Every day, residents, children, and families in Alexandria, Virginia face a significant challenge: crossing Commonwealth Avenue between W Del Ray Avenue and W Mount Ida Avenue. For the people who live and work here, this is a vital and congested corridor connecting a school, a library, and family homes with the lively local businesses on Mount Vernon Avenue. Yet, the absence of sufficient crosswalks puts everyone in this community at risk.

This section of Commonwealth Avenue is heavily used by pedestrians but currently has a substantial distance between designated crossing locations. Vehicles frequently travel at high speeds through the corridor, making it difficult and unsafe for pedestrians to cross.

The surrounding neighborhood generates significant pedestrian activity, including residents traveling to and from nearby homes, a school, a library, and the commercial businesses and restaurants along Mount Vernon Avenue. For many residents, particularly children, families, older adults, and those walking to neighborhood destinations, crossing Commonwealth Avenue is a necessary part of daily travel.

The lack of existing marked crossings within this approximately 1,000-foot distance between crosswalks creates a significant barrier for pedestrians and encourages crossings at locations without marked pedestrian infrastructure - adversely affecting the safety of both motorists and pedestrians.

We request that Alexandria City T&ES conduct a pedestrian-safety and traffic-engineering evaluation of this section of Commonwealth Avenue and identify appropriate locations for one or more additional marked crosswalks and associated safety improvements.

As part of that evaluation, we ask the City to consider:

• Additional marked pedestrian crosswalks between W. Del Ray Avenue and W. Mount Ida Avenue;
• Appropriate signage and pavement markings;
• High-visibility crosswalk treatments;
• Pedestrian warning devices or other enhanced crossing treatments, where warranted;
• Traffic-calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds; and
• The needs of children, families, older adults, and other pedestrians accessing neighborhood schools, the library, residences, transit, and businesses along Mount Vernon Avenue.

Our goal is straightforward: provide residents with safe, visible, and reasonably spaced opportunities to cross Commonwealth Avenue in this pedestrian-heavy neighborhood.