"North Van Dorn Complete Streets"

@Fairlington124 128066 wrote:

The project page exists, you just have to hack around with the URL a bit:

https://alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=88173

The extent is exactly as I thought; Braddock to King

And sure enough, I missed the meeting.

@Fairlington124 128102 wrote:

Okay thanks to whoever disliked this post. If you don’t want information find it out yourself.

Some of us have slippery fingers

Access to the northern end of Fort Ward park could provide a nice bypass to Braddock Rd for many.

@scoot 128153 wrote:

A road diet here would be nice. Of course, this is the only part of Van Dorn that is already very bikeable (25MPH speed limit and not much traffic), although sightlines aren’t great. Improvements are much more badly needed everywhere else on Van Dorn.

The apartment buildings nearer to where Van Dorn merges with Menokin need crosswalks and other treatments for them to be able to walk safely. IMO, that is a priority,

@Fairlington124 134536 wrote:

City posted some new materials (in addition to fixing the URL for the project).

http://www.alexandriava.gov/localmotion/info/default.aspx?id=88173

Posted a slideshow from 28 January

http://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/localmotion/info/gettingaround/2016-01-28%20N%20Van%20Dorn(1).pdf

At first glance, I like it. The aim is to:

1) Lower automobile speeds
2) Improve bike facilities
3) Improve pedestrian facilities
4) Modify intersections

1) Lowering speeds – classic “road diet”, that is 2×2 (thru-thru) down to 1x1x1x1x1 (bike lane-auto thru-shared auto left turn-auto thru-bike lane).
2) Pleased to see that the southern half of the projects calls for protected bike lane. Makes sense, as no curb cuts. Wish this would become a precedent. Bike lanes for the northern half, where there are curb cuts.
3) Improved crosswalk, ADA compliance
4) Removal of slip lane going from Menokin onto southbound Van Dorn, removal of slip lane going from Braddock to northbound Van Dorn. Interestingly, the project appears to keep a slip lane for bicycles going from Braddock onto the planned Van Dorn PBL. Would this be the first-ever bicycle slip lane?

First PBL in the City of Alexandria (assuming that option is chosen, but the presentation certainly makes the case)

@bobco85 134555 wrote:

IMO it’s a very odd location for bike infrastructure

A. People drive fast there (or so I am told, I usually only ride there on weekends when traffic is light) so to improve walking conditions, it makes sense to add traffic calming. Just lowering the speed limit tends to not work.
B. Traffic calming that will both calm speeds, while improving vehicle flow is a 4 to 3 road diet. So. Road diet.
C. But that leaves a lot of road real estate. Widening the sidewalks is expensive. Bike lanes are relatively cheap (even protected ones). So, bike lanes (plus it adds to the total bike lane miles metric!)
D. City has been talking about PBLs, but has not done one. Here is a nice uncontroversial place to experiment with them. So, PBLs (even though there may be places where PBLs are more important)

@bobco85 134555 wrote:

IMO it’s a very odd location for bike infrastructure

But is it an odd infrastructure for the location? I think it’s a great design and will improve things considerably there.

However it is a small piece of the puzzle. This is already the least awful part of Van Dorn St (in fact, it’s the only section of Van Dorn that I ever ride on now). To become much more useful, this should be extended down to at least Sanger. That would provide connectivity to the Holmes Run valley. Actually what would be cool would be a new MUP nestled between 395 and Van Dorn (from Braddock to Sanger, then continuing to HRT).

One day last year I was driving up 395 and saw a guy riding in the ultimate makeshift PBL (barricaded by a jersey wall that blocked off the shoulder of 395 N). I have no idea how he got on or how he was getting off there, but he did have a nice wide paved trail to himself. 😎