Author: ALXnow.com

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On October 1, 1931 the Alexandria City Council appointed the George Washington Bicentennial Commission to arrange and promote activities in Alexandria associated with the 200th birthday of our nation’s first president. Chaired by former Mayor William Albert Smoot, who resided at Lloyd House, now the headquarters for the Office of Historic Alexandria., the celebration would be one of the first to officially promote Alexandria as a tourism destination. Not only did Washington regard Alexandria as his hometown, but he had even helped survey the land that became Alexandria when he was just 17 years of age. Among the major physical landmarks that grew out of the Bicentennial Commemoration are the George Washington Masonic National Memorial and the George Washington Memorial Parkway.” [Historic Alexandria]

DASH to Reign in Budget After $3.7M Overspending Error — “[DASH General Manager & CEO Josh Baker] added that about $2.5 million of the overspending can be attributed to those decisions to ‘invest in maintenance and operations,’ while about $1.2 million came from unexpected costs including ‘increased parts costs as a result of inflation and tariffs.'” [Alexandria Times]

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On September 30, 1852, the Alexandria Justice of Peace directed the removal of privately-owned hog pens along Hunting Creek to abate nuisance complaints. Apparently, the smells associated with the slow-moving, stagnant waterway, combined with the stench of swine husbandry operations in the area became too overpowering for nearby property owners to bear.” [Historic Alexandria]

Metro Blue and Yellow Line to Single Track Thursday — “🟡🔵 Heads up for this Thursday: From 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., trains will single track on the Yellow and Blue lines between Pentagon City and @Reagan_Airport stations. The Yellow Line will run between Huntington and Greenbelt. This will allow us to complete the necessary track work that helps prevent rail kinks.” [Metro/X]

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On September 29, 1896, a severe storm caused extensive damage in and around Alexandria. High winds from a hurricane, the fourth of the Atlantic season, impacted the downtown area as well as Del Ray and outlying areas. Two people were killed in Alexandria and dozens of buildings, including the Third Baptist Church, the Virginia Glassworks, Smoot’s planing mill, and Pioneers Mills, were heavily damaged. Telegraph service, the gas works, trains and the electric railway were also impacted by the storm and debris.” [Historic Alexandria]

Duke Street Land Use Plan to Be Released Tuesday — “Please join us at Patrick Henry Recreation Center to celebrate the release of the full Draft Duke Street Land Use Plan on September 29 (Tomorrow)! All are welcome to attend, whether this is your first or 9th community meeting. Cake and BBQ will be served. There will be a short presentation followed by a 30 minute Q&A and an open house where attendees can provide feedback and engage directly with staff about the Plan and its content. A virtual option on Zoom will be provided for the presentation and Q&A portions.” [City of Alexandria]

On This Day in Alexandria History — “In 1944, the Inter-County Metropolitan Freeway was proposed to connect Route 1 near Gum Springs, Virginia, with the Baltimore -Washington Parkway, on a westward route through Tysons Corner … On September 28, 1955, the federal government formally authorized the new highway through Alexandria, with the name shortened to the Capital Beltway. Several months later, the name of the yet-to-be-built bridge was also changed, to honor the centennial of the birth of the nation’s 28th President. On September 25, 1958 ground-breaking ceremonies were held near Jones Point, to start construction of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The formal opening of the bridge was held on December 21, 1961, with Wilson’s wife Edith expected to attend. However, she died suddenly that very morning, just hours before the dedication ceremony began.” [Historic Alexandria]

Police Chief on Automated License Plate Readers — “Police Chief Tarrick McGuire told residents Thursday night that the research does not establish that automatic license plate readers reduce crime, and that the case for them rests on something narrower: they help investigators develop leads.” [Alexandria Brief]

Traffic and Parking Board to Consider New Proposal for Russell Road Monday — “The Traffic and Parking Board will hold its next public hearing on Monday, September 28 at 7 p.m. Docket materials have been posted for the upcoming meeting. At the public hearing, members of the public can weigh in on parking changes on Russell Road, Dawes Avenue, and Old Dominion Boulevard, and three proposed curb cuts among other topics. This Traffic and Parking Board meeting will be held in person at 2900-B Business Center Drive and virtually via Zoom.” [City of Alexandria]

Street Flooding Reported During Coastal Flood Warning — “Old Town Alexandria saw flooding along the Potomac River early Thursday morning, as abnormally high tides led to water covering some streets on the riverfront. Streets on the Strand and the end of King Street were covered in inches of water blocks inland from the river’s edge. As of Thursday, no flooding into businesses or buildings was reported, but parks and some roads were affected.” [NBC Washington]

License Plate Reader Locations to Be Shared — “The Alexandria Police Department will publish a map showing where its 61 license plate reader cameras are located, according to an answer added to the city’s website Tuesday. ‘Council has provided direction to publish a map of the camera locations,’ the question reads. ‘When can a map be posted?’ The answer is one sentence: ‘By October 1, 2026, a map will be published.'” [Alexandria Brief]

First Community Session on APD Technology Use Set for Evening — The Alexandria Police Department will host a session on the use and governance of public safety technology and gather input from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at Duncan Branch Library. The next will be 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Patrick Henry Recreation Center. [City of Alexandria]