AGENDA  (updated 12/12/22)

 ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #6 DRAFT MEETING MINUTES

STATION SPACING FACTORS ADVANCED MATERIALS

PRESENTATION

RECORDING

ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #7 DRAFT MEETING NOTES

AGENDA

PRESENTATION - ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW WITH APPENDIX

RECORDING

ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #5 MINUTES

• DRAFT AGENDA
• PRESENTATION
• RECORDING
• ADOPTED MEETING MINUTES
• ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #4 DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
• ADVANCE MATERIALS PACKET
  • AGENDA
  • BUS STATION ITEMS STATUS
  • CONCEPT FACT SHEETS
  • COMPARISON MATRIX
  • DATA PLAN
  • VIRTUAL MEETING POLICY

The next Advisory Group meeting will take place on August 18, 2022 at the DASH Facility at 3000 Business Center Drive from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Members of the public are welcome to attend either virtually or in person. To register for virtual access, use this link. 

DRAFT AGENDA (REVISED 8-16-22)

MEETING RECORDING

PRESENTATION

 ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #3 MINUTES  (adopted)

ADVANCE MATERIALS

GLOSSARY 

• AGENDA
• ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #2 MINUTES (adopted)
• PRESENTATION
• AUDIO RECORDING
• 2012 CONCEPT PLAN FACT SHEET

• ZOOM meeting registration
• AGENDA
• REVISED DRAFT DUKE STREET TRANSITWAY PROJECT VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
• CHAIRPERSON APPOINTMENT MEMO TO CITY COUNCIL
• ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #1 DRAFT MINUTES
• ZOOM MEETING RECORDING
• ADOPTED DUKE STREET TRANSITWAY PROJECT VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• AGENDA
• DRAFT DUKE STREET TRANSITWAY PROJECT VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
• DUKE STREET TRANSITWAY ADVISORY GROUP MISSION AND CHARGE
• DUKE STREET PLANNING SEGMENTS
• ADVISORY GROUP MEETING #1 PRESENTATION
• ZOOM MEETING RECORDING  (Note: Meeting starts at the 29-minute mark. There is a break between the 1:42 and 1:52 minute marks.)

City Council has prioritized transit and transportation alternatives along the Duke Street corridor for more than ten years. In 2008, the Transportation Master Plan identified Duke Street as one of three priority transit corridors. In 2012, the City worked with the community to develop conceptual plans for the corridor. In 2018, the City received funding to advance the design, and in 2020, the project was fully funded.

Today, there is high-density residential throughout the corridor, and with more redevelopment, especially at the Landmark Mall site, there will be more people along Duke Street.  Duke Street currently has the most ridership of any corridor in the City between the DASH Line 30 and Metrobus 28A and 29K/N. The DASH Line 30 is DASH's most productive route. Ridership along this corridor has exceed pre-COVID levels, consistent with other corridors with higher transit dependent populations who use the bus service all day and not just for commute trips. This project is an opportunity to improve the existing transit experience and encourage even more use of buses to get around.

Right now, the bus along the corridor isn't competitive with a vehicle in terms of speed. A more efficient, reliable and comfortable bus service – with safe, connections -- will make it a more attractive option. A well-designed roadway can make travel safer and more efficient for everyone, reduce congestion, and improve air quality. The City wants to keep Duke Street in Motion.

Yes, where feasible. Since many people live, work, or visit locations within walking or biking distance to Duke Street, safe and convenient routes between bus stops and the places people need to go along the corridor will be essential elements of this project. The project team is looking at features that would make it safer, less stressful, and more accessible for both pedestrians and cyclists. If feasible, staff are looking at possibly implementing wider sidewalks, shared-use paths, or separated bike lanes. 

While transit is the key focus of this project, Duke Street is an important connection for people in cars. Community conversations have made it clear that traffic along this roadway and through the adjacent neighborhoods is a major concern that needs to be considered with any changes to the corridor. Any major roadway design changes will include an analysis that will evaluate the impacts to traffic in the area. The project team will be evaluating the impacts and will mitigate operational challenges where possible. 

The City’s goal is to plan for the long-term sustainability of the Duke Street corridor while supporting travel needs in the shorter term. The project coordinates with current and planned development along the corridor, as well as projects happening around the region. This project is a significant investment for the City, and we want to ensure the BRT system of the future incorporates the latest technology and considers future uses along the corridor.

During community engagement as part of the Central Alexandria Traffic Study and the Alexandria Mobility Plan, it was clear that cut-through traffic is a major concern in this area. While this project will not directly address cut-through traffic, making transit a more attractive option has been shown to move some people to use it more frequently. However, the City has a number of projects and initiatives aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing cut-through traffic through the Smart Mobility program and capital projects such as Duke Street at West Taylor Run.

Potential overpasses linking Duke Street to Eisenhower Avenue were discussed many years ago by city Staff and Council. City Council did not take action to move this concept forward due to the cost and various community and traffic concerns, and this connection is not in any current City plans.

During the initial BRT planning study in 2012, ridership estimates after full build-out of the BRT ranged from 6,000-13,000 riders per day. However, these numbers could change due to shifts in travel patterns and based on the outcome of the Duke Street In Motion process. Ridership estimates will be recalculated during the Environmental Analysis, which will occur after a conceptual plan has been selected. The analysis will consider post-COVID travel pattern changes (long-and short-term), changes in land use (most notably the Landmark Mall site), and the types of BRT improvements included in the Duke Street and the West End Transitway designs.

Boundaries for this transit corridor were established by City Council in 2008 and were then updated in 2012. The Duke Street Transitway will connect to another forthcoming transitway (the West End Transitway) at Landmark Mall, which itself will be a major destination, and will also connect to the King Street Metrorail Station, which is currently a major destination for riders along Duke Street.

There is only a small portion of Duke Street west of I-395 that is in the City of Alexandria. Should Fairfax County develop a plan for a BRT corridor to the west, the City will work with them to provide connections that could create a more regional transit network.

We recognize that this is a concern to many residents and others who travel through the Duke Street corridor. While this issue will not be addressed as part of this project, the City has been awarded $5.7M funds from Virginia’s Smart Scale Program contributing to the redesign and construction of the Duke Street and West Taylor Run Parkway intersection, as well as additional access to the Telegraph Road interchange. Community engagement for the Duke Street and West Taylor Run project will begin in fall 2021, and the Duke and West Taylor Run Parkway intersection efforts will be coordinated with this Duke Street transit project to ensure that bus stop placement is aligned.

 Bus Rapid Transit (or BRT) system aims to make bus transit more efficient, reliable, and comfortable by adding elements often seen in rail transit like MetroRail. In general, BRT is a flexible system of facilities, equipment, services, and amenities that improve the speed, reliability, and identity of the bus. Specific BRT system elements vary but may include characteristics such as:

• More frequent service
• Upgraded bus stops with enhanced passenger amenities, including level boarding that makes it easier and faster, especially for passengers with difficulties.
• Vehicles and stations branded for easy recognition by riders
• Transit signal priority enabling buses to stop less often at red lights. (You can see a video about this technology here.)
• Queue jump lanes to allow BRT vehicles to bypass traffic
• Part-time or full-time bus lanes with to provide a bus-only pathway that can function similar to a rail-way, with dedicated space
• Pre-paid boarding using all doors to reduce the time it takes for passengers to get on and off the bus

There are a few “givens” to this effort:

• The project area is defined as the Landmark Mall site to King Street Metrorail Station via Duke Street.
• Bus transit will be the primary component of the final concept.
• Bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicular improvements will be included, where possible, and will follow other City priorities like Vision Zero and the Complete Streets Design Guidelines.
• The project will involve coordination with other ongoing initiatives and projects.

There are several pieces that are yet to be determined, including:

• The potential use of dedicated transit lanes
• Removal/retention of service roads
• Station locations and amenities
• The system operator (WMATA or DASH) for any new bus service
• The potential inclusion of bike facilities, trails, sidewalks, landscaping, stormwater, drainage, etc.
• And more!

On July 9, 2020, the City of Alexandria was awarded $75 million in regional revenues from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) in the 2020-2025 Six Year Program. This funding will be used to help construct the first phase of improvements identified in the planning and public input phases of the project. Prior to July 2020, through NVTA’s inaugural 2018-2023 Six Year Program, the City received $12 million in regional revenues, utilized towards the design and engineering phases of the project.

In October 2022, the City presented several options for how buses can travel through the Duke Street corridor and asking for input on which to further refine and analyze. Generally, these are:

• Center Running (bus only lanes)
• Curb Running (bus and turn lanes)
• Mixed Traffic  (with spot improvements)
• Center Bidirectional Bus Lane -  A single center running bus lane that will allow for buses in both directions with spaces to allow oncoming buses to pass safely – this is only being considered for portions of Segment 2.

The final concept for the corridor could end up using different busway approaches in each segment, depending on what makes the most sense. There is no formal proposal at this stage. In the spring, the Project Team will go back to the community to get input on a preferred alternative.

Center running bus-only lanes fully separate buses from traffic, providing the best improvement to speed and on-time performance. It also makes it easier and safer for car travelers because they will not be stuck waiting behind, weaving around, or turning right in front of buses.

The tradeoff is that these lanes require the most amount of space. They also can limit the ability to make left turns between signalized intersections. This is why we’re looking at other treatments in addition to the center running lanes, so we can understand the balance between trade-offs. Read the Fact Sheets to learn more about the benefits and tradeoffs of each busway option specific to each segment.

For Segments 1 (Between West End Alexandria and Jordan Street) and Segment 3 (between Roth Street and Callahan Drive), the busway design will not impact what curb features can be used. However, for Segment 2 (between Jordan Street and Wheeler Avenue), which has more limited space, the amount of space available on the curb for other features depends on the concept selected.

For Segments 1 and 3, no property impacts are currently envisioned for any of the bus running way concepts. However, to maintain general traffic lanes and include improvements to walking, biking, and green space, service roads in front of business and multi-family residential areas may need to be modified or eliminated. The City is working to identify ways to minimize these impacts, like redesigning the street to accommodate access and parking where service road changes are being considered.

For Segment 2a (Between Jordan Street and Wheeler Avenue), the Center Running option would likely require impacts to service roads in front of homes and/or impacts to property.

The Hybrid option, which includes a mix of bi-directional bus lanes, center running lanes, and buses operating in mixed traffic, will only impact one service road on the north side of Duke Street between Ingle Place and N. Gordon Street. However, improvements to curb features may require modification of some additional service roads.

The City commonly works with property owners on capital improvement projects (such as sewers and facilities) to acquire property rights, typically referred to as “right-of-way.” For the Duke Street in Motion project, it has not yet been determined if the City will need any easements or new public right-of-way. In design, the City performs detailed land survey and mitigates right-of-way needs to the greatest extent possible. Staff anticipates that any right-of-way needed for this phase of Duke Street in Motion would be acquired via voluntary agreements and not through use of eminent domain. 

Depending on the ultimate design selected and what you are located, left turns across Duke Street might be restricted.  What this means is that there would likely be a dedicated U-turn at the intersections so rather than waiting for a gap in traffic to cut across two or three lanes, you would have a safer turn, but it might take an extra few minutes.  Left turn crashes on Duke Street are one reason it is a high crash corridor in the City.  

We understand that not all sections of Duke Street look the same – even within the segments we are showing.  What we are showing are the most typical sections, and we know they don’t cover everything.   The tradeoffs listed on the fact sheets (whether there are property, service impacts, or travel lane reductions) are based on high level sketches that cover the whole corridor. As we narrow down design options, and before a preferred option is selected, we will have to look at these areas in more detail to determine what the precise, location specific tradeoffs are.  This is a reminder that one concept doesn’t have to, and likely will not, carry throughout the entire corridor.   

Summer 2022 ridership along the corridor was about 2,700-3,000 average weekday boardings per day between the DASH 30 bus and the WMATA 29K/N and 28A routes, which is the City's highest ridership corridor and DASH's most productive route (most riders per bus). Average weekday activity (ons and offs) is about 5,600-5,700. Ridership has been increasing steadily and corridor ridership as of the Summer was greater than pre-COVID levels.  

Metrobus ridership data shows that 36% of transit customers use the Duke Street corridor during mid-day period (9 AM to 4 PM) in comparison to 45% AM/PM peaks combined. The remaining 19% of trips take place during early AM, early evening, and night periods.