Alexandria City Council considering reducing lanes on Seminary Road

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (FOX 5 DC) -- Most traffic stories in the D.C. region are typically about plans to expand lanes, but in Northern Virginia, officials in Alexandria are contemplating reducing lanes.

The heavily-traveled Seminary Road could go from four lanes to three lanes if the city council gives the green light.

It's no surprise the plan is a controversial one. In fact, FOX 5 has learned that a meeting about the potential reduction with city leaders and the community was "contentious."

Any time there are talks to reduce lanes it's called a "road diet" and that's exactly what could be coming.

The area in question is a stretch along Seminary Road east of I-395. It's less than a mile long.
Speed is fueling the recommendation to narrow the lanes.

The recommendation will go to the Alexandria City Council who will ultimately have the final say.

The Traffic and Parking Board reportedly wants to keep Seminary Road four lanes.

Apparently, reducing lanes on a road to curb speed is a natural approach and has been done on other roads in the area including King Street, but not all are buying it.

"I think there's definitely a speeding problem on Seminary Road... better way to go," said Gary Reese.

The recommendation to reduce the lanes comes from the city's Transportation Planning staff.

The new design could reportedly include two travel lanes, a middle turn lane, plus bike lanes.