Braddock Road Hearing Comments
A roundup of testimony delivered by supporters of the Braddock Road safety improvement project at the Alexandria City Council public hearing on May 16, 2026!
Quick links to each, or just scroll down to read them all:
William Buschur
My name is William Buschur and I am here to speak in support of staff’s recommendation for Braddock road. I encourage Council to uphold staff’s recommended design, in full, for the entirety of the project area, because it rightly prioritizes safety for everyone over convenient parking for a small few. I value safety over convenience, and sincerely hope your votes align with those values as well.
In my experience using Braddock road in the area in question, the street design is unsafe for people walking, riding bikes or scooters, and crossing the street. I’ve observed that drivers frequently do not yield to people using the crosswalks, drive dangerously around bike and scooter riders, and pass aggressively. And I’m sure we’ll hear many more stories like this from today’s speakers. The improvements recommended by staff, I think, would alleviate these issues by better protecting vulnerable road users from inattentive and speeding drivers.
Braddock Road is a critical route to school for students of George Washington Middle, which is the school my third grader will soon attend in a few short years. Currently, we get to school by bike, and I expect that we’ll continue to get to school this way when she starts middle school, or at least to the extent she keeps tolerating being seen with me in public. Regardless, the design you adopt today will be the one to keep her and other students safe.
I have been closely following the public discourse around this project since it directly impacts my and my family’s safety. In particular, the months of engagement by staff to tailor the plan to Braddock’s specific conditions and the detailed testimony Staff gave at February’s Traffic and Parking Board meeting deserve a lot of praise.
I sat through that whole meeting, where the Board upheld the design past 1 in the morning. It came after hours and hours of testimony from our community. The vote was unanimous - they chose safety for all, over convenience for a few.
It was a good day. Because I saw my values upheld by my government. To me, there’s no more critical task of government than ensuring public safety. Speeding, distracted, and impatient drivers are a danger in our city, and yet, our streets are designed to forgive dangerous driving like that. Most of our streets really are not safe to use except by car, and that’s wrong. But today, you have the opportunity to redesign a critical artery of the city to be safe - for everyone to use however they choose to get around.
Safety doesn’t come without cost, and the cost of safety on Braddock is less abundant parking. Not “no parking” - just somewhat less abundant parking. Don’t we deserve an abundance of safety over an abundance of parking? Aren’t we guided by a commitment to safety in Alexandria, both in our Vision Zero policy and our own personal values?
I believe so, and strongly encourage you to implement all of staff’s recommendations. They will make Braddock road a safe street for all users. And they will build our values into the street itself.
Thank you for your work on this issue. And like yourselves, I plan to be here all night!
Virginia Bush
Thank you all for taking the time over the past couple of months to walk or bike with us. I have lived on Braddock Road for nearly 10 years. We bought our house here for the walkability, access to the Potomac Yard trail, and the metro. We originally moved from Madison, WI - a city with a similar population and density to Alexandria, but with a well developed bike system and fancy amenities like dedicated bike traffic lights, that both locals and tourists love. – Both great cities.
Unfortunately, after 10 years, the daily reality of biking just hasn't lived up to that lifestyle.
- Aggression: When biking on Braddock I routinely face a lot of aggressive driving - cars will honk, roll down their window and yell, and zip past. Too close for comfort. I feel very unsafe just trying to get on the Potomac Yard trail. I am a confident, but slow biker.
- My understanding is Lena's is keeping their 15 minute parking spots out of a compromise, however I consider this one of the most dangerous areas as people pop in and out to get takeout without thinking about bikers and pedestrians. I have had many close calls here.
- High risk intersection: The multi-lane intersections with Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth are used as passing lanes and dangerous. The 1st car will use the lane to pass by, and the 2nd car won't see you and floor it. Councilman Elnoubi witnessed this on our BPAC ride as a car swerved around me and laid on the horn.
- Dangerous for kids - there are 4 schools nearby and kids bike and scooter past each morning, goofing around and doing donuts in the street. They are going to continue doing this with or without bike lanes.
For pedestrians the lights are too short and the crosswalks are too long. On Thursday I talked to the man whose girlfriend was hit in the crosswalk by the metro. This is the intersection with the flashing lights, and she was hit in broad daylight.
Research shows that narrowing the road slows and calms traffic. The traffic report shared cars average 31mph in segment 2.
Zack DesJardins
Good evening, thank you all for being here, your extreme patience this afternoon, your time and effort meeting with many of us in this room and reviewing this proposal, and thank you to staff and consultants for their hard work on this well-thought out proposal.
I support the staff recommendation and urge you to support a continuous bike lane on Braddock Rd.
Last weekend, we invited folks to ride along Braddock Rd to show our support fo the project. We had more than 50 people come on Mother’s day and many of those folks are here today.
This plan has something for everyone. I was impressed that the traffic study slightly improved delay for drivers at the intersection and I appreciate you all taking my quiz.
For the first time in more than a dozen years, the city has proposed removing street parking for bike lanes like was done on King St. Staff at the time proposed a compromise which kept some parking spaces, leaving a gap in bike lane connectivity. While well-intentioned, compromise failed to mollify project opponents and dismayed project supporters, it satisfied no one, and as a result, while what was built has worked well, we are still living with the results of those compromises. The staff recommendation does not compromise on bike lane connectivity which is why I support it.
Similarly, the compromise on Seminary Rd failed to mollify opponents too and I had to ride on the sidewalk to get here as a result.
I do not share opponents’ focus on what we would lose. Rather, I would encourage you to think about what we would gain as a result of this project. Imagine Braddock Rd as a pleasant place to walk and bike, a bright, new rebirth, attracting children and adults of all ages and abilities. Think of the fun and joy of the Brooks bike bus but watching it go by everyday. Please support this project.
Stephanie Elms
Hi. My name is Stephanie Elms. As a resident of Del Ray and as someone who primarily drives to get around, I am asking the City Council to vote YES on the Braddock Road Corridor Improvements as previously approved by the Traffic & Parking Board.
I support this project because it advances our adopted Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, and Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plans, closes a critical gap in Alexandria’s bike network and shortens dangerous crossings at Russell, Commonwealth and Mount Vernon.
As someone who does not have a driveway & lives on a street that serves as overflow parking to a school, a library & a rec center I appreciate and intimately understand the inconvenience of not always having parking available in front of my house (I truly wish I had the guaranteed parking spot that comes with a driveway!) But as has been mentioned, Alexandria is an urban community. With that comes both the benefits of having wonderful diverse neighbors as well as the occasional inconveniences of living with those neighbors. As part of that community I also understand when choices that have larger community benefits have to be made (my street will also be losing parking due to school walkability efforts).
I appreciate that these proposed improvements will benefit myself as a driver just as much as they benefit bikers and walkers and they will make our community a more pleasant place to live. There have been times when I’ve driven down Braddock Road on my way to Trader Joes only to find myself behind a biker where it is not safe for me to try to go around them. I feel it is much safer for bikers as well as myself when they are not forced to share lanes meant for traffic.
I also want to share how much I appreciate the efforts of city staff, especially for their extensive outreach and educational efforts which has unfortunately resulted in them having to endure unfair criticism as well as personal attacks (https://www.alexandriabrief.com/personal-attacks-emerge-in-braddock/). Difference of opinion in a city is normal, and expressing it is healthy. But this must be done with respect for facts, for staff, and for all of our neighbors.
I acknowledge that change can create uncertainty which is what makes it feel hard. But as a city I know we can do hard things especially when we have the data to support it. Especially when it means making Braddock Road safer and when it allows us more options for getting around the city.
Thank you for your consideration.
Joe and Caroline Fray
Mayor Gaskins, Vice Mayor Bagley, and members of council:
My name is Joe Fray, and I'm here today to express my support for the proposed Braddock Road Improvement Project and all of its elements. We live on Braddock Road, in Segment 3, and would love to bike in this neighborhood. I am a seasoned and frequent biker, but Braddock Road is not currently safe even for me. I am regularly passed across the double yellow, honked at, swerved at, and yelled at. This is all because the cars and I have to share space instead of having dedicated space of our own. I can't even imagine sending my daughter along this road without my riding on her left to fend some of this off. I want Braddock Road to be usable for all users, whether they are a driver, a wheelchair user, a confident cyclist, or a child biking to school.
This is my daughter Caroline, who bikes with me, from our home on Braddock, to Brooks Elementary School everyday and would like to have more freedom to bike around our neighborhood.
[Caroline] Biking on Braddock is dangerous, and I would like to change that and make it safe. Biking is funner than driving. I want to be able to bike on my own on Braddock someday, but my parents won't let me because it's not safe. I want everybody to be able to use Braddock and feel safe. Please vote for the bike lanes.
Many opponents of the project have opportunistically latched on to three arguments against the project, none of which stand up to scrutiny. Emergency vehicle access, which the Fire Department has said is not a concern; increased congestion, which the City's traffic engineers have concluded will not materialize; and decreased accessibility, although this project adds an accessible spot to Good Shepherd and increases accessibility where there are now currently impassable sidewalks.
The real reason for this opposition is the loss of on-street parking. While it is understandable that people would oppose the loss of this city-provided benefit, which a few households are currently enjoying, it is the City's job to weigh some small private losses against the greater public good.
To maintain their ability to leave their cars on the public road, opponents have proposed alternative routes through the neighborhood. These proposals do not align with federal guidance, city priorities, or common sense. Due to the increased length, these routes will not be used, and if they were, they are less safe than the current layout due to unsignalized crossings of major roads. I'm not going to allow Caroline to, for example, dart across Commonwealth at Nelson Ave. to get to the Middle School.
This project will increase safety and usability along Braddock Road at the expense of a few private homeowners needing to park their second car a short walk away. The balance between this minor inconvenience and this major public benefit weighs strongly in favor of approving the project as proposed and approved by the Traffic and Parking Board, and I encourage you to vote to deny this appeal.
Becky Hammer
Hello Mayor Gaskins and members of Council. As a project supporter who lives on Braddock, the last few months have been a lot – one reminder after another of how car dependency pits us against one another. But the intensity of the opposition we’ve seen is itself the strongest case for why we need this project. We’re so lucky that today we have the opportunity to make a change.
I ride my bike on Braddock Road. It isn’t a hobby – it’s how I get to the metro on my commute to work. But I do it with my heart in my throat, every time, wondering if today’s the day a driver squeezing past me in the lane will cut too close. And when I drive on Braddock, I hope that nothing goes wrong because our unsafe infrastructure puts me in conflict with other road users. This situation is dangerous and stressful. But it doesn’t have to be this way – it’s a choice.
To be clear, what I and other safety advocates are asking for today is bike lanes on Braddock Road. We’re not asking to be told that we don’t belong there, that we should go somewhere else on some alternate route. I am asking you for safer infrastructure on Braddock, that road I live on, that I use, that many other cyclists already use and will continue to use.
The record city staff created could not be more clear that this project is technically sound. In my work as an environmental attorney, I see every day how expertise is attacked when the facts are inconvenient, how sowing doubt is used as a strategy to uphold the status quo. I recognize this dynamic at work here. But staff’s solid track record shows they know what they’re doing, and we should trust them.
I hope that as you cast your vote today, you think about what you want this council’s legacy to be. What kind of future are we building? I get it - change can be scary. It’s easier to stick with what we know than to be brave and leap into the unknown. But if we do that, if we “save” Braddock Road, we’re foreclosing ourselves to possibility. If nothing changes, nothing changes. And Alexandrians deserve better.
When I was deciding who to vote for in the last election, I read the BPAC questionnaires, and what you said on your websites about multi-modal transportation and sustainability. This is what I voted for. I’m calling on you today to stand behind those words you said during the campaign. The opponents are loud, but they’re in the minority. Alexandrians consistently elect candidates who support projects like this one. Safer streets are popular. The base of support for them is broad. And if you approve this project, we will have your backs.
This vote is about our city’s values. It’s about the equal right to safe passage, and protecting those who are most vulnerable. Please reject this appeal, for me, for my family, for everyone in Alexandria who can’t afford a car, who can’t get a license because of their immigration status, who’s physically unable to drive, for children who just want the safety to be free, for everyone who rides a bike because it’s good for their health or they care about our planet or they just want to feel a little bit of joy in this life. Thank you for listening.
Trip Hook
I'm Trip and I'm here to support the city's proposed improvements on Braddock Road. As you all know, I live at 100 East Braddock. I say as all you know because I've walked the street with each of you to share my concerns and thoughts, and I'm grateful for the time each of you have taken to listen and engage with us.
I have lived on Braddock Road for ten years, and I would like to share my lived experience. Like most of my neighbors, I own a car and drive. Like all but one of my neighbors, I have a driveway for permanent storage of my car. Occasionally I have to move my car onto the street to accommodate visitors or contractors. If parking becomes more scarce, I may have to park around the block.
I also bike on my street several times a week, and it is my experience that it is not safe for biking. When I ride my ebike or my road bike at the speed of traffic, I usually get through without incident. When I ride at a slower pace with friends and family, or take a scooter home from the Metro, I have constant near-hits. I've been bumped, passed so closely that I could reach out and touch the vehicle passing me, and honked and shouted at by drivers who don't like sharing space with me. And that's just in the last month.
I'm an experienced cyclist and can accept the risk for myself. My bigger concern is the dozens of kids I see pass my house every morning on their way to one of the many neighborhood schools, including my friends at the Naomi Brooks Bike Bus. My concern is for commuters trying to get to Metro and neighbors running errands. My concern is family and friends who are not as comfortable or fast on a bike as I am.
Alexandria needs a network of safe and comfortable bike lanes, and as we heard from staff in the "origin story", this is indeed the city's plan. I don't see how we get there without safe and comfortable bike routes on Braddock. It's one of two connection points between Old Town and neighborhoods to the west like Del Ray and Rosemont, neither of which have continuous space for bikes.
None of the alternatives proposed by opponents meet this need. The alternate routes proposed are 50% longer, require several stops and foot-down turns, pass through several intersections and have unprotected crossings at Russell, Commonwealth, and Mt. Vernon.
Even small increases in distance and delay have a disproportionate effect on whether people choose to bike. For short urban trips, the majority of bike trips, adding even a few minutes can make cycling less competitive with driving.
NACTO and the FHWA guidelines both emphasize that bicycle facilities should be as direct and intuitive as possible, minimizing detours and unnecessary turns. Routes that deviate significantly from the most direct path tend to see lower ridership and reduced network effectiveness.
A successful bike network is not just a collection of low-traffic streets, it is a connected system that allows people to travel efficiently and predictably. If a route is materially longer, slower, and more complicated, many potential riders, especially those who are newer or less confident, will simply opt not to use it.
City staff have created a plan that is safe, elegant, data-driven, and equitable, and I urge you all to support it.
Elena Hutchison
Hi Everyone! My name is Elena Hutchison. I'm a mom, I'm a cyclist, I'm Vice President of the DRCA. And I'm going to attempt to wear three hats in three minutes, and set a tone for a quick afternoon.
First hat: I built the website betterbraddock.org.
We built that site because we kept hearing a story we knew wasn't true — that no one wants these improvements. That there are only eight cyclists on this corridor. That the only people who'd support bike lanes on Braddock Road are spandex-clad bike bros — which, as you can see, I am not.
So we asked the community to sign on and tell their stories. To date, we’ve had almost 200 people share their stories there. What's striking is that a lot of them don't bike — they talk about driving and they're not sure what they're supposed to do behind a cyclist in a sharrow. Or they walk and they’ve had a near miss in a crosswalk. Or their kid is going to GW and they want them to have a safe way to get there. Those testimonials are in your email. And I'm here to testify that I built that site, those are real neighbors, and I approved every single one.
Second hat: Vice President of the Del Ray Citizens Association.
You have our letter, I don’t want to belabor it. But I do want to emphasize that in Del Ray this was not particularly controversial - our membership voted 70% to 30% in favor of this proposal. We did that after engaging with T&ES for over a year. We walked the corridor together. Alex Carroll spent two late nights with us answering every single question — first from our committee, then from our full membership. Some Rosemont neighbors even joined!
In the end, I think our members saw this plan the way I see it: it’s a win-win-win. It makes the street safer. It connects a disconnected cycling network. It improves road operations for people driving.
Third hat: a mother and a cyclist.
I ride a bright pink e-bike. It’s got a kid seat on the back, it can carry a ton of groceries, it’s our family’s second car. I rode it here today, from Del Ray, which involved a lot of trails (through Arlington, candidly). But the last mile Google Maps gave me was a Sharrow, on Beauregard. Exactly the kind of unsafe recommendation someone would get today traveling in the Braddock Road corridor. My actual route took me an hour to find, and it involved riding on a sidewalk and then through the backs of two parking lots. Just because I made that work doesn’t mean that’s a fair or safe or equitable or reasonable thing to ask cyclists to do long term.
Streets are for people. And PEOPLE shouldn’t have to avoid intersections or not let our kids bike, or take a bunch of indirect surface streets to get where we are going, because the city has chosen to only give direct routes to cars.
You’re all up there because you believe, like I do, that streets are amenities for the whole community. You believe in the equity and vibrancy that walking, biking, and transit bring to Alexandria. You believe in creating safe streets so all our kids can thrive.
And that’s why I believe you all are going to vote in favor of this project today because those are the values that put you in those chairs. Thank you.
Jonathan Krall
Healthy communities need safe transportation networks.
Our plans, created through our public process, require the development of transit and bike-lane networks. Our job is to implement these plans. While we must not proceed blindly, we must proceed.
We have great respect for Alexandrians who engage in the public process and for our city staff. They worked with the public to develop these plans. We should not dismiss their work lightly.
Compromise is good, but families need a cycling network without gaps.
Emerging constituencies, children playing in public, children on “bike buses” riding to school, and our many “car lite” families, need a bike-lane network without gaps.
In election after election, Alexandria votes for bike lanes. We need to deliver this time.
About 15 years ago, I spent a week riding around in Portland OR, then
considered the "bicycling capital" of the US. Alexandria East resembles
Portland OR, with a large flat area and a robust street grid, giving a
lot of people the opportunity to reach downtown (Old Town or DC) without
going up or down a large hill. (These old-fashioned street grids were
created before cars took over our cities.) However, our "potential
Portland" has a barrier: the CSX tracks. To realize that potential, we
need to open the flood gates. We need Braddock Rd to connect Rosemont
and Del Ray to North Old Town.
Mallory Lawhorne
Good morning, Mayor Gaskins and members of the City Council. My name is Mallory Lawhorne, and I’ve lived in two different parts of Rosemont my entire life, growing up two blocks off Braddock Road and now living in the heart of the neighborhood, on one of those small peripheral streets off of Braddock. I chose to stay here as an adult because I love this community, and a big part of that is the transportation options. I walk a lot. I also drive when I need to, and I appreciate having that flexibility. But what I value most is that I don’t have to rely on my car for everything.
I also understand something really important: I don’t own the street. None of us do. Our streets are shared spaces, and they should work for everyone, whether you’re walking, driving, biking, or taking transit.
That’s why I’m here today to support Alexandria’s continued investment in multimodal transportation through the Braddock Road Improvement Project, as approved by the Traffic and Parking Board, especially protected bike lanes and safer infrastructure for all users. I don’t bike myself, but I absolutely appreciate when people who do have a safe, dedicated space to ride. It’s better for them, and it’s better for me as a driver and a pedestrian. I’d much rather see someone biking in a protected lane than weaving through traffic or riding on the sidewalk. It’s safer for everyone.
I also want to be clear: the Rosemont Civic Association vote, where 61 of 73 attendees opposed this project, does not represent me or, I believe, the broader neighborhood. That’s why I’m supporting my position with actual election data that better reflects our community.
In 2018, 2021, and 2024, the two Rosemont precincts had some of the highest turnout in the city, around 70 to 80 percent. These engaged voters consistently supported candidates who ran on safer streets, better transit, and multimodal transportation. In each of those elections, the top vote-getters in Rosemont were the candidates who strongly championed those policies.
We had a test of this last month. In the April 21, 2026 special election, one candidate clearly supported continuing the Braddock Road improvements and won decisively with about 53% of the vote. Another candidate, Frank Fannon, framed the race as a referendum on Braddock Road. There were even “Save Braddock Rd, Vote Fannon” signs at polling places in Rosemont. Despite that, he lost badly with only around 29% of the vote. He lost citywide and in both Rosemont precincts.
Special election turnout was naturally lower than the big 2018 and 2024 races, but Rosemont’s participation still stood out at roughly one-third of registered voters, higher than many other areas. That consistent engagement, combined with these results, shows that Rosemont voters clearly support continuing Alexandria’s multimodal transportation agenda.
If we want to see where the community stands, we should look at the ballot box. Voters made their choice and supported a multimodal future.
I urge you to listen to what the voters are saying. The support is there. The turnout is there. The mandate is clear.
Let’s continue building a city that works for everyone, whether we walk, drive, take transit, or bike. Support this project in full.
Thank you.
Jesse O'Connell
(delivered in writing due to inability to attend the hearing)
Mayor Gaskins, Vice Mayor Bagley, and Members of Council,
I'm writing to express my enthusiastic support for the Braddock Road Corridor Improvements Project which you are reviewing and hearing feedback on tomorrow. I had hoped to be there in person to share these remarks, but a family commitment is pulling me away.
I support this project because I think we owe it to ourselves to plan for the city we’re becoming and not merely settle for the city we’ve always been. I believe in the progress that each of you have championed and worked hard to deliver, in this Council term and terms past. The demand for multi-modal transportation options is continually growing and informing where Alexandrians live, how they get to work, and where they go out. Anticipating future need for these options impacts our visitor economy and our workforce talent pool. We must be forward-looking on all of these things because the opportunities we have to enact change are rarely aligned with the moment in which we benefit from the changes. We do not want to look up in five years or ten years and realize we are faced with solving a complicated problem because we passed on the simple solution in front of us today.
I also support this project because it moves us toward several key city goals that I really believe in, including our Vision Zero goals, our Environmental Action Plan 2040 goals, and the outcomes in the Community Health Improvement Plan. I’m genuinely proud to live in a place that develops such comprehensive frameworks in key policy areas. Each of those plans uses data and evidence alongside community input to determine real priorities for our city, while articulating tactics that will ensure we can actually meet these ambitious goals. But if these plans are to be more than words on paper we must actually seize policymaking moments to implement change as opportunities (like the Braddock Road Corridor Improvement Plan) come before you.
But above all else, I support this project because it makes our streets safer. I have two kids, both of whom bike all over the neighborhood. My daughter bikes to GWMS with a group of her friends most days, and both her and my son get themselves to and from friends’ houses and fields and playgrounds on weekends and evenings. The freedom and independence that their bikes give them is truly one of the things that we value most about living in Alexandria. We let them roam independently and never worry about them getting lost or encountering someone that means them harm—but we are constantly worried about them getting hit by a car. The project on Braddock Road (a corridor with 17 crashes and 8 injuries between 2019 and 2023) will give everyone using that road a space of their own, making it safer for everyone. As I mentioned, my daughter is at GWMS, and this project would shorten dangerous crosswalks near the middle school that she frequently uses (and has commented on the speeding traffic she sees).
I sincerely appreciate how thoughtful and engaged each of you have been on this issue, it’s deeply evident how thorough you’ve been in gathering different perspectives and weighing the tradeoffs. Ultimately I hope that process leads you to support this project. Braddock Road is one of our most important east–west corridors — let's seize the moment before us to closes a critical gap in Alexandria's protected bike network and make Braddock Road safe for everybody that uses it.
Marta Schantz
Hi, my name is Marta Schantz and I’m here to speak in favor of the City’s proposed safety improvements to the stretch of Braddock road between Russel and West streets.
I speak as a resident of Rosemont who lives a four minute walk from Braddock Road. This area is my home.
I speak as a parent of boys who will one day attend GWMS, who currently ride in the Brooks Bike Bus. I want them to have a safe route to school on their bikes.
I speak as a casual bicyclist who feels a million percent safer in protected bike lanes than on shared roadways. Those protected bike lanes on Holland Lane were so fun and stress-free to ride!
I speak as a traveler who would love to be able to bike across town on connected network of bike lanes. There are what, 5 streets to get from the West End to East of Quaker without a circuitous route? Braddock is one of them, and people ought to be able to safely bike it.
I speak as a sustainability professional who loves Transit oriented developments. This close to Braddock Metro, we gotta have dedicated bike lanes to connect it all! TOD!
I speak as a climate advocate who is keen to see the city advance its Environmental Action Plan. 1/3rd of emissions in Alx come from Transportation! Chapter 7 in the EAP: 7.1 “Prioritizing Low-Carbon Mobility Options.” Goal: Aggressively promote vibrant, human-scale city streets that prioritize people’s access and mobility so that all Alexandria residents and visitors have access to the commercial and cultural resources of the city using lowcarbon modes of transportation, consistent with the following level of precedence: pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation, shared motor vehicles, freight vehicles and private motor vehicles. 7.2 “Reduce Automobile Dependency.”
I speak as someone who has lived in the area since 2010 and has seen it change. Change is good. I’m OK with streets changing to be safer and keep up with the times. No more horses on our streets, but maybe we’ll have a Delorean drive along Braddock one day! Today though, let’s get some bikes rolling.
I speak as a parent who deeply cares about safety. When I learned that many bike-car accidents go unreported, ugh. The stats don’t tell the whole story, and that’s sad and scary. Please believe when people tell you about near-misses, and hits, and accidents.
I speak as a recurring donor to Tenant and Worked United and Casa Chirilagua, who cares about environmental justice and climate equity and understand the benefits of this project. They’ve been so focused on ICE related crises that this project hadn’t caught their attention.
I speak as a human person who is supportive of the Braddock Road Safety Improvement Project. Thank you.
Jennifer Wade
First, thank you so much to staff for your work, and to council for the time.
I am here today because I very much support the proposed changes to Braddock Road. I live on East Myrtle Street, which connects Braddock to Commonwealth. It’s the street many people race down to avoid the light at the intersection between those two big roads.
To get nearly anywhere in or beyond the city on foot, by car, or by bicycle, I need to use Braddock road. I don’t need to spend my time reiterating to you why the proposed changes are a good idea. People against this say cyclists should take small side streets, but they seem not to understand not only how inconvenient that is, but how dangerous. Living on one of those side streets, I see all too often how infrequently cars safely cross those intersections. The Traffic and Parking Board agreed that bicycles and mobility devices deserve their own safe lanes in which to travel, just like the pedestrians and the cars do.
Of course I recognize the inconvenience that may arise to those who are used to parking cars on the street. But the city has worked to address the concerns for whom this would have a real accessibility impact, and I would love to live in a city where the safety of all outweighed the inconvenience of a rigid few. Even those who have to adjust their parking habits should be thrilled at the prospect of a connected, accessible, safe corridor in which to travel, regardless of how they are able to or choose to do so. Thank you.
James
My name is James, and I’m a resident of Del Ray. You’ll hear a lot of comments about this project today, so I’ll quickly tell my story:
I’m a daily metro commuter to downtown, so I ride capital bikeshare from the corner of Monroe and Commonwealth to the metro station and back. I can make it from my house to the platform in four minutes flat when I take the direct route down Commonwealth to Braddock and right into the station.
However, Braddock Road is not currently configured for a safe trip here, which covers segments one and two. Trundling along at 12-15 MPH on a big red CaBi, the sharrows cause cars to queue behind me, and attempt to pass aggressively with oncoming traffic. A reengineered Braddock Road will provide a safe place to make this trip – the fact of the matter is that I’ve made it without being hit every time I’ve done this, but it only takes one speeding, careless, texting driver to end my life or permanently injure me. I am a very confident cyclist from my years racing road bikes, but that doesn’t provide any protection from that one careless person. A safely engineered road, such as the project proposed here, provides the margin of safety we need for a Vision Zero where no vulnerable road users are hurt in traffic. We must improve this corridor to meet Alexandria’s Vision Zero and Green goals – as biking to metro is as climate-friendly of a commute as it gets.
Last, a quick word about the process. I want to offer a public thanks to Alex Carroll and the T&ES team, who have done an amazing job engaging with the public and responding to feedback.