In an update (page 7) prepared for a Transportation Commission meeting tomorrow night, staff outlined some of the progress made in the Complete Streets program along with a look at what’s ahead for some of the city’s most popular trails.

One of the biggest items is progress on the long-awaited Holmes Run Trail Repairs. Portions of the trail have been closed since flooding in 2019 destroyed much of the creek-adjacent infrastructure. The report for the Transportation Commission outlined what’s ahead for those repairs. Parts of that trail, the report said, could be completed by next spring.

“Design for the bridge at 4600 Duke Street is complete, and the City is in the process of awarding a contract for construction,” the report said. “Construction for this part of the project is expected to be complete by Spring 2023.”

Three other sections of Holmes Run Trail are still at the 60% design stage, the report said. The design is expected to be completed next February.

Elsewhere, the city is working on installing a shared-use path along Old Cameron Run Trail — which runs on the Alexandria side of Hunting Creek between Alexandria and Fairfax — between South Payne Street and Hooffs Run Drive.

“This project is currently at the 60% design stage,” the report said. “The City and its consultants are currently developing right-of-way plans to inform land dedications and/or easements that will be needed. This project is expected to begin construction in 2025 or 2026, after the RiverRenew project, which involves construction activity in the trail area, is completed.”

Another shared-use path will be added to North Beauregard Street in the West End between Fillmore Avenue and Berkeley Street.

“This project is currently at the 60% design stage,” the report said. “Design is expected to be complete in 2023.”

Lastly, the city is working on making some improvements to the Mount Vernon Trail, including some widening to allow for two-way bicycle traffic.

“This project will expand the existing Mount Vernon Trail north of East Abingdon Drive, where the trail is currently too narrow for two-way bicycle traffic,” the report said. “Design is currently at the 30% stage.”

Staff said this summer, the city worked on making some improvements on routes to John Adams Elementary School with the Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program.

“This summer, staff implemented the Rayburn and Reading Avenue Complete Streets Project,” the report said. “This project involved the completion of 14 SRTS recommendations for John Adams Elementary School. Improvements included the installation of new crosswalks, ADA curb ramps, median refuge areas, sidewalk connections, and pedestrian signage.”

Meanwhile, city staff have started working on similar plans around William Ramsay Elementary School, with design expected to start this fiscal year.

“Ramsay has 11 SRTS recommendations, only one of which has been completed to date,” the report said. “Construction is expected to take place next fiscal year.”

Along with the school-specific programs, city staff is working on curb extensions at multiple schools.

The Transportation Commission is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. in the City Council workroom at City Hall (301 King Street).

Two projects in Alexandria will receive $5 million apiece from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA).

The NVTA awarded the amounts as part of its six-year budget adopted on Thursday (July 14). The two projects are: to make S. Van Dorn Street and its bridge more transit and pedestrian-friendly for the West End Transitway, and replacement of a fair-weather crossing on the Holmes Run Trail, just behind William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue).

The West End Transitway project is needed as significant redevelopment and a new bus rapid transit route are planned for the area.

The South Van Dorn Street bridge near the Van Dorn Metro station is a four-lane crossing that connects the Van Dorn neighborhood with Landmark just to the north. The project will design dedicated transit lanes for the future West End Transitway on S. Van Dorn Street and the Van Dorn bridges between Metro Road and McConnell Avenue, a report states.

This project will also improve non-motorized facilities along the bridges for better connections between new developments and the Van Dorn Metrorail station. The existing Van Dorn Street bridge has a narrow sidewalk along the east side and no bicycle facilities.

The Holmes Run Trail crossing will be replaced with a prefabricated pedestrian and bicycle bridge.

“The project will allow trail users continuous, safe and reliable access to the City’s off-street trail facilities, as well as other regional trails, and the future West End Transitway,” according to the report.

NVTA gave out about $625 million to 20 projects total across the region with its latest program, with more than half the money going to projects in Fairfax County.

The city’s hopes to extend the Route 1 Metroway a few blocks north have been dashed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), and now city staff is looking at other transportation projects (page 50) around town that could use state funding.

At a Transportation Commission meeting, city staff is proposing two alternative projects for NVTA funding: improvements to the Van Dorn Street bridge and replacement of a Holmes Run Trail bridge.

Currently, the South Van Dorn Street bridge near the Van Dorn Metro station is a four-lane crossing that connects the Van Dorn neighborhood with Landmark just to the north. But with significant redevelopment and a new bus rapid transit route planned for the area, the city is looking at making the bridge more transit and pedestrian-friendly.

This project will design South Van Dorn Street and the Van Dorn bridges between Metro Road and McConnell Avenue to accommodate dedicated transit lanes for the future West End Transitway as well as improve non-motorized facilities along the bridges for better connections between new developments and the Van Dorn Metrorail station… The existing Van Dorn Street bridge currently includes a narrow sidewalk along the east side and no bicycle facilities.

The city said NVTA funding would cover the design phase of the project.

The second project the city hopes to fund is a replacement of a fair-weather crossing on the Holmes Run Trail just behind William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue).

“This project will replace an existing fair-weather crossing for the Holmes Run Trail with a prefabricated pedestrian and bicycle bridge,” the report said. “The fair-weather crossing is located approximately 400 feet north of the intersection of Beauregard Street and North Morgan Street in Dora Kelley Park.”

Like with the Van Dorn Street bridge replacement, the city is looking for design funding. If secured, staff said construction could begin as soon as FY 2026.

Photo via Google Maps

What a busy week in Alexandria.

Our top story this week was on a juvenile who was shot outside the McDonald’s at the Bradlee Shopping Center on Tuesday, Sept. 21. There have also been a number of concerning incidents at Alexandria City Public Schools, including a juvenile who was arrested for trespassing and assault and battery at Alexandria City High School.

Meanwhile, while the COVID-19 transmission rate remains high, public events are still happening in Alexandria.

Important stories

• Connection Newspapers managing editor Kemal Kurspahic dies
• City Council approves new plastic bag tax for local grocery and convenience stores
• Electric scooter docks could replace some on-street parking in Alexandria
• City looks to state funding for Holmes Run Trail improvement and West End Transitway
• MacArthur Elementary shut down by water damage
• New Indian restaurant in Old Town eyes late October opening
• School Board to vote on transgender revisions in Alexandria City Public Schools
• ‘Fences’ is a triumph at The Little Theatre of Alexandria
• What’s the difference between Alexandria’s co-living policy and regular apartments?
• Government contractor in Alexandria under fire from Department of Labor for systemic racism in hiring practices

Top stories

1. Police: Juvenile shot at shopping center near Alexandria City High School
2. Police dispatched three times for fighting at Alexandria City Public Schools in less than a month
3. Police: Six hospitalized after overdoses on Alexandria-Fairfax border
4. Poll: What do you think of Metro’s proposed Blue Line crossing to National Harbor?
5. BREAKING: Flooding reported in Alexandria
6. Interview: Port City Publius opens up about Alexandria
7. BREAKING: Video shows brawl at Alexandria City High School cafeteria just two days after school starts
8. Juvenile arrested for trespassing and assault and battery at Alexandria City High School
9. Multiple violent charges dropped against Fairfax County man held without bond for assaulting police during arrest
10. Preserving Arlandria’s affordability against gentrification could cost upward of $100 million
11. JUST IN: One person injured after shots fired in West End Tuesday afternoon

Have a safe weekend! 

The City of Alexandria is sending a funding request to the state that could help create a better Holmes Run Trail Bridge and push the West End Transitway into its next phase.

At an upcoming City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 28, the Council is scheduled to review (item 14) a submission to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) for regional transportation funding in FY 2026 to FY 2027. The request is for funding from the NVTA’s 70% Program, which aims to reduce congestion and increase quality of life with projects of regional significance.

The City is seeking two $5 million grants for two longtime projects in the West End.

Part of the request is for more funding to the West End Transitway, a project that will bring bus rapid transit to the West End, from Van Dorn Metro station to the Pentagon with stops along the West End at locations like Southern Towers and the former-Landmark Mall. The West End Transitway had previously received $4.6 million from the program for the first phase of the project.

Now, the city is hoping for $5 million for part two, which would bring dedicated transit lanes and other transit adjustments to South Van Dorn Street and the Van Dorn bridge between Metro Road and McConnell Avenue.

The staff presentation noted that the dedicated transit lanes in phase two of the project would help increase travel choices in Alexandria and reduce single occupancy vehicle travel. Part of the overall goal of the project is to provide better transit access to the densely populated areas of the West End that aren’t near Metro stations.

The second $5 million request is to build a better crossing of Holmes Run Trail at Morgan Street. The new pedestrian and bicycle bridge would replace a current “fair weather crossing” at Holmes Run. The current crossing is a path that runs through shallow water that often becomes dangerous to cross during the city’s increasingly frequent flooding.

A city presentation said the improvement could create a more resilient, safer, and more reliable trail network — though parts of the trail still remain damaged from flooding in recent years.

A 19-year-old Prince William County man was arrested after a brief chase near the 5200 block of Taney Avenue in the West End.

The incident occurred on Monday, August 9. An Alexandria Police officer was at a stationary traffic post in the 4800 block of Taney Avenue, when he tried to stop a black Ford sedan, according to a search warrant affidavit.

The suspect then allegedly fled at a high rate of speed for about four blocks before striking several other vehicles and coming to rest in the 5200 block of Taney Avenue.

“(The officer) observed the driver of the black Ford sedan running from the sedan and the scene of the accident before losing sight of him,” police reported.

A witness to the accident also told police that they saw the suspect throw an unidentified object over a fence into the backyard of a home on Taney Avenue. Police went to that address and found two full glass vials and a broken vial of suspected PCP.

The suspect was arrested about a half-mile away in the 5400 block of Richenbacher Avenue. He was released on bond the next day and charged with driving without a valid license, hit-and-run, reckless driving and disregarding/eluding police.

Via Google Maps

Two years after historic floods wiped out swaths of the Holmes Run Trail, Alexandria is hosting a community meeting next week to provide an update on long-term repair efforts.

Parts of the trail in Dora Kelley Park have been inaccessible since flooding in 2018, but much of the rest of the trail has been in a state of disrepair since floods in 2019 undermined the structural integrity of two of the bridges and three stretches of trail.

A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4653 Taney Avenue). The city said meeting will include a restoration schedule and planned restoration activities, as well as an opportunity for the public to ask questions.

:As part of the design phase of the restoration project the City will study how the flood impacted Holmes Run and determine how the trail, bridges, and slopes should be modified/stabilized to minimize potential damage from future flood events,” the city said in a press release.

Three sites along the trail, including the two bridges, are listed on the city website as Tier 1 repairs — repairs that are most essential and should be prioritized.

“Tier 1 repairs are the most complex and costly to complete due to the structural damage caused by recent floods,” the website notes. “Unfortunately, these are not quick fixes, and substantial civil and structural engineering is required to ensure these repairs are sustainable and not subject to damage by future flood events.”

These repairs are funded with the design phase scheduled to start in September 2021.

It was a cold and news-filled week in Alexandria.

It all started with the report of two public safety incidents over the weekend — a serious car crash in Old Town and another shooting in the West End.

On the coronavirus front, Alexandria is now at 104 fatalities and 9,342 cases. Mayor Justin Wilson said that there is a vaccine shortage in the city, as the waitlist to get inoculated is at more than 25,000. The Alexandria Health Department reported to the Alexandria Times that about 2,000 doses are being distributed weekly.

Our top story this week was on the body that was found last Friday in the water at Holmes Run Trail by Cameron Run Regional Park. In an update, police told us that the death was not suspicious in nature.

Additionally, 630 people responded to our weekly poll. This week, we asked about the proposed Heritage development in Old Town. About 67% of respondents don’t think it’s appropriate for the neighborhood and 33% don’t have a problem with it.

In case you missed it, here are some important stories:

1. New Flood Warning Signs Installed in Del Ray
2. Initial and Continued Unemployment Claims Go Down in Alexandria
3. Despite COVID-19 Contractor Impacts, Potomac Yard Metro Station on Track for Spring 2022 Opening
4. City Council Accepts Plan to Double Stormwater Utility Fees
5. Victory Center’s Condominium Redevelopment Headed to Planning Commission

Here are our top stories of the week:

1. BREAKING: Body Found in the Water Near Cameron Station
2. Photos: The Regal Potomac Yard Movie Theater is Being Torn Down
3. Citizens Group Vilifies Heritage High Rise Project in Old Town
4. Atlantis Pizzeria and Family Restaurant Closing on Jan. 24
5. Alexandrians with Joe Biden Yard Signs Get Anonymous Letters Saying Biden is a Pedophile
6. Police: Shots Fired in West End, Car Crash in Old Town Over Weekend
7. Snow in Alexandria: Winter Weather Advisory in Effect Until 9 A.M. Tuesday
8. BREAKING: Woman Gets Arm Amputated, Police Investigate if She Was Thrown From Car in West End
9. Local Business in Hot Water with City Architects After Unauthorized Paint Job
10. Alexandria Mayor Formally Requests Dominion Energy Step Their Game Up
11. JUST IN: ACPS Announces No In-Person Schooling For Week of Feb. 1

Have a safe weekend!

There are few details released so far on the man’s body discovered in Holmes Run last week near Cameron Station, but police said the death does not appear suspicious and foul play is not currently suspected.

“[The incident] does not appear to be suspicious,” said Alexandria Police Department Senior Public Information Officer Amanda Paga.

Paga said the police are still waiting on the results from the chief medical examiner for a final report on the cause of death and other information about the person.

Mayor Justin Wilson tweeted that there was no known danger to the community.

We do not suspect foul play in this matter however, we are waiting for the Medical Examiner to make that final determination. As always we are out patrolling and doing everything we can to ensure the residents (and visitors) of Alexandria are safe.

— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) January 27, 2021