A Big Step for the Safety the Dar Al-Hijrah Congregation

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New Sidewalk Makes Walking to the Masjid Less Dangerous

Safety, safety, safety first were the words that resonated with all attendees at the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new sidewalk segment along Leesburg Pike that connects Dar al Hijrah (DAH) to the Jefferson Apartment buildings in Falls Church, VA. 

After years of activism, on Friday November 7, 2014, County Supervisor Penny Gross , Robert Buckman from VOICE, Elyaa Hammad and Iqbal Khaeiry, residents of the Jefferson Apartments and Imam Johari Abdul Malik were joined by members of the board of DAH, primarily Hussein Goal to celebrate a community achievement.

Dar al Hijrah is located near Seven Corners, which is known as a pedestrian-unfriendly area and has one of the oldest vehicular bottlenecks in the U.S. According to Falls Church reporter, Nicholas Benton, historically, “the intersection of Routes 50 and 7 (Arlington Boulevard and Leesburg Pike), [was] the site during the Civil War of Fort Buffalo, built by Union forces to protect approaches to Washington, D.C., chosen for its elevation. Before that, Leesburg Pike, the much older road of the two, originally followed wagon trails that linked the Shenandoah Valley with the Port of Alexandria. During the Great Depression, government-sponsored programs led to construction of inexpensive housing in the Seven Corners area and after World War II, the demand for residential housing caused the entire area to boom.”

According to the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, the county's most deadly single intersection for pedestrians is in the Seven Corners area, where Route 50 meets Patrick Henry Highway. One death of a pedestrian occurred at the very spot of the new sidewalk. The sidewalk segment was under dispute for over 15 years, due to opposition by neighbors whose property was needed to build a portion of the sidewalk. The county took the issue to court and the pedestrians got a quick, favorable outcome after the judge saw photographs of local pedestrians trekking through banks of snow on a “goat trail” along Route 7 during the winter.

It was a dangerous walk for many who live in the diverse community of the Jefferson Apartment buildings and made the trip 4-5 times a day to the masjid. Hammad, a grateful resident, was happy that residents can now walk peacefully to the masjid without worrying that cars will hit them. The new walkway connects the Jefferson Apartments (originally known as Ravenwood Towers) east to Row Street.

At the ribbon cutting, Gross said safe crossings are an urgent need in the district. She urged everyone to pay attention while driving or walking. She thanked the voters who made it possible to pay for the sidewalk—funded by the 2007 transportation bond.

“Pedestrians now have safer passage all the way to Seven Corners Shopping Center,’ shared Councilmember Gross.

Urban planner Ikbat, who works closely with Gross and Seven Corners Revitalization, reaffirmed that accommodating walkers is a priority for the county management and this is how it sees the county developing.

Hussein Goal said when DAH was being built the local community had questions about what DAH would be. “Now, they know what we are,” said Goal. “We have programs for the entire community; this is not about just one group.”

According to Hammad, the DAH community faced opposition from a neighbor on the building of the sidewalk and struggled for 15 years to get the sidewalk built by the county. Last year in November, DAH had a town hall meeting where Hammad joined activists such as Buckman from VOICE and took action. “Finally, we [now] have the sidewalk ready for community to walk safe to the masjid,” expressed Hammad.

Penny Gross, Mason District supervisor later wrote in her weekly column that “pedestrian safety is enhanced by sensible trails and sidewalks.”  Goal said that the project is not complete as the sidewalk needs to be extended to the other end of the street.

All agreed that cooperation for safety makes life better for the community.

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