Seminary Rd. needs to be expanded

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who said anything about putting the onus on pedestrians to lobby for money for sidewalks?

Sidewalks shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should have sidewalks. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets have sidewalks.

And safe biking infrastucture also shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should be safe and comfortable to bike on. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets are safe and comfortable to bike on.

Where is this magical city with unlimited budgets and no competing priorities? Can I move there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who said anything about putting the onus on pedestrians to lobby for money for sidewalks?

Sidewalks shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should have sidewalks. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets have sidewalks.

And safe biking infrastucture also shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should be safe and comfortable to bike on. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets are safe and comfortable to bike on.

Where is this magical city with unlimited budgets and no competing priorities? Can I move there?

It's not money that's lacking, it's political will. Generally, DOTs have lots of money. (The Alexandria department of transportation has $59 million in operating funding and $47 million in capital funding for FY 2020.) They just don't like to spend it for people who walk and bike. That needs to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who said anything about putting the onus on pedestrians to lobby for money for sidewalks?

Sidewalks shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should have sidewalks. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets have sidewalks.

And safe biking infrastucture also shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should be safe and comfortable to bike on. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets are safe and comfortable to bike on.

Where is this magical city with unlimited budgets and no competing priorities? Can I move there?

It's not money that's lacking, it's political will. Generally, DOTs have lots of money. (The Alexandria department of transportation has $59 million in operating funding and $47 million in capital funding for FY 2020.) They just don't like to spend it for people who walk and bike. That needs to change.

^^^And there's plenty of space for infrastructure for walking and biking, too. You just need to reallocate some of the existing road space from cars to walking/biking infrastructure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who said anything about putting the onus on pedestrians to lobby for money for sidewalks?

Sidewalks shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should have sidewalks. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets have sidewalks.

And safe biking infrastucture also shouldn't be something you have to lobby for. Streets should be safe and comfortable to bike on. The city transportation budget should go to making sure that all streets are safe and comfortable to bike on.

Where is this magical city with unlimited budgets and no competing priorities? Can I move there?

It's not money that's lacking, it's political will. Generally, DOTs have lots of money. (The Alexandria department of transportation has $59 million in operating funding and $47 million in capital funding for FY 2020.) They just don't like to spend it for people who walk and bike. That needs to change.

That isn't the transportation budget. That is the TE&S budget.

[Anonymous]

OK, so for those of you who support sidewalks and increasing pedestrian infrastructure: are you OK with the City of Alexandria seeking a significant grant for a 1/4 mile sidewalk, or do you think those funds should be allocated to outstanding projects where there are no sidewalks on either side of the road within a school walk zone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, so for those of you who support sidewalks and increasing pedestrian infrastructure: are you OK with the City of Alexandria seeking a significant grant for a 1/4 mile sidewalk, or do you think those funds should be allocated to outstanding projects where there are no sidewalks on either side of the road within a school walk zone?

I suspect most of the latter are constrained not by funding, but by adjacent landowners resisting sidewalks.

[Anonymous]

Safe Routes to Schools actually gets federal $, IIUC.

[Anonymous]

https://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=11552

Pedestrian safety improvements at Charles Barrett Elementary School (complete)
Speed cushions, median island, and crosswalk improvements at Maury Elementary School (complete)
Pedestrian countdown timers and curb ramps at Hammond Middle School (complete)
Bicycle lanes near George Mason, MacArthur and Mount Vernon Elementary Schools (complete)
A median refuge, signal improvements and new, accessible pedestrian signals at Mount Vernon (complete)
Sidewalk concept development and alternatives for Cambridge Drive near MacArthur Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Monticello Avenue and Cameron Mills Road near George Mason Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Reed Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue near Cora Kelly Elementary (complete)
Median islands, sidewalk and crosswalks on Polk Avenue at Polk Elementary (complete)
Curb extensions and high-visibility crosswalks at various locations (upcoming)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=11552

Pedestrian safety improvements at Charles Barrett Elementary School (complete)
Speed cushions, median island, and crosswalk improvements at Maury Elementary School (complete)
Pedestrian countdown timers and curb ramps at Hammond Middle School (complete)
Bicycle lanes near George Mason, MacArthur and Mount Vernon Elementary Schools (complete)
A median refuge, signal improvements and new, accessible pedestrian signals at Mount Vernon (complete)
Sidewalk concept development and alternatives for Cambridge Drive near MacArthur Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Monticello Avenue and Cameron Mills Road near George Mason Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Reed Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue near Cora Kelly Elementary (complete)
Median islands, sidewalk and crosswalks on Polk Avenue at Polk Elementary (complete)
Curb extensions and high-visibility crosswalks at various locations (upcoming)

This list proves the above point - some of these projects are 10 years old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, so for those of you who support sidewalks and increasing pedestrian infrastructure: are you OK with the City of Alexandria seeking a significant grant for a 1/4 mile sidewalk, or do you think those funds should be allocated to outstanding projects where there are no sidewalks on either side of the road within a school walk zone?

I suspect most of the latter are constrained not by funding, but by adjacent landowners resisting sidewalks.

Try again. These are projects that are approved but unfunded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, so for those of you who support sidewalks and increasing pedestrian infrastructure: are you OK with the City of Alexandria seeking a significant grant for a 1/4 mile sidewalk, or do you think those funds should be allocated to outstanding projects where there are no sidewalks on either side of the road within a school walk zone?

I'm ok with the City of Alexandria reallocating funding from road construction/expansion projects to sidewalk projects. How about you?

I'm not ok with you pitting one sidewalk project against other sidewalk projects. It's not this one OR that one. It's this one AND that one AND that one AND...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=11552

Pedestrian safety improvements at Charles Barrett Elementary School (complete)
Speed cushions, median island, and crosswalk improvements at Maury Elementary School (complete)
Pedestrian countdown timers and curb ramps at Hammond Middle School (complete)
Bicycle lanes near George Mason, MacArthur and Mount Vernon Elementary Schools (complete)
A median refuge, signal improvements and new, accessible pedestrian signals at Mount Vernon (complete)
Sidewalk concept development and alternatives for Cambridge Drive near MacArthur Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Monticello Avenue and Cameron Mills Road near George Mason Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Reed Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue near Cora Kelly Elementary (complete)
Median islands, sidewalk and crosswalks on Polk Avenue at Polk Elementary (complete)
Curb extensions and high-visibility crosswalks at various locations (upcoming)

This list proves the above point - some of these projects are 10 years old.

Yes its true previous councils did not do enough. Thankfully the pace has accelerated since Justin became Vice Mayor and then Mayor, as almost all those are complete.


If there is one particular project you are concerned with you should certainly advocate for it (and here would be a fine place to start, IMO)

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know who is responsible for paving the westbound section of Seminary Road from the I-395 off-ramp? Is it VDOT or the City of Alexandria? The potholes are awful! I have to grit my teeth while driving through there and the problem is just getting worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=11552

Pedestrian safety improvements at Charles Barrett Elementary School (complete)
Speed cushions, median island, and crosswalk improvements at Maury Elementary School (complete)
Pedestrian countdown timers and curb ramps at Hammond Middle School (complete)
Bicycle lanes near George Mason, MacArthur and Mount Vernon Elementary Schools (complete)
A median refuge, signal improvements and new, accessible pedestrian signals at Mount Vernon (complete)
Sidewalk concept development and alternatives for Cambridge Drive near MacArthur Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Monticello Avenue and Cameron Mills Road near George Mason Elementary (complete)
Intersection reconstruction at Reed Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue near Cora Kelly Elementary (complete)
Median islands, sidewalk and crosswalks on Polk Avenue at Polk Elementary (complete)
Curb extensions and high-visibility crosswalks at various locations (upcoming)

This list proves the above point - some of these projects are 10 years old.

Yes its true previous councils did not do enough. Thankfully the pace has accelerated since Justin became Vice Mayor and then Mayor, as almost all those are complete.


If there is one particular project you are concerned with you should certainly advocate for it (and here would be a fine place to start, IMO)

I do advocate for those projects on a regular basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, so for those of you who support sidewalks and increasing pedestrian infrastructure: are you OK with the City of Alexandria seeking a significant grant for a 1/4 mile sidewalk, or do you think those funds should be allocated to outstanding projects where there are no sidewalks on either side of the road within a school walk zone?

I'm ok with the City of Alexandria reallocating funding from road construction/expansion projects to sidewalk projects. How about you?

I'm not ok with you pitting one sidewalk project against other sidewalk projects. It's not this one OR that one. It's this one AND that one AND that one AND...

Depends on the project and it depends on how you define construction. Do you mean the transit corridor projects? Or the new road construction in Potomac Yard?

I am completely ok with pitting sidewalk projects against one another and so is the city. I absolutely believe that transportation projects should be prioritized based on the safety benefit, especially when the funds allocated for these projects are limited. I live in reality, where - between the combined sewer project and the CIP for ACPS - Alexandria needs to prioritize every project of every type. When I live in a utopia where AND and AND and AND are possible, I will absolutely agree that we shouldn't pit sidewalk projects against each other.