ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Some drivers who rely on Seminary Road in Alexandria that say the area has become complete gridlock.
Seminary Road was recently part of a road diet redesign. A nearly one-mile stretch From Seminary Road near Quaker Lane went from four lanes down to just two. City leaders cite safety concerns as the reason for the changes. They say the goal was to make things safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
It is a small stretch of road that some say now takes them up to 30 minutes to get past. Joe Murray drives this stretch each day and says his commute time has tripled.
"To have a self-inflicted policy that increases congestion just defies logic for me and probably thousands of others," Murray said.
Carter Flemming has been an Alexandria resident her entire life. She says she wants to see the change undone.
"It’s a project that was in search of a problem and has created a much bigger problem than whatever perceived problem it was supposed to address," Flemming said.
There are residents in the area who are happy with the changes.
"Transportation should be for everybody and what we had before was only good for cars. This is good for a variety of people who drive, walk, bike, etc." Lisa Soronen said.
The decision to reduce Seminary lane was part of the City of Alexandria’s Vision Zero plan to make streets safer for everyone. Previously, pedestrians had to cross over four lanes of traffic to get to the other side.
"Overall, the goal was to improve some of the conditions for pedestrians and this area is all about pedestrians at this point," Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said.
Critics argue that specific stretch of Seminary Road wasn’t unsafe to begin with. The change has been controversial, with two strong opinions on both sides. But it is a change that for right now residents will have to wait out.
"We're going to make sure we hold ourselves accountable. I think if it's not a success, if it increases cut through on neighboring streets, if it doesn't do what we want for pedestrians then we will do something else," Wilson said.
The city is asking residents for patience during this transition period. The project will be re-evaluated after 18 months. However, according to Mayor Wilson, if there are major unexpected issues before then, the city will make adjustments accordingly.