Meeting On GW Parkway Safety Planned At Whitman Middle School

BELLE HAVEN, VA—As federal officials begin to study safety improvements for the southern George Washington Memorial Parkway, residents can provide input at an upcoming meeting. The National Park Service will hold the meeting on Thursday, July 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Whitman Middle School, 2500 Parkers Lane, Alexandria.

The study focuses on the area of the GW Parkway south of Alexandria City all the way to George Washington's Mount Vernon. Around 17,000 vehicles travel on this portion daily.

Rep. Don Beyer, the area's representative in Congress, and other officials have been pushing for safety fixes. Calls for an expedited study came after a crash killed a taxi driver in the Fort Hunt area of the GW Parkway in April. Officials' concerns have included the lack of traffic lights on the parkway south of Alexandria City.

NPS and the Federal Highway Administration will share safety data for the GW Parkway at the meeting. Residents can share their concerns and ideas for improvements. According to NPS, "the intent of the study is to develop recommendations to improve safety that can be implemented using existing funds while preserving the parkway's historic appearance."

Public comments will be accepted beginning July 11 through Aug. 21. During that time, comments can be mailed to "George Washington Memorial Parkway Attn: Alexandria to Mount Vernon Safety Study 700 George Washington Memorial Parkway c/o Turkey Run Park McLean, Virginia 22101." The online comment form is not active yet.

Beyer has his own survey on GW Parkway safety open online.

Follow the project page for the latest updates on the GW Parkway study.