Transportation options outlined for Beauregard corridor
The infusion of about 4,000 jobs to the Mark Center in Alexandria as part of the so-called BRAC 133 Project is accelerating other development in that area, which will create a traffic nightmare unless steps are taken to create more through streets.
The Defense Department’s BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) plan approved in 2005 called for the Washington Headquarters Services and other DOD agencies to be relocated to a new facility at the Mark Center at the Seminary Road/Beauregard Street intersection close to I-395.
Representatives of the Alexandria Planning and Zoning Department and the JBG real estate development company led a workshop for community residents April 11 on how this project—and other new higher-density projects in the area—could affect transportation in the Beauregard corridor and outlined various options for relieving traffic congestion.
Proposed new developments would nearly double the amount of housing in the area, which currently has about 6,300 housing units. Plans for about 5,000 additional units are under discussion, although developers haven’t yet submitted anything for review to the city of Alexandria.
One proposal would tear down the Hamlets, a garden apartment community, and replace it with four or five-story apartment buildings. Other proposals call for redeveloping the Seminary Hills apartment complex, which is cattycorner to Seminary Towers at the Seminary Road exit on I-395, and the small Fairbanks/Foster neighborhood of single-family homes on the northern quadrant of the Beauregard/Seminary intersection.
According to Keith Weaver of the City of Alexandria’s planning staff, the lack of connectivity of roads in the area is putting a lot of pressure on Beauregard Street. Among the options under consideration: connecting some side streets to create a roadway parallel to Beauregard, creating a through street along Holmes Run, improving Sanger Ave., and opening up some of the roads in gated communities.
Several people at the meeting expressed concerns about increased commuter traffic in connection with the BRAC project. As one resident put it: “Beauregard is backed up now. There’s no way it won’t be backed up with 4,000 more people working at the new building, even with the street improvements.”
City planners also are looking at various options for the intersection of Braddock Road and Seminary Road, including a traffic circle and underpass. Another option for addressing traffic is an express bus or streetcar system with limited stops at high-profile locations and dedicated lanes.
6 responses to “Transportation options outlined for Beauregard corridor”
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I am all for streetcars and public transportation. Bike lanes, and safe places for pedestrians should be a priority too as this area is redeveloped. The whole community should be looked at, not just ferrying commuters. Creating a desirable place to live as well as to work should be the goal. It creates more home value and a stronger, healthier community.
It's 6400 employees, according to the briefing we get from Duke Realty, the owners of Mark Center. (I work in Mark Center.)
A traffic circle?!?!? In my life I have never seen this work well in this country. Competing for worst idea is "A streetcar named disaster". Ferrying commuters the most efficient and expediant way should be the ONLY focus. The reality is that the vast majority of people are going to drive to this place. They are not going to bike, walk, bus or streetcar it. If they have the ability to add dedicated lanes for an Express bus route, they have the abililty to add additional road capacity for the majority of people. If they are planning on taking current road capacity for the dedicated bus lane…heaven help everyone with a car there. If commuters are able to move freely and safely through the area, that helps the desirability factor more than anything.
In the last paragraph of the reading it states "City planners also are looking at various options for the intersection of Braddock Road and Seminary Road, including a traffic circle and underpass." There is NO Braddock Road and Seminary Road intersection. Braddock Rd. runs somewhat parallel to Seminary Rd.
Also, I agree with Dave. I hope everyone has read the April 12 Washington Post Poll article on traffic. It states exactly that. I lived through 'curbliners' streetcars and they were removed because they caused such a mess. This was in the 60s. This was tried and did not work. I for one rode a bus to school every day of my life. Standing in the rain, hair drooping like a wet dog and mud up the back of my leg is not a memory I want to relive. It was not fun lugging books in those conditions and I suggest that it would not be fun lugging groceries either. I have a feeling it is another case of 'you ride the bus, bike or walk but not me'. I may now be a whimp but I put in my time. I walked the three mile trip to the bus stop in 90 degree heat and all I wanted to do was go home and take a shower. How the teachers stood us I will never know. Also, it is 7000+ employees. I want to know the purpose of all the building other than to line the pockets of the builders. The city can't possibly gain anything thing from taxes when we will have the costs of roads, emergency services, trash pickup, sewer issues, snow removal, transit etc. Has a cost benefit to the area been completed?
As someone who lives in the portion of Fairfax County mere blocks away from Beauregard, I cringe at the thought of new connectors for Sanger, Chambliss, etc…this would be at the expense of existing park land (ehhhh…who needs it anyway, huh?) and those streets would quickly become speedways for those too frustrated to use Beauregard. The peaceful quiet of my neighborhood would be destroyed, shattered.
Anon, as someone that used to live in Alexandria a couple blocks off of Beauregard and work in DC, I probably drove most, if not all of these roads looking for a way to get to/from work and getting lost (pre-GPS). The reality is that the 395/Beauregard/Little River Turnpike/Lincolnia/Van Dorn area is and has been horrendous – it is one of the main reasons that I moved from that area. Adding several thousand workers to the area is going to have an additional impact no matter how you look at it. The area needs to be able to support the jobs and I am not sure I see any other viable option unfortunately. The fight, it seems to me, should have been when they were proposing the new jobs to begin with – a good argument could have been made stating the area is not able to support that kind of job center (perhaps it was and disregarded, I don't know). Point is is that they are coming and there need to be changes made to accomodate them. That stinks for you I know. But there is something to be said for being able to get out of your neigborhood instead of gridlocked in.