In the Van Dorn-Landmark area of Alexandria, Virginia, a proposed redevelopment could transform the City’s automobile-dominated west end into a pedestrian friendly, urban retail destination. Burgess & Niple (B&N) provided a traffic impact analysis and developed multimodal concepts to complement the redevelopment plan.
Located minutes from Washington, D.C., the area is situated between two of the nation’s busiest interstates and has an underutilized metro rail station and bus transit system. The proposed redevelopment would change the streetscape into a network of multimodal boulevards and increase travel demand in an already-congested area.
Working with a community advisory group, B&N proposed a solution that incorporates mixed-use boulevards and accommodates a greater density of traffic. Components of the plan include bike lanes, a grid of walkable streets, corridors for potential bus rail transit or light rail transit, and multimodal access to other parts of the community.
B&N adapted an area travel demand model to reflect the potential land use changes using the microscopic simulation software VISSIM. The team also analyzed how drivers would use the revised road network.
The final report included a recommendation for the best alternative traffic pattern and infrastructure improvements for the Van Dorn-Landmark area. B&N worked with the community advisory group to review the final plans.