The City of Alexandria seeks to leverage the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority's (VPRA) 4th Track and Railroad Bridge Replacement Projects, to improve the streetscape for pedestrians and cyclists near the King Street Metro Station. VPRA is replacing the existing open deck bridges which span King Street and Commonwealth Avenue. The new bridges will have closed decks, and will have a wider span. This wider span will increase the horizontal clearances on King Street and Commonwealth Avenue, offering ground-level opportunities to improve the space under the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. The King and Commonwealth Streetscape Improvement Project seeks community feedback to help prioritize design interventions that will improve the safety, access, and mobility through this gateway area of the City.

Streetscape improvements will seek to implement goals of City plans and policies, including the Alexandria Mobility Plan, the Environmental Action Plan, Complete Streets Policy and Design Guidelines, Vision Zero Action Plan and the Age-Friendly Plan for a Livable Community. Enhancements to the streetscape to promote a safer and more accessible community will seek to: 

• Create a safer and more navigable streetscape that supports users of all ages and abilities;
• Address gaps in the City's bicycle and sidewalk network;
• Prioritize safety for all modes of transportation;
• Encourage sustainable modes of transportation by making it safer and easier to walk and bike in the City and access public transportation; and
• Improve air quality and reduce green house gas emissions by encouraging walking, biking and use of public transportation.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our feedback form and shared their thoughts and experiences navigating the roads and sidewalks near the King Street Metro Station! The feedback form was open from October 2023 through January 2024 and received a number of comments from those who completed the form. 

Interested in the results of the feedback form? Here's a summary of the responses we received and information, compiled by our consultant, Hello Lamp Post. 

A number of critical infrastructure projects are proposed in proximity to the King Street Metro Station which may impact portions of King Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Please see the King & Commonwealth Infrastructure Investments website for an overview of the various projects.

To minimize impacts on the community and maximize City resources, streetscape improvements will be closely coordinated with other the projects and likely occur at the conclusion of project scopes in the immediate area. Staff will work closely with nearby project teams to coordinate timing and will update the King and Commonwealth Streetscape Improvements timeline as nearby project schedules are finalized. 

Current Phase: Community Engagement

This fall, staff will be launching a community feedback form to affirm previous public realm improvements identified as priorities by the community and solicit feedback on any additional safety and mobility concerns in the area. Feedback will be used to refine concept design plans to address safety and improve mobility,

Want to stay informed of project updates? Please click the following link to sign up for email updates regarding the King and Commonwealth Streetscape Improvements Project: Sign up for e-mail updates