To the Editor:The stretch of what is now King Street from near the Metro Station and the Alexandria Train Station to Janneys Lane was originally used as a major road transporting farm commodities to warehouses in Alexandria. It was (Leesburg Pike) not built for cars or bikes, but instead for horse drawn wagons, and carriages. It was an early farm to market road promoting local transportation and commerce.Public streets are provided to serve the broader community. They are not private property. On-street parking is an ancillary use that can and should be accommodated when it is safe and appropriate. Allowing on-street parking on a narrow, heavily used public street is unsafe to other vehicles, pedestrians as well as bicyclists.The proposed bike lane would be a major improvement benefiting a broader community. It would not significantly impact car and bus traffic, but would provide a safer corridor for pedestrians and bicyclists.The bike lane would provide an alternative choice for those commuting to the King Street Metro, the train station and Old Town Alexandria. The compromise proposal reduces the number of on-street parking spaces lost under the original proposal. More importantly, the proposed change would improve safety and promote other means of transport.The modified plan calls for full bike lanes part of the way, and street markings that indicate bikes, cars, buses and small trucks will share existing traffic lanes the rest of the way. Marked shared lanes can produce conflicts and confuse drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. If it doesn’t work out further adjustments can be made. For now the city’s investment is fairly minor — a few cans of paint, shared lane markings, and a few plastic safety poles. These items can be easily removed allowing residents to park on what is a heavily traveled section of King Street.

Dave Cavanaugh

Alexandria