Making Seminary Road in Alexandria better
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peterw_diy.
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May 27, 2018 at 6:58 pm #1087604
CaseyKane50
ParticipantThe City of Alexandria will be hosting an open house to discuss the complete streets project for Seminary Road and to solicit feedback from the community regarding their concerns. The open house will be on May 29 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Beth El Hebrew Congregation, 3830 Seminary Road.
Information about the Seminary Road Complete Streets project can be found here.
From the project page.
Seminary Road is a key corridor in the City of Alexandria’s transportation network, and is scheduled for repaving in the near future. The City’s Complete Streets Policy highlights that staff should use repaving as an opportunity to consider and incorporate changes to enhance the safety and convenience of all users. The Seminary Road Complete Streets project will work with the community and stakeholders to determine roadway improvements for Seminary Road, from Quaker Lane to Kenmore Avenue, and at North Howard Street, where staff was awarded grant funding to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility.
If you live or work in Alexandria or use the streets, you are encouraged to come to the meeting to ensure that your views are heard.
April 4, 2019 at 1:57 pm #1097511
JuddParticipantTLDR: take the Seminary Road Survey and support option 3 for a safer Seminary Road for all users: https://www.research.net/r/AlexandriaVA-SeminaryProject
Vehicle speeds on Seminary Road are unsafe; 22 motor vehicles have crashed here in just the last three years. Additionally, there is no buffer between people on sidewalks and high speed traffic, and there are too few safe crossings. If you have ever driven, walked or bikes on Seminary Road you already know how stressful and dangerous it is no matter what mode you use.
Alexandria Transportation staff is evaluating options for Seminary Road east of N. Howard Street. I support Alternative 3 because it will reduce excessive vehicle speeds and provide safe pedestrian crossings, without causing congestion.
Would you Take the Survey (https://www.research.net/r/AlexandriaVA-SeminaryProject) and support Alternative 3 for Seminary Road east of N. Howard Street? Alternative 3 will protect people who walk, bike or drive, and just make a safer and more livable corridor for everyone. It is the best option to make Seminary Road a safe corridor for all road users and will not add to congestion. The survey closes April 10th.
https://www.research.net/r/AlexandriaVA-SeminaryProject
More information below:
City staff unveiled and explained alternatives for Seminary Road east of N. Howard Street on March 25th. Alternative 3 offers a configuration that will reduce excessive vehicle speeds and provide safe pedestrian crossings, without adding to congestion.
Alternative 3 improves Safety for Everyone
Vehicle speeds have remained high in spite of enforcement, with police making 945 traffic stops in 2018 along this corridor. Alternative 3 includes
· Narrower travel lanes to discourage speeding.
· Center turn lane for turning vehicles to maintain steady and safe traffic flow.
· Signal timing adjustments to maintain corridor travel times similar or better than existing conditions.
Review the Plans and Weigh In
Alternative 3 provides safe accommodations for all, while not adding to congestion. Go HERE for more information and Take the Survey. (The survey closes April 10th.)https://www.research.net/r/AlexandriaVA-SeminaryProject
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April 10, 2019 at 3:28 am #1097614JuddParticipantWednesday, April 10th is the last day to take the Seminary Road Survey. If you haven’t taken it yet please do and support Option 3.
https://www.research.net/r/AlexandriaVA-SeminaryProject
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April 10, 2019 at 5:14 pm #1097623buschwacker
ParticipantThings are getting heated on the GGWash post. Lots of locals weighing in against it – it would be great to have some counterbalance from members of this forum
April 29, 2019 at 1:13 am #1098081
KWLParticipantThough the Seminary Road survey has closed, there is one more chance to be heard on the redesign. While nearly 500 survey respondents supported Alternative 3, 684 supported Alternative 1 with no bike lanes. That alternative should properly be labeled “Do Nothing.” It is important to let the Alexandria mayor and city council members know if you support the best solution for cyclists, pedestrians and yes, even drivers – Alternative 3. You can send a note using this Alexandria Call.Click.Connect link: http://bit.ly/MayorandCouncil which directs your comments to the mayor, vice mayor and city council members. A personal note is best (I noted I have been a cycling Alexandria resident for over 40 years) and the two paragraphs below may be included and modified as desired.
By adopting a Complete Streets Policy in 2011, the City of Alexandria directed transportation planners to design and operate the entire right of way to enable safe access for all users, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transportation. The section of Seminary Road east of Howard Street is ideally suited for the FHWA’s proven approach, a four-to-three road diet, since this section of roadway has excess capacity: motor vehicle traffic is already constrained to one lane in each direction at entrances to the project area, enabling installation of safety features such as center left-turn lanes, pedestrian refuge islands and buffer space/bike lanes without adding to congestion.
Transportation planners know that a properly engineered four-to-three road diet is the right solution for roads like this section of Seminary Road. It worked well on King Street and will work well on Seminary Road. Ask City Staff to select a solution with center left turn lanes, pedestrian refuge islands (so we only have to cross one lane at a time) and bike lanes. Please apply city policies and Federal Highway guidelines to make Seminary Road safe for everyone as soon as possible!
I submitted my comments today. Reach out this week if you want to be heard before the final decision is made.April 29, 2019 at 4:50 pm #1098095ParticipantI did the same last week via Call.Click.Connect, but heard that the more personal the better, so on the way home I also delivered a hand-written letter to the mayor’s office supporting alternative 3. It was easy and I hope others can do the same.
May 9, 2019 at 3:10 pm #1098467JuddParticipantPlease sign the WABA petition asking Alexandria to implement its Complete Streets policy on Seminary Road and implement a Road Diet. The Road Diet will improve walking on Seminary Road by providing shorter crossing distances and refuge spaces. It will also make biking better by installing a buffered bike lane. Seminary Road is plagued by excessive speeds which makes it unsafe for all road users.
It will take about 20 seconds of your time.
May 9, 2019 at 6:04 pm #1098474KWLParticipant@Judd 190586 wrote:
Please sign the WABA petition asking Alexandria to implement its Complete Streets policy on Seminary Road and implement a Road Diet. The Road Diet will improve walking on Seminary Road by providing shorter crossing distances and refuge spaces. It will also make biking better by installing a buffered bike lane. Seminary Road is plagued by excessive speeds which makes it unsafe for all road users.
It will take about 20 seconds of your time.
Did this and tried to rope in all my FB family & friends. One friend lives in the west end, has a bike and doesn’t ride it because there is no good, safe way to get to the east end of Alexandria. He signed the WABA petition and then emailed the mayor and city council with his concerns. I need to buy him a beer.
May 9, 2019 at 8:02 pm #1098481JuddParticipant@KWL 190593 wrote:
Did this and tried to rope in all my FB family & friends. One friend lives in the west end, has a bike and doesn’t ride it because there is no good, safe way to get to the east end of Alexandria. He signed the WABA petition and then emailed the mayor and city council with his concerns. I need to buy him a beer.
Second beer is on me.
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May 10, 2019 at 6:49 pm #1098512laurenist
ParticipantI’ll throw in a beer–does that mean we move Monday’s meeting to Port City?! As a new West Ender (moved from Arlington), it’s pretty frustrating to see the opposition to bike facilities on Seminary especially when the arguments are “I don’t see bikes there!” when a) that’s because it’s not comfortable for a lot of people who would be interested in biking, and b) me and my SO are on Seminary/Janneys at least three times a week.
May 10, 2019 at 7:37 pm #1098516JuddParticipant@laurenist 190633 wrote:
I’ll throw in a beer–does that mean we move Monday’s meeting to Port City?! As a new West Ender (moved from Arlington), it’s pretty frustrating to see the opposition to bike facilities on Seminary especially when the arguments are “I don’t see bikes there!” when a) that’s because it’s not comfortable for a lot of people who would be interested in biking, and b) me and my SO are on Seminary/Janneys at least three times a week.
I’d be up for a Port City meeting. I was going to pitch Jim on replacing one of the monthly meetings with a social open house event instead….
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May 30, 2019 at 6:27 pm #1098894KWLParticipantSTAFF RECOMMENDATION 5/30/2019
Guess I’ll need to take the shared lane when I ride Seminary Road. That is going to displease a few drivers.
May 30, 2019 at 7:50 pm #1098897ParticipantHope they don’t mind being stopped when I have to turn left off Seminary because they protested an alternative with a center turn lane!
May 30, 2019 at 8:22 pm #1098899
lordofthemarkParticipant[ATTACH=CONFIG]20111[/ATTACH]
May 30, 2019 at 9:47 pm #1098901dasgeh
ParticipantDoesn’t painting sharrows automatically revoke Vision Zero policy?
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