Kirby played a key role in bringing officials and the public together to make the 2008 replacement of the Woodrow Wilson bridge a reality. (chrissconnell on Flickr)
The City of Alexandria honored Ron Kirby, the TPB’s former long-time staff director, at a memorial ceremony held on Sunday, May 15. At the gathering, city officials unveiled a plaque honoring Ron’s contributions to the region as head of transportation planning at the TPB and COG from 1987 until his unexpected death in 2013.
The city placed the plaque at the Virginia end of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the 2008 replacement of which took decades of planning and community engagement. Ron played a key role in bringing state and local officials and members of the public together to chart a path forward for the bridge’s replacement. In part, he helped make sure that the new span included space for bicyclists and pedestrians as well as a future transit connection across the Potomac between Alexandria and Prince George’s County in Maryland. Text of plaque honoring Ron Kirby:
In Memory of Ronald F. Kirby Born: 1944 Adelaide Australia Died: 2013 Alexandria Virginia A consummate public servant, role model, and leader whose tireless work for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, including planning for the new multimodal Woodrow Wilson Bridge and the promotion of walkable, bikeable communities is exemplified in this public space. This memorial is placed in gratitude by the citizens of the City of Alexandria and all who loved him.
The city recognized some other of Ron’s accomplishments in the printed program distributed at the May 15 dedicated ceremony:
Several local officials attended the dedication ceremony, including City Councilman Tim Lovain, who is also serving this year as TPB Chairman. Lovain is pictured below with the TPB’s current staff director, Kanti Srikanth.
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TPB Staff Director Kanti Srikanth and TPB Chairman Tim Lovain attend the dedication ceremony on May 15.