Mount Vernon Avenue North Intersection Improvments
Project Description & Area
Design improvements at the intersections of Mount Vernon Avenue with Executive Avenue and Russell Road were approved in April 2024 by the City's Traffic and Parking Board reflecting years of community engagement related to the Mount Vernon Avenue corridor. These designs maximize safety benefits for pedestrians and cyclists while minimizing impacts to traffic operations and parking. The intersections of Executive Avenue and Russell Road were broken off from from the larger Mount Vernon Avenue North Complete Streets Project as a smaller project to go through the full design process, allowing the city to maximize existing funding and competitiveness for funding grants.
See links below for images of the existing conditions and approved design concepts:
About the Mount Vernon Avenue North Complete Streets Planning Process
The Mount Vernon Avenue North Complete Streets Planning Process was a multi-year planning process to develop design options that could improve the safety of all roadway users. The four intersections along Mount Vernon Avenue included:
- Four Mile Road
- Executive Avenue
- Russell Road
- Glebe Road
This area on Mount Vernon Avenue was identified as an area of concern based on community input and a history of fatal and injury crashes. In 2016, a case study of the area resulted in recommendations to improve mobility, access, safety, and comfort on Mount Vernon Avenue. Additionally, the 2021 Arlandria-Chirilagua Small Area Plan identified locations where safety improvements were needed on Mount Vernon Avenue. At each location, city staff solicited feedback from residents, coordinated with property owners and assessed benefits of each design option before selecting a preferred design alternative for the intersection. The final preferred design alternative was approved by the City's Traffic and Parking board in April 2024.
To learn more about the planning process, please see the archived webpage documenting prior engagement and outreach: Mount Vernon Avenue North Complete Streets.
Mount Vernon Avenue North: Nearby City Projects
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the project timeline?
The City began the detailed design process for the two intersections of Mount Vernon Avenue at Executive Avenue and Russell Road in early 2026 with the full design likely taking about a year to complete. During this year-long technical design process, the City will seek grant funding to cover construction costs for the project. Timing for construction will be dependent upon receiving funding for construction and any funding-related timing constraints.
What community outreach occurred for this project?
Community outreach and engagement has been occurring within the project area for a number of years to identify potential safety challenges and validate proposed designs with residents. Starting in 2019, the City undertook the Arlandria-Chirilagua Small Area Plan process which helped prioritize interventions within the study area. At the conclusion of the small area plan process, the Transportation Department stated a conceptual design process to advance preferred concept designs for various intersections which could address areas of need, as identified in the small area plan. Please see the archived Mount Vernon Avenue North Complete Streets webpage for additional information on the previous planning and community outreach efforts.
What about construction impacts to the neighborhood?
As of now, the project does not yet have funding for construction, so there is no timeline to construct the preferred concepts. The City is developing fully constructable plans and seeking external funds for construction. If the City receives funding for construction, the timing for construction will be coordinated with other nearby projects and communication will be shared with the community on potential timing and impacts to minimize confusion and disruption.