Fw: Bike/Ped Accommodation in Wilson Bridge Project

[Bruce&Linda Dwyer]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Bruce&Linda Dwyer 
To: emily baker ; reed winslow 
Cc: Maria Mercedes White ; Judy Lo ; Aimee Vosper 
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 2:20 PM
Subject: Bike/Ped Accommodation in Wilson Bridge Project


Emily and Reed,

On behalf of the Alexandria Bicycle Committee, I am requesting that the city request the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project to consider the following changes to  planned bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.  Over the last couple of months several of committee members have met with the WWB Project staff, city staff, and others to discuss what has happened to the Wilson Bridge Project Plan that impact bike/ped accommodation.  

Telegraph Road: For 2 years now the WWB staff have argued that the proposed off-road path under the beltway connecting Telegraph Road south to Eisenhower Ave west is no longer viable for a number of reasons.  The Bike Committee believes the recommendation of the Telegraph stakeholder panel for a safe off-road route between Fairfax County and Alexandria is still valid, but also understands the difficulty of the west Telegraph route.  In a recent meeting with the WWB staff, we discussed what alternative might be possible to achieve the original objective of an off-road path to allow safe access for kids and novice cyclists.  We believe that this objective could be achieved by improving the Eisenhower Connector bike/ped route.   This route is about 2 miles west of Telegraph Road, but very close to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority facilities, the City of Alexandria Hensley Park, and the Holmes Run Trail.  However, this route currently is not satisfactory for children or novice cyclists because of difficult crossings of vehicular ramps on both the northbound and southbound sides of the Connector, bike left turns from and right turns onto Eisenhower Avenue, and a long way around for pedestrians going to the Hensley Field or NVRPA facilities.  Following is the outline for a proposed solution.  Construct a shared path from the ramp at the bottom of the sound wall south of the beltway to connect to the soon to be improved Eisenhower Valley bikeway. From the south, keep the path on the east side of the connector with a barrier separation on the Connector under the beltway  (this is narrow and may require compromises on both road and path width guidelines); install a ped/bike activated signal to cross the off-ramp from the beltway; construct a path up the hill to run along the property line between Metro and the City Hensley Park where it would connect to the planned extension of the Eisenhower Bikeway.  Two way bike/ped traffic requires that the whole route be on the east side of the Connector.  There are some challenges, but they seem less formidable that the route under the beltway at Telegraph.    The WWB Project staff still needs to hear from Fairfax County representatives.  However, they are reluctant to further explore the Eisenhower Connector alternative unless the city is receptive since it is mostly in Alexandria and is outside the scope of the project.  The Bike Committee would not recommend abandoning the west Telegraph Road route until an acceptable alternative is agreed upon. 

Sanitation Plant Path Restoration  Jerry King and I from the Bike Committee, Amiee Vosper and Judy Lo from the Rec. Department, and Norine Walker from the WWB Project met with the Sanitation Authority staff to discuss restoration of the path that went around the sanitation plant prior to its closure during the expansion of the plant.  The good news is that sufficient space will be available between the expanded sanitation plant and the widened beltway for a path and the WWB project has included funding to rebuild the path along this southern boundary.  The bad news is that the expanded plant will not allow the path to return to its previous alignment along the west boundary of the plant.  The Alex Bike Plan anticipated this situation in 1998, and proposed a crossing of Hooffs Run close to the beltway to connect to a proposed path alone the Old Mill Race, a path that is included in the current East Eisenhower plan (which unfortunately overlook this necessary connection over Hooffs Run).  More good news is that the WWB project staff is optimistic about including funding for something to cross Hoofs Run. One possibility is a "wide or cantilever arrangement" on the culvert being built to carry Hooffs Run under the beltway.  Further, we believe the East Eisenhower Plan should be modified to include this crossing because it will provide the most direct access to the Lee Recreation Center, south Old Town, Jones Point, the Mt. Vernon Path and the bike/ped route across the beltway in the Washington Street/Route 1 corridors.  

Mount Vernon Trail Alignment We have received many comments recommending that the temporary alignment of the Mt. Vernon Trail along the river behind Hunting Towers should be improved and made the permanent alignment. This is the alignment recommended in the Alexandria Multi-Use Trail and Bicycle Transportation Plan adopted by City Council in 1998 and again proposed by the Bike Committee in August 2000 comments on this entire area. We have had many conversations with the Wilson Bridge Project and city staff regarding bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the area. We have always maintained that trail alignment in its previous configuration closer to the beltway then running along the GW Parkway would continue unsafe conditions. This highly popular and busy route conflicts with vehicles in the Hunting Towers parking lot and a uses path too narrow and too close to the travel lanes of the GW Parkway. A route along the river would significantly improve the safety as well as the scenic experience of trail users.  We also believe that it is in the best interest of the city to consider the Waterfront Plan and its policy to assure public access to the waterfront to extend from its most northern boundary to its most southern boundary. The Hunting Towers property, being adjacent to Jones Point, would be a logical extension. We further believe that public control or oversight of this waterfront area would promote the interests of the Chesapeake Bay Protection Act and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail among other quality of life initiatives.  In the past, these recommendations were rejected because the Hunting Towers property owner was not receptive. The current temporary ownership by VDOT presents the City with the opportunity to revisit the use of this waterfront area. As a public agency we would hope that VDOT would be receptive to quality of life improvements in this area that is being so significant affected by the Wilson Bridge expansion. As an agency with a transportation mission we would also expect them to recognize the value of these safety improvements in a route used heavily by bicyclists and pedestrian for clean and healthful transportation.  We understand that, as a temporary owner, VDOT will be pursuing sale of the property, so we urge the City to consider this recommendation expeditiously. We believe a number of different approaches may be possible for preserving this area for public use. The Open Space Plan recently adopted by the city suggested easements and other innovative methods in addition to acquisition to promote open space in the city.

These proposals were discussed thoroughly with city staff at the January Bike Committee meeting.  It was recommended that we convey our request to you.  As appropriate, we will also present these proposals to the WWB Neighborhood Task Force and the Open Space Steering Committee.  Please advise us city staff is interested in further exploring these proposals.
Thank you.

Bruce Dwyer
Chair, Alexandria Bicycle Committee
703-549-3263
ouibike at att.net
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