Project Background
Mount Vernon Avenue is the main street of the Arlandria and Del Ray neighborhoods, and is heavily used by pedestrians, bicyclists, transit vehicles, and automobiles. The City is implementing this project to address recent traffic deaths and serious injuries along the Avenue, as well as safety and accessibility concerns raised by the community through the Arlandria Action Plan, Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan Update, and subsequent discussions with neighborhood residents and businesses.
Pedestrian Improvements to Transit Stops (Phase 2) - Construction completed Spring 2020
The City of Alexandria procured D&F Construction to construct the Pedestrian Improvements to Transit Stops (Phase 2) of the Mt. Vernon Avenue Complete Streets project. This project improves pedestrian safety and consolidates / improves bus stops along Mt. Vernon Avenue. Construction began in Summer 2019 and was completed in May 2020. A public information meeting was held on June 26, 2019. The roadway resurfacing of Mt. Vernon Avenue between Leadbeater Street and E. Braddock Road (Phase 3) was also completed in Spring 2020.
Project Phasing
- Phase 1, Short-Term Improvements (completed)
- Phase 2, Pedestrian Improvements to Transit Stops (completed)
- Phase 3, Repaving and Safety Improvements (repaving and some safety improvements completed)
Project Considerations
- Accessibility of sidewalks, crossings, curb ramps, and transit stops for pedestrians and people in wheelchairs
- Safe and comfortable north-south connectivity for bicyclists
- High utilization of parking along Mount Vernon Avenue and side streets
- Business loading and deliveries
- Volume and speed of traffic on both streets
- Highly used transit corridor with Metrobus and DASH service
- Limited sight-distances at intersections
Implementation
PHASE 1 - SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS (COMPLETED FALL 2017)
The City of Alexandria conducted a traffic study of intersections along the Mount Vernon Avenue corridor, between Braddock Road and Four Mile Run. The study:
- Identified quick, low-cost improvements to improve traffic and pedestrian signal timing, signage, and sight-distances.
- Identified improvements to be made as part of future resurfacing and re-striping of Mount Vernon Avenue (Phase 3).
Phase 1 documents
Mount Vernon Avenue traffic count maps
PHASE 2 - PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS TO TRANSIT STOPS (COMPLETED SPRING 2020)
The City of Alexandria conducted a Pedestrian Improvements to Transit Stop Study along the entire Mount Vernon Avenue corridor that provided recommendations to improve pedestrian access to transit. The goals of the study were to:
- Comply with federal mandate to upgrade all bus stops to current ADA compliant standards
- Minimize parking loss & construction costs
- Consolidate or relocate bus stops to improve bus travel time and encourage walking and active transportation
The Department of Project Implementation is managing the design and construction of the study's recommendations. Construction began in Summer 2019 and was completed in spring 2020. Read the final plan sets. Improvements include:
- Consolidate bus stops to balance accessibility, pedestrian/driver safety and on-street parking.
- Upgrade ramps and crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety along the corridor.
- Ensure construction process minimally impacts residents, businesses, access to parking and planned events.
- Construct bulbs similar to the existing bus bulbs at Mount Vernon Avenue and Kennedy Street (shown below)
PHASE 3 - REPAVING AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS (SPRING/SUMMER 2020)
The City of Alexandria resurfaced the Mount Vernon Avenue corridor, between Braddock Road and Hume Avenue, following the Phase 2 transit improvements. In conjunction with resurfacing, recommendations from the traffic study (Phase 1) and Arlandria Action Plan (2002) are being implemented. Improvements may include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Additional high visibility crosswalks (completed)
- Shared lane markings
- Bicycle wayfinding signage
- Parking edgelines
- Flexpost curb extensions at intersections