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An online petition opposing the Braddock Road bike lane project has gained more than 140 signatures in three days, though the petition contains several factual errors about the Traffic and Parking Board's decision.
The Change.org petition, started by Brittney DePiano, urges signers to support an appeal filed on March 6 and oppose the city's recommendation to add protected bike lanes and remove most parking between Mount Vernon Avenue and Russell Road.
Margaret Janowsky promoted the petition Tuesday on the Rosemont Citizens Association listserv, writing: "While we are fighting this outrageous decision in between our daily lives, we can't reach everyone in Rosemont or greater Alexandria in person knocking doors."
The petition raises concerns about parking loss, traffic congestion, and accessibility, but makes several claims contradicted by city data and the Traffic and Parking Board's decision.
DePiano was one of two residents who filed an appeal with more than 50 signatures, triggering a City Council review of the board's 6-0 decision. The board approved the project on February 24 after a six-hour hearing where approximately 37 speakers supported the project, and 29 opposed it—more residents spoke in favor than against.
City Council will hold its own public hearing and has the authority to uphold, modify, or overturn the board's decision. No hearing date has been set.
Petition claims vs. facts
Disability parking: The city's plan relocates one disability parking space from the unit block of West Braddock Road—approximately 25 feet from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church's accessible entrance—and adds two new disability parking spaces on Hancock Avenue and Luray Avenue, approximately 150 and 175 feet from the entrance, respectively. This results in a net gain of one disability space but increases the distance disabled congregants must travel.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Pastor Kate Costa testified at the February 24 hearing, expressing concern about the relocation. Church members say only the Braddock Road entrance has both a sidewalk and an accessible ramp. The Luray Avenue entrance has only steps.
City staff stated at the February 24 hearing that they had worked with the church on the disability parking relocation plan, which would include the addition of an accessible sidewalk on both streets. However, church members dispute that characterization.
"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," church member Denise Gray said in an email to The Alexandria Brief on Tuesday, March 10.
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."
Amy Hadley, who chairs Good Shepherd's Community Outreach Ministry, testified at the February 24 hearing that the church hosts INOVA blood drives and a monthly meal program that depend on vehicle access.
Crash data: The petition claims there have been "only six minor car accidents here since 2017" and "no bicycle or pedestrian accidents during that time."
City data presented at the February 24 hearing shows 17 crashes between 2019 and 2023, resulting in 8 injuries. A pedestrian was killed at the intersection of Braddock Road and Commonwealth Avenue in 2015.
At the hearing, supporters argued the lack of bicycle crashes reflects the fact that few people currently bike on the corridor because it's unsafe, not that it's safe for cycling.
Brian Egan, who testified at the hearing, said: "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."
Accessibility: The petition states the project will "eliminate accessibility for our elderly and disabled neighbors."
However, Tim Shaw, whose daughter uses a wheelchair, testified at the February 24 hearing 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 testified.
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.
Emergency vehicles: The petition claims reducing lanes will "slow emergency vehicle response times."
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 removal: The petition states the project will remove "100 parking spaces" affecting "52 homes, 4 churches and 5 congregations."
The project removes 105 on-street parking spaces. However, the city's staff report documents peak parking utilization at approximately 28 spaces on weekdays and 47 spaces on Sundays, with more than 300 additional spaces available on surrounding streets within a two-block radius.
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.
Opposition arguments
The petition argues the city should instead use "Shared Lane markings & more crosswalks along with reduced speed zones and speed enforcement" rather than protected bike lanes.
At the February 24 hearing, Complete Streets Program Manager Alexandria Carroll addressed this suggestion, stating that shared lane markings "do not improve safety, nor do they calm traffic."
The petition states: "We support the critical safety improvements on E. Braddock Rd between Mt. Vernon Ave & West St, the area needing improvement as identified by VDOT."
This refers to segment 1 of the project. However, the Virginia Department of Transportation designated the corridor between Mount Vernon Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue as a "high priority" for both pedestrian and bicycle access, and the segment between Commonwealth and Russell as "high priority" for bicycle access and "medium priority" for pedestrian access.
Elizabeth Trigg, who testified against the project at the February 24 hearing, argued: "The city's own data shows this is the safest stretch of the entire 3.75 mile Braddock Road corridor and since 2017 there have been zero pedestrian or bicycle incidents. We are essentially being asked to undergo major surgery on a healthy stretch of road."
Margaret Janowsky, who lives at 106 West Braddock Road, testified at the hearing: "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. We have been accused of being against safety, which is absurd."
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Pastor Kate Costa testified at the February 24 hearing expressing concern about relocating the disability parking space from approximately 25 feet to 150-175 feet from the church's accessible entrance.
Amy Hadley, who chairs Good Shepherd's Community Outreach Ministry, testified 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.
Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore
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 VDOT's designation of the corridor as a statewide priority for pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore
Supporter response
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, 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."
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, testified: "We have to prioritize the safety of our students and our commuters over the convenience of vehicle storage. Safety is not a luxury."
Ryan Belmore
Update, March 10, 2026 at 4:30 PM: This story has been updated to include additional context about Good Shepherd Lutheran Church's disability parking concerns, including the distances from proposed parking spaces to the church's accessible entrance, and to note that church members dispute the city's characterization that they agreed to the parking relocation plan.
