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City Council will hold a public hearing on Saturday, May 16 on an appeal challenging the Traffic and Parking Board's decision to approve bike lanes and parking removal on Braddock Road, as opposition organizing intensifies with yard signs, a second church joining the effort, and an online petition that has grown to 936 signatures.
The hearing is tentatively scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center, according to the city's project website updated Tuesday. The hearing will be part of the City Council's regularly scheduled monthly public hearing meeting.
Opponents filed an appeal on March 6 with 53 signatures—28 more than the 25 required under city code to trigger a Council review. The Traffic and Parking Board voted 6-0 on February 24 to approve the project after a six-hour hearing where approximately 37 speakers supported the project, and 29 opposed it.
Opposition argues for segment 1 only; VDOT designated all segments as priorities
The core of the opposition's argument is that improvements should only occur on the eastern segment of Braddock Road near the Metro station—what opponents call "segment 1"—and not on the corridor between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road.
"We support the critical safety improvements on E. Braddock Rd between Mt. Vernon Ave & West St, the area needing improvement as identified by VDOT," the online petition states.
However, a map of the Virginia Department of Transportation statewide priorities presented at the February 24 hearing shows that all three segments of the corridor were designated as priorities:
- Russell Road to Commonwealth Avenue: Pedestrian Access: Medium, Bicycle Access: High
- Commonwealth Avenue to Mount Vernon Avenue: Pedestrian & Bicycle Access: High
- Mount Vernon Avenue to West Street: Pedestrian Access: High, Bicycle Access: Very High
At the hearing, Complete Streets Program Manager Alexandria Carroll addressed this, noting that while VDOT's older priority designation focused on the area near the Metro, "the newer version called out all three segments as a high or very high priority."
The city's project website states: "The Virginia Department of Transportation designated the segment between Mount Vernon Avenue and North West Street as a top statewide priority for pedestrian and bicycle safety upgrades."
Traffic speed data presented at the February 24 hearing shows 85th percentile speeds exceed the posted 25 mph speed limit across the entire corridor, including the segments opponents characterize as safe:
- Russell Road area: 31-32 mph (6-7 mph over limit)
- Commonwealth Avenue area: 29-30 mph (4-5 mph over limit)
- Near Metro station: 25-31 mph (0-6 mph over limit)
Petition growth and organizing campaign
An online Change.org petition opposing the project has grown from approximately 140 signatures on March 10 to 936 signatures as of Tuesday.
Opponents have launched a multi-platform organizing campaign that includes:
- Yard signs warning "Parking Removed: Seminary, King, Duke Braddock" and asking "Is Your Street Next?"
- An Instagram account (@savebraddockroad)
- Postcards with messaging and City Council contact information
- A March 6 press release
The yard signs reference completed projects on Seminary Road, King Street, and Duke Street where parking was removed or reduced for bike lanes and traffic calming. The Braddock Road project already includes removal of parking on Commonwealth Avenue between Braddock Road and Spring Street. There are no current city proposals to remove parking on Russell, Monroe, or Madison streets, which are also listed on the signs.
Second church joins appeal
Community Praise Church Seventh-day Adventist, located at 1400 Russell Road at the intersection with Braddock Road, joined the appeal with a March 9 letter from Senior Pastor Melvyn W. Warfield Jr.
"Our congregation has a regular attending membership of well over 500 people, and each Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., that surrounding area serves as an important point of access for worshipers, ministry volunteers, guests, families, seniors, and community members," Warfield wrote to the Traffic and Parking Board.
Warfield's letter struck a more measured tone than some opposition materials, noting: "Our church is committed to being a good neighbor and a positive presence in this city. We care deeply about the wellbeing of the surrounding neighborhood, and we understand the Board's responsibility to balance safety, access, and the needs of the broader public."
"It is in that spirit that we respectfully ask for reconsideration of this decision," Warfield wrote. "We believe there is room for a solution that protects public safety while also preserving reasonable access for the churches, residents, and community partners who are directly affected."
This makes Community Praise Church the second house of worship to join the appeal, along with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on West Braddock Road between Hancock and Luray avenues.
Press release with inflammatory language
According to a post on the Rosemont listserv, opponents published a press release on March 6. The Alexandria Brief did not receive that press release, nor have opponents responded to any of our requests for comment.
The press release includes inflammatory language calling the project a "betrayal" and saying the city "jammed bike lanes down the heart of the Rosemont neighborhood."
"City of Alexandria Forces Braddock Road Bike Lane, Betrays Residents," the headline stated.
The press release, issued by Carrie Pergram as a contact, included quotes from homeowners and Pastor Kate Costa of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
"The City obviously doesn't care about me, a tax paying homeowner," said East Braddock homeowner Sandra Gogol, according to the release. "The City never asked how this forced decision impacts me, my daily life, my safety or my property value. I support safety improvements where they are needed, but the City has failed to justify the need for protected bike lanes."
Pastor Costa said in the release: "We are ADA compliant with a handicap accessible ramp on Braddock Road, and the City thinks providing two handicap spots around the corner, over six times the distance away, is sufficient to help our disabled congregants and our many community groups? It's shortsighted and doesn't provide for the needs of the most vulnerable."
The release concludes: "The travel lane and parking modifications for Braddock Road are unwelcome, shortsighted, dangerous and are a betrayal to the homeowners, church goers and residents of this City."
Opposition claims vs. city data
Opposition organizing materials make several claims that conflict with information on the city's project website and data presented at the February 24 hearing:
Crash data
Opposition claim: "Only six accidents have taken place on this stretch of road since 2017" with "no pedestrian or bicycle accidents during this time." (Press release, March 6)
City presentation: A crash history map presented at the February 24 hearing shows 17 total crashes between 2019 and 2023, including 8 injury crashes. The crashes were distributed across the entire corridor, with clusters at the Russell Road, Commonwealth Avenue, and Mount Vernon Avenue intersections. The map shows one crash involved a pedestrian. A pedestrian was killed at the intersection of Braddock Road and Commonwealth Avenue in 2015.
City website: "Between 2019 and 2023, there were 17 crashes within the project area, 16 at intersections and 8 resulting in injury. One crash involved a pedestrian. A pedestrian fatality occurred at Braddock Road and Commonwealth Avenue in 2015."
Bike count duration
Opposition press release claim: "An insufficient two-day study by the City found a handful of bicyclists used the road."
City data: The city conducted a two-week bike and pedestrian count, not a two-day study.
Online petition claim: "Only 8 cyclists used the road during a two-week study by the City."
Note: The petition accurately states it was a two-week study, contradicting the press release's "two-day" claim.
Bike count data
Online petition claim: "Only 8 cyclists used the road during a two-week study by the City, while 10,000-15,000 cars, trucks, school busses, Dash busses and emergency vehicles use the corridor EVERY DAY."
At the February 24 hearing, Ken Notis, chair of the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, referenced bicycle counts showing 8 cyclists at the Commonwealth/Braddock intersection and 4 cyclists at Braddock/Russell during count periods conducted by the city. The city has not publicly released detailed methodology or raw data from the bicycle counts, and it is unclear whether the counts represent totals over the entire study period or counts during specific observation periods.
City's response to low counts: The city addressed this directly in its presentation with a quote from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO): "When evaluating safety performance of a street, it is important to understand that streets which have few crashes may in fact be streets which feel so unpleasant or unsafe that very few people will bicycle there. Thus, a small number of crashes does not necessarily indicate that the street is unsafe, but rather that there may be fewer people bicycling or underreported crashes."
The presentation also included data showing that 51-56% of people are "interested but concerned" about bicycling—meaning they would bike if safe infrastructure existed—while only 4-7% are "strong and fearless" cyclists who will bike regardless of conditions.
The city's project FAQ states: "Bicycle activity is highest near the Braddock Road Metro station and existing trail connections. Volumes are lower in other segments. Transportation planning considers both existing use and future demand. Providing safe, connected facilities allows more people to consider biking, especially near high-capacity transit and schools."
At the February 24 hearing, supporters argued that few people currently bike on the corridor precisely because it lacks safe infrastructure.
Brian Egan testified: "I've heard a lot about there's not a lot of bikes here. I go down there every day. I see bikes all the time and once we add bike lanes there'll be this concept called induced demand. It makes it easy, it makes people feel safe, it makes people feel comfortable and they will use it."
The city's traffic data presented at the hearing showed vehicle volumes ranging from approximately 6,400 to 15,200 vehicles per day depending on the segment, confirming that thousands of vehicles use the corridor daily.
Community engagement
Opposition press release claim: "The City neglected to properly engage with residents until after the proposal was introduced. No resident or church along the corridor was surveyed or told of these massive changes to Braddock Road. Street postings were few and residents' concerns have been ignored."
City presentation: A slide presented at the February 24 hearing showed the city's community engagement methods included eNews notifications, project signs, social media posts, an online feedback form, emails to stakeholders, and community and stakeholder meetings.
Community feedback survey results presented at the hearing showed:
- 95% of respondents felt positive or neutral about providing safe pedestrian crossings
- 75% felt positive or neutral about providing safe, comfortable places to bike or scoot
- 60%+ felt positive or neutral about parking removal on both sides of Braddock
- 73% felt positive or neutral about a two-way bike lane next to the Metro station
- 65% felt positive or neutral about removal of a travel lane in each direction
City website documentation:
- May 16, 2026: City Council Public Hearing (tentatively scheduled)
- February 23, 2026: Traffic & Parking Board Public Hearing
- Fall 2025-Winter 2026: Continued engagement with civic associations, community groups, and residents
- Fall 2025: Comment Period on Conceptual Design Options (September 10-October 5, with open house September 17)
- Spring 2025: Initial Public Comment Period (March 7-21, 2025)
Traffic and Parking Board testimony: Rosemary Spano, RCA Second Vice President, testified at the February 24 hearing: "I'd like to thank Alex Carroll for making herself available to field members questions at a second of two meetings."
Shared lane alternative
Online petition claim: "We support the shared bike lane alternative in the City's original conceptual drawings, that would achieve the same safety goals without imposing undue harm on City residents."
City website: The project website shows sharrows (shared lane markings) currently exist on portions of Braddock Road, Commonwealth Avenue, and Mount Vernon Avenue, but the recommended design concept proposes protected or separated bike lanes instead.
City presentation: A chart from the AASHTO Bike Guide presented at the hearing showed that protected bike lanes carry approximately 7,000 bicycles per day at speeds of 25-30 mph, while shared lanes or bike boulevards carry only approximately 2,000 bicycles per day at the same speeds—demonstrating that protected lanes accommodate 3-4 times more cyclists than shared lane markings.
Traffic impact
Online petition claim: Reducing lanes will "cause gridlock," "increase pollution," and "slow emergency vehicle response times."
City presentation: Traffic analysis data presented at the February 24 hearing showed that the recommended design would maintain or improve traffic operations at all three major intersections:
- Mount Vernon Avenue: Current delay 30.1 seconds (Level of Service C); with project 28.1 seconds (LOS C) - an improvement
- Commonwealth Avenue: Current delay 16.8 seconds (LOS B); with project 15.6 seconds (LOS B) - an improvement
- Russell Road: Current delay 33.2 seconds (LOS C); with project 32.3 seconds (LOS C) vs. 33.8 seconds in a "future no build" scenario
Level of Service (LOS) grades range from A (best) to F (worst), with C representing "stable flow" and B representing "reasonably free flow." All three intersections would maintain acceptable operations under the recommended design.
The presentation also showed how reducing travel lanes provides safety benefits by creating fewer lanes for pedestrians to cross, eliminating "multiple-threat" crash scenarios where one vehicle blocks another driver's view of a pedestrian, providing traffic calming effects, and creating space for protected bike lanes.
City website FAQ: "A traffic analysis was conducted using accepted engineering methodologies. The modeling evaluated current and projected conditions at signalized intersections. With signal timing adjustments, the recommended design is expected to operate similarly to existing conditions. The analysis found no significant increase in overall vehicle delay compared to today."
Emergency vehicles: The city received a letter of support from Deputy Fire Marshal Thomas Shawn. At the hearing, city staff noted emergency vehicles can use bike lanes when needed and pointed to Seminary Road as an example where traffic calming has not impeded emergency response.
Parking data
Online petition claim: The project will remove "100 parking spaces" affecting "52 homes, 4 churches and 5 congregations."
City website: "Between Russell Road and Mount Vernon Avenue, the corridor includes 105 on-street spaces. Parking studies found peak observed usage of 28 vehicles on a weekday evening and 47 vehicles on a Sunday morning, with over 300 available spaces on nearby streets within 1–2 blocks during those peak observations."
City website: "Most homes fronting Braddock Road have off-street parking."
Disability parking
Opposition press release claim: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church's disability parking will be moved "over six times the distance away." (Quote attributed to Pastor Kate Costa)
Actual distances: The existing disability space is approximately 25 feet from the church's accessible entrance. Proposed new spaces would be 150 and 175 feet away—roughly 6-7 times farther. This claim is accurate regarding the distance.
City website: "Most homes fronting Braddock Road have off-street parking. Adjustments were made to retain some parking and relocate or augment the disability space near Good Shepherd Lutheran Church."
According to Traffic and Parking Board minutes, board member David Lauritzen asked whether the proposed locations were final. Carroll responded they are not final but that the city consulted the Office of Human Rights and the US Access Board, both of which confirmed the proposed locations met accessibility requirements.
Carroll also told the board that "the project implementation timing has been planned in such a manner to ensure that there is never a time where there is no disability parking adjacent to the church."
Church dispute: Good Shepherd church member Denise Gray told The Alexandria Brief in an email: "At no time did any member of Good Shepherd agree with or indicate to a City Staff Member that the elimination of the Braddock Road handicapped parking space and the addition of a space on Hancock and one on Luray would be a viable solution."
Gray said the church "consistently objected to these proposals and was even told in writing by a former City employee that the Braddock Road handicapped parking space would not be taken away for this project."
Good Shepherd's website lists the church's address as 100 West Luray Avenue. The church has entrances on both the Braddock Road and Luray Avenue sides, but church members say only the Braddock Road entrance has both a sidewalk and an accessible ramp. The Luray Avenue entrance has only steps.
What was approved
The Traffic and Parking Board approved the city's full recommendation, which includes:
Bike lanes:
- Protected bike lanes along the corridor from Russell Road to West Street, except where parking is retained
- Two-way protected bike lane on the north side between the Metro station and trails
- One-way separated bike lane on the south side
- Unprotected bike lane on approximately 160 feet where parking is retained (unit block and 200 block of East Braddock Road)
Parking removal:
- Remove most on-street parking between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road
- Retain approximately 100 feet of parking on the unit block of East Braddock Road and 60 feet on the 200 block
- Remove parking on Commonwealth Avenue between Braddock Road and Spring Street
Traffic changes:
- Remove one travel lane in each direction between Yates Corner and West Street (near Metro)
- Consolidate turn lanes at Russell, Commonwealth, and Mount Vernon intersections
- Add commercial loading zone near Yates Corner
Other improvements:
- Relocate one disability parking space; add two new disability spaces on Hancock Avenue and Luray Avenue at Braddock Road (net gain of one disability space)
- Shorter crossing distances at major intersections
- Safer pedestrian crossings between trails and the Metro station
The project stems from a 2023 Safe Routes to School audit at George Washington Middle School and VDOT's designation of the corridor as a statewide priority for pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Under Alexandria city code, on-street parking spaces are public property and can be modified or removed for safety improvements, traffic management, or other public purposes. Individual residents and businesses do not have a legal right to parking spaces in front of their properties.
Support for the project
Ken Notis, chair of the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, said in a statement after the February 24 vote: "We are delighted by the Board's decision to support this project without compromise. The hearing demonstrated the project has significant public support as reflected by the majority of speakers."
At the February 24 hearing, supporters emphasized safety concerns and accessibility needs.
Tim Shaw, whose daughter uses a wheelchair, testified that the current road design is "disappointingly inaccessible" because sidewalks are too narrow for wheelchairs. "To make it truly accessible, we need dedicated lanes for wheelchairs, strollers, bikes, runners, scooters," Shaw said.
Mike Griffith, who led the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Safety Technology for 14 years, testified: "We shouldn't wait for a tragic pedestrian or bike crash to happen on Braddock Road and then react after the fact by making improvements. What is being proposed is backed by science."
Brian Egan, who bikes with three children under five, testified that the fatality rate for cyclists hit at 30 mph is 55% compared to 12% at 25 mph. He warned that opponents are "waiting for a fatality. That's if you read between the lines, they're waiting for someone to die. That's the data they're waiting for. It could be me or it could be my kids."
Joe Fray, who lives on segment three and will lose parking in front of his house, testified in support: "While I realize that this change will not be without inconvenience to me, my family and my neighbors, the benefits of the broader community are immense."
Tim Laderach, a former City Council candidate and Environmental and Climate Change Commission member, testified after midnight: "We have to prioritize the safety of our students and our commuters over the convenience of vehicle storage."
How to participate
City Council has not yet published the agenda for the May 16 public hearing meeting. Information on how to register to speak at the hearing, submit written testimony, or attend virtually is expected to be posted on the city's website at alexandriava.gov closer to the hearing date.
Residents may also submit comments to City Council via email at CouncilComment@alexandriava.gov or by contacting individual council members. Council member contact information is available on the city's website.
Under city code, City Council can uphold, modify, or overturn the Traffic and Parking Board's decision after holding a public hearing.
