Business Group Wants Urban Boulevard For Route 1 In Crystal City

ARLINGTON, VA — The National Landing Business Improvement District is trying to drum up support a plan to turn Route 1 in Crystal City into an at-grade urban boulevard.

Arlington County hosted a June 16 public information meeting on the Route 1 Multimodal Improvements Study, which seeks to identify ways to enhance Route 1 in Crystal City roughly between 12th Street and 23rd Street S. This includes comparing a surface-level boulevard to the elevated roadway outlined in the Crystal City Sector Plan. The public has until July 12 to provide feedback.

On Wednesday afternoon, Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, president and executive director of the National Landing BID, issued the following statement:

"The National Landing BID remains committed to cultivating an environment that puts people before cars, prioritizing the needs of pedestrians, bikers and other vulnerable users. An elevated Route 1 highway is incompatible with that vision so the BID supports the surface-level boulevard proposed in the current study and encourages extending the scope to at least 23rd Street. We urge VDOT and Arlington County to address community concerns and create a safer and more accessible roadway by transforming Route 1 into a green urban boulevard that incorporates proven Vision Zero methods like lower speed limits, narrower lanes, automated traffic enforcement and physical protection for multimodal users. Our vision for Route 1 is shared by many in the community, and we are calling on National Landing’s residents, businesses and workforce to express their concerns to VDOT and Arlington County by signing our petition."

As part of its People Before Cars initiative, the National Landing BID is inviting the public to sign its petition in support of the surface-level boulevard before the public comment period ends on July 12.