Supervisor Pete Candland Announces Agreement with VDOT to Install New Traffic Signal

Announcement comes at first town hall for the new Supervisor

Gainesville, VA – After being in office less than a month, Gainesville District Supervisor Pete Candland is already delivering results for the citizens of Western Prince William County.

At his first town hall meeting, Supervisor Candland announced that VDOT has agreed to approve the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Rt 15 and Waverly Farm Rd. This intersection is slated to open in 2012 and has received considerable attention in recent months due to its proximity to three schools and a large church. The traffic signal was originally denied by VDOT, but after revisiting the issue, they have decided to approve the project and move quickly to see it completed.

The reversal from VDOT came as a result of a coordinated effort on the part of Supervisor Candland, local concerned citizens, and the county’s legislative delegation. “There was a team effort in Richmond led by Delegate Tim Hugo (R-40th District), with considerable help from Senator Dick Black (R-13th District), Delegate David Ramadan (R-87th District), and Delegate Bob Marshall (R-13th District). These public servants were united in a commitment to solve this problem and ensure that this intersection is as safe as possible for travelers,” said Candland.
Candland characterized the success in convincing VDOT to approve the traffic signal as a “textbook model for how problems need to be resolved where local and state elected officials work closely together to achieve success.”

“This is truly a safety issue for the citizens in this neighborhood and the many families with children who will use this intersection on a daily basis. The possibility of even one life being at risk is simply unacceptable, and I’m happy to see progress from VDOT on reconsidering and eventually approving this project,” added Candland.

Supervisor Candland went to action immediately to find a remedy for this dangerous intersection by seeking input from constituents, talking with the developer, meeting with VDOT, contacting members of the General Assembly and sending a letter directly to Secretary of Transportation, Sean Connaughton. Delegate Hugo agreed, saying, “When Pete and I first discussed this issue, we knew getting this signal approved had to be a high priority, and we are grateful for the considerable work from Delegate Ramadan in getting to a resolution of this issue. Equally impressive is the outstanding leadership Pete Candland demonstrated in only the first month of his service to the citizens of the Gainesville District.”