Speed Limit Reduced On Part Of Seminary Road In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A speed limit reduction has been implemented on the remaining section of Seminary Road in Alexandria.

The speed limit was changed from 35 mph to 25 mph on the section between I-395 to the city limits to the west. The speed limit is already 25 mph on the section of Seminary Road east of I-395 since 2016. New speed limit signs were implemented this week.

The city's Traffic and Parking Board unanimously recommended lowering the speed limit in November. The speed limit reduction is part of the city's Vision Zero initiative seeking to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2028.

As part of the Vision Zero Action Plan adopted by City Council in 2017, city staff assessed the crash history of city streets with speed limits over 35 mph to determine which was a priority for a lowered speed limit. The study found Seminary Road between Kenmore Avenue and the city limit, a minor arterial road, had the highest rate of crashes per mile (425.45455) and highest rate of fatal or injury crashes per mile (100.909) between 2013 and 2019. The roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or above with the most actual crashes were Duke Street between Telegraph Road and the city limit (1,282 crashes), Van Dorn Street between Braddock Road and the city limit (623) and Seminary Road between Kenmore Avenue and the city limit (468).

This portion of Seminary Road had 239 reportable crashes between 2016 and June 2021, according to documents presented to the Traffic and Parking Board. Two of these were fatal, eight had serious injuries and 59 had non-life-threatening injuries. In addition, a pedestrian was killed in the area of Seminary Road and Fairbanks Avenue in September 2021.

In 2020, city staff conducted a speed limit study, examining the 85th percentile speeds and applying factors that could warrant a reduction, such as severe crashes, crash history, driveway density, pedestrian and bicycle activity, and narrow buffers. The study found the 85th percentile speed was around 39 mph and the average speed was 32 mph. The study recommended a 10-mph reduction.

When the city lowered the speed on Seminary Road between I-395 and Quaker Lane in 2016, data showed average speeds fell between 3 percent and 11 percent while annual overall crashes fell by 36 percent and fatal or severe crashes fell by 25 percent. Speeds and average annual crashes also fell on Quaker Lane, which also had a speed limit reduction in 2016. Seminary Road between North Quaker Lane and North Howard Street has also had a road diet implemented in 2019 — a reduction from two through lanes in each direction to one through lane in each direction with a center turn lane and new bike lane in each direction.

The speed limit reduction on Seminary Road west of I-395 drew opposition from the Seminary West Civic Association, Seminary Hill Civic Association and Northern Virginia Community College. The proposal drew support from the Alexandria Police Department Traffic Safety Section, Alexandria City Public Schools' director of pupil transportation and fleet Management, Fairfax County Department of Transportation and Alexandria Families for Safe Streets. While the Seminary West Civic Association's board president Peter Benavage did not support the speed limit change, his suggestion to install new speed radar signs will be implemented in early 2022.