Last week Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services reopened a portion of the Four Mile Run Trail that runs under Wilson Blvd. The underpass was partially washed out by the force of the raging flood waters.
Crews “completed the work to repair the bike trail underpass by replacing the curb that was undermined by the stream and placing new concrete slab on the sidewalk surface,” DES spokeswoman Jessica Baxter tells ARLnow. “We also painted the curb on the outer perimeter towards the stream. Overall, it took about two weeks to complete.”
Arlington reported around $6 million in damage to county infrastructure from the flooding. Baxter said DES has completely most of its repairs, though some work remains to be done.
“In terms of repairs, we have substantially completed our tasks — we have minor items to address, such as catch basin repairs,” she said.
A number of footbridges were swept away by floodwaters. At least one, near 38th Street N. in the Old Glebe neighborhood, was recently replaced. Arlington’s parks department is currently evaluating the replacement of others.
“As of Oct. 2, County contractors have removed bridges that were destroyed by the storm, including the bridges at 38th St. N. and N. Chesterfield Street, Bon Air, Glencarlyn and Gulf Branch. Lubber Run will follow,” parks spokeswoman Susan Kalish said. “All bridges and fords damaged in the storm are being assessed for safety and next steps.”
Photo (1) courtesy Dennis Dimick, (3) courtesy @btj/Twitter
A man punched two Arlington County police officers while trespassing in an apartment building in Pentagon City, according to an ACPD crime report.
The incident happened Saturday morning on the 1200 block of S. Eads Street, after police were called for a report of an irate man trespassing in the building.
A struggle ensued after officers located the man, during which he was tased and taken into custody, police say. More from the crime report:
ASSAULT & BATTERY ON POLICE, 2019-10050119, 1200 block of S. Eads Street. At approximately 10:16 a.m. on October 5, police were dispatched to the report of a trespasser inside a residential building. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect became irate after engaging in a verbal dispute with staff. The suspect then left the leasing office, but remained in the building, where he was located by police. Arriving officers made contact with the suspect, who continued to act disorderly, disobeyed lawful commands and attempted to strike two officers with closed fists. A brief struggled ensued and the officers deployed their tasers prior to taking the suspect into custody. Amro Ali, 33, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on Police (x2). He was held on no bond.
ACPD Provides Crystal City Shooting Update — “The Arlington County Police Department continues to investigate a non-fatal officer-involved shooting which occurred on August 28, 2019. The police department is committed to providing professional law enforcement services to the Arlington community while remaining transparent with the public regarding our operations. As a matter of transparency, the officer involved in the August shooting is Officer J. Clark.” [Arlington County]
Redevelopment Plan Includes Unique Towers — “The most interesting design among all of JBG’s proposals is for the two residential towers at 2525 Crystal, currently the home of the Crystal City Workout Park and a handful of sand volleyball courts.
Plans call for two interconnected towers with a stepped design, forming a V shape when viewed in profile.” [Washington Business Journal]
Favola Endorses Dehghani-Tafti — State Sen. Barbara Favola writes in an endorsement of Democratic Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney nominee Parisa Dehghani-Tafti: “Parisa will work day and night to bring balance to a justice system that has relied excessively on jail time when diversion programs and common-sense drug laws would better serve us. I look forward to working with Parisa as I continue to fight for expunging the records of juveniles and decriminalizing marijuana.” [Twitter]
Comcast Outage Reported — Updated at 9:10 a.m. — Several tipsters are reporting a large Comcast cable outage in Arlington. A portion of the Comcast outage map reviewed by ARLnow shows at least 500 customers were without cable service as of 9 a.m.
Nearby: Squirrel Prompts Call to Police — “Scanner: Alexandria PD just dispatched a call regarding an ‘aggressive squirrel.'” [Twitter]
The new Ballston BID branding along Fairfax Dr. Photo provided by Ballston BID / SugarShot Media
New Ballston BID logo. Courtesy of Ballston BID / SugarShot Media
The new Ballston BID branding on the back of a Metro bus. Photo provided by Ballston BID / SugarShot Media
New Ballston BID sign on N. Glebe Road
New Ballston BID brand imagery. Photo courtesy of Ballston BID / SugarShot Media
The new Ballston BID logo revealed at the Ballston Bash. Photo provided by Ballston BID / SugarShot Media
New Ballston BID brand imagery. Photo courtesy of Ballston BID / SugarShot Media
The Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) has rebranded to reflect the changes in the rapidlychangingneighborhood.
Signs with the new black, white and orange logo — which includes a lowercase “B” in a map-pin shape — have been popping up around the neighborhood — along Fairfax Drive, Glebe Road and near the Ballston Metro station. More signs will be installed this week, a BID spokeswoman said.
The BID unveiled its new look during last week’s “Ballston Street Bash and Mega Market” festival. In some of its new marketing materials, the new BID logo is followed by its new slogan, “Life is Full.”
“‘Life is Full’ was strategically created to reflect the premier neighborhood’s significant growth as a true hub of the best of what the region has to offer for businesses and residents alike,” said the spokeswoman.
Over the last 18 months, the neighborhood has seen the opening of the renovated Ballston Quarter and Ballston Exchange retail centers, along with numerous new restaurants and other new businesses. New nightlife spots like Bronson and the future Quincy Hall, meanwhile, are helping to turn Ballston from a place where people mostly just live and work to a going-out destination, as well, local leaders say.
“With all the new developments and the completion of Ballston Quarter and Ballston Exchange, Ballston is now a 18-hour neighborhood,” said Ballston BID CEO Tina Leone.
According to the BID, there are currently 60 restaurants and 15 fitness studios in Ballston, and 2,400 new apartments under development.
“Since we launched [the BID] seven years ago, we have been a rapidly developing neighborhood in one of the most thriving, sought-after cities in the U.S.,” said Leone. “It is time for our brand to reflect all that Ballston has to offer and to communicate that ‘life is full’ right here.”
In addition to the new signs, the BID’s new branding is now adorning the rear ad panels of Metrobuses that service the neighborhood.
The BID operates as a nonprofit, funded from a commercial property tax surcharge, serving Ballston businesses and residents via everything from community events to park maintenance. Upcoming projects proposed in the BID’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2020 budget include:
Establishing a digital business resource center in coordination with Arlington County and Arlington Economic Development.
Exploring collaboration opportunities between Ballston Quarter and the Washington Capitals.
Coordinating a Ballston holiday market.
Developing a landscaping and signage proposal for the Route 66 gateway on Fairfax Drive.
Dump truck overturned before Chain Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Dump truck overturned before Chain Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Dump truck overturned before Chain Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Dump truck overturned before Chain Bridge (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Dump truck overturned before Chain Bridge (photo courtesy Arash Tafakor)
Chain Bridge blocked in D.C.
(Updated at 4:40 p.m.) A dump truck overturned on N. Glebe Road, right before Chain Bridge, completely blocking the road to and from the bridge.
The driver was reported to be “severely trapped” in the truck’s cab, prompting a large fire department rescue response, according to scanner traffic. Multiple ambulances were dispatched to the scene, though it’s unclear if anyone else was injured.
The crash also spilled the truck’s load of cinder blocks and construction debris over the roadway. A heavy wrecker was requested to respond to the scene to assist with the cleanup.
The truck crashed after a steep and winding section of Glebe Road, which leads to a traffic signal at the intersection with Chain Bridge Road, just prior to the bridge.
Chain Bridge was expected to remain closed between D.C. and Virginia, and northbound Glebe Road is expected to remain blocked at N. Military Road, for an extended period of time — likely for “several hours.” Heavy traffic was reported on Chain Bridge Road approaching the crash scene this afternoon, with backups starting to extend into Fairfax County.
“Expect major delays as rescue work continues,” advised the Arlington County Fire Department. “Seek an alternate route.”
“Disruptions are anticipated into the evening commute,” Arlington County said via Twitter.
After an extended rescue operation, the trapped driver was removed from the truck just prior to 1 p.m. Glebe reopened to traffic between Chain Bridge Road and Military Road around 2 p.m. Chain Bridge reopened around 4:30 p.m., according to scanner traffic, though for now traffic heading from D.C. must turn on to Chain Bridge Road.
UPDATE – Chain Bridge itself remains closed for clean-up. Glebe Road and VA side of Chain Bridge Road are open to traffic. Vehicles still can not cross bridge in either direction. Follow @arlingtonalert for road information
SEVERE TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS ⚠️: The Chain Bridge is closed due to an overturned vehicle. Roads are closed in the area. Seek alternative routes as disruptions are anticipated into evening commute. https://t.co/091VX2nD4O
A person rides a scooter along 15th St. S in Crystal City (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Bolt scooters in Ballston (Image courtesy of Joel K.)
Dockless electric scooters at a corral in Courthouse (Staff photo)
A sneaky scooter parking job outside Amazon’s new headquarters in Crystal City (Staff photo by Airey)
Arlington’s Mobility Lab released a recent report on the county’s e-scooter and e-bike pilot program, providing an extra boost to arguments for allowing the devices permanently.
The Arlington County Board voted in June to extend the end date of the pilot program through December, prior to which the Board will need to make another decision on the future of so-called “shared mobility devices.”
The 102–page report says that scooters and e-bikes are a “viable complement to the County’s transportation ecosystem that increases mobility options and provides potential sustainability benefits.”However, it also lists eight recommendations to improve the program, including making sure scooters and e-bikes are more evenly deployed in upper as well as lower income areas.
The authors of the report noted that mapping neighborhood income levels over trip origin locations indicate that many people started scooter trips while in neighborhoods with incomes below the Arlington County’s median household income, “suggesting that [scooters and e-bikes] could be appealing to lower-income residents and promoting equity.”
Other improvement recommendations in the report included:
Adding more infrastructure for cyclists and scooters, including protected bike lanes along the county’s main travel corridors — a plan outlined in the county’s recently updated Master Transportation Plan.
Addressing complaints about improper parking by creating maps with approved spots as well as “no-go” areas.
Addressing accessibility for lower-income scooter riders. The report notes the requirement users have a credit card can be burdensome.
“The pilot showed that shared scooters can significantly decrease car trips, which makes streets safer, our community happier and our air cleaner,” Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair Gillian Burgess told ARLnow of the report.
“But we’ve also learned that people are just not comfortable scooting on sidewalks or even our current non-protected bike lanes,” she said. “We want to leave sidewalks to people on two feet and those who are slow rolling.”
The county’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) wrote a letter in September saying they were “generally supportive” of continuing the program, but remained “concerned about the impact these devices have on the pedestrian environment when they are ridden or parked on the clear zone of the sidewalk.”
The PAC wrote that more bike lanes would remove pedestrian-scooter conflicts, but other measures like barring e-bikes from sometrails and capping the hours they can ridden (as one D.C. Councilmember attempted) are “unnecessary.”
The Arlington County Board is due to discuss the future of the pilot program at the end of December.
In April, a staff presentation to the County Board indicated riders tooks 313,166 trips on scooters since the program began with an unsanctioneddeployment of Bird scooters last year. Between June 2018 and April 2019, users travelled 307,243 miles with an average length of 1 mile per trip.
And after the county signed off on a pilot program to study their effects, more scooter companies have joined the fray to roll out a combined 2,600 scooters to the county’s streets.
But with more scooters came a flood of safety and littering complaints — which the report notes decreased over time as perhaps riders followed rules better, or because of officials responding to complaints by capping scooters’ speeds, installing parking corrals, and restricting users’ ability to ride on some public lands.
Data from the Arlington County Police Department indicated an increase in the number of reported crashes involving scooters from four in 2018 to eight this year so far. However, measuring the actual number of crashes is difficult as data from the ACPD only captures the incidents reported to the police, and the Dept. of Motor Vehicles did not yet have codes for tracking scooter-related incidents.
The new report also notes that scooters and e-bikes merit more short-term and long-term analysis from county planners. Examples of topics county staff want to study further include:
Analyzing demographics of users and where they ride (especially late at night), as well as where complaints most often occur.
Learning whether the parking corrals installed for scooters reduced complaints, and whether they created any problems for users.
Measuring the impact that sharing sidewalks with scooters has on people with disabilities (for example, when illicitly-parked scooters block the way for people in wheelchairs)
Overall, the report’s recommendations mirror those recently issued in Alexandria, where City Councilmembers urged companies to deploy more scooters outside of the Old Town and Del Ray neighborhoods.
“I look forward to the County Board adopting a permanent shared micro-mobility program before the January deadline,” said Burgess. “I also am hopeful that the Board will fix some of their ableist policies that discriminate against e-bikes and will update their bike lane policies to be inclusive and current.”
The Ballston Metro station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crowding at the Ballston Metro station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crowding at the Ballston Metro station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crowding at the Ballston Metro station (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 9:25 a.m.) Metrorail riders, especially those heading toward D.C. on the Orange/Silver line, are experiencing major crowding due to an incident in the District overnight.
Two trains, neither of which were carrying passengers, collided near the Foggy Bottom and Farragut West Metro stations around 1 a.m. Both train operators were injured.
An investigation into the crash has prompted single-tracking past the scene, leading to major delays during the Monday morning commute. Trains on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines are only running every 15 minutes, while the Silver Line is only running between the Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston stations.
Significant crowding has been reported at the East Falls Church and Ballston stations in Arlington. The cost of Uber and Lyft rides has also reportedly spiked.
“Consider alternate travel options,” Metro said via Twitter. The investigation is expected to continue for most of the day.
More via social media and the Unsuck DC Metro Twitter account:
While platforms like Ballston are dangerously packed with no indication when next train will show or which one it will be, the only announcements @wmata is making are about tonight’s schedule for the ballgame @Metrorailinfo@unsuckdcmetro 🤷♂️
I've never seen the Ballston Metro this hectic. Silver line is shut down except between Ballston and Wiehle Reston. Orange running every 15 min. They are queuing people up to head into D.C. from Ballston. #dcmetro#commute@DCMetroandBus @dcmetrohero pic.twitter.com/deClwCTPrc
New Restaurant Opening Soon in Ballston — “Zoup! Eatery, the fast casual restaurant known for its award-winning soups and made-to-order sandwiches and salads, is set to open its first Arlington location on Monday, Oct. 21.” [Press Release]
School Library Lending Down Slightly — “Who says print is dead? Circulation of print materials at Arlington’s public-school libraries held relatively steady during the 2018-19 school year at about 980,000 items – or about 36 items per student. The total figure… was down about 1.5 percent from a year before.” [InsideNova]
Notable Tree Nominations Open — “Since 1987, Arlington has identified and registered its most notable trees, as well as the residents who care for them.” Nominations for 2020 notable trees nominees are now open, with a Dec. 1 deadline. [Arlington County]
Job Fair for Local Census Workers — “Interested in a job with the U.S. Census for 2020? @ArlEmploymentCt is hosting recruitment events this month. The first two sessions are Tuesday, Oct. 8.” [Eventbrite, Twitter]
‘Cautionary Tale’ for Gondola Plans — “Several years after closing the gondola that served the Alemão favela, the state of Rio de Janeiro has kept up hope that it would restart service. In May, the state said it would reopen the line by the end of the year. But with three months left in 2019, there’s little sign of action.” [Wired, Twitter]
Nearby: Bearer of Bad News for Hire — “Want a divorce? Have to quit your job? Need to tell your family you crashed your car into the side of the Van Dorn Station Shopping Center? Sometimes there’s no easy way to break bad news, so don’t. An Alexandrian is offering his services via Craigslist to break the bad news for you.” [ALXnow]
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Arlington fire engine responding to apartment fire in Virginia Square (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
Fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments (staff photo by Vernon Miles)
(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) Firefighters are on scene of an apartment fire at the Quincy Plaza apartments in Virginia Square.
The fire was first reported just after 2 p.m., on the 12th floor of the apartment tower at 3900 Fairfax Drive. The fire is reported to now be out, controlled at least in part via a sprinkler system.
Firefighters are now checking for additional fire, smoke and water damage in adjacent apartments. Water can be seen streaming down the side of the building near where the fire was reported, and “extensive” water damage is being reported in parts of the building, according to scanner traffic.
No word yet on what caused the fire.
Police are also on the scene, helping to provide traffic control with the eastbound lanes of Fairfax Drive closed by the emergency response.
Small fire reported at 3900 block of Fairfax drive. Units from Ft Myer and Fairfax County assisting. Fire is under control and contained to one unit. No reports of injuries at this time. More details to follow. pic.twitter.com/XVcqGPkALB
INCIDENT: Fire Department Activity LOCATION: 3900 Block of Fairfax Dr. IMPACT: EB lanes of Fairfax Dr. closed at N Quincy St. Seek alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/qs1ikXgGEe
Activist and actress Jane Fonda will be coming to Arlington next weekend for an event with Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Beyer’s office is announcing this morning.
Fonda will be the special guest at Beyer’s fifth annual Women’s Conference and Forum, subtitled this year “Nevertheless, She Persisted.” (Last year’s conference was dubbed “Breaking Through: Women Work For Change.”)
“Rep. Beyer’s Women’s Conference is an annual event that convenes local stakeholders and experts to discuss a wide array of issues and how they impact women,” the congressman’s office says in a press release. “In addition to Beyer’s conversation with Fonda, the Conference will feature a plenary panel session focused on achieving equal rights for all people and eliminating the gender wage gap.”
The event is being held at George Mason University’s Arlington campus in Virginia Square on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12.
The full press release is below.
Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) announced today that Jane Fonda will be a special guest at his Fifth Annual Women’s Conference and Forum: Nevertheless,She Persisted. Fonda is an award-winning actress, and a political activist for causes including feminism, Native American rights, peace, and the environment. She is the co-founder, with Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan, of the Women’s Media Center and the Founder & Chair Emeritus of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential. Her philanthropic work includes charitable support for education, young people’s reproductive health, and the arts. She has been a leading voice of her generation for over 50 years. Fonda and Megan Beyer, a global women’s advocate and former Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities under President Obama, will have a fireside chat to open the conference.
Rep. Beyer’s Women’s Conference is an annual event that convenes local stakeholders and experts to discuss a wide array of issues and how they impact women. In addition to Beyer’s conversation with Fonda, the Conference will feature a plenary panel session focused on achieving equal rights for all people and eliminating the gender wage gap. This will be followed two breakout panels – one on the impact of grassroots organizing and the other on understanding women’s rights and the law.
Rep. Beyer will also present the Clara Mortenson Beyer Women and Children First Award to McLean’s Marie Ridder, which Beyer announced last week. The event will be held at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus.
Earlier this week, a woman was struck by a van in a hit-and-run while crossing Columbia Pike at the intersection with S. Frederick Street.
The same intersection has been the site of several other crashes, according to data Arlington County Police Department shared with ARLnow. Between November 2016, and September 2019, there were 20 vehicle crashes at the same intersection — three of which involved pedestrians or cyclists.
ABC 7 reported that residents say the intersection is notorious for close calls between pedestrians and motorists, but the county isn’t able to install a traffic signal until nearby construction ends.
“If you wait long enough you’ll see a near miss.”-local resident
In only 30mins @ABC7News saw 3 close calls at a crosswalk people say is dangerous. The same Columbia Pike c/walk a few days ago where a woman was hurt in a hit-n-run.
Data captured by ACPD between November 2016 and September of this year also show that another nearby Pike intersection at S. Columbia Street and S. Dinwiddie Street has seen even more numerous crashes. The Dinwiddie and Columbus intersection, near the Arlington Mill Community Center, has resulted in 28 crashes since the beginning of 2018, 6 involving pedestrians.
The rate of recorded crashes is similar to the dangerous Rock Spring intersection of Little Falls Road and Old Dominion Drive, where public outcry and ACPD’s reported 27 crashes and 9 pedestrians injured in the last two years has led county officials to ban left turns during rush hour.
Officials have expressed concerns about safe passage for cyclists and pedestrians in the area for 15 years. The Pike and S. Dinwiddie intersection was also the subject of a special ACPD pedestrian traffic enforcement campaign in 2015.
The intersection of Frederick Street and the Pike is marked with a striped crosswalk and flashing lights to alert motorists of crossing pedestrians, the latter of which was an addition made in recent years.
ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow that the police department changed its system used for keeping track of incidents like these in November 2016. Since then there were 64 total crashes on the Pike between S. Dinwiddie Street and S. Greenbrier Street. All told, 10 of those crashes involved pedestrians or cyclists.
