City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 19, 2013
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: RASHAD M. YOUNG, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Second Reading and Final Passage of an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 7 (Bicycles), Title 10 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic) of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
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ISSUE: Recommendation to amend ordinance to be consistent with the Virginia State Code.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council introduced changes to the ordinance on Tuesday, June 11, and held a public hearing on Saturday, June 15, 2013 on the proposed changes to the bicycle section of the City Code; and amend the ordinance to reflect proposed changes on Tuesday, June 25, 2013.
Three speakers testified at the June 15, 2013 City Council public hearing, two of the speakers raised concerns, particularly about bicycle riding on sidewalks in Old Town and the need for criteria to designate sidewalks where bicycle riding is prohibited. A third speaker spoke in favor of the proposed ordinance. In response to the public hearing, staff is proposing a zone where bicycle riding on sidewalks is prohibited. This zone is along King Street, between West Street to the Potomac River, and Union Street, between Cameron Street and Prince Street.
West Street is the chosen western-most boundary of the zone because it is immediately prior to the Jefferson Houston School walking/bicycling to school area, it is within the outdoor dining district, it is close to the boundary of the Central Business District, and sidewalk widths increase between West Street and Diagonal Road on King Street. For Union Street, the zone where bicycling is not permitted on sidewalks is within the Central Business District, are the blocks that have a high percentage of ground floor commercial development, is within the existing outd...
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