Eisenhower Avenue Connector

[Anonymous]

Whats the purpose of it? It goes nowhere.

[Anonymous]

There was supposed to be a connector between Eisenhower and Duke Street. Rich NIMBYs (and bike commuters - or some crossover between the two) prevented it.

Responses to this post will focus on "induced demand." Opponents argue that "if you build it, they (new cars) will come." They believe that by preventing the connector, these drivers will either use other forms of commute or take the highways. Regional traffic trends and the location of surrounding highways make that unlikely without a separate impetus.

[Anonymous]

I like this road

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was supposed to be a connector between Eisenhower and Duke Street. Rich NIMBYs (and bike commuters - or some crossover between the two) prevented it.

Responses to this post will focus on "induced demand." Opponents argue that "if you build it, they (new cars) will come." They believe that by preventing the connector, these drivers will either use other forms of commute or take the highways. Regional traffic trends and the location of surrounding highways make that unlikely without a separate impetus.

As far as I know it was people who lived in the path of the connection (not the richest folks in Alexandria, and not bike commuters)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whats the purpose of it? It goes nowhere.

I bike around there occasionally on weekends (there is a bike ped connection to Fairfax across the highway and through the sound wall there) and I regularly see cars using it to exit and enter the highway, so someone is using it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was supposed to be a connector between Eisenhower and Duke Street. Rich NIMBYs (and bike commuters - or some crossover between the two) prevented it.

Responses to this post will focus on "induced demand." Opponents argue that "if you build it, they (new cars) will come." They believe that by preventing the connector, these drivers will either use other forms of commute or take the highways. Regional traffic trends and the location of surrounding highways make that unlikely without a separate impetus.

As far as I know it was people who lived in the path of the connection (not the richest folks in Alexandria, and not bike commuters)

.

You should look into the history of the areas that opposed it. And keep in mind it doesn’t need to be near rich NIMBYs for them to think it’s all about them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was supposed to be a connector between Eisenhower and Duke Street. Rich NIMBYs (and bike commuters - or some crossover between the two) prevented it.

Responses to this post will focus on "induced demand." Opponents argue that "if you build it, they (new cars) will come." They believe that by preventing the connector, these drivers will either use other forms of commute or take the highways. Regional traffic trends and the location of surrounding highways make that unlikely without a separate impetus.

As far as I know it was people who lived in the path of the connection (not the richest folks in Alexandria, and not bike commuters)

.

You should look into the history of the areas that opposed it. And keep in mind it doesn’t need to be near rich NIMBYs for them to think it’s all about them.

Please provide the links. I am not wasting my time looking hunting for history of a decision implemented long ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was supposed to be a connector between Eisenhower and Duke Street. Rich NIMBYs (and bike commuters - or some crossover between the two) prevented it.

Responses to this post will focus on "induced demand." Opponents argue that "if you build it, they (new cars) will come." They believe that by preventing the connector, these drivers will either use other forms of commute or take the highways. Regional traffic trends and the location of surrounding highways make that unlikely without a separate impetus.

As far as I know it was people who lived in the path of the connection (not the richest folks in Alexandria, and not bike commuters)

.

You should look into the history of the areas that opposed it. And keep in mind it doesn’t need to be near rich NIMBYs for them to think it’s all about them.

Please provide the links. I am not wasting my time looking hunting for history of a decision implemented long ago.

NP. If you are really that curious, google is your friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was supposed to be a connector between Eisenhower and Duke Street. Rich NIMBYs (and bike commuters - or some crossover between the two) prevented it.

Responses to this post will focus on "induced demand." Opponents argue that "if you build it, they (new cars) will come." They believe that by preventing the connector, these drivers will either use other forms of commute or take the highways. Regional traffic trends and the location of surrounding highways make that unlikely without a separate impetus.

As far as I know it was people who lived in the path of the connection (not the richest folks in Alexandria, and not bike commuters)

.

You should look into the history of the areas that opposed it. And keep in mind it doesn’t need to be near rich NIMBYs for them to think it’s all about them.

Please provide the links. I am not wasting my time looking hunting for history of a decision implemented long ago.

NP. If you are really that curious, google is your friend.

Standard netiquette is that the person making a claim, citing online evidence, is the one who provides it. It perhaps should not be surprising that one of the Alex traffic complainers is not interested in standard netiquette.

[Anonymous]

It was supposed to connect 495 to Duke Street, through what is now Brenman Park/Cameron Station (this development didn’t exist at the time—it was a closing military base).

People who lived in affluent neighborhoods to the north of the connector (Seminary Hill, Rosemont, etc) opposed it because commuters/transit would then use their neighborhood streets to avoid 395/the mixing bowl (for example they could exit at Quaker Lane and wind through the side streets down to the connector), which would lower property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was supposed to connect 495 to Duke Street, through what is now Brenman Park/Cameron Station (this development didn’t exist at the time—it was a closing military base).

People who lived in affluent neighborhoods to the north of the connector (Seminary Hill, Rosemont, etc) opposed it because commuters/transit would then use their neighborhood streets to avoid 395/the mixing bowl (for example they could exit at Quaker Lane and wind through the side streets down to the connector), which would lower property values.

Well that sounds about right - traffic would have to go somewhere from Duke Street. Hardly sounds like giving foregoing Brenman Park and Cameron Station just to get more cut through traffic would have been a net gain for the City. Anyway, its all water under the bridge now.

[Anonymous]

I like the Eisenhower Connector. It takes me where I need to go!

Having it connect to Duke Street would certainly relieve some of the excessive traffic lined up trying to get onto Telegraph Road/Beltway at day’s end

[Anonymous]

It takes me to dogs day out and to sportrock

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was supposed to connect 495 to Duke Street, through what is now Brenman Park/Cameron Station (this development didn’t exist at the time—it was a closing military base).

People who lived in affluent neighborhoods to the north of the connector (Seminary Hill, Rosemont, etc) opposed it because commuters/transit would then use their neighborhood streets to avoid 395/the mixing bowl (for example they could exit at Quaker Lane and wind through the side streets down to the connector), which would lower property values.

Well that sounds about right - traffic would have to go somewhere from Duke Street. Hardly sounds like giving foregoing Brenman Park and Cameron Station just to get more cut through traffic would have been a net gain for the City. Anyway, its all water under the bridge now.

To be clear, the cut through traffic already exists and already cuts through neighborhoods. The issue is whether to spread the traffic through multiple entry/exit points or bottle neck it (which is what currently occurs). Anyone can look at a map of 395/495 to determine that these commuters are always going to choose to cut through Alexandria. The only question is who in Alexandria bears the burden of this traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was supposed to connect 495 to Duke Street, through what is now Brenman Park/Cameron Station (this development didn’t exist at the time—it was a closing military base).

People who lived in affluent neighborhoods to the north of the connector (Seminary Hill, Rosemont, etc) opposed it because commuters/transit would then use their neighborhood streets to avoid 395/the mixing bowl (for example they could exit at Quaker Lane and wind through the side streets down to the connector), which would lower property values.

Well that sounds about right - traffic would have to go somewhere from Duke Street. Hardly sounds like giving foregoing Brenman Park and Cameron Station just to get more cut through traffic would have been a net gain for the City. Anyway, its all water under the bridge now.

To be clear, the cut through traffic already exists and already cuts through neighborhoods. The issue is whether to spread the traffic through multiple entry/exit points or bottle neck it (which is what currently occurs). Anyone can look at a map of 395/495 to determine that these commuters are always going to choose to cut through Alexandria. The only question is who in Alexandria bears the burden of this traffic.

You seem to have switched from idle historical discussion to a proposal (vs "current"?) Are you proposing spending the money to extend the connector now? To Duke? Taking out either the park of the Cameron Station neighborhood, or building some vastly expensive overpass over the park?

The real question the City is facing is developing the Duke Street Transitway - improving pedestrian access to the Van Dorn Metro. Making this a more fully multi modal city. And yes, taking what steps we can to discourage cut through traffic (note, VDOT is about to open a new lane on I395, please use that) , not trying to accommodate it at the expense of our neighborhoods.