Photo by Kalista Diamantopoulos for Alexandria Living Magazine
Lower King Street during the coronavirus pandemic.
City officials are considering whether to permanently close the 100 block of King Street to vehicular traffic, permanently extending a pilot program that restaurants on the block have loved.
In late 2019 — long before the we started hearing about "social distancing" — City Council approved a pilot program to create a car-free zone on Lower King Street. The initial pilot program was for weekends only, closing one block of the road from Friday evenings through Sundays. When the pandemic arrived, however, the plans changed and Lower King Street has been closed to vehicles 24/7 with the program extended several times.
This wasn't the first time the city had tested the waters on closing that block. Back in 2006, a few blocks of lower King Street were blocked off to traffic on the weekends during the summer as a trial.
"While pedestrian users of the plaza (83%) supported it, the view from merchants was mixed," according to a city report released after the 2016 pilot program. "In particular, some of the merchants in the 200 block of King Street reported a drop in sales, and no merchant in either the 100 block or the 200 block reported a significant increase in retail sales."
The pilot program running now, which was extended to give people more room to spread out during the COVID-19 pandemic, is seeing similar results. Local retailers along the middle of that block on King Street have reported a decrease in business as potential customers walk up the middle of the street and seem to avoid the sidewalks. But, restaurant owners and residents overwhelmingly approve of the program.
On Tuesday, Oct. 5, the Alexandria Planning Commission will host a public hearing to review whether to closure of the 100 block of King Street is consistent with the neighborhood's master plan (speakers can sign up on the Planning Commission webpage here). City Council will discuss the matter (but not vote yet) on Oct. 16 during the regular city council meeting (speakers can sign up here).
