King Street-Bradlee Safety & Mobility Enhancements
Project Purpose
The City of Alexandria is seeking community feedback on mobility, safety, access, and stormwater issues along King Street between N. Quaker Lane and Menokin Drive. The purpose of this project is to evaluate existing safety issues and develop concept designs for future improvements.
This portion of King Street was identified for multimodal improvements in the City's 2021 adopted Alexandria Mobility Plan and is a priority location to install enhanced bicycle facilities and additional sidewalks to complete gaps in the City's existing bicycle and sidewalk network. Safety improvements along this corridor will help the City reach the Vision Zero goal of eliminating all fatal and severe crashes.
Project Boundaries
The Study Area consists of the King Street Corridor and parallel access road, from N. Quaker Lane in the east, to just north of Menokin Drive on the west. No design changes to the intersection of North Quaker Lane, King Street and West Braddock Road are being considered as part of this project.
Project Goals
The goals of this project are to:
- Improve mobility, safety, and access for all roadway users of all ages, abilities and modes of travel.
- Install safer pedestrian access and bicycle facilities which connect into the surrounding network.
- Improve existing stormwater treatment in the corridor to reduce instances of standing water.
- Maintain or enhance existing transit facilities.
Project Schedule
Project Updates
May 16, 2024: Virtual Presentation for Preferred Design Concept
Staff presented a project update to share the preferred design alternative, "One-Way Traffic & Bus Lane," along with decision metrics and interim safety improvements for the study area. Materials from the virtual presentation are below:
May 1, 2024: Corridor Plans for Alternative 1 and Alternative 2
In advance of the Community Meeting to be held on Thursday, May 16, Staff is posting the corridor views of Alternative 1: Two-Way Traffic with Transit" and "Alternative 2: One-Way Traffic & Bus Lane" so they may be reviewed in advance of the meeting. These alternatives will be discussed during the meeting.
April 29, 2024: Presentation to the Traffic and Parking Board
Staff presented an overview of the King Street-Bradlee Safety and Mobility Enhancements Project to the Traffic and Parking Board, including two alternatives with corridor-wide plan views, interim safety improvements and next steps.
February 15, 2024: Open House
Staff hosted an Open House on February 15, 2024 at the Fairlington Presbyterian Church. Information on existing conditions, proposed alternatives, corridor-wide safety treatments and next steps were shared. Materials shared at the Open House are available below.
- Presentation from the Open House (English)
- Recording of the presentation
- Presentation from the Open House (Spanish)
- Boards from the Open House (English & Spanish)
December 2023: Project Update
- A brief presentation with project updates
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are you doing this project?
As a Vision Zero Community, the City of Alexandria seeks to eliminate fatal and severe injuries on our streets and uses a safe system approach of designing and managing our transportation system to reduce opportunities for crashes and reduce potential crash severity. In the 2016 Transportation Master Plan, and the subsequent 2021 Alexandria Mobility Plan, this area was identified as a priority location to install bicycle facilities and improved sidewalks to connect critical gaps in the City’s existing network. In 2022 the city undertook a Vision Zero Analysis of crash history between 2016-2022 and identified a limited number of corridors where most crashes occur; the study area is located on one of those corridors. This corridor is also one of the City’s high-frequency routes for the DASH bus, with buses every 3-4 minutes during peak demand; improving system reliability and timing in the study area will improve operations for the entire DASH network.
2. What are the project goals?
This project seeks to address several goals, including:
- Improve the mobility, safety and access for all roadway users of all ages, abilities and modes of travel; making it safer and easier for everyone to safely navigate through the city.
- Install safer pedestrian access and bicycle facilities which connect to the surrounding network; creating more comprehensive and safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate the city.
- Improve existing stormwater treatment in the corridor to reduce instances of standing water; improving environmental conditions and the visual appearance of the study area.
- Maintain or enhance existing transit facilities; making it safer and faster for buses to navigate the study area and provide more reliable service for all riders.
3. Who benefits from this project?
This project will provide benefits to a wide range of people. People walking will have improved sidewalks with more space and shorter roadway crossings, making it easier to cross King Street. People driving will have fewer conflicts with buses and people walking or biking, making it easier to navigate the roadways. People taking the bus will have more connected sidewalks, more reliable bus service, new crosswalks to reach bus stops and upgraded bus shelters and waiting areas. And people riding bikes, e-bikes or scooters will have a separate space from pedestrians or vehicles, reducing the potential for conflicts.
4. How has the community been involved in the design process?
This process began in Fall 2023 and staff has utilized a variety of outreach methods to engage with the community on the project design. Please see the community engagement summary, found in the presentation posted under the May 16th “Project Updates” to understand the process and outreach.
5. How will buses operate in the three design alternatives?
In each alternative, eastbound buses would use the access road while westbound buses would share a travel lane with vehicles on King Street. However Alternative 2 proposes a dedicated bus lane in the access road from North Taylor Street to Menokin Drive, enabling buses to move more efficiently through the study area and provide more reliable service. With this option, people driving do not have to wait behind buses loading and unloading that come as frequently as every 3-4 minutes. A shared bus shelter for eastbound and westbound buses is proposed in the median between King Street and the access road to allow for improved bus stops and service along the study area.
6. What are the benefits of including a wider sidewalk and separated space for people using bikes or scooters?
A wider sidewalk and separated space for bikes and scooters offers several benefits including safety, accessibility, economic and environmental.
- Safety: Providing dedicated spaces for pedestrians, vehicles, bicycles, and scooters reduces the risk of accidents and collisions by minimizing conflicts and ensuring safer movement for all.
- Accessibility: A wider sidewalk accommodates more pedestrians, including those with strollers, wheelchairs, or mobility aids. It enhances accessibility for all individuals, regardless of their mode of transportation or physical abilities.
- Economic: Creating a pedestrian-friendly environment can boost local businesses by attracting more foot traffic. Cyclists and scooter users may also stop and patronize shops or restaurants along their route, contributing to the local economy.
- Environmental: Encouraging cycling and scooter use as alternative modes of transportation reduces reliance on fossil fuel-powered vehicles, leading to lower carbon emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change. As more people choose to bike or scooter, it reduces the number of vehicles on roadways and can reduce traffic volume for other drivers.
7. When would this project be constructed?
Right now, there is no funding for construction. The city plans to apply for funding, and that will determine the date. At a minimum, construction is many years out. However, the project team is looking to advance some interim safety measures identified through this project over the next year or two.
8. Will the project improve stormwater and standing water in the medians?
Yes, the project concepts include new treatments for stormwater and additional trees and greening of the streetscape.
9. Are the number of curb cuts (or driveways) onto the access road being changed?
No, the curb cuts are private property, and the City is not proposing any changes to the location or number of these entry points to the access road.
10. What are the changes to the driving routes if a one-way option is implemented?
Changes to drivers are minimal if they are coming from the existing roadways. People who live directly on the service road might have to change their traffic patterns slightly if they need to access the shopping center by car, but overall travel times for everyone do not vary significantly with the proposed two-block conversion.
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