ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The proposed massive Monumental Sports complex coming to Alexandria, Virginia has generated a lot of pushback from neighbors who live there. Alexandria officials heard those concerns during a series of listening sessions.
Top of mind for a lot of people is traffic. Can the area handle an arena of this size when it is already seeing gridlock during rush hour? In response, leaders unveiled a brand new transportation study at Thursday's virtual forum.
We're getting our first look at a plan to overhaul the transportation infrastructure in and around the Potomac Yard area. Here are some key takeaways from the new transportation plan.
One slide shows a reimagined Route 1 that would "protect existing neighborhoods." It was a theme leaders hit hard during Thursday's meeting. Another slide shows where cars would be coming from based on current ticket sales. The plan predicts 55% of traffic would come from points north of Potomac Yard, 25% from the south and 20% from the west and I-395.
Nick Donohue with the Virginia Governor's Office talked about where planners are focused now.
"The study we looked at is in what we think is the greatest impact circumstance. So it's a sold-out arena at a game that starts -- or when most of the people are coming -- during rush hour," Donohue said.
Right now, Route 1 carries more than 50,000 cars on an average workday. The current home schedule for the Capitals and Wizards has about 40 events that overlap with rush hour traffic. This plan anticipates an additional 3,000 vehicles on the roads around Potomac Yard during peak times.
Big improvements to Route 1 and Glebe Road, dedicated rideshare zones, upgrades to the new Potomac Yard Metro Station and a 2,500 square-foot parking garage are all part of the new transportation plan.
Officials anticipate spending between $245 million and $325 million on transportation improvements alone.