Members of the Alexandria City Council are looking to curb cut-through traffic through city neighborhoods.

Last week, Mayor Justin Wilson, Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and Councilman John T. Chapman sent the city manager’s office a memo, requesting staff look into implementing a residential permit program restricting cars from driving through streets during peak periods, and imposing higher fines for drivers speeding through residential areas, as Arlington recently did.

“Given the risk of death or serious injury from speeding in our neighborhoods we believe these higher fines may act as an appropriate deterrent to this dangerous activity,” notes the memo, which does not outline specific neighborhoods.

Congestion is likely to get worse. The city’s population (at 151,300 residents in 2018) is increasing an average of 1% every year, and is expected to grow by 13,600 people between 2020 and 2030, according to a 2019 report. Additionally, employment in the city is expected to rise 20 percent by 2030, from 102,000 to nearly 120,000 jobs, which will mean more cars on city roadways.

The memo comes as the city is updating its Transportation Master Plan, which was last approved in 2008, and has been renamed the Alexandria Mobility Plan. According to the memo, a community survey for the plan found that:

• 71% of the survey respondents cited congestion as one of the biggest challenges to mobility
• 35% of the survey respondents, a plurality, cited “reducing impacts of regional traffic on City streets” as a desired focus
• 53% cited reducing congestion as an area to invest resources

Alexandria Man Killed in Southern Va. — “A man and a woman from the Washington area were found dead Saturday on a road in a quiet part of southern Virginia, and state police said the two were homicide victims. Ntombo Joel Bianda, 21, of Alexandria, Va., and Ayanna Munne Maertens Griffin, 19, of Germantown, Md., were found at about 2:50 a.m. Saturday.” [Washington Post, WSET]

APD Crosswalk Enforcement in Del Ray — “APD’s Traffic Safety Officers successfully completed a crosswalk enforcement operation in the 400 block of E. Monroe Ave. today. This resulted in 23 citations being issued in 4 hours.” [Twitter]

Bus Barn Work Starts — “Demolition has officially started on the former Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) ‘bus barn’ to make room for a large new residential development. That development of 286 apartments will include 12 affordable units.” [Alexandria Living]

Local Resident Stands Up to Cancer — “The man with the open heart and time for hundreds of community causes can now use a boost to help him with his passion for cancer research. He needs pledges. Starting at 4:26 p.m. on Monday, February 10, [Pat] Malone will ‘Stand Up to Cancer’ for 24-hours straight at Fire Works American Pizzeria and Bar in Arlington.” [Zebra]

Naturalization Ceremony in Alexandria — “For nearly two decades, Vinod Krishnkumar had been waiting for this day to come. It was a day his father in India dreamed about but never got to experience for himself: On Jan. 31, Krishnkumar was among 170 individuals from around the world to take the Oath of Citizenship during the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.” [Gazette Packet]

The City of Alexandria announced today (Wednesday) that several thousand drivers who received speeding tickets could be eligible for a refund.

Insufficiently tested equipment is being cited as the reason for the refunds, according to a press release. Eligible motorists were mailed notifications today, the release said, and can request refunds online through March 15, 2020.

According to the release:

A City supervisor first identified in October 2017 that speedometer tests on five police vehicles were not properly conducted. Following an initial internal review, the City Manager directed in January 2019 that the City’s internal auditor conduct a formal investigation. The inquiries identified concerns about certain speedometer tests conducted between March 2016 and May 2019. Some vehicles had not been tested frequently enough, and some service technicians applied inconsistent test standards. The City voluntarily initiated a process to void these tickets because it may not be able to sufficiently defend the tickets if challenged in court.

Out of the nearly 20,000 speeding tickets issued over that three year period, staff identified 2,169 speeding tickets that are now in question because of the faulty tests. Resulting convictions were vacated and the cases dismissed yesterday (Tuesday). The release says the city will refund any fines or court costs paid by motorists who received citations.

“At the City’s request, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is working to reverse adverse actions resulting from the original convictions, including demerit points and driving record notations,” the release said. “The City has implemented additional recommendations of the internal auditor, including improved testing protocols, enhanced staff training, better communication between City departments, and increased supervision and monitoring of the testing process.”

The audit did not find evidence that officers were aware that the speedometers were not properly tested. To prevent it from happening again, however, copies of the current speedometer tests will now be added to police cruisers and test records are now required to undergo secondary review.

“We recognize the burden placed on those affected, and we have taken significant proactive steps to restore public confidence and prevent future errors,” City Manager Mark Jinks said in the release. “Our community and our police officers should be able to expect that speeding tickets are based on properly tested equipment, and we sincerely regret that the City did not meet that expectation in certain cases.”

Staff Photo by Jay Westcott