To the Editor:

At the February Traffic and Parking Board hearing, city staff presented a detailed plan that referred to the King Street Traffic Calming plan as nothing “cutting edge.” The plan implements standard and accepted practices for making a street safe. The common practices for King Street are part of the common practices in the city’s Transportation Master Plan. City staff is just following through.In its Pedestrian section, the city’s Transportation Master Plan (pages 2-7) states “Sidewalks along arterials should be wide and well buffered since these streets provide key transit access. Planter strips and bicycle lanes create essential separation from vehicles.” King Street is, of course, an arterial road leading to the King Street Metro Station. In Appendix H of the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Plan, King Street (from the Metro to Janneys Lane) is marked “Long term - Create buffer”.The King Street Plan provides a buffer with a bike lane on both sides of the street. And this bike lane supports the City's objective of providing a continuous, bike-friendly route extending from Janneys’ Lane to the Metro. Though there is little argument that bike lanes are a great buffer protecting pedestrians, some have wondered aloud if the buffer lanes are safe for bikers.Bike lanes are a recommended, standard solution for busy arterial roads, according to the applicable safety standards. A majority of bikers who spoke at the Traffic and Parking Board hearings on Nov. 25 and Feb. 24 agreed. Positive experience on bike lanes such as on Commonwealth Avenue were cited multiple times. The King Street plan was evaluated as safe by not only the professional planners on city staff but also in an independent review by a professional engineering firm.It’s time to move forward, implement the city’s plan.

Randolph Dingwell

Alexandria