City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 2, 2015
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing and Consideration of the Report of the City Council Naming Committee on a Proposed Plaque to be Installed at the Alexandria Union Station in Honor of Lois Walker.
BODY
ISSUE: City Council consideration of the City Council Naming Committee's recommendation on the proposal to install a plaque inside the glassed arcade at the Alexandria Union Station in honor of Lois Walker.
RECOMMENDATION: That Council hold a public hearing on December 12 and adopt the recommendation of the Naming Committee's recommendation and proposal to install a plaque at the Alexandria Union Station in honor of Lois Walker.
DISCUSSION: Lois Walker was a long-time resident of Alexandria and a former City Council member who served for two terms. She was a well-known and respected advocate for integrated transportation planning initiatives in Alexandria and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, particularly those which influenced transportation corridors, public transit and multi-modal initiatives. Her influence and guidance helped lead to the development of Alexandria's new Metroway bus service linking Alexandria and Arlington along Route 1 and the provision of flexible right-of-way along the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge to accommodate future high-capacity transportation solutions based on the emerging needs of the region.
The daughter of a railroad engineer, Mrs. Walker's legacy was strongly focused on rail transportation, and she was the President of Virginians for High Speed Rail and a former Board member of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Her efforts also led to the donation of Alexandria's Union Station, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to the City of Alexandria.
After Mrs. Walker's death in 2013...
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