We got 276 surveys back, a response rate of 38 per cent. In addition to the 28 block captains who distributed and picked up the surveys, Marlene Oronao translated the survey into Spanish and distributed it along Columbia Pike. Many thanks to all who helped.

Some highlights:

Do you have traffic safety concerns?
Yes 138
No 90

Is speeding a problem on your street?
Yes 128
No 116

Traffic calming approval:
Yes 200
No 39
(Yes answers from 84% of those who responded to this question)

Want additional traffic calming measures?
Yes 114
No 103

Support left turn lane on Columbia Pike at Buchanan
Yes 169
No 52

Support left turn lanes on George Mason?
Yes 122
No 78

Support left-turn lanes if they were found to increase cut-through traffic?
Yes 60
No 123

Want a trolley line on Columbia Pike?
Yes 117
No 84

More likely to use transit if we had a trolley?
Yes 74
No 95

Want sidewalks on all streets?
Yes, on at least one side 132
Yes, on both sides 116
No 16

Favor a ped/bike overpass at Abingdon?
Yes 133
No 77

Favor improving George Mason ped underpass?
Yes 148
No 25

Feel safe biking?
Yes 159
No 19

Is parking on your street a regular problem for you or your guests?
Yes 56
No 203

Is church parking a problem in your part of the neighborhood?
Yes 27
No 222

Concerned about invasive plants in our parks?
Yes 95
No 123

Which noises annoy you in your home or in your yard?
Traffic 35
Dogs 36
Lawn equipment 30
Aircraft 39
None 104

Do you use the dog park at Four Mile Run and Long Branch?
Yes 40
No 209
Are you concerned about its environmental impact?
Yes 42
No 123

Do you visit Sparrow Pond?
Yes 110
No 129
Does it need improvements?
Yes 17
No 69

Do you visit Grandma's Creek?
Yes 63
No 141

What improvements should be made to Grandma's Creek?

a. Improve foot bridges 31
b. Improve, but not pave the foot trails 35
c. Add educational signage on environmental issues 24
d. Mitigate erosion 33
e. Leave as an unimproved natural area 26

Do you use the foot path between Abingdon St and Arlington Forest?
Yes 69
No 168

Do the W&OD Trail access points need improvement?
Yes 71
No 108

Leading choice for the VEPCO site:
green space/park

Concerned about loss of trees in the neighborhood?
Yes 166
No 58

Should the County discourage throwaway newspapers tossed in driveways?
Yes 207
No 34
(One complaint about the loaded word "throwaway"--we probably should have identified the Examiner by name, but needed a way to distinguish it from the Post.)

Does Barcroft Elementary School play a part in your life?
Children attend or did attend 66
Children use playground or recreation fields 59
Adults use recreation fields 18
Voting place 208
Adults attend or did attend adult education program 7
Am employed at Barcroft 8

Were you happy with Barcroft Elementary School's facilities and/or program?
Yes 196
No 4

Would you want homeowners in Barcroft to be able to obtain historical markers for homes of historic interest?
Yes 196
No 28

Do you use the Barcroft shopping center (Buchanan St.)
Yes 50

Do you use George Mason center (Food Star, CVS, others)
Yes 123

In addition to box checks, the comments on each question were often detailed, and they run for many pages. They will be helpful to the committees as they start drafting chapters of our Neighborhood Conservation Plan. Among other issues, the comments make it clear than security concerns about the Columbia Pike area are affecting many Barcrofters' willingness to use parks and retail stores there, or even to use the transit available on the Pike.

Our Block Captains included Laura Novak, Mark Wigfield, Randy Swart, Shirley Gay , Eric Harold, Sara Amy Leach, David Michaelson, John Harshbarger , Jill Herndon , Bruce Atkinson, Kathy Kerr, Alison Willocks, Phil Cackley, Elaine Squeri, Bryant Monroe , Daphne Miller, Alan & Theresa Schweser, Carl Costanzo, Bryant Monroe, Mary DeWitt-Dia, Marlene Oronao, Wendy MacCallum, Heidi Wicker, Carol Hunter, Melissa Jura, Michelle Newman, Kathy Kerr, Pat Williamson and Jill Herndon.

Barbara Swart designed the database. She and Randy Swart entered the data.

If you are inclined to participate in the next phase, please contact a committee chair. Each committee chair has a copy of the database with all the answers and comments. Here is a list of committees and more.

This page was revised on: April 29, 2008.