Crosswalk needed on Plantation Drive, says pedestrian

VIRGINIA Railway Express is hold- ing a public hearing tomorrow night in Fredericksburg on a proposed 3 percent fare increase.

The hearing starts at 7 p.m in the theater room of Central Rappahannock Regional Library on Caroline Street.

Dear Kelly: If you walk down Plantation Drive toward Truslow Road in Stafford, you have to cross Lyons Boulevard/Gladstone Drive. There is no crosswalk painted on the road. I've been fussed at, had car horns blare at me and have received many gestures for walking from a paved sidewalk to a paved sidewalk.

Does there need to be a sign or painted crosswalk for cars to be expected to yield to walkers?

--Douglas Githens, Stafford

I believe the answer is yes, there needs to be a crosswalk for cars to stop.

I called the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to find out if cars must yield to walkers, with or without a crosswalk. DMV spokeswoman Melanie Stokes directed me to Virginia State Code 46.2-923.

"When crossing highways, pedestrians shall not carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles. They shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections contain no marked crosswalks, pedestrians shall not be guilty of negligence as a matter of law for crossing at any such intersection or between intersections when crossing by the most direct route," the law states.

I'm not a lawyer, but I believe this means you can cross at the intersection of Plantation Drive and Lyons Boulevard at your own risk, and as long as you do not "carelessly or maliciously" impede traffic, you will not be held negligent if a crash occurs.

I imagine that would be little comfort if you are struck by a car.

The law says nothing about vehicles stopping to let you cross, and the horns and gestures will probably continue until a crosswalk is installed.

Drivers who travel this way should look out for pedestrians, since this is a suburban area with lots of foot traffic.

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