City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 2, 2024
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: ADRIANA CASTAÑEDA, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Resolution Authorizing Conversion of the King Street Access Road from two-way to one-way (westbound) between South Taylor Street and Menokin Drive. [ROLL-CALL VOTE].
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Request for approval of a conversion of the King Street Access Road from two-way to one-way (westbound) between South Taylor Street and Menokin Drive.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve the Resolution (Attachment 1) for conversion of the access road from two-way operation to one-way westbound between South Taylor Street and Menokin Drive.
BACKGROUND: The King Street-Bradlee Safety and Mobility Enhancements Project (Project) was first identified as a priority location for improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in the 2016 Pedestrian and Bicycle Chapter update of the Transportation Master Plan. It was reaffirmed as a priority location to address critical gaps in the City’s existing bicycle and sidewalk network through the adoption of the 2021 Alexandria Mobility Plan. Additionally, the project addresses the 2017 Vision Zero Action Plan, and the 2019 Alexandria Transit Vision Plan goals and priorities include enhancements to bicycle, pedestrian and bus connectivity, reliability, and safety.
From fall 2023 through the summer of 2024, staff engaged with the community to solicit feedback on safety concerns, opportunities for improvement, and input on design concepts before identifying and proposing a preferred design concept for consideration by the Traffic and Parking Board (Board) at a public hearing in June 2024 (Attachment 2). The Board unanimously supported the Project and made a recommendation to City Council to convert a portion of the King Street Access Road from two-way to one-way westbound with a dedicated bus lane (Attachment 2 page 3). Meeting minutes and testimony can be found in Attachment 2 (pages 86-88). Also in June 2024, City Council endorsed an application to the Virgina Department of Transportation to provide funding for the construction of this project (as the City previously secured funding for study and design).
In fall 2023, staff kicked off the public outreach via phone calls, flyers, and signage in the study area, an online feedback form and in-person pop-up events, resulting in over 1,000 engagements with the community. In February 2024, the staff hosted an in-person open house with a presentation, project boards, and direct engagement with the community. A copy of the presentation and all materials were shared on the project website after the open house. A second online feedback form was made available for over a month to solicit additional community feedback on the proposed design concepts. A virtual community meeting was held in May 2024 to provide an update on the proposed concept and to present the final recommendation to the community; the presentation and a recording was posted on the project website after the meeting. Throughout the entire engagement process, the staff continuously engaged with the community to solicit feedback, hear input and refine the design concepts. Outreach included continuous website updates, direct emails to a listserv, communications with HOA members to share updates, and eight presentations to nearby community associations. Staff was in regular contact with representatives of the Bradlee Shopping Center and Arlington County. For a full engagement summary refer to Attachment 3. Community letters can be found in Attachment 2 (pages 51-82).
DISCUSSION: Staff developed three concepts for the study area, primarily focusing on modifications to the Access Road as initial community input had indicated a preference to maintain King Street as a primary throughfare for the area. Design changes were shaped by project goals to:
• Install safer pedestrian access and bicycle facilities resulting in connectivity into the surrounding network;
• Improve mobility, safety, and access for all roadway users of all ages, abilities and modes of travel;
• Maintain or enhance existing transit facilities; and
• Improve existing stormwater treatment in the corridor and reduce instances of standing water.
All three options were shared with the community in February 2024 at the Open House and the online feedback helped the staff narrow the concepts down to two options for further in-depth study.
The proposed one-way configuration addresses project goals by improving safety for people walking, biking, scooting, and e-biking with the installation of a two-way cycle track, improved crossing infrastructure, and a protected sidewalk. The dedicated westbound bus lane will improve bus travel times and reliability through the study area while enhancing rider experience with upgraded bus stops and shelters. Vehicular traffic maintains or improves travel time in the study area with signal timing adjustments, new turn lanes, and intersection configuration. The streetscape will be improved with additional landscaping and stormwater treatments. For renderings of the proposed design concept, refer to Attachment 2 (pages 40-42).
While the King Street-Bradlee Safety and Mobility Enhancements Project includes improvements to the access road area to enhance safety and mobility for all users, the City Code Sec. 5-8-3(g)(3) states that Council must make the final decision on converting one-way streets to two-way streets and vice versa.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact as this project will be funded through grants. Prior awards of $3 million in state grants have been allocated to this project to support Preliminary Engineering, and the City applied for FY 2030 Smart Scale funding for up to $20 million to fund project construction costs. Should the City not be awarded Smart Scale funding, staff would continue to seek alternative grant sources to fully build the project.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Traffic and Parking Board Docket
3. Engagement Summary
4. Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Hillary Orr, Deputy Director of Transportation Planning & Mobility, T&ES
Tarrence Moorer, Deputy Director of Waste & Traffic Management, T&ES
Alicia Wright, Acting Assistant Director, Administrative Services, T&ES
Ryan Knight, Division Chief of Traffic Engineering, T&ES
Sara Brandt-Vorel, Transportation Capital Projects Manager, T&ES