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Opponents of the Braddock Road Corridor Improvements Project filed an appeal Friday with more than 50 signatures, according to media reports, triggering a City Council review of the Traffic and Parking Board's unanimous decision to approve protected bike lanes and parking removal.
Margaret Janowsky and Brittney DePiano submitted the appeal to the City Clerk's office on March 6, Fox5 DC and ALXnow reported.
The appeal comes less than two weeks after the board voted 6-0 to approve the project following a six-hour hearing on February 23 that drew 66 speakers—approximately 37 in support and 29 opposed.
Under Alexandria city code, a petition signed by at least 25 property owners or residents can appeal a Traffic and Parking Board decision to the City Council within 15 days. City Council will now hold its own public hearing and has the authority to "retain, remove, or change" the board's decision.
What was approved
The Traffic and Parking Board approved the city's full recommendation for the Braddock Road Corridor Improvements Project, 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.
- 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 the Virginia Department of Transportation's designation of the corridor as a statewide priority for pedestrian and bicycle safety. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 17 crashes in the project area, resulting in 8 injuries. A pedestrian was killed at the intersection of Braddock Road and Commonwealth Avenue in 2015.
Opposition concerns
Opponents have raised concerns about parking loss, traffic congestion, emergency vehicle access, and impacts on Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and other houses of worship that rely on street parking.
"We're hoping the petition to appeal the decision will allow us to get in front of city council and explain the impact to the residents that they're supposed to be supporting," DePiano told Fox5 DC this week.
Margaret Janowsky, who lives on West Braddock Road, submitted letters to the Traffic and Parking Board before the February 23 hearing, calling Complete Streets Program Manager Alexandria Carroll "an embarrassment to the City of Alexandria" and accusing her of being "self-righteous and rude." Janowsky also called the board Carroll's "cheerleaders" and dismissed community engagement as "perfunctory and performative."
At the February 23 hearing, Janowsky struck a more measured tone. "I would like to state up front that we support any and all safety improvements to the section of East Braddock Road between Mount Vernon Avenue and Northwest Street identified by VDOT as the area needing improvement," Janowsky testified. "We have been accused of being against safety, which is absurd."
Janowsky told Fox5 this week: "They think by us objecting to the bike lanes that we're not concerned about the safety of the bikers and in fact, we're concerned about the safety of everyone that uses this road, including the people that live here."
At the February 23 hearing, Elizabeth Trigg argued the city's own data shows the corridor between Mount Vernon and Russell is safe. "Since 2017 there have been zero pedestrian or bicycle incidents," Trigg testified. "We are essentially being asked to undergo major surgery on a healthy stretch of road."
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Pastor Kate Costa testified at the February 23 hearing expressing concern about relocating the disability parking space from in front of the church to around the corner, forcing disabled congregants to walk farther.
The city's plan relocates one disability parking space from the unit block of West Braddock Road and adds two new disability parking spaces—one on Hancock Avenue at Braddock Road and one on Luray Avenue at Braddock Road. This results in a net gain of one disability parking space near the church.
Good Shepherd's website lists the church's address as 100 West Luray Avenue and states: "We don't have a parking lot but street parking is usually ample." The website notes entrances are on both the Braddock Road and Luray Avenue sides of the building.
Amy Hadley, who chairs Good Shepherd's Community Outreach Ministry, testified at the February 23 hearing that the church hosts INOVA blood drives and a monthly meal program that depend on vehicle access. "INOVA requires host sites to be fully accessible and staff transport heavy medical equipment into our building," Hadley said, noting the INOVA truck parks on Braddock Road.
According to the city's staff report, the church worked with city staff on the disability parking relocation plan.
The Rosemont Citizens Association voted 61-12 in January to oppose parking removal on the corridor, though that vote represented fewer than 2% of the neighborhood's 4,136 residents, who they say they represent.
Support for the project
Ken Notis, chair of the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, praised the board's decision in a statement after the February 23 vote.
"We are delighted by the Board's decision to support this project without compromise," Notis said in a statment provided on Feb. 24 to The Alexandria Brief. "The hearing demonstrated the project has significant public support as reflected by the majority of speakers."
At the February 23 hearing, Tim Shaw, whose daughter uses a wheelchair, said the current road design is "disappointingly inaccessible" because sidewalks are too narrow. "To make it truly accessible, we need dedicated lanes for wheelchairs, strollers, bikes, runners, scooters," Shaw testified.
Mike Griffith, who led the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Safety Technology for 14 years, testified at the February 23 hearing that the improvements are backed by research. "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," Griffith said.
Brian Egan, who bikes with three children under five, testified at the February 23 hearing that the fatality rate for cyclists hit at 30 mph is 55% compared to 12% at 25 mph. "I've heard a lot about there's not a lot of bikes here," Egan said. "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."
Egan 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 at the February 23 hearing in support of the project. "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," Fray said.
Tim Laderach, a former City Council candidate, spoke at the February 23 hearing after midnight. "We have to prioritize the safety of our students and our commuters over the convenience of vehicle storage," Laderach testified. "Safety is not a luxury. We are fortunate that we haven't seen a recent tragedy on this stretch, but safety isn't just the absence of accidents, it's the presence of protection that allows a child to bike to school with confidence."
City analysis
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.
The city's staff report states that only one home on the affected corridor does not have off-street parking, and city staff worked with that resident to address parking needs.
The report documents peak parking utilization at approximately 28 spaces on weekdays and 47 spaces on Sundays out of 105 total on-street spaces in the project area, with more than 300 additional spaces available on surrounding streets within a two-block radius.
What happens next
City Council will schedule a public hearing on the appeal. The council can uphold, modify, or overturn the Traffic and Parking Board's decision.
No hearing date has been set.
Ryan Belmore
Update at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 7: This story has been updated to clarify that Margaret Janowsky lives on West Braddock Road. The story has also been updated to clarify that the bike lanes include an unprotected section on approximately 160 feet where parking is retained on the unit block and 200 block of East Braddock Road.
