City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 6, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage of AN ORDINANCE to amend Section 5-2-62 (CHANGES OF NAMES) of Article C (STREET NAMES), Chapter 2 (STREETS AND SIDEWALKS), Title 5 (TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES) of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, 1981, as amended, by adding thereto a new subsection (16) changing the name of Jefferson Davis Highway to Richmond Highway. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
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 approve an ordinance adopting 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 Ci...
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