Alexandria Living Magazine
The painted sidewalk with curbs to discourage cars on Seminary Road.
Virginia state transportation officials denied a grant request from the City of Alexandria for funding to help complete a priority sidewalk on the north side of Seminary Road.
That means the “sidewalk” that is painted on the road now will remain in place for the foreseeable future, according to city staff.
The City of Alexandria had not budgeted the estimated $1 million to build the sidewalk on its own. The sidewalk would have run for 0.2 miles on the north side of the road west of Zabriskie Drive. The high cost is due to the need to build the sidewalk partially on sloped land that is currently part of the Virginia Theological Seminary.
State officials from the Virginia Dept. of Transportation Transportation Alternatives Program did not provide a specific reason for denying the request, though cost for the short sidewalk may have been a factor as state budgets tighten.
The ability to complete the sidewalk on the north side of Seminary Road was a priority for Alexandria officials because it is a school walking route for many Douglas MacArthur Elementary School students. The possibility of adding a proper, safe sidewalk was a factor in the decision to put Seminary Road on a diet and reduce it from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction. The City of Alexandria added bike lanes and other features to Seminary Road in a move that has drawn criticism from some residents.
The sidewalk gap on Seminary Road is still identified as one of the City’s top 10 priority sidewalk projects and it is eligible for future grant applications.
