Project Updates:
November 2024: At its November 16 Public Hearing, the Alexandria City Council voted to uphold the Traffic & Parking Board's recommendation for South Pickett Street and deny the appeal.
October 2024: Subsequent to the July 22 Traffic & Parking Board Public Hearing, a petition was filed to appeal the Board's decision to City Council. City Council will consider the project and the appeal petition at a public hearing on November 16. More information is in the Project Development: Community Engagement section below.
July 2024: At its July 22 Public Hearing, the City's Traffic & Parking Board voted to endorse the project team's recommendations for South Pickett Street.
Project Description
The purpose of this project is to implement improvements on South Pickett Street between Duke Street and Edsall Road to enhance mobility, access, and safety for all roadway users.
Project Area Map
Project Background
South Pickett Street is a four-lane roadway that provides access between Duke Street and Edsall Road. West of Edsall Road, it is a two-lane roadway with bike lanes and on-street parking. South Pickett Street features a mix of land uses, including high-density residential and commercial properties.
The Proposed Bicycle Network in the adopted Alexandria Mobility Plan calls for a dedicated bicycle facility on South Pickett Street. The City's Complete Streets Five-Year Work Plan includes a project to evaluate bike lanes on South Pickett Street. A bike lane would not only improve safety for people biking, but could enhance safety for people driving, create opportunities for enhanced pedestrian crossings, and provide traffic calming. The Eisenhower West Small Area Plan also includes a recommendation to redesign South Pickett Street to improve safety and provide more travel options.
In 2023, the City of Alexandria was awarded a technical assistance grant through the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Transportation-Land Use Connections Program to study the corridor and develop concept designs.
Project Development
Community Engagement
Status: In Progress
November 16, 2024: City Council Public Hearing
Following the July 22 Traffic & Parking Board Public Hearing, a petition was filed to appeal the Board's decision to City Council. City Council considered the project and the appeal petition at its November 16 Public Hearing. After hearing the presentation and public testimony, City Council voted to uphold the Traffic & Parking Board's recommendation and deny the appeal.
City Council Docket
Meeting Recording
October 17, 2024: Virtual Open House
On Thursday, October 17, the City hosted a virtual open house on the South Pickett Street Corridor Improvements so attendees could have the opportunity to ask questions and talk with the project team. Materials from the meeting are provided below:
July 22, 2024: Traffic & Parking Board Public Hearing
At its July 22 Public Hearing, the City's Traffic and Parking Board voted to endorse the staff recommendations for South Pickett Street. The materials from the public hearing are provided below:
Docket Report
Presentation
Additional Public Comment Letters (received after the docket was published)
Meeting Recording
Meeting Minutes
April 2024: Feedback on Conceptual Designs
Following the initial community engagement period, staff developed conceptual designs to improve mobility, access, safety, and comfort for all users of South Pickett Street. Community feedback was collected between April 19 and May 5.
Engagement Materials:
Online Presentation
April 25 Community Meeting Presentation
April 25 Community Meeting Recording
December 2023: Community Input Period
From December 4-22, the City gathered community input on issues, concerns, and other experiences on South Pickett Street via an online feedback form. Thank you for your participation!
This input will be considered during the development of conceptual design options for the corridor. Additional opportunities for community input will be available in Spring 2024.
Planning & Design
Status: In Progress
July 2024: Staff Recommendation
After nearly a year of planning, analysis, conceptual design, and community engagement, staff recommends the following conceptual changes to South Pickett Street:
- Reduce one general purpose lane in each direction to slow vehicle speeds and create space for other important roadway features
- Add new median space to be used as a left-turn lane or a pedestrian refuge at various points along the corridor to simplify left turns, calm traffic, improve pedestrian safety, and provide opportunities for green space
- Preserve travel lanes at the approaches to Duke Street and Edsall Road to minimize vehicle delay
- Convert the through-left lane to a left-only lane on the eastbound approach of South Pickett Street and Edsall Road
- Add new crosswalks at key locations to improve access for people walking and wheeling
- Install protected bicycle lanes to provide a dedicated space for people biking and scooting and to calm traffic
- Install bus boarding islands to improve bus boarding and alighting and mitigate conflicts between people biking and people riding the bus
- Install painted curb extensions at key locations to reduce pedestrian crossing distance, improve sightlines, and reduce turning speeds.
- Reduce up to 10 on-street parking spaces at select locations to allow appropriate sight distance for a new crosswalk, provide a continuous bike lane through the intersection of South Pickett Street and Edsall Road, and better align the travel lanes
- Implement No Turn on Red restrictions at all signalized intersections to reduce conflicts between users and allow for Leading Pedestrian Intervals to be installed to enhance pedestrian safety
- Reduce the speed limit from 35 MPH to 25 MPH to improve safety for all roadway users
These recommendations were informed by industry guidance on safety best practices, community input, City plans and policies, and analysis of existing and future conditions. The Traffic & Parking Board considered and voted to endorse the project team's recommendations at its July 22 public hearing.
April 2024: Concept Design
Construction
Status: Not Started; Anticipated in 2026
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is the City doing this project?
South Pickett Street is a high-speed corridor with a high number of injury crashes (nearly 100 in five years), limited crossing opportunities, and no dedicated places to bike or scoot, despite the area redeveloping into a more mixed-use, walkable neighborhood. The Alexandria City Council adopted both the Alexandria Mobility Plan and the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan, both of which call for multimodal improvements on South Pickett Street. The goal of this project is to make it easier, safer, and more comfortable for people of all ages, abilities, and modes of travel to use South Pickett Street, in accordance with those adopted plans. By doing so, the City can address the issues around speeding and traffic safety.
What does this project mean for me?
This project has something for everyone.
For people driving:
- Dedicated left turn lanes provide a dedicated place for people to wait when turning left, reducing the risk of angle crashes that have been frequent along the corridor.
- The project preserves vehicle capacity at the major intersections. While additional queuing can be expected, there is no significant change in delay expected.
For people walking:
- New crosswalks create additional opportunities to safely cross the street.
- Shorter crossing distances with center median islands make it easier and safer to cross the street.
- Lower vehicle speeds improve safety for people crossing.
- Protected bicycle lanes provide a buffer for the sidewalk, so people don’t have to walk right next to motor vehicle traffic.
- Leading pedestrian intervals and No Turn on Red restrictions make it easier and safer to cross the street at signalized intersections.
For people biking or scooting:
- Protected bicycle lanes provide a dedicated space to bike or scoot, separate from the motor vehicle or pedestrian realm.
For people riding the bus:
- New and improved crosswalks make it easier to access the bus stop.
For everyone:
- The concept design encourages slower vehicle speeds, making South Pickett Street safer for everyone.
- A 25 mph speed limit encourages safer speeds and reduces the frequency and severity of crashes.
How will traffic be impacted?
Because the signalized intersections would remain largely unchanged from today, traffic would not be significantly impacted. While some additional queuing is expected, travel times are not expected to change.
What community outreach has been done on this project?
The City has had a robust community outreach process for this project. In late 2023, the City gathered input from the community on their issues and concerns with South Pickett Street via an online feedback form, which received over 200 responses. The City then developed concept designs for improvements to the corridor and sought community feedback via an online feedback form and a community meeting. The project team also performed direct outreach to businesses along the corridor. The City advertised the project via signs posted along the project corridor, eNews, social media, local news, and direct emails and phone calls to project stakeholders.
Prior to this project, the City also conducted community engagement as part of the adopted Alexandria Mobility Plan and the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan, both of which recommended multimodal improvements to South Pickett Street.
What is the project timeline?
Planning and conceptual design is planned for Fall 2023-Fall 2024. A City Council Public Hearing will take place in Fall 2024. Detailed design is planned for 2024-2025, and construction is planned for 2025-2026. Community engagement is planned throughout the duration of the project.
Does this project consider truck traffic?
Yes. Due to the robust commercial activity on this corridor, it is essential that trucks be able to access their destinations for pick-ups and deliveries. Based on in-person observations, video observation, coordination with the business community, and geometric analysis and traffic simulation, staff determined that trucks will continue to be able to access their respective destinations, and in some cases do so more easily. The project team will continue to ensure that trucks are accommodated during the detailed design phase and adhere to industry guidance on roadway design, particularly for urban and suburban areas.
The project team also understands that truck parking on South Pickett Street is a concern and is working with the business community to address this through the project design.
Won't this cause cut-through traffic in Cameron Station?
There is currently no data to indicate that cut-through traffic will significantly increase in Cameron Station. People tend to choose the shortest and quickest routes. Since Cameron Station Boulevard is longer and more winding, and travel times on South Pickett Street are expected to remain unchanged, there’s no advantage in using Cameron Station as an alternative route. However, the City is committed to monitoring traffic before and after the project and will collaborate with the community on any necessary adjustments.
Similar concerns regarding cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets were also raised during the redesign of King Street and Seminary Road. The City collected before and after data and found that traffic volumes did not substantially change on neighborhood streets.
How will this project impact businesses?
Through walking, biking, scooting, or riding the bus, customers and employees will have more options for reaching businesses along the corridor. People driving will also have easier access to businesses with new dedicated left turn lanes.
Access for delivery trucks will remain uninterrupted, and new turn lanes can make it easier for trucks to access their destinations. Truck loading and unloading on South Pickett Street is prohibited, and the new design will further discourage this activity. Trucks are required to load and unload on-site instead of on South Pickett Street.
Additional Resources
Visit the resources below to learn more.