Alexandria, VA
Municipality in Virginia
United States
Alexandria, VA to retrofit hundreds of manhole covers to slow stormwater runoff flows
The City of Alexandria is directing $750,000 toward a project that involves placing stainless steel inserts on 870 manhole covers to slow the rate at which stormwater overflows into the city's sanitation system during periods of heavy rainfall. The city has separate systems for stormwater and sanitation, but the latter serves as an overflow for excess precipitation and the setup can cause untreated wastewater to back up in residents' homes.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Alexandria, VA identifies economic disparities by neighborhood with its Equity Index Map
The Equity Index Map uses a Racial Equity Index and Social Opportunity Indicators to highlight inequities by census tract. The Racial Equity Index presents socioeconomic disparities in categories ranging from homeownership to educational opportunity. Social Opportunity Indicator scores include walking distances to bus stops, college degree attainment, and Internet connectivity. The map complements city efforts like the 30-Day Racial Equity Challenge and the Racial Equity Toolkit.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Alexandria, VA partners with Compost Crew on curbside food waste composting pilot
The two-year pilot offers curbside collections of compostable materials for 2,000 households per year. Participants receive starter kits with curbside carts and compostable bags from the city. Alexandria covers the first six months of service for all participants and one year of service for households with refuse fee exemptions. Households can opt into Compost Crew subscriptions once their subsidies have ended. City officials will combine the pilot with a food waste reduction outreach effort.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Alexandria, VA evaluates impacts of slow zones on shared micro-mobility during Old Town pilot
Alexandria established a permanent micro-mobility program with annual permitting for e-bike and e-scooter operators. The three-month pilot sets an 8 MPH speed limit for shared vehicles in Old Town instead of the existing 15 MPH limit. GPS data will be used to limit vehicle speeds when they enter heavily used areas like Point Lumley Park and the waterfront. City officials will gather user feedback for discussions of slow zone expansion into other neighborhoods.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Alexandria, VA tracks progress on flood mitigation projects with an interactive dashboard
The Flood Action Alexandria Projects Dashboard identifies active, completed, and future projects. Color-coded pins on an interactive map can be opened for project costs, timelines, funding sources, and descriptions. Dashboard users can filter by project type - combined sewer, large capacity, or spot improvement - or review a text list of all flood infrastructure projects. This tool improves transparency about Alexandria's responses to long-term flood susceptibility.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Alexandria, VA partners with RapidDeploy to implement RadiusPlus Mapping computer-aided dispatch
The city of Alexandria's Emergency Communication Center is partnering with RapidDeploy to implement the RadiusPlus Mapping cloud-based system. The RadiusPlus Mapping system uses the location-based settings on Apple and Android smartphones to automatically pinpoint the location of the caller with an accuracy range of approximately three meters. The system will operate more efficiently and accurately than the city's previous 911 technology.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Alexandria, VA expands investments in eco-friendly transit system with all-electric buses
The city's DASH system announced the acquisition of three New Flyer buses and three Proterra buses. These plug-in vehicles can travel up to 225 miles per charge while creating zero tailpipe emissions. City officials plan to add eight more electric buses by the end of 2021. The newly purchased vehicles will replace diesel buses that operated for 20 years. DASH is shifting from hybrids and clean diesel buses to plug-in buses on the way to a zero-emission fleet by 2035.
Alexandria, VA
United States