A pedestrian safety improvement project near George Washington Middle School and Charles Barrett Elementary School is slated to receive $2.17 million in federal funding.
The project, phase two of the city’s Safe Routes to School Crossing Improvements, aims to bolster student safety and “strengthen connectivity to nearby neighborhoods” at the schools by installing curb extensions with crosswalks, shortening crossing distances, improving bus stops and removing a slip lane.
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), approved the funding for Alexandria yesterday (Wednesday) while advancing funds for six other small-scale projects in Virginia from fiscal years 2027-2028 intended to support “safe walking, transit access, and ADA accessibility.”
The projects, which are slated to receive a collective $12.5 million in federal funding through the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, were selected out of 16 applications totaling more than $27 million. According to COG, criteria for project selection included:
- Expanding multimodal transportation options for non-drivers
- Supporting regional activity centers
- Completing the National Capital Trails Network—a regionwide shared use path system covering more than 1,400 miles
- Providing access to high-capacity transit including Metrorail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit
- Increasing transportation access in low-income areas
- Supporting Safe Routes to Schools
- Increasing access for people with disabilities
Other localities receiving funding include Fairfax, Prince William and Loudon counties, along with Manassas, Manassas Park and Vienna.
A complete description of the project from the National Capital Regional Transportation Planning Board is below.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Crossing Improvements Phase II, Alexandria
$2,172,769
This project will enhance student safety and strengthen connectivity to nearby neighborhoods by adding curb extensions with crosswalks, shortening crossing distances, and improving bus stops near George Washington Middle School. In addition, a curb extension and a raised crosswalk will be added near Charles Barrett Elementary School, and a nearby slip lane will be removed.
