Virginia’s renewed efforts to win regional support for the contentious I-495 Southside Express Lanes project will focus more aggressively on minimizing negative consequences along the 11-mile route, the state’s top transportation official says.
“We will always look to reduce any of those types of impacts,” Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue said at a meeting last Wednesday (Oct. 21) of the region’s Transportation Planning Board (TPB).
Alexandria’s request for up to $27 million in state funds to support transportation improvements to a King Street access road in the Bradlee Shopping Center area has won support from the city’s neighbor to the north.
Arlington County Board members on Saturday (June 13) approved a resolution supporting the city’s SMART SCALE application for the project as part of the 2026 application round.
Regional transportation officials brought their quest for input on ways to rejuvenate the Route 7 (King Street and Leesburg Pike) corridor to Alexandria on Tuesday (June 9).
“This, combined with other conversations, it’s really helpful,” said Vikram Sinha, a Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) senior program manager who leads the Envision Route 7 initiative.
A proposal for new bike lanes, enhancements to pedestrian crossings and shorter crossing distances at key intersections on Braddock Road are up for review this month by Alexandria’s Traffic and Parking Board.
A city-recommended design concept calls for several Braddock Road upgrades between Russell Road and West Street. The city has worked on the Braddock Road Trail Access and Corridor Improvements project since last year as a response to concerns from Alex311, the 2023 Safe Routes to School walk audit at George Washington Middle School and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Two community workshops remain this week for Alexandria residents to learn more about plans to develop Duke Street and provide feedback to city leaders.
The Duke Street Land Use Plan is hosting workshops from 6:30-8 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) and tomorrow at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center at 4653 Taney Avenue. The first workshop was held last night (Tuesday).
Alexandria Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley assumed the top leadership spot of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) for 2026 last night (Thursday).
Bagley was unanimously elected chair of the regional body and will lead it during what is likely to be a pivotal year for transit funding across the area.
The Planning Commission will host a work session tomorrow (Tuesday) on a draft plan for the future of Duke Street.
Still in its infancy, the Duke Street Land Use Plan is intended to guide city officials in the development of the Duke Street corridor from the former Landmark Mall to Alexandria Union Station. The document is expected to be ready for City Council consideration and adoption from late 2026 to early 2027, according to the city.
Recommendations for safety, transit, cyclist and pedestrian improvements on S. Van Dorn Street at the Alexandria border in Fairfax County will be open for public review next month.
After considerable public input earlier this year, the Virginia Department of Transportation has outlined improvement alternatives for the 2.5-mile stretch of roadway in the South Van Dorn Street STARS Study (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions).
Alexandria is repaving several streets this week.
The city said that temporary “No Parking” signs will be displayed before work begins, and that businesses and residents in the affected areas got advance notice through project signs and letters. While street repavings are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment issues or utility work coordination, below is the listing of all the streets the city will repave between October 14 and October 17.
Alexandria is asking for public feedback on plans to upgrade crosswalks near schools in Arlandria and Del Ray.
The city’s Crossing Improvements Phase II would transform the sidewalks around Charles Barrett Elementary School (1115 Martha Custis Drive) and George Washington Middle School (1005 Mount Vernon Avenue). The deadline to submit feedback on the plans is Friday, Aug. 29.
Alexandria’s plan for the development of its West End just won a top award from the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).
After years of discussion, the City Council adopted the AlexWest Small Area Plan last December. With the massive WestEnd mixed use development working to unveil several new buildings, and Inova at Landmark poised to open in 2028, the plan recommends significant expansion of Dora Kelley Nature Park, a new public park adjacent to the Winkler Botanical Preserve, and a new park at the corner of Seminary Road and N. Beauregard Street.
