[Archived] City of Alexandria Recognizes National Public Works Week with Open House Celebration

Note: Due to forecasted heavy rains, this event has been postponed to a date in September to be announced.

For Immediate Release: May 7, 2018

Join the City of Alexandria in recognizing the contributions of public works professionals during National Public Works Week, May 20-26. The City’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES) will kick off the week by hosting its second annual Open House on Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 2900 Business Center Drive. This free event will take place rain or shine.

The Open House will provide an up-close, hands-on look at T&ES operations, which include City refuse collection, street cleaning, sewer maintenance, recycling, water quality, traffic engineering, and transit services. This family-friendly event will allow residents to learn about important City services and meet staff who help keep Alexandria mobile, clean, safe and eco-friendly. In keeping with the goals of the Eco-City Alexandria initiative, this event will promote environmental education and a green and sustainable future.

Activities will include:

Touch-a-Truck – Climb inside City trucks and learn what it’s like to drive them safely around Alexandria from the people who operate them.
Children’s Traffic Garden – A replica of a City street—complete with bike lanes and a miniature working stoplight—will be used to highlight the City’s Vision Zero initiative and the importance of pedestrian safety while teaching children to be aware, alert and attentive when crossing the street.
Composting Station – Drop off your weekly compost donation and learn more about the city’s composting efforts.
Informational Tables – Representatives from GO Alex, DASH, Capital Bikeshare, Vision Zero, and Eco-City Clean Waterways will be on hand to talk about these programs and initiatives.

The theme of this year’s National Public Works Week is “The Power of Public Works,” which highlights the many ways public works services -- such as disposing of solid waste, implementing mass transit, and providing clean water -- determine a society’s quality of life.

For more information about the Open House, visit alexandriava.gov/TES.

For media inquiries, contact Andrea Blackford, Senior Communications Officer, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, email geralyn.taylor@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4084, Virginia Relay 711.