To the Editor:
I am writing in response to Linda Greenberg's letter "Catering to the One Percent" in the Jan. 15 edition of the Gazette. Her question, "Why isn't the city expanding car lanes to ease congestion" deserves an answer. The fact is that expanding car lanes in Alexandria invites more traffic and does not provide long term, sustainable congestion relief. A recent case in point was apparent in the Eisenhower Avenue widening project at Mill Road. In that case, the city opted for near term congestion relief at a cost of more than $7 million, with an understanding that the relief was temporary: projected traffic in that location will return to unacceptable levels of congestion in less than 7 years after the project is completed, without more effective transit-oriented measures. With constraints on right-of-way that preclude widening roads across the city, what is the solution? The city is pursuing the only path that will lead to sustainable congestion relief, such as that achieved in Arlington, where Lee Highway, Washington Boulevard and Wilson Boulevard have all achieved double-digit reductions in traffic counts since 1996. The secret? Offering multiple alternatives to the automobile in the form of rail, bus, bicycling, and walking and relentlessly marketing those transportation alternatives.
The King Street Bike lanes project is not about the one percent, it is about the 99 percent interested in sustainable congestion relief. The city's Transportation Master Plan and Eco City Plan are two City-Council approved polices that emphasize access to transit and increased use of non-single-occupancy-vehicle transportation. By improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists in an access-to-Metro corridor, the King Street project is completely aligned with and consistent with these policies. Mr. Baier, after many public meetings and careful consideration, made a technically sound decision, consistent with those policies to achieve congestion relief for the 99 percent. It is time to move forward.
James Durham