Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Wednesday, Sept. 10, the 253rd day of 2025. There are 112 days left in the year.
☀️ Today’s weather: A chance of showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 72. North wind around 9 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30%. Mostly cloudy tonight, with a low around 59. North wind 3 to 6 mph.
🚨 You need to know
Virginia Railway Express will reach its 100 millionth rider this October, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley announced during Tuesday night’s Alexandria City Council meeting.
“This is a big deal for us,” Bagley said during her report to the council. “It really shows how important VRE is to our area’s transportation system.”
As a member of the VRE Operations Board, Bagley said the ridership increase stems from service improvements, including additional trains and better on-time performance.
“We’ve added more trains and improved our on-time record, which makes VRE a great choice for commuters,” she explained.
Bagley said VRE is upgrading stations and exploring cleaner train technologies.
“We’re upgrading our stations and looking into cleaner train technologies to better serve our passengers and communities,” she added.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins said the milestone demonstrates the need for continued public transit investment.
“This milestone really highlights why we need to keep investing in our public transit,” Gaskins said.
VRE plans to celebrate its 100 millionth rider in October. Details about the event will be released in the coming weeks.
Bagley has served on the VRE Operations Board since 2022 and chairs the Executive Committee. She also serves as vice chair of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
This story has been corrected to reflect that VRE is approaching its 100 millionth rider, not 1 millionth rider.
What else to know
Alexandria honored 13 residents age 100 and older during the annual centenarian recognition ceremony on Tuesday at City Hall.
Later in the evening, the Alexandria City Council met for approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, approving several significant measures. Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance to permanently close the 200 block of King Street to vehicular traffic.
The city also announced its first project labor agreement for a $35 million City Hall renovation beginning in January 2026, and the city manager presented mixed economic signals with rising office vacancy but strong retail performance.
📈 Tuesday’s most read
The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Sept. 9, 2025.
- Pupatella Neapolitan Pizza to open Sept. 15 in Old Town North
- Landlord of popular Del Ray beer garden files eviction lawsuit
- Alexandria reduces footprint of controversial waterfront pump station
- French cafe chain Maman begins construction in Old Town
- Alexandria to reveal Old Town Pool replacement plans Sept. 16
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
Things To Do
- 10:30 a.m.: Stitcher’s Space – Sew, quilt, knit, crochet, embroider! at Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- 10:30 a.m.: 1s and 2s Time – Tiempo para niños de 1 y 2 at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 11 a.m.: Just Babies – Solo Los Bebés at Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
- 11:30 a.m.: 1s and 2s Time – Tiempo para niños de 1 y 2 at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 1 p.m.: Trans-Atlantic Book Club: Alexandria & Helsingborg (Virtual)
- 2 p.m.: Argue Less and Talk More – with Communication Expert Jefferson Fisher (Virtual)
- 3:30 p.m.: Mystery Book Club – “The Turquoise Shop” by Frances Crane (Virtual)
- 5 p.m.: Roll For Initiative: D&D at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
- 5:30 p.m.: Making History with Library of Virginia (Virtual)
- 5:30 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 2 Workshop – Intermediate Conversation at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 6 p.m.: Tech On Tap: The Promise and Peril of AI in Social Services at Virginia Tech
- 6 p.m.: Chef’s Supper Club | 6-Course Dinner Experience at King & Rye
- 6 p.m.: September Sewing – Zenkis! at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library
- 6:30 p.m.: 2025 Open Auditions for The Alexandria Singers at Offices of AlexRenew
- 6:45 p.m.: English Language Learning – ELL Classes at James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library
- 7 p.m.: Date & Game at Aslin ALX
Live Music & Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Bill Pappas Project at 9 p.m.
- Augie’s Mussel House & Beer Garden: Live music at 5 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Steve Ragsdale at 6 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Kenny Kohlhaas at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
City of Alexandria
- 7 a.m.: Old Town Pool Open
- 8 a.m.: Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission
- 12:30 p.m.: Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust Board
- 4 p.m.: Minnie Howard Aquatics Facility Open
- 5:30 p.m.: DASH (ATC Board)/Council Joint Work Session
- 5:30 p.m.: ACRP Steering Committee
- 6:30 p.m.: Child, Youth & Families Collaborative Commission Meeting
- 7 p.m.: Special ARHA Board Meeting
- 7 p.m.: ACPD Monthly Meeting
