Traffic Engineering Guidelines

One of Arlington's six Vision Zero program goals is Transparency & Accountability. We publish our traffic engineering guidelines to provide transparency in our design and decision-making processes. These guidelines will be kept up to date to reflect the latest safety research, standards and best practices from across the country, and to include lessons learned from systemic crash analysis.

The County recognizes the importance of responding swiftly to safety issues, so these guidelines are intended to be flexible and allow staff to exercise some discretion in determining the most effective solutions for each individual situation.

The links below share existing guidance for safety treatments, with more on the way.

• Bus Stop Guidelines (Updated March 2020): This manual lays out the guidelines for bus stops within the County, and emphasizes accessibility for disabled riders, consistency in the design of bus stops, safety for all road users, and convenience and comfort for transit riders.
• Marked Crosswalk Guidelines (Updated August 2021): This manual describes the guidelines for the design and placement of marked crosswalks, with a focus on safety, accessibility, and uniformity.
• Sign Installation Guidelines (Updated May 2020): This standard establishes requirements for the size and location of signage to maximize visibility and ensure uniformity and safety.
• “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” Guidelines (Updated January 2021): This document lays out guidance for selecting locations in which to install a “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” plaque at stop signs to maximize safety at intersections where criteria are met.
• In-Street Pedestrian Crossing Sign Guidelines (Updated January 2021): This manual lays out guidelines for the placement of in-street pedestrian crossing signs to promote pedestrian safety at unsignalized locations and/or marked crosswalks.
• Median Nose Guidelines (Updated March 2019): This manual sets out design and location specifications for median noses at crosswalks, with an emphasis on pedestrian safety and accessibility. It provides options for the installation of measures at or near median noses to increase driver awareness to eliminate driver confusion and/or collisions with the median noses.
• Speed Feedback Indicator Sign Guidelines (Updated January 2021): This document describes guidelines for installation and use of Speed Feedback Indicator Signs, with an emphasis on discouraging speeding and promoting safety for all road users.
• Streetlight Installation Process (Updated 2020): This document examines the split ownership of Arlington’s streetlights between the county and Dominion and sets out guidelines for both the specifications of streetlights based on the situation in which they are to be installed and the installation process.
• Turning Vehicles Yield to Pedestrians Sign Guidelines (Updated January 2021): This document sets out guidelines for placement of these signs and focuses on ensuring that they are installed in locations to promote both pedestrian safety and efficient use of county resources.
• Multiway Stop Sign Guidelines(PDF, 122KB) (Updated November 2019): This document establishes warrants for placement of stop signs for multiple approaches at an intersection. 
• School Zone Guidelines(PDF, 749KB) (Updated Aug 2024): This document provides basic guidelines for identifying school zone boundaries, determining the school zone speed limit type, and establishing the standard engineering tools applied within school zones to enhance safety and visibility.

To learn more about specific tools and the decision-making process on how/where to apply them, please visit the Multimodal Safety Engineering Toolbox.