The City of Alexandria wants federal help to make the stretch of Seminary Road northwest of I-395 safer.
The City Council is slated to review a grant application to the United States Department of Transportation for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program for up to $1 million to conduct a planning study on Seminary Road between Library Lane and North Beauregard Street — right in front of Southern Towers.
“Nearly all of the intersections along this segment of the Seminary Road corridor have been identified for safety enhancements as part of the Vision Zero program, Safe Routes to School Walk Audits, community feedback, and the Alex West planning process,” the memo from Adriana Castaneda, director of Transportation and Environmental Services, said. “These intersections cannot be addressed in isolation; a more holistic assessment of the corridor is needed to determine how to mitigate the issues and understand their impact on traffic.”
The memo said the goals of the new transportation plan would be promoting alternative modes of transportation, such as walking, biking and public transit, along with improving accessibility and reducing congestion.
The planning would also include a traffic study, analysis and design alternatives for the Seminary Road interchange.
The grant requires a 20% local match for a maximum of $200,000 from the city. The city is offering to make a 25% match of $250,000 to make the proposal more competitive.
“The City anticipates fulfilling this requirement with developer contributions previously secured for this area,” the memo said.
The grant application is scheduled for a vote at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
The memo notes that the funds awarded through the grant must be obligated by September 2028 and fully spent by September 2033.