FABB Blog

 

Telegraph Road public hearing

Section of Vicinity map

VDOT is planning to modify a short section of Telegraph Rd just north of Huntley Meadows Park near Ft. Belvoir. This part of Telegraph Rd, from S Van Dorn St to S Kings Hwy, is a narrow, congested two-lane road. It is now part of U.S. Bicycle Route 1 (see also the Adventure Cycling U.S. Bicycle Route page). Now that access through Ft. Belvoir is restricted, cyclists are not able to ride along Woodlawn Rd through the fort. Telegraph Rd is part of the alternate route as shown on the Northern Virginia inset (large pdf) of the Virginia bike map, Bicycling in Virginia.

VDOT plans to modify the two-lane section by adding several new turn lanes, bike lanes, a shared use path on one side and a sidewalk on the other. With two busy roads on either end of the project, there are many turning movements and safely routing bike lanes through traffic will be a challenge. See the VDOT Telegraph Rd project web page that includes a vicinity map.

VDOT recently announced that the public hearing will be held on September 23 from 5-8 p.m. at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Rd, Alexandria, 22315. We will review the plans at VDOT headquarters and will be preparing comments for the public hearing. This is an important part of the bicycle network for Fairfax County. Bike lanes on Telegraph Rd are part of the county Trails Plan. Mulligan Rd, just south of this project, will have bicycle facilities and will be replace Woodlawn Rd as part of U.S. Bike Route 1. Bike lanes are also planned  as part of the Mulligan Rd/Telegraph Rd project about which we've written in the past.

As the date for the public hearing approaches we'll be posting our comments on the project.

Labels: telegraph road, U.S. bike route system, vdot

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:25 PM permalink