Adjacent to both the north and south sides of the Arlington Boulevard corridor from the Jackson Street Pedestrian Bridge to George Mason Drive, Arlington, VA View Map
As of Spring 2023, the project team has finalized the preliminary concept alternatives for the 7 segments of the trail in the study area and is now sharing the draft study report with relevant County Advisory Commissions.
Project Background
The Arlington Boulevard Trail is a regional, primarily off-street multi-use trail that parallels Arlington Boulevard. 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. Some of the segments have uneven pavement and narrow passageways adjacent to Arlington Blvd.
Planning Guidance
The 2019 Master Transportation Plan (MTP) – Bicycle Element identified the Arlington Blvd Trail in Appendix D, Bikeway Facility Projects, Section 2-14 as a recommended trail improvement. The recommendation states the project should “reconstruct portions of the Arlington Boulevard Trail, between Rosslyn and the Seven Corners area, to enhance user safety and usability. Reconstruction should include:
- resurfacing to achieve a minimum 10-foot paved width
- enhancing the crossings of highway ramps
- providing contra-flow facilities for those sections of one-way service road that constitute parts of the trail
- evaluate installation of trail lighting.
The Arlington Boulevard Trail is also identified in the Fort Myer Heights North Plan. (VDOT, Arlington) (2.0 miles)”
This Study
As part of the Adopted Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Fiscal Years 2022 – 2024, the County Board provided guidance to the County Manager to conduct an engineering / feasibility study for the Arlington Boulevard Multi-Use Trail from Jackson Street to George Mason Drive, inclusive of Glebe Road, to inform a future CIP. The scope of this study would include a feasibility analysis, field survey, traffic data collection, coordination with VDOT, and a preliminary horizontal layout. The study is estimated to take 12 months.
Goals
Spring 2023 – Final Concept Designs
The final phase of community engagement for the Arlington Boulevard Trail Study involves sharing the feedback gathered during previous engagement opportunities, illustrating the design concepts developed as a result and sharing the next steps for potential Capital Improvement Project funding. The final concept design will be posted below as soon as it is finalized.
Review the Final Concept Designs (Coming Soon)
Staff will present the final design concepts from the study at the following meetings:
- Parks and Recreation Commission - April 18
- Transportation Commission - April 27
Fall 2022 - Preliminary Concept Designs
The second phase of community engagement for the Arlington Boulevard Trail provided a variety of ways to learn more about the study, see the preliminary design concepts and share your feedback. This public engagement opportunity was open from November 17 through the end of the day on December 11, 2022. Following a review of the input received, the project team will provide a summary of what we heard during this phase of public engagement here.
Engagement Summary(PDF, 783KB)
Virtual Public Meeting
The project team hosted a virtual public meeting on November 17, 2022 from 7:00 - 8:30pm. We shared the preliminary design concepts for the seven segments of the Arlington Boulevard Trail within the study area and took questions from attendees.
Watch the meeting recording
Online Feedback Form
Review the preliminary alternatives for all seven segments, and share your thoughts on the possibilities in the online feedback form below. This form is now open until the end of the day on December 11, 2022.
Community Pop-up Events
A pop-up community engagement event was held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center on December 20, 2022 from 1-3pm. The project team solicited input on the preliminary concept design alternatives from patrons of the community center.
Summer 2022 - Existing Conditions Assessment
The first public engagement opportunity included a virtual public meeting to introduce the study and kick off the public process for this work. It also included a walking tour of the existing facilities in the study area, and an online feedback form to gather community input on what works and doesn't work on the existing Arlington Boulevard Trail today. This feedback will be used to inform the study moving forward.
Following analysis of the feedback we received in this public engagement opportunity, the project team will summarize what we heard from the public and share it back as a summary memo.
Engagement Summary(PDF, 815KB)
Virtual Kick-Off Meeting
The project team held a virtual kick-off meeting to introduce the community to the study, share background information about how we got here today, and highlight the existing trail and street facilities for people walking and biking along the Arlington Blvd corridor.
Meeting Details:
Walking Tour
The project team held a walking tour of the existing trail facilities and adjacent intersections and roadways as part of this public engagement opportunity.
Meeting Details:
Online Engagement Form
In addition to the kick-off meeting and walking tour, the project team will also collect feedback via an online feedback form. This will be posted below when it is ready - beginning June 13, 2022 and closing on July 5, 2022.
Funding