ALEXANDRIA, Va. — For years, Jill Hoffman and her neighbors have complained about the number of cars cutting through their Alexandria neighborhood.
Past studies have shown that thousands of cars pass through the residential streets in the Taylor Run Neighborhood. Now, the city has a plan to reduce that traffic.
Many of the cut-through commuters are sent to the side streets by GPS apps like Waze, for a faster route, trying to get to Interstate 395 and Telegraph Road to access the Beltway.
"We were starting to become held hostage -- essentially [by] folks who were using our neighborhood to cut through," said Hoffman.
Hoffman and other residents WUSA9 has spoken with over the last few years said during the evenings it is nearly impossible for them to leave their homes. During other times of the day, the drivers looking for a shortcut, come through their streets speeding.
"I've been nearly hit by a car at intersections and my 7-year-old son has as well," Jay Hallen told WUSA9 during an interview about the issue in 2020.
City traffic planners recently unveiled a plan they hope will reduce the traffic on side streets. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the traffic lights along Duke Street and Quaker Lane will be adjusted. That will essentially make any trip through the side street much longer, eliminating the desire to cut through the neighborhood.
"We just don't want our streets to be a parking lot. That's not what we signed up for," said Hoffman.
This is a pilot program that will run from January to March of next year. There are other long-term solutions to this problem on the table that would require construction. For now, some of the residents who have been dealing with this problem for years said they are hopeful this is a step in the right direction.
For more information on the pilot program, click here.