Community Corner

Bike Lanes or On-Street Parking?

Alexandria is proposing to narrow the driving lanes on a segment of King Street and remove on-street parking for new bicycle lanes.

Alexandria city staff is hosting a meeting Wednesday to discuss a plan to narrow the lanes on King Street between Russell Road and Janney’s Lane and install bicycle lanes in both directions.

The plan calls for removing on-street parking spaces in front of residences on a half-mile stretch between West Cedar Street and West View Terrace.

City staff says it has received numerous requests from residents for traffic calming measures along this segment of King Street.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The lane narrowing and addition of bike lanes are “intended to slow vehicle speeds and provide a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists as well as safer routes to schools,” according to Alexandria’s Local Motion website.  

The proposed bicycle lanes would provide a connection from the King Street-Old Town Metro station to the new bicycle facilities on Janney’s Lane and are a recommended in the City's Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Wash Cycle, a bicycling advocacy blog covering the D.C. region, urged Alexandria residents to write City Council to support the plan in a post published Monday.

Along with concerns of lost parking, some residents have expressed worries about narrowing the lanes, which will shrink from 11½ feet to 10½ as part of the plan.

“There's only so much road there, either sidewalk goes or parking does for a bike lane to go in. Do Not Want!!” city resident Michelle Goble tweeted Friday.

“Some neighbors can't bear the thought of giving up unused parking,” Alexandria Transportation Commissioner Kevin Posey tweeted on Tuesday.

The meeting to discuss the project will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the cafeteria at Maury Elementary School (600 Russell Road).

ACTion Alexandria, an online platform aimed at making community action and problem solving easier, posted a poll on its blog asking residents for their opinion on the matter. The poll closes at 2 p.m. Wednesday.


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