What's New?
- The City will present elements of this project as well as the Duke Street Transitway project to City Council for their approval at the Legislative Meeting on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
- In May 2024, the Traffic and Parking Board recommended that the service road between Moncure Drive and West Taylor Run Parkway be converted to one-way westbound with dedicated space for people biking and walking. 2024. View Option 1 and Option 2 concept plans.
- Staff provided a project update to City Council in May 2024 to get feedback on this project, along with the Duke Street Transitway.
- Staff held a public meeting on December 14th at Douglas Macarthur Elementary School. A recorded presentation can be found here. The slide deck can be found here. The slides include the five options with more detail, pros/cons as it relates to safety and access, and more detail about travel times.
- At their June 2023 meeting, City Council approved the Duke Street Transitway concept design but directed staff to continue to evaluate the service roads in Segment 3. Staff developed five options for the service road design and right-turn location to discuss with the community.
- See FAQs at the bottom of the page
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 then applied for and was 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.
Staff engaged with the community beginning in 2019 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, in response to community concerns expressed during the Duke Street in Motion visioning process, the City worked with the community to design a two-phase Pilot that successfully tested 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. Staff engaged with the community in fall 2022 to discuss various design options West Taylor Run and Duke Street project. At the same time, the City was conducting a more holistic evaluation of the entire corridor as part of concept planning for the Duke Street Transitway project.
In 2023, City Council approved the concept design for the Duke Street Transitway as proposed by the Duke Street Advisory Group. Over the next year, staff continued to work with residents on design elements of the project related to the service roads and intersections in Segment 3. Staff discussed five design options with the community and ultimately recommended Option 2 (a two-way configuration) to the Traffic and Parking Board in May 2024. The Board rejected the staff recommended option and recommended that City Council approve Option 1 (a one-way configuration with dedicated space for people biking and walking) to align with the vision for the corridor that was recommended by the Duke Street Transitway Task Force. City Council will consider this change in fall 2024.
The concept design plans will align with the CATs Task Force Recommendation, the Alexandria Mobility Plan and the goals of Vision Zero. Design is progressing and construction is anticipated for 2027/2028.
Keep up to date on this project and others in the area by signing up for the Duke Streets Projects eNews
Duke Street Mitigation Pilots
The City conducted two pilot projects aimed at reducing regional cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets and shifting traffic onto the major arterials. To do this, we also must improve the flow of traffic on the arterials and make those routes faster than cutting through the neighborhoods. On April 23, 2023, the City and Traffic and Parking Board recommended to extend the pilot phase II measures permanently.
- Phase II included reinstating Phase I signal timing AND restricting access from West Taylor Run Parkway to the Telegraph Road ramp. The pilot will tested how traffic patterns shift for cut-through drivers as well as the impact on the immediate neighborhood. The larger intersection project proposes this closure and based on the outcome of the pilot phase II results, the has been permanently extended to the construction of this project.
- 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.
- Visit the project page for more information about the Duke Street Traffic Mitigation Pilots.
Outreach
- In May 2024, the Traffic and Parking Board recommended that the service road between Moncure Drive and West Taylor Run Parkway be converted to one-way westbound with dedicated space for people biking and walking. City Council will consider this recommendation in fall 2024.
- Staff held a public meeting on December 14th at Douglas Macarthur Elementary School. A recorded presentation can be found here. The slide deck can be found here. The slides include the five options with more detail, pros/cons as it relates to safety and access, and more detail about travel times. An online feedback form was available for input December 14th 2023 to January 19th 2024
- The City hosted a public meeting on Monday, April 17th at Bishop Ireton. The presentation covered the concepts for both the West Taylor Run intersection and the access point at Telegraph Road.
- As a result of the feedback at this meeting and after, the right turn lane’s location is being re-evaluated based on the most recent comments about access, cut-through and traffic flow. We have received many comments that require us to review the appropriate balance of each concern and as such will take us some time. More information will be shared when available.
- The City hosted a community meeting on November 15. View the recorded PRESENTATION
- The City proceeded forward in evaluating the Telegraph Road access point with the standard intersection design and the compact intersection design. The concepts included controlled pedestrian crossings at one or both ramps. The evaluation includes both environmental and operational assessments which determined the preferred design of the compact intersection.
Project Phases and Timelines
- Community Engagement and Concept Planning – 2019 - 2024
- Traffic and Parking Board Public Hearing and Recommendation - May 2024
- City Council consideration of service road design - Fall 2024
- Design - Fall 2024 - Winter 2026
- Construction - 2027/2028
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 access lane being proposed onto the Service Road just west of West Taylor Run Parkway??
To enhance pedestrian safety with shorter crossing distances and provide better transit access, the existing right-turn lane will need to be relocated in advance of the West Taylor Run intersection, accessing the Service Road. The placement of the right-turn lane onto the Service Road will be based on community priorities and engineering constraints. Based on community engagement, the right-turn lane access onto the Service Road will be located between East Taylor Run Parkway and Moncure Drive. 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.
When will this project be finished?
The final concepts are expected to be ready in Fall 2024. The Final Design is anticipated to be complete early 2026. The construction is anticipated to be complete in mid 2028.
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 did 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 helped 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 the Duke Street and West Taylor Run Parkway to access Telegraph Road will need to use the new access onto Telegraph Road as proposed by this project.
Residents coming from Duke Street turning left into the neighborhood will not change their behavior, still using the left turn lane at the intersection.
Residents coming from Duke Street turning right into the neighborhood will need to take a different route depending on the destination.
- Residents on West Taylor Run Parkway will need to use the proposed right turn access onto the Service Road and turn right at the traffic signal.
- Residents on East Taylor Run Parkway will need to use the proposed right turn access onto the Service Road and turn onto East Taylor Run Parkway.
- Residents on Moncure Drive or Hilton Street will need to use the proposed right turn access onto the Service road and turn onto East Taylor Run Parkway, then proceed to South View Terrace.
How do I submit feedback or ask for more information?
The community can always contact the City Project Manager. 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.
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:
Ryan Knight, P.E.
Transportation Engineering Division Chief
Ryan.Knight@AlexandriaVA.gov