South Pickett Street is a high-speed corridor with a high number of injury crashes (nearly 100 in five years), limited crossing opportunities, and no dedicated places to bike or scoot, despite the area redeveloping into a more mixed-use, walkable neighborhood. The Alexandria City Council adopted both the Alexandria Mobility Plan and the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan, both of which call for multimodal improvements on South Pickett Street. The goal of this project is to make it easier, safer, and more comfortable for people of all ages, abilities, and modes of travel to use South Pickett Street, in accordance with those adopted plans. By doing so, the City can address the issues around speeding and traffic safety.

This project has something for everyone.

For people driving:

• Dedicated left turn lanes provide a dedicated place for people to wait when turning left, reducing the risk of angle crashes that have been frequent along the corridor.
• The project preserves vehicle capacity at the major intersections. While additional queuing can be expected, there is no significant change in delay expected.

For people walking:

• New crosswalks create additional opportunities to safely cross the street.
• Shorter crossing distances with center median islands make it easier and safer to cross the street.
• Lower vehicle speeds improve safety for people crossing.
• Protected bicycle lanes provide a buffer for the sidewalk, so people don’t have to walk right next to motor vehicle traffic.
• Leading pedestrian intervals and No Turn on Red restrictions make it easier and safer to cross the street at signalized intersections.

For people biking or scooting:

• Protected bicycle lanes provide a dedicated space to bike or scoot, separate from the motor vehicle or pedestrian realm.

For people riding the bus:

• New and improved crosswalks make it easier to access the bus stop.

For everyone:

• The concept design encourages slower vehicle speeds, making South Pickett Street safer for everyone.
• A 25 mph speed limit encourages safer speeds and reduces the frequency and severity of crashes.

Because the signalized intersections would remain largely unchanged from today, traffic would not be significantly impacted. While some additional queuing is expected, travel times are not expected to change.

The City has had a robust community outreach process for this project. In late 2023, the City gathered input from the community on their issues and concerns with South Pickett Street via an online feedback form, which received over 200 responses. The City then developed concept designs for improvements to the corridor and sought community feedback via an online feedback form and a community meeting. The project team also performed direct outreach to businesses along the corridor. The City advertised the project via signs posted along the project corridor, eNews, social media, local news, and direct emails and phone calls to project stakeholders.

Prior to this project, the City also conducted community engagement as part of the adopted Alexandria Mobility Plan and the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan, both of which recommended multimodal improvements to South Pickett Street.

Planning and conceptual design is planned for Fall 2023-Fall 2024. A City Council Public Hearing will take place in Fall 2024. Detailed design is planned for 2024-2025, and construction is planned for 2025-2026. Community engagement is planned throughout the duration of the project.

Yes. Due to the robust commercial activity on this corridor, it is essential that trucks be able to access their destinations for pick-ups and deliveries. Based on in-person observations, video observation, coordination with the business community, and geometric analysis and traffic simulation, staff determined that trucks will continue to be able to access their respective destinations, and in some cases do so more easily. The project team will continue to ensure that trucks are accommodated during the detailed design phase and adhere to industry guidance on roadway design, particularly for urban and suburban areas.

The project team also understands that truck parking on South Pickett Street is a concern and is working with the business community to address this through the project design.

There is currently no data to indicate that cut-through traffic will significantly increase in Cameron Station. People tend to choose the shortest and quickest routes. Since Cameron Station Boulevard is longer and more winding, and travel times on South Pickett Street are expected to remain unchanged, there’s no advantage in using Cameron Station as an alternative route. However, the City is committed to monitoring traffic before and after the project and will collaborate with the community on any necessary adjustments.

Similar concerns regarding cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets were also raised during the redesign of King Street and Seminary Road. The City collected before and after data and found that traffic volumes did not substantially change on neighborhood streets.

Through walking, biking, scooting, or riding the bus, customers and employees will have more options for reaching businesses along the corridor. People driving will also have easier access to businesses with new dedicated left turn lanes. 

Access for delivery trucks will remain uninterrupted, and new turn lanes can make it easier for trucks to access their destinations. Truck loading and unloading on South Pickett Street is prohibited, and the new design will further discourage this activity. Trucks are required to load and unload on-site instead of on South Pickett Street.