The National Park Service (NPS) is currently calling the public to provide feedback on a proposed plan and environmental assessment to enhance the southern part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Mount Vernon Trail (Virginia).
The plan intends to improve the location’s safety and address maintenance issues in the parkway and the trail. Public comments will be accepted until January 4, according to the news release by the NPS.
The improvements on the road and the trail would improve the visitor experience for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Potential improvements include a new road diet, reducing lanes by striping the pavement for better safety in some areas, new crosswalks, and changes in the intersection.
The possible safety enhancements for the trail could involve widening and improving the intersection.
The area of development includes the southern part of the 15.2-mile parkways from Arlington Memorial Bridge to Mount Vernon. It also comprises most of the 18-mile Mouunt Vernon Trail, extending from Theodore Roosevelt Island to the intersection with the Custis Trail in Arlington to Mount Vernon.
The parkway portion and trail in the City of Alexandria would not be included in the development plan.
How to get involved
NPS believes that engaging with the public is a vital park of its process in planning and preliminary engineering. Public feedback will be used to refine the designs of the project and support any environmental impact analysis.
People interested in providing feedback and want to learn more about the project can join through its upcoming virtual public meeting on December 6, Tuesday at 7 pm EST using GoTo Webinar.
The meeting is estimated to last around one and a half hours, along with the chance to send questions. Pre-registration is not needed to join.
Those interested can join the meeting via mobile device or computer by clicking the link, https://www.goto.com/webinar/join, and entering the Webinar ID (Webinar ID: 314-024-315) and their email. Those without the meeting software will have to install it on the computer of download the app on the phone.
People can also call into the meeting without video using the toll-free phone number: (877) 309-2074 and conference ID: 278-447-448.
Submission of online comments and viewing additional information can be done at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=124907. It will also have the recording of the public meeting for those who are not able to attend.
Comments can also be sent via mail postmarked by January 4, 2023 to the following:
Superintendent
Attn: GWMP South and MVT Plan/EA
700 George Washington Mem Parkway
McLean, VA 22101