Leesburg Considers Downtown One-Way Street Conversions in Public Hearings

The Town of Leesburg, Virginia, is moving forward with plans to reconfigure several downtown streets to one-way traffic, with public input being sought through upcoming hearings. Per a news release from the Town of Leesburg, the Town Council will host a public hearing on February 10 to discuss the proposed conversion of specific segments of Wirt, Liberty, and Royal Streets to one-way traffic. This follows a comprehensive study of downtown traffic patterns.

The Transportation Engineer for the Town has recommended that the Town Council approve these conversions. The proposed changes would affect Wirt Street SW between Royal Street SW and West Market Street, Liberty Street SW between Royal Street SW and Loudoun Street SW, and Royal Street SW between South King Street and Wirt Street SW. Residents are encouraged to share their views during the public hearing on February 10. Additionally, an online comment form is available for submitting feedback. As part of the Residential Traffic Plan, the Town Council will maintain an open written comment period for at least ten business days, closing on Wednesday, February 25. Should the Council provide direction to staff, a vote on amending the Town Code to implement these one-way street conversions may occur at a future meeting.

In parallel, the Council is scheduled to hold a work session on February 9 to discuss a separate proposal concerning a one-way pair configuration for Market and Loudoun Streets. Both of these agenda items were originally slated for discussion in late January but were postponed due to a winter storm. The public is welcome to attend both the February 9 work session and the February 10 business meeting. For the one-way side street discussions, comments should be directed to the public hearing on February 10. For matters concerning the potential one-way pairing of Market and Loudoun Streets, the public may provide input during the petitioners’ section at any subsequent Town Council business meeting, as public comments are not accepted during work sessions.

Further details regarding the one-way side street conversion proposal can be accessed on the Town of Leesburg’s website. The agenda packets for the February 9 and 10 Council meetings are expected to be posted by the close of business on Wednesday, February 4, and will be available online. These proposed traffic pattern changes could impact driving routes and traffic flow within the downtown area, and residents are encouraged to participate in the public comment process to voice their opinions.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Town of Leesburg

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