Construction has started on a project to “repair and rehabilitate” an ’80s-era parking garage over I-66.
The unique parking structure adjacent to Washington-Liberty High School was in need of work “to improve safety and extend the overall life of the garage.”
Virginia Dept. of Transportation crews recently started work on the nearly $4 million project, which is expected to wrap up late next year. Some overnight lane closures on I-66 are expected during that time.
More, below, from a VDOT press release.
Work is underway to repair and rehabilitate the parking garage over I-66 between North Stafford Street and North Quincy Street to improve safety and extend the overall life of the garage, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The three-story concrete garage was built in 1982 and is adjacent to Washington-Liberty High School.
The project includes:
Garage platform and ramp repairs with joint replacement
Repairs to beams and columns
Partial removal of the elastomeric bearing sheets
During construction:
Overnight lane closures may be scheduled on I-66 in the area of the garage
The Custis Trail parallel to the garage will remain open to bicyclists and pedestrians
The project is scheduled for completion in late 2024.
Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are reminded to use caution when traveling in active work zones. Be alert to new traffic patterns and limit distractions.
Foot traffic along the W&OD trail and road traffic along I-66 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Trial Date for Missing Middle Suit — From the anti-Missing Middle group Neighbors for Neighborhoods: “Today, Judge David Schell set the date for a five-day trial, commencing July 8, 2024 trial date in the case against the Arlington County Board seeking to invalidate Missing Middle Housing/Expanded Housing Options (EHO) zoning.” [Press Release]
YHS Playoff Game Tonight — “With one upset already achieved, the seventh-seeded Yorktown Patriots will attempt to continue their Cinderella story in the semifinals of the 6D North Region high-school football tournament. Yorktown (7-4) faces the host and six-seed Westfield Bulldogs (8-3) in that semifinal Friday night, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.” [Gazette Leader]
Gas Station Robbery on the Pike — From Dave Statter: “The Citgo next to Bob and Edith’s on Columbia Pike was just robbed. Car and people are the same description of those involved in a couple of robberies this afternoon in Alexandria.” [Twitter]
Pentagon City Crash on Camera — Also from Dave Statter: “Watch the traffic signal. A little crash an hour ago at S. 12th and Fern in Pentagon City. @ArlingtonVaPD & @ArlingtonVaFD handled.” [Twitter]
ACPD ‘Fill the Cruiser’ Tomorrow — “Brighten the holidays for an Arlington child in need by donating new, unwrapped toys for ages newborn-17 at our first Fill the Cruiser Toy Drive events of the year on 11/18! Westover Baptist Church, 10 AM-12 PM… Lee Harrison Shopping Center, 3-5 PM.” [Twitter]
VHC Collects Food for AFAC — “A food fight for a good cause at VHC Health resulted in thousands of canned food items for Arlington County families in need. Employees at the hospital participated in a friendly competition to see which unit could collect the most canned goods. In less than two months, 6,200 cans were gathered for the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC).” [WJLA]
B&E’s Still Expanding — “Bob & Edith’s Diner is Expanding to Manassas, VA! Get ready, Manassas! We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming opening of our 7th diner located in the Manassas Corner Shopping Center, by the end of 2023!” [Potomac Local]
Smoky Smell Explained — “It has been a smoky year in the Mid-Atlantic. First, plumes came from a record-setting fire season in Canada. Now, the source of the smoke is its own backyard. The Matts Creek Fire northwest of Lynchburg, Va., first reported Sunday, rapidly expanded Wednesday into Thursday. Burning in the Jefferson National Forest, the fire is being fanned by gusty breezes and fueled by an intensifying drought.” [Capital Weather Gang]
It’s Friday — Patchy fog will clear up by 9am, followed by partly sunny skies and a high of around 69 degrees. Expect south winds of 5 to 11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. Friday night will bring a slight chance of showers and mostly cloudy conditions, with a low near 52 degrees. South winds will calm to 5 to 7 mph before becoming light and variable, and there will be a 20% chance of precipitation. [Weather.gov]
Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says it is working on an expedited design and construction timeline to install a traffic signal at the intersection of N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive, near Barrett Elementary School, by the end of 2024.
Last month, the county told ARLnow it was working to get a signal installed within the next three years. The decision to shorten the timeline responds to an uptick in crashes there this year, DES told the Arlington Forest Civic Association in a meeting yesterday (Wednesday).
“The signal project is on target for completion by the end of next year,” Vision Zero Coordinator Christine Baker tells ARLnow. “We must procure all materials and finalize construction plans.”
With the installation date a year away, the county evaluated a trio of interim solutions while removing and trimming overgrown trees and shrubs in the median to improve sight distances.
At this troubled intersection, drivers on N. Park Drive have a two-way stop sign before traversing the four lanes of traffic on N. George Mason Drive.
Left turns and through traffic on N. Park Drive are the primary causes of crashes, says Baker.
After evaluating temporary stop signs, traffic signals or barriers to restrict certain traffic patterns, DES decided to keep exploring how to add barriers.
“We are also assessing the potential impacts to nearby intersections, such as Henderson, to ensure safe alternative routing,” Baker said.
Potential turn restrictions on N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive (courtesy Arlington County)
In its presentation last night, DES said turn restrictions are easy to install and effective. Crashes dropped at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road when similar turn restrictions were introduced there.
The restrictions on turning and going straight on N. Park Drive are set to be installed before the end of 2023. They will be removed when the traffic signals go in at the end of next year.
Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road turn restriction impacts (courtesy Arlington County)
The updates are good news for residents, who have been asking for a solution soon, predicting pedestrians could get hurt. So far this year, the county has lowered speeds on the road near Barrett, repaved and restriped intersection — adding a “SLOW SCHOOL XING” message.
“Arlington Forest residents have been very concerned about safety at the intersection of George Mason Drive and North Park Drive for several years,” Arlington Forest Citizens Association President Esther Bowring said in a statement.
“That is why we are appreciative that Arlington County has now committed to not only expediting installation of a traffic signal at that location, but also to installing interim measures to improve pedestrian and traffic safety until the signal is installed,” she continued.
A traffic signal was recommended back in 2017, when traffic near the site was studied as part of plans for the new Lubber Run Community Center. Ultimately, the county moved forward with a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon and pedestrian refuge.
Staff did pledge to conduct a traffic signal analysis after the community center was finished and new travel patterns settled.
County pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Response to county pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
County pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Response to county pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Response to county pickup truck hanging off the side of a bridge (staff photo)
Redman tow truck arriving at Lubber Run Park (staff photo)
An Arlington County-owned pickup truck was driven off the side of a small concrete bridge in Lubber Run Park this afternoon.
The low, narrow bridge over Lubber Run is located just to the north of the park’s amphitheater, in the Arlington Forest neighborhood.
Initially, the incident drew a large rescue response to the park, but arriving firefighters quickly determined that no one was injured nor trapped by the crash. They secured the truck in place ahead of the arrival of tow crews.
Police and county personnel remain on scene as crews work to pull the truck back onto the trail.
State Sen. Barbara Favola will continue as Majority Whip, sharing her duties with Richmond’s Sen. Lamont Bagby, according to a Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus press release. Sen. Scott Surovell, who will represent southeastern Fairfax County, is set to become the majority leader.
“I am looking forward to working with the Democratic Leadership team and all of my colleagues on issues important to the Commonwealth,” Favola said in the release. “We have a diverse and talented team of newly elected Senators who will bring fresh perspectives to the challenges facing the Commonwealth. I am confident that our Democratic team will deliver common-sense solutions that actually improves people’s lives.”
State Sen. Adam Ebbin, meanwhile, will take on the role of Vice Chair, previously held by Surovell.
“I look forward to working with my Senate Democratic colleagues to find solutions for the betterment of all Virginians. I am ready and excited to get to work,” he said in a statement.
Favola and Ebbin secured resounding victories in their districts, the new 40th and 39th districts, respectively, each earning more than 75% of the vote against their Republican opponents. Arlington Democratic candidates to the House of Delegates — incumbents Alfonso Lopez and Patrick Hope and first-time candidate Adele McClure — also won their races handily.
Not only were Democrats able to hold their majority in the 40-member Senate, securing 21 seats, but they also flipped the 100-member House of Delegates with a narrow majority, taking 51 seats.
Local political experts and officials say that the party’s victory and high voter turnout were driven in part by concerns about Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his Republican party’s support for a 15-week abortion ban, while races were more competitive due to redistricting.
Renderings of the final concept for the Walter Reed Community Center dedicated pickleball courts (via Arlington County)
Renderings of the final concept for the Walter Reed Community Center dedicated pickleball courts (via Arlington County)
Renderings of the final concept for the Walter Reed Community Center dedicated pickleball courts (via Arlington County)
Arlington County will continue with plans to build dedicated pickleball courts at the Walter Reed Community Center.
The county had mulled pausing the project, putting the question to community members in a survey this spring.
“Respondents were slightly more in favor of continuing the project, though it should be noted that respondents who identified as players are more in favor of continuing and those self-identifying as neighbors were more in favor of pausing,” Dept. of Parks and Recreation planning director Erik Beach told the Board on Tuesday.
DPR will forge ahead because the sport has health benefits and the center needs renovations either way, he said.
“The county firmly believes in the benefits of providing places for its residents to receive the physical and mental health benefits of being outside, recreating and socializing,” Beach said. “DPR has observed in real-time and validated through professional literature the opportunity provided by pickleball to be a catalyst for those physical and mental benefits.”
increase the distance between future courts near 16th Street S. and residential homes to a distance of about 170 feet
add acoustic fencing to both sets of courts and landscaping in between
add a deck to protect a large existing tree and provide respite space
improve circulation for people with disabilities
increase parking spaces by four
resurface the basketball courts
An online survey about the proposal is open now through Dec. 8 and could inform tweaks DPR makes before selecting a contractor by the third quarter of 2024.
Columbia Heights Civic Association President Ron Haddox, meanwhile, is skeptical of the most recent survey. In a letter to the Board, he said the survey circulated in pro-pickleball online forums nationally and internationally, attaching screenshots.
He says pickleballers recommended people submit responses multiple times across platforms and identify as county or 22204 residents, “even if they were not.”
“This obviously concerns us and calls into question the genuineness of at least some portion of the feedback received,” he said.
Beach told the Board that DPR tried to improve the quality of the data by removing several hundred comments from people at least 10 miles away from the community center. In the age of virtual private networks, Haddox says, this may not have done much.
“The use of DPR’s anonymous survey methodology and subsequent efforts to enhance its usefulness have very likely resulted in skewed results that have limited usefulness other than to let the county know that nearly EVERYONE on BOTH sides of this issue is against the idea of permanent courts at WRCC,” he said in a letter to the County Board.
Leaves from a vine bask in the light from the setting sun along Patrick Henry Drive (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Williamsburg Middle in Va. Top 10 — “Several elementary and middle schools around Virginia are included among the best in the country, according to new rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report. The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education.” [Patch]
ART Celebrates 25th Anniversary — “Arlington’s transit agency – ART – is rolling into a milestone 25th year of serving the community and providing reliable and sustainable bus service across the County. The bus service, which first launched in 1998 with one route in Crystal City, was established to connect Arlington neighborhoods along with the growing regional transit network anchored by Metrorail and Metrobus.” [Arlington County]
Natty Landing Dog Event — “Join the National Landing BID and PuppyLuv for an unforgettable day of canine delight. This family-friendly event promises a wagging good time with a variety of activities and attractions designed to bring joy to dogs and their owners.” [National Landing BID]
YHS Runners Fifth in State — “The 6D North Region girls champion Yorktown Patriots cross country team finished fifth at the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state meet Nov. 11 on the 5,000-meter Oatlands Plantation course in Leesburg.” [Gazette Leader]
‘Girls on the Run’ Closures — “The 2023 Girls on the Run 5k Race will take place in Pentagon City on Sunday, November 19, and will begin at 8:30 a.m. The following roadways will be closed from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to accommodate the event.” [ACPD]
Music at Clarendon BBQ Joint — “Smokecraft Modern BBQ in Arlington is kicking off Acoustic Late Nights on Friday, a weekly event that will bring in some of the best local acoustic artists each weekend.” [Patch]
Free Cups Today at Starbucks — “Starbucks is giving away free reusable cups Thursday for its sixth Red Cup Day. The coffee giant’s highly anticipated day is considered the start of the holiday season by many and comes two weeks after holiday drinks returned.” [Axios]
It’s Thursday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature near 66 degrees and a light wind. Thursday night will be mostly clear as the temperature drops to around 45 degrees. [Weather.gov]
Maritza Orihuela tells the Arlington County Board to do more for youth programming (via Arlington County)
Arlington County is doling out leftover funds from the 2024 fiscal year toward tackling youth substance abuse, public safety and behavioral health challenges it is facing.
Those are three of several buckets that will benefit from the $46.3 million in discretionary close-out funds — almost double what the county had to spend after last fiscal year, $26.9 million. The County Board approved County Manager Mark Schwartz’s spending plan last night (Tuesday).
Some of the bigger-ticket line items are as follows:
Use of discretionary balances (via Arlington County)
As for public safety, to combat staffing shortages and small recruit sizes for the Sheriff’s Department and the Police Department, deputy sheriffs would get bonuses and ACPD would get money for hiring bonuses that compete with neighboring jurisdictions.
In response to allegations of years of harassment gone unaddressed, levied by several female Arlington County Fire Department employees, the county proposes funding for an Office of Professional Standards, as well as training while an outside law firm conducts interviews about the allegations.
The Dept. of Human Services will get $150,000 for bonuses for hard-to-hire positions. For instance, it has had a hard time finding someone to handle jail diversion programs for adults with serious mental illnesses.
The jail would get an independent medical staff member, as requested by Sheriff Jose Quiroz. Schwartz said the medical staffer would be an independent voice when there are disagreements between state or local clinicians and the jail-based, private medical provider, Mediko.
Sources have previously told ARLnow that the contractor and other jail-based clinicians have disagreed over appropriate drug treatments for inmates, for instance.
Time-sensitive program needs getting closeout funds (via Arlington County)
Most discussion centered around $500,000, increased to $750,000, to augment existing teen resources and programs the county, Arlington Public Schools and community partners offer. The parks department and the schools, for instance, have long lists of programs but advocates say many are not marketed to or are unaffordable to the very families hit hardest by the drug epidemic.
The extra funding — responding to community advocacy — would fund work to review and tailor these programs to the substance use and mental health issues teens are facing. In putting forward this suggestion, Schwartz was complimentary of how the schools and the county are working together on the issue.
County Board member Takis Karantonis carried a motion 3-2 to increase the funding to $750,000 so that these activities can happen in the next six months if needed, without staff having to draw from resources somewhere else.
Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey and Vice-Chair Libby Garvey dissented.
“I hate how that could be misinterpreted as not desiring to spend more money on this initiative. It’s not that at all,” Dorsey said of his vote. He noted the extra $250,000 is not earmarked for something specific and that this effort has generated a lot of ideas but no specific plan, yet, deeming the increase “more symbolic than substantive.”
Arlington County courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Widespread speed cameras and more funding for prosecutors are two emerging priorities for Arlington County during the upcoming legislative session.
The Arlington County Board got a first look at its legislative priorities during a meeting last night (Tuesday). They cover a range of topics, from funding for improving public transportation to tackling the behavioral health crisis crippling Arlington and the state.
The new priorities come one week after elections for both chambers of the state legislature. Democrats retained control of the Virginia State Senate and obtained a slim majority in the House of Delegates, previously controlled by Republicans. Still, policymakers — who will meet with the Board on Tuesday, Nov. 28 to discuss their priorities — will have to contend with a divided government, as the GOP controls the executive branch.
Going into the session, which begins Jan. 10, 2024, Arlington County is looking to state legislators to introduce bills granting local authority for automated speed enforcement beyond work and school zones, per a county report.
Since then, however, the process of installing these cameras in these zones has stalled. In March, Police Chief Andy Penn said a contract could be ready this spring but, nine months later, police and Vision Zero Coordinator Christine Baker told ARLnow this week that the contract is still in the “procurement” phase and tied up in negotiations.
Moving from the streets to the county courthouse, Arlington County says it would like legislation to “ensure there is adequate funding for the prosecution of misdemeanors, civil duties, and the creation of diversion services.”
This responds to several issues that have arisen within the local criminal-legal system and others across the state, with the introduction of body-worn cameras, contracted staffing levels and mounting pressure for programs diverting from jail people who commit nuisance crimes or have an addiction or serious mental illnesses.
“The work of prosecution has changed considerably over the past years, and arguably decades, and in some respects, our office has failed to keep pace or appropriately adjust expectations about the services our office could reasonably provide with limited resources,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said in a 2020 memo to County Manager Mark Schwartz.
Reviewing body-worn camera footage, for instance, became a deciding factor for Dehghani-Tafti to pull prosecutors from jailable misdemeanor offenses such as driving without a valid operator’s license, driving on a suspended license, reckless speeding and numerous registration offenses.
In the memo to Schwartz, the top prosecutor said she did not come to this decision lightly. Rather, she first sought counsel from a state agency that trains prosecutors and the Virginia State Bar Ethics Counsel. Both said prosecutors would need to review thousands of hours of body-worn camera footage to meet their obligations to share all exculpating or incriminating evidence.
“Unfortunately, at present we have neither the staff nor resources to review, process and disclose camera footage and other evidence from 40,000 cases,” Dehghani-Tafti said in the memo.
To that end, Arlington County says it is also wants to see state funding for additional positions to review body-worn camera footage “to increase transparency and accountability with law enforcement.”
A couple walks across I-395 on a pedestrian bridge in Shirlington (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Historic Resources Plan Approved — “On Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, the Arlington County Board approved an update to the Historic and Cultural Resources Plan (HCRP), concluding a multiyear process to develop a more modern approach to how the County advances the preservation and appreciation of its built and cultural environments.” [Arlington County]
Burglary at Clarendon Smoke Shop — From Dave Statter: “Burglars hit a smoke & vape shop in Arlington County (VA). Video shows two people looking at the business at 2907 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon just after 1:00 a.m. yesterday. A few minutes later, according to @ArlingtonVaPD, the pair broke through the glass of the front door. One of the burglars tripped on the way out less than a minute later.” [Twitter]
I-395 Crash on Camera — Also from Dave Statter: “While there are close calls daily (really hourly) on I-395S at Exit 8C to Crystal City, this is the first crash I’ve spotted in a while. As usual, it involves jockeying for position trying to get either to the left exit or 8B’s right-side exit at the last second.” [Twitter]
Arlington Real Estate is Lukewarm — “The Arlington residential real-estate market was essentially the only one across the Washington region with any wind beneath its wings in as autumn took hold. The county proved the only locality to sustain a three-digit rating in the monthly T3 Home-Demand Index, which looks at buyer interest all the way down to the ZIP code level.” [Gazette Leader]
’40 Under 40′ Nominations — “The Leadership Center for Excellence and Leadership Fairfax again in 2024 will collaborate on a ’40 Under 40′ initiative, honoring young leaders throughout the region… Nominations are due by Jan. 19.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of around 57 degrees. Winds will be light and variable before shifting to the south at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low of 38 degrees. [Weather.gov]
If The county intended the change to improve the customer experience at the garage, which has garnered some negative online reviews over the past couple of years, but some users say they have found the new system confusing or restrictive.
Instead of getting a ticket at a gate, drivers entering the county-owned garage at 627 N. Glebe Road now park and then pay at a kiosk, online or through an app. There is a 15-minute grace period after entering the garage when parking is free, however, the new system keeps track of those in the facility by recording license plates upon entry.
Once parked, users can pay with cash or credit card at one of the many kiosks in each elevator lobby, after entering their license plate number and selecting an exit time. They can also pay through the Parking.com mobile app or by scanning a QR code that redirects them to a payment portal.
Here, users must enter their cell phone and license plate number, choose an exit time, and provide their credit card information, postal code and email address. This method, however, charges a 35-cent service fee.
In addition to creating more payment options, the county hopes the new system will “improve customer experience” by offering garage users the flexibility to add extra time as needed and stores their information for future transactions, says Melissa McMahon, the county’s parking and curb space manager.
Removing physical gates and automated ticket machines has allowed the “operations team to focus on customer experience and enforcement, rather than mechanical equipment malfunctions,” McMahon told ARLnow.
Several anonymous tipsters raised concerns about the poor internet connection inside the garage and the system’s reliance on smartphones.
“God forbid you don’t have a cell phone,” one tipster said.
Anticipating some confusion about the changes, McMahon said the county sent out letters to local community stakeholder groups and posted flyers throughout the garage. During the first month post-installation, garage staff were also posted around the facility to help users navigate the new system.
Still, several people said that the changes caught them “off guard.”
“Instead of a ticket at entry/exit, you are supposed to pay via the web (entering license plate into a form) or at a machine,” one tipster told ARLnow via email. “Luckily, there was a security guard sitting in the lobby off Level 3 asking people if they had paid and, if not, directing them to the machine. I know others did not realize they had to pay since the arms at the entry/exit lanes were all up.”
The same person who raised concerns about smartphone access also said the fliers were in “tiny print and difficult to understand.”
Individuals with concerns can contact the new garage operator, Chicago-based SP Plus, which provides a customer helpline and email support. County staff regularly visit the garage to “observe operations, talk to staff and customers, and work with garage management on refinements to improve customer experience,” says McMahon.
