To the Editor:
The April 30 - May 6 edition of the Gazette Packet ignored the "development" that's been underway in Alexandria for over a year regarding Eisenhower West End Small Area Planning. See www.alexandriava.gov/EisenhowerWest.
What's troubling to me at this juncture is that the transit plan appears to be outdated, given current and expected vehicular loads on West End area roads. The primary goals of the June 2009 plan include addressing the limitations of the local arterial roadway and expressway system in handling north-south traffic, especially along Van Dorn.
From the 2009 study, the combined traffic on I-395 and US Route 1 was determined to be over 200,000 vehicles per day. It feels like it has grown exponentially since then. And the continued issue of few, if any, viable options for expanding Van Dorn to expedite north-south traffic will only contribute to continued log jams.
It's embarrassing enough to witness the debacle of the Alexandria #210 fire station: unmanned in the face of neighborhood concerns about ethanol-associated loading and unloading risks. combined with some of the longest fire response times in Alexandria. The recently declared position of the Norfolk Southern Railway — it refuses to permit a multi-modal bridge anywhere near its property — suggests that a viable solution for a north-south bridge is at risk.
This in turn, suggests the entire West Eisenhower Small Area Plan may be at risk. How can the city proceed without viable solutions for greater density, more cars, buses and pedestrians without commensurate traffic solutions? The latest EWSAP plans that I reviewed do not include a pedestrian/bike path at all for the residents of Cameron Station, who are less than 2,000 feet from the Metro station. The existing walking distance to the station is more than a mile over the Van Dorn Street bridge, not exactly pedestrian-friendly.
Planners and associated committees need to be honest with the community that this is a plan to increase tax revenues to dig Alexandria out of its current budget hole. These same planners and committees need to travel on West End roads now, at various times of day — peak and off peak — to ascertain current conditions and update prior traffic studies to better plan for 2030 and beyond, as new 15 - 20 story housing towers are planned for the immediate Van Dorn Metro station.
Debbie Routt
Alexandria