(Updated at 1 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools is asking for residents’ feedback on its bus “service, policies and procedures” as part of a comprehensive review scheduled this spring.

The school system’s Department of Multimodal Transportation Planning is helming the review, which will address issues including budget, congestion, and rising enrollment, per the announcement.

Arlingtonians are invited to a series of workshops in March and April to share their thoughts in person:

  • Monday, March 25 at Wakefield (1325 S. Dinwiddie Street)
  • Wednesday, March 27 at Yorktown (5200 Yorktown Blvd)
  • Wednesday, April 3 at Washington-Liberty (1301 N. Stafford Street)
  • Saturday, April 6 at Patrick Henry (701 S. Highland Street)

Participants will also have an opportunity to submit comments online in a questionnaire scheduled to be released this month, per the APS announcement.

“Whether your student currently rides a bus or you would like to know how bus eligibility is determined, or your student used to ride the bus or may ride the bus in the future, we’d like to hear from you,” APS said, noting that the last time APS held a top-down review of its bus system was in 2005.

Some adjustments have been made since then, such as trying to shore up attendance on buses in 2012 with a voucher system.

APS is also conducting a public survey with the county until Thursday, April 4 to overhaul the industrial lot where its school buses are stored. The 38-acre “Trades Center” lot has struggled with overcrowding for years, officials say, leading APS to shift some school vehicles over to the “Buck site” on 1425 N. Quincy Street starting last year.

Flickr pool photo by afagan


(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) Firefighters responded this morning to a significant gas leak at a construction site in the Radnor-Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood.

A gas line was reportedly struck at a construction site near the intersection of N. Rolfe Street and the Arlington Blvd access road. The gas leak prompted evacuations of nearby residents.

Washington Gas is currently on scene working to control the leak, ACFD said.

Map via Google Maps


South Block, the growing juice bar chain that started its expansion in Clarendon, is planning to open its newest location to the public on Monday.

The new 1,300 square foot location, next to BASH Boxing in the outdoor row of businesses at Ballston Quarter mall, will offer raw, cold-pressed juices, along with toasts, acai bowls, and smoothies.

A “soft opening” for the new Ballston location will be held starting on Monday. The location’s normal weekday hours will be 7 a.m.-8 p.m., with weekend hours of 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

South Block will be holding a “block party” in two weeks to celebrate its grand opening, with proceeds from the event benefiting the Arlington Food Assistance Center. More on that, via a press release, below.

Locally owned South Block, northern Virginia’s first juice bar known for amazing acai bowls, smoothies and juice, celebrates its ninth location with a Grand Opening “Block Party” on Saturday, April 6 in Ballston Quarter. South Block first opened in 2011 in a 700 square foot space in Clarendon on a mission to “Build Healthier Communities…One Block at a Time!” The Ballston location is more than 1300 square feet and is located next to the future Ballston BASH Boxing in the newly renovated Ballston Mall on N. Randolph Street.

“When I graduated from Virginia Tech I lived in Ballston before I opened the first South Block. It’s where the seed was planted, and now, more than 15 years later I am so excited to go back to my roots and open our ninth location. I have a strong connection to this community and am honored to be a part of the flourishing neighborhood,” said South Block’s Founder and CEO, Amir Mostafavi.

South Block’s “good vibe tribe” will be out in full force at the Grand Opening “Block Party” on Saturday, April 6 at 9:00 a.m. The first 100 “Block Party” attendees will receive a swag bag complete with a reusable smoothie cup and sunglasses plus the chance to win a $100 South Block gift card. A live DJ and boxing demonstrations by BASH boxing will keep the good vibes rolling!

WHO: South Block Ballston
WHAT: South Block Ballston’s Grand Opening “Block Party”
WHEN: Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. (Store opens to the public on Monday, March 25).
WHERE: South Block | 700 N Randolph St, Arlington, VA 22203

All proceeds on April 6 will go to South Block’s new fundraising initiative, Fruitful Planet, to support the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), a community-based non-profit that provides supplemental groceries to Arlington neighbors in need. South Block created Fruitful Planet as a way to give back to those in need and build healthy communities. “We believe that small acts can make a big impact! The Arlington community has been so great to South Block… we want to do everything we can to support the community and show love back. We are ‘One Block!'” said Mostafavi.

South Block’s Ballston Quarter location will have a soft opening starting March 25 and will be open weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and weekends 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Download South Block’s mobile app to access their secret “Underground Menu” and order-ahead. South Block has partnered with another locally growing business, MightyMeals, to deliver their juices. Visit www.southblockjuice.com  for juice delivery options!


GW Parkway ClosureUpdated at 9:15 a.m. — “All lanes of the GW Parkway are now closed during Friday morning’s rush hour due to a large sinkhole that was discovered overnight.” [Tysons Reporter]

HQ2 Impact to Be Bigger Than Expected? — JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon and George Mason University’s Stephen S. Fuller both think many are underestimating HQ2’s impact on job creation in the region. [Washington Business JournalWashington Business Journal]

Arlington Gets High Marks for Dog Parks — Arlington is No. 10 on the Trust for Public Land’s ranking of cities with the most dog parks per capita. Arlington has eight dog parks, or 3.5 for every 100,000 residents. D.C. ranked No. 22 on the list. [Trust for Public Land]

Wilson Blvd to Close Again in Ballston — “That stretch of Wilson Boulevard at @BallstonQuarter that’s now closed eastbound on school nights 8pm-6am for 8 weeks? It’ll also be closed both ways this weekend, Friday 8pm to Sunday 6pm. Lots of pedestrian bridge to do.” [Twitter]

Road Closures in N. Arlington — “The Nottingham/Discovery Elementary Schools 5K race will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2019. The Arlington County Police Department will close several roads from approximately 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM to accommodate the event.” [Arlington County]

Basketball Fundraiser Tonight — “New Directions High School students will play Arlington County’s heroes — including some of the police department, fire department, probation and prosecutor’s office” tonight at Hoffman-Boston Elementary School to raise money for New Directions. [Twitter]

No Hyperloop for Va. for Now — “Virginia transit officials flew to California to check out Elon Musk’s Boring Co. tunnel. They say they’re gonna stick with traditional roads and railways for now. ‘It’s a car in a very small tunnel.'” [Virginia Mercury, Twitter]


Arlington County and Arlington Public Schools are asking residents to share their thoughts about the Arlington County Trades Center, near Shirlington, as the county prepares to address longstanding space issues.

The online survey asks county residents questions about how close they live to the Trades Center, whether noise from the county-owned industrial site bothers them, asks for their feedback on services offered at the lot, as well as what residents would like to change.

Many county departments stored equipment and operated maintenance facilities on the 38-acre site since the 1950s.  However, the “siting of operations and offices developed when space was abundant. Now, room for growth is limited given the developed surrounding area, while service levels have increased in size and complexity” according to the county’s announcement about the survey

Residents will be able to fill out the survey until Thursday, April 4.

Currently the grounds are home to a bevy of county vehicles and offices including:

  • Arlington Public Schools (APS) buses and vehicles
  • Firefighting training site
  • Animal Welfare League of Arlington
  • Police impound lot
  • Solid Waste and Traffic Engineering offices
  • Road salt storage

The county has discussed ideas to free up space at Trades Center for years, particularly for APS which added 40 buses to its fleet between 2011 and 2016 as enrollment continues to grow.

County staff warned that overcrowding was “impacting service delivery” for APS buses and other vehicles in a 2016 presentation.

Last June the County Board approved a five-year agreement letting APS park maintenance vehicles and staff’s personal vehicles at the county’s “Buck site” property at 1425 N. Quincy Street in Virginia Square instead of the Trades Center. In May, the Board also greenlit a plan allowing APS to park its “white fleet” of special vans and buses at Buck site.

But shifting some APS parking to the Buck site was “not a long-term vision” to solve the chronic crowding at the Trades Center, Board Chair Christian Dorsey said after the 2018 vote.

The county has hired Canadian-based engineering consulting firm Stantec for help surveying Arlington residents and county employees to find that solution.

The Board is scheduled to present potential solutions publicly this summer, and following a several-month review period, is scheduled to present their final plan this fall.

Photo via Arlington County


Police are investigating how a bullet wound up in a home near Shirlington.

A man found the bullet while cleaning his home on the 4500 block of 28th Road S. last week and called police, believing the bullet had been fired from outside the home. The man also told police that the bullet damaged a hanging picture frame.

No one was injured and the investigation is ongoing, according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report.

MISSILE INTO OCCUPIED DWELLING (late), 2019-03150177, 4500 block of 28th Road S. At approximately 3:10 p.m. on March 15, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances. Upon arrival, it was determined that on March 14 at approximately 7:00 p.m., the victim was cleaning his residence when he located a bullet on the floor of the living room which is believed to have caused damage to a hanging picture frame. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.

Below are the rest of the highlights from this week’s crime report, including some we’ve already reported.

ASSAULT & BATTERY ON POLICE, 2019-03190004, 1500 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 12:17 a.m. on March 19, police were dispatched to the report of disorderly conduct. Upon arrival, it was determined that police were summoned for a female subject who was allegedly disregarding the rules of a program center and refusing to leave. The subject refused to comply with the lawful commands of officers to leave the premises and became combative. While attempting to place the subject under arrest for trespassing, she kicked one officer in the chest and struck another in the face. Patricia Davis, 62, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Assault and Battery on Police (x2) and Trespassing. She was held without bond.

ROBBERY (late), 2019-03170184, 1700 block of N. Moore Street. At approximately 2:45 p.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to the late report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 1:35 p.m., a store employee attempted to prevent two alleged shoplifting suspects from leaving the business. The suspects pushed the employee and struck him in the face before fleeing the scene on foot. The victim refused medical attention. Suspect One is described as a tall black male, in his 20s – 30s, wearing a dark blue jacket, dark colored jeans, dark shoes and a backpack. Suspect Two is described as a shorter black male, wearing a blue and red jacket, blue jeans and a backpack. The investigation is ongoing.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2019-03150030, 2900 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 2:09 a.m. on March 15, officers on routine patrol were approached by a victim suffering from a superficial laceration to the neck. The victim did not require medical attention. Upon investigation, it was determined that the victim’s friends were speaking with two unknown males when the victim approached them and told them it was time to go. The unknown male suspects began following the group and following a verbal altercation, one suspect produced a blade and struck the victim in the neck. The suspects fled the scene prior to police notification. Suspect 1 is described as a white male, bald with tattoos, between 5’8″ – 5’9″ tall and approximately 140lbs. Suspect 2 is described as a white male, approximately 5’8″ with an athletic build. He was wearing a short sleeve black shirt and light colored jeans at the time of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 2019-03160029, 4100 block of 3rd Road N. At approximately 2:30 a.m. police were dispatched to the report of a possible unlawful entry into a vacant apartment. Upon arrival, officers located a suspect inside the residence who allegedly entered through an unsecured window. Alberto Bollera, 34, of Hyattsville, MD was arrested and charged with Unlawful Entry and Drunk in Public.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY, 2019-03160302, 4100 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 11:39 p.m. on March 16, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was inside her residence when she observed the door handle to her residence moving. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a black male, 40 – 60 years old, wearing a camouflage jacket, light colored sweatshirt and light colored pants. The investigation is ongoing.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 2019-03130240, 1700 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 10:55 p.m. on March 13, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was walking in the area when he was approached by an unknown suspect who attempted to steal his wallet. The victim shouted at the suspect and he fled the scene on foot. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’7″-5’8″ with a beard, wearing a dark zippered jacket, khaki pants, and a striped beanie hat. The investigation is ongoing.

RECOVERED STOLEN AUTO, 2019-03140086, 3400 block of N. Inglewood Street. At approximately 10:49 a.m. on March 14, police were dispatched to the report of a Grand Larceny Auto. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered the victim’s garage and stole a vehicle with the key left inside. The vehicle was located unoccupied in Washington D.C. Warrants for Grand Larceny Auto and Grand Larceny were obtained.

BURGLARY (late), 2019-03120045, 4100 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 8:15 a.m. on March 12, police responded to the late report of a burglary. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 2:10 a.m. on March 12, an unknown suspect entered a residence through an unlocked door and stole numerous items of value. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

BURGLARY, 2019-03130242, 4100 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 11:07 p.m. on March 13, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim heard noise originating from outside his patio door. Upon investigation, the victim observed an unknown male suspect outside the door. The suspect fled the scene on foot prior to police arrival and a canvas of the area returned with negative results. The suspect is described as a black male with dark complexion, in his late 30’s to early 40’s, approximately 5’9″ tall and weighing 200 lbs. He has short hair, a mustache and a beard. He was wearing a dark colored jacket, red hoodie, and navy pants at the time of the incident.


Kirkwood Road is closed between Washington Blvd and 14th Street N. due to a significant water main break.

Crews have been working on the break since last night and “scores of customers could be affected,” said Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services. Among those reported to be affected by the water outage is George Mason University’s Arlington campus.

Video posted of the scene shows a large hole in the roadway filled with roiling, cloudy water.

More via Twitter:


Real Estate Near Crystal City is Hot — “In the 22202 ZIP code — which comprises Crystal City, Pentagon City, Aurora Hills, Aurora Highlands and Arlington Ridge — there are only 11 homes for sale right now, according to Realtor.com. Only three are single-family homes. The rest are condos.” [Washington Business Journal]

Escape Room Nearing OpeningBond’s Escape Room in Clarendon says it will open in about two months. “I’m happy with the way it’s coming along!” said founder Egor Bondarev. [Instagram]

Circulator Bus Now Free — Rides on the D.C. Circulator bus are now free indefinitely, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday. The bus line has a stop in Rosslyn. [Fox 5]

Transportation Partners Honored — “On March 19, the Arlington County Board honored 31 local businesses and properties for their dedication to sustainable transportation for employees and tenants, as part of Arlington Transportation Partners’ (ATP) Champions program.” [Arlington County]

Seven Freed From Stuck Metro Station Elevator — “Firefighters freed seven people trapped in an elevator at the Crystal City Metro station Wednesday morning, according to a report.” [Patch, Twitter]

Politico Owner Launching New Tech Site — “Robert Allbritton, the executive chairman of private equity firm Perpetual Capital and publisher of [Rosslyn-based] Politico, is preparing to launch a global technology news site, the latest sign of growing investment in tech coverage across American journalism.” [NBC News]

Nearby: Halal Butchery Opposed in Alexandria — “Though city staff and Alexandria’s planning commission recommended approving DC Poultry Market’s application, dog lovers showed up to the Alexandria City Council’s March 16 meeting to object on olfactory grounds (‘My dog can smell when there’s a cookie down the block,’ one resident said) and on proximity to poultricide (‘Knowing that my dogs may be walked by a business that holds chickens in a windowless room before their throats are slit while fully conscious does not make me feel that my dogs are in a safe environment,’ another said).” [Washingtonian]

Flickr pool photo (originally published in 2016) by Kevin Wolf


(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Arlington County’s costs for recycling is continuing to rise after a Chinese ban last year, officials say, but most of what residents place in the recycling bin is still getting recycled.

Costs for processing recyclables have risen from $15.73 per ton to $28.62 per ton in the last six months as the value of things like paper and plastics is plummeting, Arlington’s chief of solid waste Erik Grabowsky told ARLnow today.

Recyclables remain cheaper than trash, which costs the county $43.16 per ton, but the industry lost the primary way items get recycled.

Recycling is a $200 billion global industry with China importing as much as 70 percent — that is, until the country abruptly stopped in January 2018 over pollution concerns. The loss of such a big buyer has plummeted the value of some plastics and low-grade paper, forcing many cities to nix recycling all together, the New York Times reported last week.

“The China Ban has negatively impacted recycling commodity markets around the world. As a result, the value of the recycling material collected in the county has declined,” Gabrowsky said.

Another ongoing problem for the county is glass.

Glass may seem like an easy material to reuse, but “single-stream” recycling systems like Arlington’s often shatter bottles. The result are mixed-up colored glass shards, which makes it difficult to separate from other recyclable materials.

County officials announced in October that Arlington might end glass recycling, but a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Services said today that the county “is still studying the issue and has not made a decision on whether or not to remove glass from the recycling stream at this time.”

Today, he says the county is sending almost all the glass collected from people’s recycling bins to landfills. (Paper and plastics are still being recycled, Gabrowsky said.)

The only exception is glass delivered to the county’s two drop-off centers at N. Quincy Street and Washington Blvd and 2700 S. Taylor Street.

Glass from those two containers is shipped to Fairfax County where local officials are experimenting with a pulverization machine that smashes glass into sand they hope can be used to repair roads.

While the future of Arlington’s glass is uncertain, he said the county will “continue to collect the same recyclable material list, but would ask that residents adhere strictly to the list and not place items into the recycling cart that are not recyclable like plastic bags.”

More advice on recycling smart and reducing waste from DES, below:

  • “By far the best way to manage our waste is to generate less waste to begin with. Consider reusing, repairing and donating items before you dispose them.”
  • “Make sure food and beverage containers are empty and free from food and other residue before you place them into the blue cart. It is a good idea to do a quick rinse to containers that held anything that can spoil.”
  • “When you recycle, include only correct materials. Leave out things like plastic bags, plastic foam cups and plates, food residue, liquids and miscellaneous garbage.”
  • “To find out how to properly dispose of items, check out our Where Does It Go? directory.”

Flickr pool photo by Dennis Dimick


(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) An SUV wound up in Four Mile Run creek in Bluemont Park this morning, prompting a hazmat response to contain a fuel spill.

The crash happened shortly before noon, near a parking lot adjacent to the intersection of N. Manchester Street and 4th Street N. It’s unclear how exactly the crash happened.

No injuries were reported. A woman could be seen sitting on the ground near the crash scene, being interviewed by police.

Arlington County firefighters placed booms in the creek to try to contain fuel from the SUV, some of which spilled into the creek and was visible as a sheen on the water.


(Updated at 12:33 a.m.) A row of trees lining the railroad tracks near Long Bridge Park in Crystal City is no more after CSX crews began removing them last week, upsetting some residents who say they were an important part of the park’s aesthetic.

Dominique Williams lives nearby in Crystal City and says she comes to the park every day for an afternoon walk. After not visiting for the last week, she was shocked to see the trees gone when she went on a stroll earlier this week.

“When I saw it this morning I said what is going on?” said Williams, gesturing at the pile of broken limbs once a part of the trees she said gave a je ne sais quoi to her daily stroll.

“This takes a lot away from the park,” she said. “It had a vibe, really, and now it’s not there anymore.”

Crews could be seen cutting up stumps and gathering timber for the shredder along the train tracks on Tuesday.

Arlington Dept. of Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish told ARLnow that CSX is removing the trees, not the county, as the land where the trees were growing belongs to the freight rail company.

CSX spokeswoman Sheriee S. Bowman said the company to aims to “positively impact the environment” but had to remove the trees due to an ongoing construction project to build a road running parallel to the tracks.

“This project was designed with the goal of disturbing as few trees as possible, but due to property limitations parallel to the tracks, some tree removal on CSX’s right-of-way was unavoidable,” said Bowman. “Upon completion of the road, CSX will plant 220 new trees and 188 new shrubs in the project area – more than the 217 that will be removed.”

More from CSX’s statement:

“We have chosen native tree and shrub species which will provide a more robust green space than what was previously in place. Additionally, crews will clean trash and debris that has accumulated in this area. The project has been scheduled in close coordination with Arlington County and CSX has maintained open lines of communication with the Crystal City Civic Association and local residents on local impacts. Construction for this project began on March 4th and should be completed by early May.”

Late last year the company notified the Crystal City Civic Association that it intended to remove trees for the construction of a planned access road near the park.

More from the civic association, via a December Facebook post:

CSX has submitted plans for County permits to install an access gate at the 12th Street entrance to Long Bridge Park and an access road along the tracks. This replacement is needed since the current access at the northern end of Long Bridge Park will end when the County’s construction of the Aquatics and Fitness Center starts. The issue will come before the County Board this Saturday, December 15, for approval.

CSX has shown that the gate and road will be built on its property. There will be no changes to the entrance to the park, 12th Street, or Crystal Drive. Beyond the end of the map shown, the road will run parallel to the tracks for about a half mile up to the signals. It will be asphalt from the gate down to the track level and gravel the remainder to the signals.

CSX designed the project with the goal of disturbing as few trees as possible, but due to the limited property parallel to the tracks, some removal on CSX Right of Way is unavoidable. However, the plan includes extensive tree and shrub replanting after construction with more trees and shrubs than are there today. After construction, the new access road (which will be on CSX ROW parallel to the tracks) will be used by light pickup trucks for the signal maintainers and track inspectors. Under normal circumstances, they would probably use the access road 2-3 times a week.

Another Crystal City resident said it’s important to balance business needs with the community but that her family will miss the trees when they come to the park now.

“You can’t stop progress but we would have liked if they kept the trees,” she said

Jim, a retired Fairfax resident who also uses the park, said “overall it’s a positive” that the trees are gone because it also led to the removal of litter and construction debris — what he described as a “garbage dump” — next to the tracks.


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