This newsletter edition was sent on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
I’m writing this after spending a sweaty morning out on the Mount Vernon Trail (pictured above), connecting with bicyclists and trail users about the now-active detour. It was another certifiable scorcher during a summer chock full of ‘em, when even the breeze of riding fast (and with pedal-assist turned up) offers little relief. I rue each time I have to step back into the furnace, yet work and life carry on.
A most effective balm? How about the promise of a cold beverage and camaraderie?! Ahead of tonight’s Rosslyn transportation open house, our friends at SusMo will be hosting a happy hour at Upside on Moore—I’ll be there at 5PM, likely a little damp but still eager to chat with our undaunted supporters.
And we’ve got more (refreshingly indoor) summer meetups coming soon. WABA will be co-hosting a happy hour with Alexandria BPAC on Saturday, August 22nd at Atlas Brew Works—details forthcoming. Then, WABA’s Ken Reichmann will host a member event at the end of August—he’ll have an invite out to you in the next week or two.
We’d love to see you out there. In the meantime, check out the latest roundup of cool news and opportunities to shape legislative and transportation priorities.
Good news 📰
- People for Bikes annual City Ratings for 2026 show a big jump for Falls Church thanks to new bike lanes, lower speed limits, and more. The Little City is now the top-rated community with >10,000 people (*tiny towns like Earlysville or Cape Charles are ahead…for now).
- The new shared-use path along I-495 in McLean is open at last! Check out the VDOT press release…and then go check out the trail itself!
- Alexandria began work to reconnect neighborhoods split by Route 1, adding better crossings for bicyclists and pedestrians at Wilkes Street and elsewhere. And in Pentagon City, construction begins next week to extend the two-way protected bike lane on Army Navy Drive!
- Arlington submitted 3 proposals for statewide SMARTSCALE funding. The smallest but arguably most pivotal would support improvements to the Mount Vernon Trail and Custis Trail crossings at N Lynn St and the I-66 on/off ramps. Advocates and County staff have been agitating for these safety upgrades for years to no avail so this application is a sign of real progress.
- Learn more about the N Lynn project and other nearby happenings TONIGHT (Thursday, July 16th) at the aforementioned Rosslyn transportation projects open house, also an opportunity to share feedback.
- More on SMARTSCALE: Arlington is backing its neighbor Alexandria’s SMARTSCALE funding application for transportation improvements to the King Street/Bradlee Shopping Center corridor.
Take action 🎬
- Every year, Arlington creates a legislative package that outlines the County’s priorities and positions ahead of the Virginia General Assembly session, and now is your chance to weigh in. A reminder that the 2027 session is a “short session”—only 45 days—during which a two-year budget must be adopted. It’ll be hectic!
- Mark your calendar: the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) will host a virtual public meeting on Thursday, July 30th to share construction-related updates on the interconnected major rail projects in Virginia: Long Bridge, Crystal City Station, Alexandria Fourth Track, and Alexandria Station Improvements.
- The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) wants to hear about your travel experiences and transportation priorities to better understand how people move throughout the region, the challenges they face, and what improvements matter most for the future. Your input will help inform an update to TransAction, the region’s long-range multimodal transportation plan. Take the survey by Sunday, August 9th—our friends at SusMo have some good suggested text about the need for project analysis to reflect induced demand.
- Or stop by NVTA’s open house on Thursday, July 23rd.
- Lastly, the National Landing BID is looking for community input as it begins work on its next strategic plan—complete the survey before Friday, July 31st for a chance at some sweet gift cards.
Detour alert 🚨
- As mentioned at the top, the Mount Vernon Trail is officially in its detour era. The new route to bypass the Long Bridge construction begins just north of Gravelly Point and takes folks closer to the GW Parkway before reconnecting with the existing trail, and it’s thankfully pretty good n’ wide. Or just take this inland route.
- Project work began last week on King Street between West Braddock Road and Chinquapin Drive, part of the King Street Access and Safety Improvements Project at Alexandria City High School to enhance pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure. Students, staff, and community members are encouraged to exercise caution in the work zone and obey all posted signs.
Things to do 🚲
- Join Alexandria Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) for a fun, FREE, family-friendly rolling presidential history tour this Sunday, July 19th. 14 miles, 2 hours, 9 stops—don’t miss out, register here.
- Alternatively, escape the heat and dive into some bike-related tools and recent findings:
- Arlington’s updated interactive quick-build map has details on completed and in-progress quick-build roadway projects in your neighborhood.
- Alexandria staff recently presented bicycle- and pedestrian-related findings from the 2025 AlexMoves household transportation survey. In short: some small gains but still a lot of untapped bicycling potential.
- GGWash took a look at some all-time Capital Bikeshare ridership trends.
I’ll be out of the office for a bit starting next week so responses to any emails may be slower; for any urgent inquiries, reach out to advocacy@waba.org. But count on me being eager to share my experiences and observations following visits to bike friendly-Paris and Amsterdam upon my return! Until then, take care and stay cool.
Cheers,
Kevin O’Brien | Virginia Organizer