Transportation Safety Commission hears residents on parking near James Madison High School

The Transportation Safety Commission heard roughly two hours of public comment April 28 on proposed on‑street parking restrictions in the Northwest Vienna neighborhoods adjacent to James Madison High School. Residents described blocked mailboxes, narrowed travel lanes that hamper snow plows and deliveries, and sight-line and emergency-access concerns, and asked the commission to gather more data before acting.

"Approximately 14 to 18 cars park on our street on a school day," said Leonard Egnatowski, who said he lives on Oakville Court (one commenter pronounced the street name as "Oakvale"). Anthony Frost, who said he lives on Orchard Street NW, told the commission there are "about 20 cars typically on both sides of the street" during school hours and described repeated minor collisions and mailbox access problems. Several speakers, including Neil Mulcani, said drivers sometimes speed to get the closest spaces: "They're probably coming in 30, 40 miles an hour," he said.

Not all residents supported blanket restrictions. Matt Butcher, who lives on Oakville Court, said he opposed restrictions on his cul‑de‑sac, arguing they are "unnecessary for Oakville Court and might send a wrong message to the students and families in our community." Gabrielle Butcher urged the commission to distinguish between narrow cul‑de‑sacs and high‑traffic connector streets, saying cul‑de‑sacs have presented fewer safety problems.

Speakers raised two recurring causes: the recent county restrictions on the school side of Madison High School that displaced student parking into Vienna streets, and commercial employees who park in residential areas all day. "Madison High School is located in Fairfax County, and several residents said county parking limits on the school side have shifted demand into town streets," the chair noted during discussion.

Town staff described planned, immediate follow‑up work rather than a direct vote. Public Works staff Andrew said DPW's first tasks are to confirm whether parking on both sides is legally allowed on the specific streets residents cited and to measure roadway widths. "We can do the measurements," he said, adding that those data will help decide whether protected parking on both sides is safe or whether time‑limited restrictions are needed.

The police representative (sergeant) said daytime registration checks and counts are the usual evidence for permit parking decisions and that the department would try to begin counts as quickly as possible. Residents were asked to submit dated photos, vehicle counts and the location/time of observations to the TSC email (TSC@ViennaVA.gov) to supplement official counts.

Participants suggested other options the commission could explore: working with Madison High School to better use on‑campus lots, negotiating temporary use agreements with nearby commercial properties, targeted time‑limited parking on the narrowest blocks, or pursuing permit parking for sections with heavy nonresident daytime use. Several speakers asked the town to contact local businesses about instructing employees to park onsite rather than in residential streets.

The commission did not adopt a policy or impose new restrictions at the hearing. Chair Beth Ekus said the commission will compile the DPW width measurements, police counts and resident evidence, consult planning and zoning on the commercial‑parking questions, and return to the issue once the data are in. Staff indicated they would try to obtain counts before May 15 if feasible; no final timetable or vote was set.

The hearing record includes numerous first‑hand accounts of blocked mail delivery, reduced driveway access, and near misses for pedestrians; residents asked that the commission consider narrowly tailored, street‑by‑street remedies rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all rule. The commission advised residents to send dated photos and counts to TSC@ViennaVA.gov and said the staff will report back with measurements and police data at a future meeting.