Letter: Supporting the South Pickett Street Road Diet

On July 22nd, WABA sent this letter in support of a road diet and safety improvements (including bike lanes) for S Pickett St in Alexandria.

You can view this document in PDF form here.

July 22, 2024

Traffic and Parking Board

City of Alexandria

301 King Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

Re: South Pickett Street Corridor Improvements (Docket Item #8)

Dear Chairperson Lewis,

I am writing on behalf of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and our more than 5,000 members across the City of Alexandria and the Washington metropolitan area to express our support for the recommended South Pickett Street Corridor Improvements, echoing the sentiments of our partners at the Alexandria Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and Alexandria Families for Safe Streets (Alexandria FfSS).

The proposed improvements effectively implement the goals set forth in the City’s Proposed Bicycle Network, Eisenhower West Small Area Plan, Alexandria Mobility Plan and Complete Streets Five-Year Work Plan. WABA also supports the optional crossing at Valley Forge Drive. The South Pickett Corridor Improvements will 1) save lives, 2) connect a significant bike lane gap, and 3) help address climate change.

Safety: Simply put, the proposed South Pickett Street improvements will make the street safer for all road users. At present, the street is overly wide which encourages excessive vehicle speeds and lacks safe facilities for both bicyclists and pedestrians. Narrowing the roadway and reducing the number of travel lanes will help to limit dangerous speeds while the addition of new and safer crossings and dedicated bike facilities will make this corridor easier and safer to navigate for non-car travelers.
Connectivity: The Eisenhower West Small Area Plan notes that South Pickett is an important link from Duke Street to Fairfax County. The addition of dedicated bike facilities here meaningfully expands the City’s bike network and adds destinations that can be safely accessed by bike to the benefit of both residents and passersby.
Sustainability: Transportation is one of the leading causes of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in protected bike lanes significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, lowers transportation costs, and prevents roadway deaths and serious injuries. Unfortunately, Alexandria has significant gaps in its infrastructure that discourage bicycles. South Pickett Street is one such place.

In conclusion, WABA urges the City to approve and construct the proposed bike lanes and pedestrian improvements, including the optional Valley Forge crossing. Further, we emphatically urge the City to reject the “no build” option as unsafe.

Sincerely,

Kevin O’Brien, Virginia Organizer

More about Alexandria Complete Streets

More about Complete Streets

Complete Streets are streets designed to accommodate all users, and that prioritize historically underinvested modes of transportation like transit, walking, and biking. An incomplete street might lack adequate sidewalks, low-stress bike infrastructure, or safe and comfortable access to transit.

Effective Complete Streets policies change the way a jurisdiction plans and builds transportation infrastructure—sidewalks, low stress bike infrastructure, and transit should be included in any new or rebuilt street by default, rather than as an add-on when there's space or demand.

While most regional jurisdictions have a Complete Streets policy of some sort, they lack teeth and permit transportation departments to continue to build streets that put cars first and squeeze other modes into the margins.

More about Advocacy

WABA fights for a region where biking, walking and transit are the best ways to get around.

We educate policymakers and organize grassroots advocates for to speak up for safer places to bike and walk; and for laws and policies that protect people who are walking and biking, reduce dangerous driving, and facilitate changes to the built environment.