Alexandria's North Van Dorn could get protected bike lanes

The City of Alexandria will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, March 15, from 6 -8 p.m. at the Fairlington United Methodist Church, 3900 King Street (Chapel) to present the preferred option for a roadway design for North Van Dorn Street, between Braddock Road and Menokin Drive, and solicit community input. (map)

The proposal includes enhancements for bicycling along this corridor and safer crossings to the bus stops along North Van Dorn Street. This Complete Streets project could possibly include major pedestrian improvements at the intersections of North Van Dorn Street at Braddock Road and Menokin Drive. The project would be implemented in conjunction with the resurfacing of this roadway later this spring.

At a public meeting on this project in January, the City presented two options. Option 1 narrows the travel lanes by 1' total and adds that to the buffer between the roadway and the sidewalks. 

Option 2 is a real road diet, from 4 lanes to 3, with extra spaced dedicated to pedestrian islands and bike lanes on the north section and protected bike lanes on the south. It would also drop the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 mph. 

And it would also make the intersections with Menokin Drive and Braddock Road more pedestrian friendly by getting rid of the slip stream lanes and making more pedestrian space.

At Tuesday's meeting, they'll be presenting a refined, preferred option based on feedback they've received. If it looks a lot like option 1, they should stop calling it a complete street project. But option 2 would be great and fits in with the City's Recommended Bike Network.

Comments

[Rob Delach]

Putting this section of Van Dorn St on a road diet is a no-brainer. Traffic on this section is only 5500 vehicles per day (Average Daily Traffic (ADT)) according to VDOT's data. There is no need for 2 travel lanes in each direction at this level of traffic.

[Jonathan Krall]

Thanks for this reporting! This project was discussed at the February BPAC meeting, where it got a round of applause. We were told that the public at the January Park Place meeting was supportive of the road diet.

People who live in the area and who want more bike lanes should please come out to the March 15 meeting. This project is still under discussion and nothing is a done deal.

[Bayley]

Fantastic plan. I bike this street several times a year and never feel safe, plus, in the 20 years aware of north van dorn, I've never seen a necessity for 4 lanes. I wish I had a bit more heads up about this hearing tomorrow tho.

[John Flack]

Doesn't do a thing for me without some bike facilities on the part of Van Dorn south of Braddock. Unfortunately, the traffic on this segment is heavier, and there is not enough space for bike lanes without taking space that the cars need. Still, maybe there is enough space to perhaps widen sidewalks into MUPs.