safety | ALXnow

City Warns Drivers to be Mindful of Increased Pedestrian Traffic This Weekend

Published October 27, 2020 at 2:30PM

A pedestrian tries to cross Duke St. at N. Jordan St. (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria is asking local drivers to be particularly mindful of safe driving this week as children, who may not adhere as closely to regulations as adults, take to the streets to trick or treat.

While traditional trick or treating has been discouraged this year in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it’s still likely that this weekend will see a noticeable uptick of children on city streets. City Council declared this week as “Pedestrian Safety Awareness Week” in early October in light of the potential risk.

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Councilman Seifeldein: Police Review Board Proposal ‘Dead in the Water’

By James Cullum

Published September 8, 2020 at 11:30AM | Updated September 8, 2020 at 11:50AM

City Councilman Mo Seifeldein says that the community police review board proposal going before City Council tonight (Tuesday, September 8) is “dead in the water.”

The proposal from Council was approved unanimously in June, and does not give the review board the ability to independently investigate police misconduct and issue subpoenas if necessary. The request to include the authority was made by the NAACP, Tenants and Workers, and other local groups, Seifeldein said.

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Letter To The Editor: We Have Found the Courage to Redefine Ourselves

By ALXnow.com

Published April 30, 2020 at 5:45PM | Updated May 1, 2020 at 2:49AM

Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley at Inova Alexandria Hospital, April 28, 2020. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

The following Letter to the Editor was written by Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley.

Like every emergency, the Alexandria Fire Department approached this pandemic with the mindset that we will win the fight, no matter the circumstances – and that is NON-NEGOTIABLE. We have found the courage to redefine ourselves and think outside of the box to try new things in response to something we have never faced before.

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Water Tests Shows Elevated Levels of Lead at Local Middle Schools

By Vernon Miles

Published February 11, 2020 at 9:30AM

A survey of Alexandria City Public Schools’ drinking water sources has come back with relatively high levels of copper and lead in George Washington Middle School (1005 Mount Vernon Avenue).

Many of the schools had no outlets or very few that tested above action levels — amounts that require equipment replacement — for copper or lead. The EPA’s action levels for copper are 1.3 mg/L and much lower for lead, 0.015 mg/L. At T.C. Williams High School, 259 samples were collected and only four tested above actionable levels.

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AFD Responds to GW Parkway Crash at Dangerous Intersection

By ALXnow.com

Published January 31, 2020 at 3:35PM | Updated January 31, 2020 at 3:58PM

Crash on the GW Parkway at Belle View Blvd (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Several Alexandria Fire Department units responded as mutual aid to a crash on the GW Parkway in Fairfax County this afternoon.

The crash happened just before 1:30 p.m. at the GW Parkway intersection with Belle View Blvd. At least one of the victims was initially reported to trapped in their vehicle, potentially requiring extrication.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published January 14, 2020 at 8:00AM

APD Launches Safety Campaign for Officers — “Commuters often hear about the importance of safety on the road, but a new police program in Alexandria, Virginia, seeks to help officers keep themselves out of harm’s way on the road. Through its newly-launched, 12-month ‘Safety First — Every Shift, Every Call’ campaign, Alexandria police will provide officers with monthly safety tips throughout 2020 on topics like safe driving tactics, traffic stops and driving while fatigued.” [WTOP]

Drug Take-Back Day Coming Soon — “Alexandria encourages residents to safely dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications, including those prescribed by veterinarians, during National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. A special collection will take place on January 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., although medications may also be taken year-round to one of the permanent drop box locations.” [City of Alexandria]

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Seminary Road Facebook Group Unites Democrats and Republicans But Splits Community

By Vernon Miles

Published December 18, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 18, 2019 at 4:38PM

Seminary Road (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

It’s rare for a Facebook group to be the topic of discussion at the City Council dais, but Alexandria Residents Against the Seminary Road Diet is no ordinary page.

The group started as a small forum for drivers and residents to express their frustration over the city’s change to a portion of Seminary Road — reducing vehicle travel lanes from four lanes to two, with a turn lane in between, to allow for greater pedestrian and bicycle space.

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Nonprofit to Offer Free Lyft Rides in Alexandria to Prevent Drunk Driving

By Vernon Miles

Published December 13, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 19, 2019 at 8:59AM

Starting on Dec. 20, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) will offer its annual Holiday SoberRide program nightly from 10 p.m.-4 a.m., until Jan. 1.

In addition to Alexandria, the program is offered to rides in D.C., Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties in Virginia.

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City to Consider Safety Improvements for King/Braddock/Quaker Intersection

By Vernon Miles

Published December 10, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 10, 2019 at 10:07AM

Overturned vehicle on W. Braddock Road (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

Alexandria will be looking into new safety improvements for the King Street, Braddock Road, and Quaker Lane intersection after a car overturned last week in a crash.

The city made improvements to the intersection a few years ago — with changes to the traffic signal and improvements to the service road. The city implemented other safety measures to the surrounding area, like reducing the speed limit on Quaker Lane. Despite this, the junction remains congested and, some believe, dangerous.

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Series of Incidents at George Washington Middle School Raise Alarm Among Parents

By Vernon Miles

Published December 2, 2019 at 9:30AM | Updated December 3, 2019 at 8:31AM

George Washington Middle School (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated 8:50 p.m.) A series of fire alarms at George Washington Middle School has reignited outcry from parents who say more needs to be done to modernize the school.

Not only did the fire alarms go off several times in November at the school, but during one incident where there was a fire — when a poster was set on fire on Nov. 14 but was quickly extinguished — concerns were raised that no alarm went off.

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Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published November 26, 2019 at 6:30AM

Alexandria Home Sale Prices Rise Above Arlington — “The Amazon HQ2 effect on home prices in Northern Virginia continues and, at least by one measure, the Alexandria housing market is now more expensive than Arlington County. At least it was in October, the most recent month for which data is available.” [WTOP]

Trampoline Park Hoping to Open By End of Year — “Management for Get Air Trampoline Park, an indoor recreation and amusement park, confirmed that the Alexandria location is scheduled to open in the second half of December. The space Get Air is occupying at 340 S. Pickett St. was formerly a U.S. Post Office in the West End Village shopping center.” [Alexandria Living]