Reply to Eisenhower Avenue Connector

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=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.[/quote]

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.  [/quote]

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. [/quote]

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.  [/quote]

I don’t think the connector is ever just a historical discussion. The debate is still very much alive in the city and supported by some on council.

There are no new lanes being added to 395 except for one small stretch in one direction south of Seminary - and that is only to fixed a strange merge area. Where is VDOT adding lanes?

FWIW, I live in one of the neighborhoods that experiences the bottle neck. Our city supports connected streets and that should include easing traffic bottle neck in one neighborhood even if it adds to another (and in the process, get rid of all turn restrictions). [/quote]

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