Make King Street Safer for Pedestrians & Bicyclists!

[JimD]

Alexandria’s King Street Traffic Calming Project with Bike Lanes will provide safety for all and much-needed access to transit. We have heard that a few City Council members have not yet decided to approve the Traffic Calming Project, scheduled for their review on March 15th. We need your help to convince them!
1. Sign the petition. Here is the link http://org.salsalabs.com/o/451/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14993
2. If you live or work in Alexandria, appreciate your planning to attend and speak at either or both of two scheduled hearings: (1) Traffic and Parking Board hearing at 7:30 PM on Monday 24 February, and (2) City Council hearing at 9:30 AM on Saturday 15 March. The City Council hearing is the more important if you can only make one. To better coordinate our efforts for these two events, we would appreciate your contacting me at jimandcarey48@comcast.net to let me know if you can attend or speak at one or both of these events.
Additional Information: Alexandria’s King Street Traffic Calming Project with Bike Lanes will narrow motor vehicle lanes and add bike lanes, calming traffic. This design will attract more bicycling, provide separation (the bike lanes) between motorized traffic and pedestrians, and eliminate conflicts arising from cyclists riding on the sidewalks. For more details, including a list of links to presentations and other documentation, visit the City of Alexandria website (Google “Local Motion King Street”).
3. Sign the petition now. Here is the link
Thanks,
Jim Durham, BPAC Vice Chair

[JimD]

On Monday, February 24th, the City’s Traffic and Parking Board voted 5-2 to recommend delay; the next step is a decision by City Council on March 15th. More about Monday night’s hearing here: http://www.waba.org/blog/2014/02/alexandria-board-recommends-delay-of-plan-to-calm-traffic-on-king-street/. We need to show our elected leaders that this measure has broad support in Alexandria, and across Northern Virginia. Appreciate your taking a minute to sign the WABA petition and forward to friends in our area. http://org.salsalabs.com/o/451/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14993
If you live or work in Alexandria, please speak at the City Council hearing on March 15th, or send a letter, using this simple tool, provided by the Coalition for Smarter Growth: http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/2041/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12090
Thanks so much. Jim Durham, Chair, Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and Coordinator, King Street Advocates.

[CaseyKane50]

The Alexandria City Council approved the Concept 2 plan for bike lanes on King Street west of Russell today. The vote was 7-0. It will probably be a couple more months before the lanes, sharrows and other amenities are installed.

The Concept 2 plan includes bike lanes and sharrows with the bike lanes installed on the hilly part of the street. A bike box will be installed on King Street at the intersection of Janney’s Lane, which should make it easier for bicyclists to make a left turn and pick up the Janney’s Lane bike lane.

The city will collect data over the next 18 months to see if the bike lanes and the other street amenities have reduced the speed along this section of King Street. If speeds aren’t reduced, it could impact the bike lanes on King and future bike lanes in the city.

[bobco85]

First off, WOOHOO! Those bike lanes can’t come soon enough! I will probably ride more in that area (even though I still absolutely love biking on Commonwealth Ave) because of this.

I loved everything you wrote up to this part:

@CaseyKane50 79698 wrote:

The city will collect data over the next 18 months to see if the bike lanes and the other street amenities have reduced the speed along this section of King Street. If speeds aren’t reduced, it could impact the bike lanes on King and future bike lanes in the city.

So, the future of bike lanes (King Street and in general) may depend on the actions of drivers? It sends chills down my spine.

But again, WOOHOO for the bike lanes! All the work that people did to bring them to King Street will not be in vain, and I am much appreciative of their efforts.

[Author]

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