Duke Street and West Taylor Run Project

What's New?
- The City will be re-evaluating key components of the project at the West Taylor Run and Duke Street intersection. As such, certain materials and graphics may come at later dates than previously anticipated.
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The City will be proceeding forward in evaluating the Telegraph Road access point with the standard intersection design and the compact intersection design. The concepts will be including controlled pedestrian crossings at one or both ramps. The evaluation will include both environmental and operational assessments to determine the preferred design.
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The City hosted a community meeting on November 15.
- View the recorded PRESENTATION
- If you have any further questions please contact the City project manager below.
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See FAQs at the bottom of the page
- To better evaluate the feasibility and success of shorter-term solutions to more immediately address the neighborhood cut-through traffic concerns voiced by the community, the project team is working through a two-phased pilot to address traffic congestion along Duke Street and shift cut-through traffic off neighborhood streets. With new access to a data management platform, the City is better equipped to evaluate changes and understand the impacts to the community. Visit the project page for more information about the Duke Street Traffic Mitigation Pilots.
- The traffic mitigation Phase I pilot used signal timing changes to successfully reduce cut-through traffic trips during the afternoon rush hour on West Taylor Run Parkway by 47% and even more on other neighborhood streets, shifting the traffic to Quaker Lane.
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The project team is continuing to work with the community and garner feedback on Phase II of the pilot. Phase II includes reinstating Phase I signal timing AND restricting access from West Taylor Run Parkway to the Telegraph Road ramp. The pilot will test how traffic patterns shift for cut-through drivers as well as the impact on the immediate neighborhood. The larger intersection project proposes this closure. The Phase II pilot has been extended to March 2023.
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This project is being closely coordinated with Duke Street Transitway corridor redesign project. Community engagement has been ongoing in October 2022 and November 2022. Information boards have been presented with initial ideas at West Taylor Run and Duke Street during these meetings.
Project Background
The Duke and West Taylor Run Parkway intersection has been the topic of discussion for a number of years and was identified as a high crash location through the City's Vision Zero Program. The Central Alexandria Traffic Study (CATS) Task Force took a comprehensive look at traffic issues in the area and included among the final recommendations that City staff pursue short- and long-term improvements to the intersection of Duke Street, and West Taylor Run Parkway and their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. The Task Force, comprised of civic association leaders, recommended The City began to address the recommendations immediately and sought funding for both short and long-term solutions and Redesign the W. Taylor Run - Duke Street Intersection, with the primary objectives of reducing cut-through traffic and improving safety. The city was then awarded $5.7M funds from Virginia’s Smart Scale Program contributing to the redesign of the West Taylor Run Parkway intersection, as well as additional access to the Telegraph Road interchange.
In February 2019, the City hosted a community meeting to get input on the concerns and issues at the intersection of Duke Street and West Taylor Run Parkway. The concept plan that was included in the grant application was shared, and the community provided feedback on the design. The team discussed the timeline, funding, and process for community engagement for both the short and long-term recommendations for this project. However, the project was put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic due staffing needs for other City priorities.
In 2021, the City project team expanded to include consultants who would assist with traffic analysis and concept designs for both the ramp and the intersection. They also worked with the community to design a two-phase Pilot that would test various signal timing and intersection design options to measure the impact of traffic congestion along Duke Street and alleviate cut-through traffic in the neighborhoods. The first pilot was completed in April 2021 and showed very positive results. The second pilot is ongoing and will be completed in March 2023. Staff engaged with the community in fall 2022 to cover design options for the West Taylor Run and Duke Street project.
The project team will evaluate the feedback from the community and consider a design that best meets the goals of the project, aligns with the CATs Task Force Recommendation, the Alexandria Mobility Plan and the goals of Vision Zero.
Project Phases and Timelines
- Multimodal Transportation Analysis - Ongoing
- First Round of Community Outreach/ Engagement – Completed in Nov-Dec 2022
- Concept Design – Spring 2023
- Second Round of Community Outreach/ Engagement – Spring 2023
- Design - Fall 2023
- Community Outreach/ Engagement – Winter 2024
- Construction - 2024/2025 (Potential for short-term mitigation implementation earlier)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this project being implemented?
The project is being implemented as part of the recommendations from the Central Alexandria Traffic Study (CATS) to find ways to pursue interim and long-term improvements for safety, congestion, and cut-through issues at the intersection of West Taylor Run Parkway and Duke Street. The Duke Street and West Taylor Run intersection was identified as one of the highest crash intersections in the City through the City’s Vision Zero program.
What does the project include?
The project is focused on enhancing safety and access for people who walk, drive, bike and take transit at the intersection of West Taylor Run Parkway and Duke Street. It also includes providing new access onto Telegraph Road east of the West Taylor Run intersection.
Will this project make the continuous right-turn lane onto Telegraph Road permanent?
Yes. Traffic features, such as physical medians and improved traffic signals, will be constructed to make the continuous right-turn onto Telegraph Road permanent.
Why is there a right-turn slip-lane being proposed onto West Taylor Run Parkway?
To enhance pedestrian safety with shorter crossing distances and provide better transit access, the right-turn lane will need to be relocated in advance of the West Taylor Run intersection. However, the exact placement of the right-turn slip lane will be based on community priorities and engineering constraints. This feature also provides opportunities to improve operations at the intersection through signal timing changes.
How does this project help with cut-through traffic?
By eliminating direct access onto the Telegraph Road ramp from West Taylor Run Parkway, congestion on Duke Street can be improved and less people will likely use neighborhood streets to access this ramp. As well, the signal timing adjustments will also encourage drivers to use Quaker Lane and Duke Street. While there will ultimately be an additional ramp onto Telegraph Road, the goal is to make it faster for cut-through traffic to stay on Quaker Lane and Duke Street.
What type of pedestrian and bicycle improvements are planned?
The intersection of West Taylor Run and Duke Street will include curb-extensions, shorter crossing distances, enhanced traffic signals and new pedestrian signals, and pedestrian refuges which increase safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. The intersection will provide conflict free crossings for people walking. With bus stops relocated to the intersection, people will have a safe and direct crossing to access the bus. Staff will be exploring different types of improvements at the proposed access onto Telegraph Road depending on the final design plans.
Will there be impacts to the existing transit stops?
This project will improve access to and from transit stops with more pedestrian/cyclist improvements and relocation of the bus stops to the intersection. The Duke Street in Motion project will be exploring Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) options on how to improve upon bus stations and reliability.
When will this project be finished?
The final concepts are expected to be ready in Spring 2023. The anticipated construction start date is in 2025/2026 with about a year of construction. Updates will be provided once the final design is completed in 2024.
How does this project relate to the Duke Street in Motion project?
This project is separate from Duke Street in Motion however the schedules and designs of the projects are being coordinated since they overlap. Staff will be working with all design teams to ensure the best possible design and construction schedules. For more information on Duke Street in Motion, please visit alexandriava.gov/DukeInMotion. Some elements of this project might be constructed with the Duke Street in Motion project, depending on project cost.
How does this project relate to the traffic mitigation pilot projects on Duke Street?
The traffic mitigation pilots evaluated the impacts of signal timing changes and ramp restrictions and the effect they had on driver behavior and travel patterns, which helps to inform the traffic analysis for this project.
How will access into and out of neighborhoods near the West Taylor Run Parkway intersection change?
Residents who use West Taylor Run to access Telegraph Road will need to use the new ramp. Residents turning right from Duke Street into the neighborhood might need to take a different route depending on the design of the right-turn slip lane. The project team is seeking input to understand the priorities of the community to best balance safety, access and cut-through traffic.
How do I submit feedback or ask for more information?
The community can always contact the City Project Manager or submit a form through the project website at alexandriava.gov/go/2399. As well, people can sign up for eNews alerts to receive information about the City's many projects aimed at improving travel along Duke Street. Select "Duke Street Projects" when choosing option subscriptions.
How are the flooding concerns being addressed as part of the project?
This project will evaluate options to improve existing stormwater facilities where feasible. Staff will also explore opportunities in other projects such as Duke Street in Motion.
Why not widen the existing eastbound Duke Street ramp onto Telegraph Road to two lanes?
The City has explored this option with VDOT. However, VDOT has expressed they are not supportive of a project that would widen the ramp due to construction cost, right of way concerns, utilities, and overall feasibility to implement such a large project.
What else is being done on Duke Street to help congestion or safety?
This project is expected to bring significant improvements to the roadway because of the stop-and-go traffic caused by the ramp on-to Telegraph Road from eastbound Duke Street. However, staff also has plans to provide more reliable transit services through Duke Street in Motion, improve all traffic signals with more advanced equipment through the City’s adaptive signal program, and other on-going initiates like Vision Zero to improve safety.
Related Projects and Information
- West Taylor Run and Duke Street Project Information Boards
- Duke Street Traffic Mitigation Pilots
- Central Alexandria Traffic Study Community Meeting – 2/4/2019
Contact: Daniel.Scolese@AlexandriaVA.gov