Travel time and efficiency were some of the most-desired improvements along the Duke Street corridor, according to feedback residents provided to city officials this summer and fall.
The feedback initiative was part of the Duke Street in Motion project, which aims to make Duke Street both a safer and more efficient means of travel for commuters of all types — drivers, bus riders, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The City of Alexandria received $75 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) in the 2020-2025 Six Year Program. The funding is earmarked for studying, designing and making improvements to the Duke Street corridor, which could include improved sidewalks, bus stops, pedestrian access, bicycle access and possibly bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes. What the final configuration of Duke Street is still to be determined.
This is a separate initiative from the upcoming pilot project to reduce cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets, which starts in January.
"Response to the feedback form was outstanding, with over 1,000 responses both online and from in-person pop-up events," city officials reported. "The City has compiled the results of the feedback forms and provided a summary report of the findings of your input. If you are interested in seeing all the data submitted, the complete results are available in this sortable Excel file."
Some highlights:
- Renters were more likely to desire all types of bus-related improvements than homeowners and expressed more interest in seeing dedicated bus lanes (41% renters vs 19% homeowners), improved bicycle and pedestrian access to stations (50% renters vs. 31% homeowners), and realtime bus arrival information at bus stops (51% renters vs. 29% homeowners).
- 47% said they would ride or would consider riding the bus more often if improved, safer and more efficient options were provided.
- 88% of survey and feedback respondents selected reduced traffic as an important priority for future improvements. Congestion along the Duke Street corridor was identified as one of the top challenges according to 64% of respondents, with traffic delays selected by 52%.
- Among those who currently ride the bus along the Duke Street corridor: 88% selected reduced traffic as an important priority for future improvements. 57% of current bus riders identified congestion as a top challenge for the corridor, with travel delays selected by 50%.
The city also looked at responses from renters versus homeowners, by demographics including income, and whether residents lived east or west of Quaker Lane.
Additional takeaways:
City of Alexandria
City of Alexandria
In 2022, the City will develop a draft statement of vision and goals for the alternative development and design phases of the project.
