The City of Alexandria could be prioritizing the Mount Vernon Trail at crossings where, currently, trail users are expected to stop for car traffic.
At a Traffic and Parking Board meeting last week, civil engineer Dan Scolese presented plans to change the stop signs from making pedestrians and cyclists stop for street traffic to having cars stop for trail users.
You have noticed a few more bike racks around Alexandria.
Since May, Alexandria’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) has installed a little over 200 new bike racks around the city, already more than double the usual amount of bike racks installed each year.
With redevelopment on the horizon, Wheel Nuts Bike Shop (302 Montgomery Street) owner Ron Taylor said it’s time to close up shop and ride into the sunset — specifically to West Virginia.
The store’s final day is set for tomorrow (Saturday) from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Rental e-bike company Veo announced that it’s started to deploy 300 e-bikes across the city following a launch in September in Arlington.
The new fleet of new electric bikes all come equipped with throttle assist, meaning the toggle for the level of assistance is available on the handlebar rather than being build into the bike as part of the pedal mechanism.
Women’s Equality Day is around the corner, and Alexandria is included in a regional historic bike ride to recognize the fight for women’s rights.
The free bike ride is sponsored by the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Alexandria Spokeswomen and Alexandria Celebrates Women.
The Mount Vernon Trail is turning 50 and local organizations are planning to celebrate with a birthday party in Alexandria this weekend.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Daingerfield Island (1 Marina Drive). The birthday party will feature a short ceremony, a scavenger hunt for kids, and giveaways. There will also be information on volunteer opportunities along the trail. The party is free and open to the public.
The cherry blossoms are an annual regional highlight, and Visit Alexandria has announced a suite of new and returning events around the city to experience the season.
Guidance on exploring during cherry blossom season was a little more tepid last year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, but such concerns were notably absent from the this year’s announcement and downward-trending case counts.
Business has been so good at the Pedego Electric Bikes shop in Old Town that owner Todd Ketch is planning to open another location in Vienna next month. The ink is still drying on the deal, but if all goes as planned then Ketch will be opening in an industrial section of downtown Vienna.
“The pandemic was like dumping gasoline to the fire for the electric bike market,” Ketch said. “It’s not going to stop from here. How are we going to take full advantage? I’m going to open a second store in Vienna, and we’re excited.”
After seven years in Del Ray, Ascend Cycle (2417 Mount Vernon Avenue) is permanently closing by the end of the month.
Owner Kat Zajac made the announcement this week on social media, and said that the effects of the pandemic proved too much for her business.
In the midst of everything else that’s happened over the last year, the Seminary Road debate can feel like a relic of another age, but there was a time when the Complete Streets program was at the center of a community-wide debate.
Complete Streets is an Alexandria program that aims to redesign roadways for the benefit of all users, with pedestrians and cyclists in mind along with motorists. The program stirred up some local controversy over plans to reduce travel lanes on Seminary Road in favor of bike lanes. A form put out by the city allowed locals to weigh in on street resurfacing.
New Capital Bikeshare stations have recently been installed in Alexandria, with more on the way this month and next.
On Friday, Capital Bikeshare installed a new dock at S. Pickett Street and Shillings Street, near the Contempo NOVA (né Modera Tempo) apartments at 5760 Dow Avenue.
