Arlington Blvd Trail (South Side) - S. George Mason Dr to S. Glebe Rd

Preliminary Concept Engagement Open Thru June 21!

The project team has released a preliminary concept design for the project corridor and is seeking your input on the proposed changes online and at a public meeting on June 2

Learn More

Location

Along the south side of the Arlington Boulevard corridor from S. George Mason Drive to S. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA View Map

Status

In Design

The project team has released a preliminary concept design to implement the recommendations from the Arlington Boulevard Trail Study, completed in 2023. We are accepting feedback through June 21.
Please visit the Study project page to review the report and learn more about the process.

About the Project

Aerial map showing project limits for south side of Arlington Blvd, from S George Mason Dr to S Glebe Rd

Project Background

The Arlington Boulevard Trail is a regional, primarily off-street multi-use trail that parallels Arlington Boulevard (Route 50). Sections of the route are comprised of several elements including: existing off-street trails, on-street planned bike lanes, existing on-street bike lanes, and an existing on-street bikeway.

In 2023, County staff completed the Arlington Boulevard Trail Study, a feasibility study of the ABT on both the North and South sides of Arlington Boulevard between George Mason Drive and Jackson Street.

Review the Arlington Boulevard Trail Study

Project Goals

This project seeks to implement the recommendations of the Arlington Boulevard Trail Study on the south side of Arlington Boulevard between S. George Mason Drive and S. Glebe Road, referred to in the study as Segments 5 and 6.

For this segment, that includes to convert the existing sidewalk to a shared use path, provide adequate buffer widths adjacent to the roadway and improve intersection crossings with the goal of enhancing access on Arlington Boulevard Trail for people walking and biking along the corridor.

Planning Guidance

Planning guidance from this project comes from the following County Board-adopted plans and policies:

The Arlington Boulevard Trail Study serves as the guide for this capital project based on its findings and recommendations.
Master Transportation Plan (MTP)
- Bike Element: Identifies the Arlington Blvd Trail in Appendix D, Bikeway Facility Projects, Section 2-14 as a recommended trail improvement.
Public Spaces Master Plan
- Recommends upgrading and completing the existing trail along the entire length of Arlington Boulevard to complete an “inner loop” of off-street or protected routes that connects the Custis, Four Mile Run, Arlington Boulevard and Mount Vernon Trails.

Additional Information

Public Process

Spring 2026 - Preliminary Concept Design Engagement

The project team has prepared a preliminary concept plan that implements the recommendations of the Arlington Boulevard Trail Study for the south side of the Route 50 corridor. The project corridor aligns with the following segments from the Study:

Segment 5, connecting the intersection of S. George Mason Drive at Arlington Boulevard east past the driveway into the federal facility.
Segment 6, connecting the driveway from the federal facility to the intersection of Arlington Boulevard and S. Glebe Road
Segment 7, connecting S. Glebe road to the Jackson Street pedestrian bridge over Arlington Boulevard

Stacked, annotated image of the concept plans for the Arlington Boulevard Trail project on the southside of Route 50, between S. George Mason Drive and east of S. Glebe Road. Details of the concept plan are in the bulleted list below.

View a larger version of this Preliminary Concept plan.

The preliminary concept design proposes the following updates:

Trail & Connectivity
- Add an 11-foot wide multi-use trail from S. George Mason Drive to 800 feet east of S. Glebe Road
- Connect this segment of the Arlington Boulevard Trail to the multi-use trail proposed on S. George Mason Drive capital project
- Provide a 4-foot grass buffer or a vertical concrete barrier between the trail and Arlington Boulevard
- Connect to the 10-foot multi-use trail, 4-foot planting strip, and 2 feet of shy space being delivered by the Goodwill site plan as part of their public space improvements
- Connect to the trail improvements included in VDOT's Arlington Boulevard Safety Improvements project
Intersection Improvements
- Add a pedestrian refuge island and marked crosswalks across the driveway to the National Foreign Affairs Training Center
- Enhance the intersection of the trail and S. Glebe Road with upgraded curb ramps and high-visibility crosswalks

Public Input Opportunities

There are two opportunities to learn more about the preliminary concept plan and provide your input on the proposed changes to the Arlington Boulevard Trail between now and June 21, 2026:

Use the Online Feedback Form

The online feedback form provides key details about the proposed concept and asks for your input on the proposed changes and their potential to affect how you get around in the Route 50 corridor. You can also use the interactive map component of the form to provide detailed input on specific parts of the preliminary concept plan. This option is available until the end of the day on Sunday June 21, 2026.

Share Your Input

Attend the Mid-County Infrastructure Projects Open House

Join project staff from this project at a public open house for projects in the mid-County area bounded by Wilson Blvd, Washington Blvd, Columbia Pike and the Fairfax County Line. The meeting will include an interactive map opportunity as well as the change to talk with staff about the preliminary concept plan and how we got to this point.

Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: Alice West Fleet Elementary School - Cafeteria
- 115 S. Old Glebe Road
- Arlington VA 22204

More details about the open house can be found on the event page.

Learn More and Save the Date for the Mid-County Infrastructure Projects Open House