission requested a progress update in mid-2027 and emphasized the need to address emergency vehicle access during construction.

Meeting Transcript

Any discussion? All in favor. Thank you very much. We reserve the beginning of every meeting for public comments. We would ask our guests to hold it to three minutes. If the commission has questions, we'll gladly ask you, we will readily ask them. Generally, that's enough for us. And if you were here for the same reason some of the person in front of you is it helps if you say I'm with him or her. But if you do have something to add to what was previously said, by all means, please do. Otherwise, this allows us to get through. We acknowledge that you're here. But we'd like to hear everybody through. That said, uh, I think Elizabeth, you're the first one to sign in. Uh street. Um currently that is all residential that is surrounding a public street. Um and the concern that we have is there's a large amount of commercial vehicles parking in the middle of a residential area. Um, it's an eyesore. Two, it really limits the ability to see like it's like you have a giant van, even though like yes, that would be safe if normal vehicles were parking there. You can't see, like, it's kind of a blind turn into that street if you have a very large vehicle parking there. There's also a playground, so there's children running in between the cars consistently right there. So it's a pretty big safety issue. Um we have requested previously to make that a fire lane just because we were kind of like, look, if we can't enforce and get rid of all these commercial vehicles, which like frankly, having um only two violations when multiple construction vehicles are parked there every day, transport vans. Um, there's been a trailer there that's just not attached to anything for like weeks on end. Um, I've seen sleeper vans there with people that I'm unfamiliar people sleeping there. Um, and it's a neighborhood with families. So we're really just looking for one, you know, we obviously don't want to expend a ton of town resources enforcing this all the time, but if that's what it takes, like that's an option. Um, I think two, right? Like if we could make I've seen honestly, this is an issue in other areas of Leaksburg too, where you see a lot of construction vans parked like right up next to a neighborhood. We can just make the parking rules stricter so that we don't have 20 commercial vans like right next to a neighborhood, it it doesn't look good. Um and then three, you know, like potentially if if we don't have we don't want to be sending the police out there all the time giving 20 tickets, like if it's just a no-parking street, makes it safer for kids to play in that cul-de-sac. I think that could also be an option. Um so our HOA had proposed making it a fire lane before, and we were kind of told, you know, no, like we think it's fine, and we really don't feel that way because we see it every day. Um so we'd really like to partner with the town to figure out a path forward. I know you guys have proposed buying the street, but that requires 67% of our entire community to say yes currently with the legality, the legal rules behind our HOA. And our HOA is massive. So a majority of them are going to vote no. We don't want this. So we would actually have to find some other way. Like if you really didn't want that street, you would have to find some other way to like force us to take it over, basically for us to like easily acquire that street. And trust me, like I'm having the same conversations with the HOA of like what can we do? But I think they really want um from my understanding to partner with the town to find a solution that works, like potentially while we explore that in the meantime, so that you know it's it's actually benefiting the neighborhood, and it's not a commercial parking lot for vehicles that really should be finding somewhere to put vehicles for their for their business, like people should be finding an appropriate spot for their business vehicles to go. So that's kind of what we're hoping to to really just find a better solution than what's happening right now. Where's that again? Uh Planters Grove.

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Leesburg Traffic Commission Meeting - November 4, 2026

Public Comments & Testimony

Elizabeth (Planters Grove Court resident) and her husband voiced strong concerns about commercial vehicles (construction vans, trailers, sleepers) parking daily in their residential cul-de-sac adjacent to a playground. They described it as an eyesore, a safety hazard blocking sightlines, and a nuisance with transient occupants. They requested stricter parking rules town-wide, enforcement as a fire lane, or making the street no-parking. They noted their HOA’s prior proposal for a fire lane was rejected by the town. They urged the town to partner on a solution. The commission acknowledged the issue and noted it would be placed on next month’s agenda.

Catherine Jeannie Rice (Woodley Manor resident, HOA chairperson) reported excessive speeding on Woodley Drive, which she called a "runway." She cited 17 children on Jacob Court and 10 on Woodley Drive, with four school bus stops and children with autism. She requested a no-U-turn sign at the median (partly in Loudoun County, partly in town) and traffic calming measures (e.g., speed bumps). The commission noted the jurisdictional complexity and asked staff to review signage and consider selective enforcement.

John (HOA president of a 15-unit private road off Slack Lane) described a dangerous blind hill at the exit of their private road onto a public street. A single parking spot on the public side blocks sightlines, causing near-misses. He requested removal of that parking space. The commission recommended he first get a petition from his HOA to confirm support, then staff would evaluate.

Richard (Loudoun Street SW resident for 30 years) complained that Loudoun Street SW has become a "raceway" with speeds of 30–50 mph in a 20 mph zone. He noted accidents, including totaled parked cars and an SUV that crashed onto the sidewalk. He requested traffic calming or more enforcement. The commission added the issue to next month’s agenda for a comprehensive study.

Discussion Items

Police Enforcement Update: Police provided speed and stop sign enforcement data for October. Key stats: On Market Street near Trinity Church, 182,000 cars eastbound (25 mph limit, 85th percentile 32 mph). On Harrison Street at Nottaway, 50,000 cars westbound (25 mph, 99% compliance). On Davis Avenue, 80,000 cars/week, 6.5 hours of enforcement yielded 7 tickets. On Woods Edge Drive at Lackawanna, 10 hours produced 18 tickets for stop sign violations. Potomac Station Drive had 36 tickets in October. The commission discussed the persistent problem on Davis Avenue and Potomac Station Drive, noting that future CIP construction will change road geometry.

East Market Street Improvements Project (Christine Rowe, Capital Projects): Presented the 30% design for improvements from Plaza Street to the Route 15 bypass. Key elements: adding a dedicated right-turn lane westbound at Plaza Street (moving south curb 8 feet), installing a raised median between Fort Evans Road and Plaza Street (limiting businesses to right-in/right-out), street lighting at the northbound ramp, and speed management signage. Construction is expected to end by 2031. The fire department expressed concerns about median impacts on emergency vehicle access and construction phasing. The commission requested a follow-up presentation in May/June 2027.

Pedestrian Enhancements: Reported installation of rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs) at Battlefield Parkway and Cattail Creek Drive. Two residents reported confusion over the right-turn-only signage with time restrictions. Police will conduct focused enforcement for 30 days. The commission agreed to review sign design.

Kincaid Boulevard Speed Study: Data showed average speed 31.4 mph, 85th percentile 37 mph on a 25 mph road. The commission voted to recommend that town council adopt a $200 enhanced fine for speeding on Kincaid Boulevard within town limits, contingent on staff drafting the letter for commission review. The motion passed unanimously.

RRFB Budget and Purchase: The commission approved a motion to purchase one additional RRFB post (estimated $8,000) to pair with an existing post for installation at Catoctin Circle and Crestwood Street, pending right-of-way confirmation. Remaining budget after purchase would be about $4,000, reserved for future needs.

Crosswalk Request at Sycamore Hill and Sparkleberry Terrace: Staff reported the request for a new crosswalk is not recommended due to proximity (within 300 feet) of an existing crosswalk and ADA compliance costs. The commission decided to let staff respond with the rationale.

Other Updates: Speeding on North King Street and Fairview Street NW had no new updates. A staff presentation on cut-through traffic was scheduled for the December meeting. The commission discussed ongoing parking issues in Potomac Station and agreed to review the matter next month.

Key Outcomes

Motion (unanimous): Recommend town council approve a $200 enhanced fine for speeding on Kincaid Boulevard within town limits. Staff will draft a letter for commission review before submission.

Motion (unanimous): Purchase one RRFB post (≈$8,000) to be combined with an existing post for installation at Catoctin Circle and Crestwood Street, conditional on staff confirmation of right-of-way.

Agenda Items for December 2026: Planters Grove Court parking concerns; Loudoun Street SW speed study; Woodley Drive speed and U-turn requests; staff presentation on cut-through traffic definition and management.

Commission Homework: Members will visit Planters Grove Court and Woodley Manor in the evening to observe conditions. Staff will deploy speed tubes (if available) or use small feedback signs on Woodley Drive and Loudoun Street.

Follow-up on East Market Street Project: Commission requested a progress update in mid-2027 and emphasized the need to address emergency vehicle access during construction.

Meeting Transcript