By Missy Schrott | mschrott@alextimes.com

City Council appointed a new member to the Traffic and Parking Board at its legislative meeting on Tuesday evening.

The new member is Lavonda Bonnard, an Old Town resident of two years and analyst in the healthcare field, according to Bonnard’s application.

g to Bonnard’s application. Council’s initial vote was 3-3-1, with councilors Canek Aguirre, Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and Del Pepper voting for Bonnard; councilors John Chapman, Amy Jackson and Mo Seifeldein voting for former TPB member Michael Curry; and Mayor Justin Wilson voting for Geoffrey Goode, a 15-year Alexandria resident who works for the U.S. Department of Energy.

On a second vote to resolve the tie, Wilson switched his vote to Bonnard, who then won the appointment 4-3.

Traffic and Parking Board members serve two-year terms. The board meets once a month to investigate, study and analyze traffic and parking problems within the city, according to the city website.

The TPB was recently at the center of the Seminary Road controversy in Alexandria. The city narrowed a portion of Seminary Road from four travel lanes to two travel lanes and one center turning lane after council voted 4-3 to approve the restructuring about a year ago. The change also involved adding bike lanes.

The TPB voted 3-2 in summer 2019 to recommend keeping Seminary Road at four lanes. Two members were absent for that TPB vote.

The same four city council members who voted in favor of the Seminary Road lane reduction also voted to appoint Bonnard. Bonnard regularly bikes and walks around town, according to her TPB application.

The three city councilors who voted against the road diet – Chapman, Jackson and Seifeldein – voted to appoint Curry to the TPB. Curry is a former board member who spoke against the road diet during the Seminary Road public engagement process.