Opposition signs, flyers appear on Braddock Road ahead of Feb. 23 hearing
Opposition materials mock city's recommended design; Del Ray association voted 72% in support
Yard signs and flyers opposing protected bike lanes on Braddock Road have appeared in Rosemont ahead of a February 23 public hearing on the city’s recommended design.
The signs feature sarcastic messages, including “We support bikes...we also support not sitting in traffic,” “Parking removed...data pending,” and “Braddock Rd Parking Funeral Feb 23rd, 2026” with a skull icon. Another asks: “Should I park in front of your house now?”
The signs include QR codes that link to the city’s Friday announcement of its recommended design for the corridor.
Flyers posted on telephone poles urge residents to “Help Save Parking on Braddock Road” and contact the Traffic and Parking Board and City Council members before the hearing.
What the signs and flyers say
The flyer argues the city’s proposal will “eliminate parking on this block of Braddock Road and lanes at the Braddock/Russell & Braddock/Commonwealth intersections.”
It warns that “far from being improvements to our neighborhood, this ill-conceived proposal will”:
Make parking near homes “impossible for visitors and those who have no driveways”
Slow ambulances, fire trucks and police vehicles that use Braddock Road as an emergency route
Increase traffic volume and road rage when cars are limited to one lane at intersections
Make the neighborhood “less safe for pedestrians when — without any turn lanes — cars speed through intersections so that more than 1-2 can get through each green light”
The flyer lists email addresses for the mayor and all seven City Council members, along with aerial images showing the city’s proposed bike lane configurations.
Broader support for project
While some Rosemont residents oppose the project, the Del Ray Citizens Association received 43 responses to its survey, with 72.1% supporting the project and 27.9% opposed—31 in favor and 12 opposed.
The association has approximately 350 household memberships, representing just under 600 individual members out of more than 6,000 households in Del Ray. The 43 responses represent less than 1% of Del Ray households.
Unlike the Rosemont Citizens Association, which claims all 4,136 Rosemont residents as automatic members, the DRCA does not purport to represent all Del Ray households.
All five candidates competing for City Council in the February 21 Democratic firehouse primary also expressed support for the project in responses to a questionnaire from the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
“Prioritize life over convenience,” wrote Tim Laderach. “Keeping Alexandrians safe and alive has to be the primary goal,” wrote Sandy Marks.
RCA opposition
The Rosemont Citizens Association has opposed options that would remove parking to create protected bike lanes.
On November 19, the RCA voted 49-10 (59 total voters) to oppose parking removal on one segment between Russell Road and Commonwealth Avenue. On January 22, the RCA voted 61-12 (with 3 abstentions) to expand that opposition from Russell-Commonwealth to Mount Vernon-Russell—covering the segment between Mount Vernon and Russell Road
Both votes represented fewer than 2% of the neighborhood’s 4,136 residents.
What the city is recommending
The city announced last week that transportation officials are recommending continuous protected bike lanes along Braddock Road between Russell Road and West Street, including a two-way protected bike lane next to the Braddock Road Metro station.
The design also includes safer pedestrian crossings, shorter crossing distances at major intersections, and new bike lane connections on Commonwealth Avenue.
City officials said the recommendations “respond to documented safety concerns and community feedback by encouraging safer vehicle speeds, improving visibility, and providing dedicated space for people walking and biking.”
The corridor has been identified as a safety priority by the Virginia Department of Transportation, and a 2023 Safe Routes to School Walk Audit at George Washington Middle School recommended safety improvements along Braddock Road.
Mayor addresses community divide
Mayor Alyia Gaskins addressed the Braddock Road controversy in a video update Wednesday, acknowledging the community is split on the project.
“Anytime someone tells you that everyone is for something or everyone is against something, they’re probably wrong,” Gaskins said. “Because nobody knows everyone and we are a community that has many different views.”
Gaskins said she has received emails from residents on all sides: supporters including “a family who’s lived on Braddock Road for 20 years and bikes to and from for most of their daily trips,” opponents “concerned about parking and access to their homes,” and residents who “just want to learn more.”
The mayor noted the project has included 10 community meetings, conversations with civic groups including the Rosemont Citizens Association, and meetings with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Gaskins emphasized that the Traffic and Parking Board—not City Council—will vote on the project February 23, and encouraged residents to send feedback to the board before the meeting.
The project aims to “improve safety, accessibility and connectivity” to Braddock Road Metro, the Potomac Yard Trail, the Metro Linear Trail, and George Washington Middle School, Gaskins said.
February 23 public hearing
The Traffic and Parking Board will hold a public hearing on the Braddock Road project at 7 p.m. Monday, February 23.
The Braddock Road item is listed as item #9 on the board’s agenda: “Travel Lane and Parking Modifications for the Braddock Road Corridor Improvements Project.”
The meeting will be held in person in City Council Chambers (Room 1305) at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center, 4850 Mark Center Drive, and virtually via Zoom.
To attend virtually, participants must register in advance at the city’s Zoom registration page. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with meeting access information.
Public comments will be accepted at the meeting or submitted via email to TrafficandParkingBoard@alexandriava.gov by 3 p.m. on February 23—24 hours before the meeting.
The board’s full 271-page docket for the meeting is available here.
The board will also consider proposed parking restrictions along Eisenhower Avenue, creation of a new Restricted Overnight Parking District in Beverley Hills, and other items.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact TrafficandParkingBoard@alexandriava.gov or call Virginia Relay 711.
Update, Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 4:12 p.m.: This story has been updated to include comments from Mayor Alyia Gaskins, who addressed the Braddock Road project in a video update Wednesday afternoon, and to add the Zoom registration link and agenda details for the February 23 Traffic and Parking Board meeting.