Last year, Alexandria updated the Small Area Plan (SAP) for Old Town North. While there are several parts of the plan that are intended to improve cycling in the area, one of the most exciting is parts is the plan to convert the existing railroad - that the Mt. Vernon trail currently parallels - into a linear park with am improved and extended trail. But the plan also calls for extending the North Royal Street bikeway across a developed power plant site and adding bike lanes.
On the north end, the rail spur would be replaced by a linear park, and the trail currently alongside it would be improved and extended to both the sidepath along Potomac Green Drive and the end of the spur at North Henry Street (dependent upon rail corridor expansion for DC2RVA). The trail along East Abington would also be improved. The Mount Vernon Trail would be moved from the water's edge into an expanded waterfront (from 5 acres to 7-9 acres), where it could be separated into bicycle and pedestrian trails. New trail connections would be created at Slater's Lane and 3rd Street. The trail along the existing spur would also be separated into bicycle and pedestrian trails.
On the south end the rest of the rail spur would also be replaced with a linear park and improved trail. And 2nd street would be extended as a pedestrian (and bicycle?) connection to the trail and the waterfront.
Use of the rail corridor was considered for transit.
It was determined that a linear park is more feasible due to extensive land acquisition that would be required for a transitway along the rail corridor. In addition, the rail corridor provides limited access to higher density uses that are compatible with high capacity transit. Utilizing existing local streets and the potential new street network with the former power plant site will provide better transit access to existing and future land uses.
The expansion to the waterfront open space creates the opportunity to widen the current waterfront trail access between the former power plant site and the River, with the potential to separate the bicycle and pedestrian trail for a better connection between the plan area and Daingerfield Island to the north. It could include a bicycle repair station too.
Alexandria's Transportation Master Plan includes a bikeway on Royal Street, and facilities on Bashford, Madison Pendleton and Oronoco, and where relevant this plan recommends extending the bicycle facilities into the former power plant site as redevelopment occurs, as well as on Slaters Lane, which would provide an east-west bicycle connection from the former power plant site to the existing bicycle lane on Slaters Lane west of the Parkway.
The plan recommends additional long and short term bicycle parking (required for new development) and 5 bikeshare stations in the plan area. It also recommends parking maximums for each use on the former power plant to encourage pedestrian, bike and transit use and help in achieving the sustainability objectives of the Plan.
Outside the project area, it recommends pursuing the design of a trail extension along the east side of Daingerfield Island as part of a future NPS Daingerfield Island master plan process.
Some of these things could happen soon. Constructing a new trail or cycle track on the east side of E. Abingdon between the existing Mt. Vernon Trail at the rail spur, and Slaters Lane is scheduled for the 2017-2019 time frame. Building an enhanced bicycle corridor on Madison Street between the Braddock Metrorail station and the waterfront is scheduled for 2018 as is the Neighborhood bikeway along N. Royal Street between Jones Point Park and Bashford Lane.
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