City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 2, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Recommendation to Rename Portions of U.S. Route 1 in the City of Alexandria.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a recommendation to rename portions of U.S. Route 1 in the City of Alexandria.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council take the following actions related to renaming portions of U.S. Route 1 in the City of Alexandria:
1. Receive the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Renaming Jefferson Davis Highway via the City Manager;
2. Docket the recommendation for Public Hearing on June 23, 2018;
3. Adopt the name "Richmond Highway" for the portion of U.S. Route 1 in the City of Alexandria currently named "Jefferson Davis Highway," effective January 1, 2019.
BACKGROUND: U.S. Route 1 is named Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington County and in the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria. The road is named Patrick Street and Henry Street in Old Town, and Richmond Highway in Fairfax County. U.S. Route 1 in Virginia changes names at least 23 times between at least 19 different names as it winds through 18 localities between Arlington County and Mecklenburg County. Only four stretches of the road are named Jefferson Davis Highway.
On September 29, 2015, Alexandria City Council unanimously established an Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names. One of the functions of that body was to "develop recommendations on actions, if any, that it believes City Council should consider with respect to ... the name of Jefferson Davis Highway in the City of Alexandria." On August 18, 2016, the body submitted its final report to City Council and included the recommendation that "the name of Jefferson Davis Highway in the City of Alexandria should be changed." For further background on this reco...
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