About Langston Boulevard Alliance

The Langston Boulevard Alliance (LBA) - formerly Lee Highway Alliance - is a citizen's initiative and non-profit that was formed in 2013 with the goal of creating a joint community vision for an economically vibrant, equitable, tree-lined, walkable, sustainable, and attractive corridor – one that benefits both residents and businesses.

The LBA Board is led by president Jim Lantelme, a long-time civic leader and resident of Lyon Village. The Board is comprised of residents who live along or near Langston Boulevard and have served in various roles in civic associations, nonprofits or county decision-making. Additional Board members are representatives of businesses and nonprofits that serve the Langston Boulevard area as well as countywide subject matter experts. The Board is supported by the Community Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from 16 civic associations along the Langston Boulevard corridor. Learn more about our team.

Our Work

Small Business Support

LBA strongly supports local businesses along Langston Boulevard. LBA spent much of its time supporting local businesses throughout COVID-19 through campaigns, building webpages, social media, and maintaining regular communication with business owners. In 2020, LBA launched "Loving Local" a local awareness and social media campaign to encourage shopping, dining, and other activities along the Langston Corridor. The LBA Board of Directors even took a pledge to look to the Langston Corridor before going elsewhere for their everyday needs. LBA encourages their 17 stakeholder neighborhoods to do the same and support the corridor's local businesses, some of which are heritage businesses (operating for 25 years or more).

Advocacy

Langston Boulevard has not been re-planned in over 60 years. As the corridor undergoes a planning process with Arlington County, LBA is working to ensure the community is heard and its vision is realized. In partnership with County planning staff, LBA has hosted bi-weekly Open Studios to provide the public a chance to voice concerns and ask questions, as well as community workshops and educational forums to ensure the public is kept up-to-date on Plan Langston Boulevard.

Renaming

Beginning in fall of 2020, LBA organized and ran a successful process to rename what was formerly known as Lee Highway. The desire to rename the corridor was built from a desire to realize the years-long grassroots community effort to create a welcoming Main Street by removing the word "Highway" and to begin to reconcile the painful racial history many in our community have experienced by removing the name "Lee." LBA assembled a Working Group of 25 community members,received over 200 name suggestions from the public, and over 3,000 responses from a survey on the Working Group's top 20 names. On July 17, 2021 the Arlington County Board voted to replace the name "Lee Highway" with "Langston Boulevard," the Working Group's preferred name choice, honoring the abolitionist, attorney, educator, and first Black Congressman from Virginia, John M. Langston.

Community Building

LBA supports and/or hosts several events each year to bring the community together, including Bike to Work Day pit stops, Holiday Markets, Oktoberfest at the Marymount Farmers Market, and Light the Night at Woodstock Park.

Placemaking

LBA strives to create a sense of community through a variety of programs, including supporting public art projects and community events, as well as participating in various working groups to ensure the community's vision is realized in the design of public facilities. In the spring of 2020, LBA partnered with Cowboy Cafe, Dominion Lighting, Potomac Paint, and artist Mas Paz to create a vibrant mural and new outdoor seating space in the Cafe's old parking lot. In 2019, LBA served as the project manager for a new mural at Langston Boulevard's busiest intersection and advocated for the improved streetscape and landscaping of Fire Station 8.

Education

Each year, LBA hosts a variety of public educational forums and strives to keep the community informed and educated on developments along the corridor. In 2020, LBA launched a brand new educational program at Dorothy Hamm Middle School, called "Make No Small Plans" which teaches local 7th grade students how urban planning and civic engagement can meet the needs of citizens. LBA has also launched a series of Placemaking Salons to connect creative people through collaborative conversations and creative presentations.

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