At their September 10, 2024, Legislative Meeting, the Mayor and City Council requested that staff investigate the feasibility of and develop a recommended plan for temporarily pedestrianizing the 200 block of King Street. The temporary pedestrianization of the 200 block will be conducted in two phases, including through the 2024 holiday season and a portion of 2025 to gather data before making recommendations. 

• Memo from City Council requesting the pilot pedestrianization of the 200 block of King Street. 

Phase 1 will cover the upcoming holiday season and run from November 22, 2024, to January 6, 2025. The block will be reopened for the remainder of January and February during colder weather to allow for tweaks to the pedestrianization project and address issues that arose during this first phase. The second phase of the pilot will begin March 14, 2025, and run through September 30, 2025. This will allow time for more robust community engagement and, if a permanent pedestrianization was supported, the Council could review the necessary ordinance in fall 2025 prior to expiration of Phase 2.

Dates for the Pedestrianization of the 200 Block:

• Phase 1 (2024 Holiday Season): November 22, 2024 – January 6, 2025

  Share Your Feedback: Feedback about Phase 1 (2024 Holiday Season): November 22, 2024 – January 6, 2025 can be provided on the feedback form here. 

• Phase 2: March 14, 2025 - September 30, 2025

   

   

Past City Meetings: For the pilot pedestrianization of the 200 block of King Street, the project required approval from several City bodies. The past four meetings provide additional information on the pilot and offered opportunities for community input. 

• October 28, 2024: Traffic and Parking Board
• November 7, 2024: Planning Commission
• November 12, 2024: City Council Legislative Meeting
• November 16, 2024: City Council Public Hearing

In 2022, City Council approved the permanent pedestrianization of the 100 and Unit blocks of King Street and Strand Street to create a more active and engaging pedestrian and user experience in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. Referred to as the Lower King Street Pedestrianization Project, the pedestrianization process went through several iterations of pilot closures and community engagement to achieve community support. The final streetscape design started as a stand-alone planning and funding process, however project delivery is now being incorporated into the project delivery process (including design, approvals, construction) for the broader Waterfront Implementation Project.   

By combining the two projects into a single delivery, the City will ensure the design, stormwater, utility, infrastructure elements, and construction sequencing of the two projects are fully coordinated to maximize efficiency and reduce costs and risks to the City.    

Community engagement for the permanent design is expected to start up in the Spring of 2025 with a goal of completing the Design the Fall of 2025, with construction anticipated to commence later in 2025.   

King Street-specific design items will be shared on this project website, in conjunction with the Waterfront Implementation Project website. 

In conjunction with the Waterfront Implementation Project, City staff has presented an update on the proposed permanent design for Lower King at the following meetings: 

• Lower King Businesses, Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Presentation
• Waterfront Flood Mitigation and Lower King Street Public Open House, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 - Presentation
• Old Town Civic Meeting, Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - Presentation

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the 100 block of King Street was closed to vehicles to provide more space for businesses and pedestrians. The temporary closure was very well received, and in October 2021, the City Council approved permanently closing the block. The following year, the Unit block of King Street was also permanently closed to vehicles. Since 2022, several short-term improvements were made to the project area to formalize the closure, address safety issues, and make the blocks more attractive for businesses and pedestrians. These included the installation of: 

• Crash-rated bollards at the Lee Street end of the block;
• Standard City bollards at the Union Street end of the Unit and 100 blocks, and the Strand at Wales Alley;
• Wood platforms adjacent to the sidewalk to accommodate outdoor dining while delineating the boundary of the emergency vehicle easement down the center of the street; 
• Consistent tree lighting along the Unit and 100 blocks;
• New crosswalks at the Union and Lee Street intersections to encourage pedestrians to walk in the center of the block and make drivers more aware of pedestrians; and
• Streetlight upgrades to replace fixtures and foundations of streetlights. 

Starting in 2023, the Lower King Street Pedestrianization Project was incorporated into the larger Waterfront project and the consultant team began developing a concept for the permanent pedestrian design. The draft concept will be refined in conjunction with the community and eventually incorporated into the construction plans for the overall Waterfront project so construction impacts can be minimized and coordinated. Project updates, including concept designs, will be posted on this website. 

Additional project history can be found on the archived King Street Place Pilot webpage. 

For additional information, please contact Sara Brandt-Vorel, Transportation Capital Projects Manager, at: Sara.BrandtVorel@alexandriava.gov