South Walter Reed Drive Complete Streets Improvements

Crews continue to work to reconstruct the intersection of South Walter Reed Drive and 9th Street South. This work includes realigning travel lanes and installing a new four-way signal.

Crews are working on the west side/southbound lanes of South Walter Reed Drive between 9th Street South and Columbia Pike. This work includes preparations to widen the sidewalk on the west side of South Walter Reed Drive.

• All traffic will shift to the center lanes
• The northbound bus stop at 9th Road South will close

Crews will work in the roadway before beginning sidewalk work. 

The work between 9th Street South and Columbia Pike is expected to be completed by fall of this year. After the fall, crews will begin improvements between 9th Street South and 5th Street South.

Traffic Map July-September

The project will reconstruct the intersection of South Walter Reed Drive and 9th Street South to simplify lanes and add a four-way signal.

This portion of the project will be completed in August 2026, ahead of Arlington Public School's 2026-2027 academic year.

Project Goals

• Reduce complexity at the intersection by removing the slip lane and realigning lanes into a cleaner "T" shape
• Add a four-way signal at the intersection to make traffic patterns more predictable for all travelers

The south phase includes capital improvements at 9th Street South and improvements from 5th Street South to Columbia Pike. This phase received funding for design and engineering in the short-term Capital Improvement Plan approved by the County Board in July 2020. 

Project Goals:

Provide better connectivity for people walking and biking by improving bike facilities and pedestrian crossings through tactical improvements

• Protected bike lanes on South Walter Reed Drive
• Bus stop islands
• Improving sightlines for northbound and southbound traffic by removing parking at the intersection with Columbia Pike

Construction of the intersection of 5th Street South and South Walter Reed Drive/South Fillmore Street began in December 2020 and was completed in spring of 2021.

Construction Accomplishments:

• Redesigned the intersection geometry at 5th Street South and Walter Reed Drive/Fillmore Street to increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and transit users
• Installed new striping and signage
• Replaced existing curb ramps with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps
• Improved bus stop location and infrastructure
• Improved water quality with the installation of bio-retention infrastructure at the intersection of South Walter Reed Drive and 5th Street South

In May 2026, project staff presented to the Penrose and Arlington Heights Civic Associations. The presentation focused on the project background, the community-informed final design, and information about current construction.

• May 2026 Project Presentation

To support safe traffic and bus operations, the northbound bus stop location has been updated from the concept shown in Winter 2026. When the project is complete, the bus boarding island will be on the north side of the South Walter Reed Drive & 9th Road South intersection.

Bus Stop Island Exhibit 

In February 2026, project staff presented to the Arlington Heights Civic Association. The presentation focused on the project background, the community-informed final design, and information about current construction.

• February 2026 Project Update Presentation

• July 2025 Project Update Slide Deck
  • Read the project progress overview, including information about planned upgrades and connectivity.
• Diagram of Tree Locations
  • Shows existing trees (101) as well as trees removed (12) and planted by the project (34)

The concept design shared in November 2022 received updates as the project team finalized the design. The changes were consistent with planning guidance and community feedback heard through previous engagement efforts.

Final Concept Update Documents

• Spring 2023 Project Update Presentation
• South Walter Reed Final Concept Update Plan

Final Concept Update Summary

Summary of changes from the November 2022 version to the April 2023 final concept:

• The southbound bike lane is at sidewalk level between 6th Street South and 7th Street South, rather than being buffered
  • The design protects provides consistent protection for people biking while retaining on-street parking and reducing maintenance challenges
• The striped median space has been reduced between 8th Street South and 9th Street South to facilitate a shorter crossing distance at 8th Street South and increased planting space from 8th Street South to 9th Street South
• Proposed trees are included. The exact number of trees are subject to change based on final engineering.
• Final location of Capital Bikeshare station will be determined based on ongoing coordination with Capital Bikeshare and Arlington Public Schools.

Concept Design Documents

• Winter 2022 Concept Design Illustration
• Winter 2022 Concept Design Presentation (presented to Penrose and Arlington Heights Civic Association leadership 1/13/23)
• Winter 2022 Concept Design Presentation (slides 17-24 updated to include arrows highlighting improvements)

Concept Design Highlights

• Reduces the complexity of the 6th Street S. intersection to improve safety for all transportation network users and shortens crossing distances for people walking. 

• Realigns and adds a signal to the 9th Street S. intersection to facilitate movements for all transportation network users (including school buses and fire apparatus) and shorten crossing distances for people walking. 

• Adds raised islands for safer turning movements and to provide additional protection for people biking and walking 

• Relocates the midblock bus stop closer to 8th Street S. to improve rider safety and access as well as bus headways. 
• Provides protected and buffered bike lanes to improve safety and access of people biking between 7th and 9th Streets S.
• Provides a buffered bike lanes between 6th and 7th Street were added to the final concept as an interim condition.
• • Design review determined that the revised final concept, which included protected bike lanes, presented conflicts between driveway sightlines and parking, as well as with trash, recycling, and service needs.
  • Buffered bike lanes provide an enhanced facility over existing conditions while helping to balance multimodal needs across the corridor.
  • A subsequent capital project is being considered for this block, with the goal of improving accessibility for people walking and biking, by providing sidewalk-level improvements.
• Reconfigures driveway access near 8th and 9th Streets S. to provide safer access to private parking, reduce crossing distances for people walking and reduce intersection complexity for all transportation network users. 

• Provides more consistent travel lane widths and pocket turn lanes at 9th Street S. and 7th Street S. to improve the safety and predictability of people driving. 
• Provides approximately 104 proposed parking spaces on South Walter Reed Drive, a net gain of 2 spaces from existing conditions. 

Design updates from revised concept (spring 2022) to final concept (winter 2022) 

• Added additional green space and permeable surfaces in response to community feedback: 
• • Added ten grass medians from 5th Street South to 9th Street South.
  • Added two landscaped rain gardens: one at 6th Street South and the other at 9th Street S. 
  • Added three planting strips in sidewalk west of Walter Reed from 9th Road South to Columbia Pike.   
• Removed raised median on 9th Street west of the intersection to ensure safety and access of larger vehicles turning, such as school buses and fire trucks. 
• Added two-stage left turn bike boxes at 9th Street intersection to facilitate turn movements for people biking on the 9th Street Bike Boulevard.  
• Added wider sidewalks from 9th Road South to Columbia Pike to improve pedestrian and transit rider safety and access based on community feedback.

• In this section, widening the sidewalks reduces on-street parking by five spaces from revised concept design.  
• As noted above, the final design provides approximately 104 parking spaces, a net gain of 11 spaces from existing conditions. 

A virtual community meeting was held in March 2022.

• Revised Concept Plan
• Recorded March 2022 Meeting
• March 2022 Meeting Slides

Engagement feedback

• March 2022 Engagement Feedback Summary
• March 2022 Engagement Feedback

• A virtual community meeting was held in April 2021.
  • Meeting recording (video)
  • Meeting slides
  • Questions submitted
  • APS Career Center Existing Conditions Analysis to review the traffic count data that helped develop the concept design; Additional traffic count data on signalized intersections was also used
• Engagement feedback summary

As part of the approved short-term Capital Improvement Plan approved by the County Board in July 2020, the project scope was updated to include capital improvements at 9th Street South and tactical improvements from 5th Street South to Columbia Pike.

• A virtual open house was held in September 2020
  • Project background and goals
• Feedback received on existing conditions

• March 2016 - A meeting was held with the Penrose and Arlington Heights civic associations
• October 2009 - A Corridor Comparison Study was conducted following the restriping of South Walter Reed Drive between 5th Street South and Columbia Pike

Original Project Scope