News

Police: Man bashes car with brick in robbery attempt

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A 41-year-old man is in jail after police say he used a brick in an early morning robbery attempt.

The incident happened around 2 a.m. in Crystal City. Police say the man stood in front of a car, demanded cash from those inside, then bashed the car with the brick “multiple times” before the victims were able to flee.

Police responded and took a suspect into custody.

From today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 2023-05070025, 1600 block of Crystal Drive. At approximately 2:02 a.m. on May 7, police were dispatched to the report of a destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined the victims were inside their vehicle attempting to leave the area when the male suspect allegedly approached, stood in front of the vehicle while holding a brick, and demanded money. The suspect struck the vehicle multiple times with the brick before the victims were able to leave the area. No injuries were reported. Responding officers canvassed the area, located the suspect, and took him into custody without incident. [The suspect], 41, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Destruction of Property, Attempted Robbery, and Abduction. He was held without bond.

Also in today’s crime report: another incident of teens running after an alleged vehicle-related crime.

This incident happened around 9:30 p.m. in Pentagon City, and involved five juvenile male suspects fleeing on foot before all being apprehended, according to ACPD.

ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY AUTO (Significant), 2023-05060271, 1400 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 9:24 p.m. on May 6, police were dispatched to the report of a vehicle tampering. Upon arrival, an officer observed approximately five juvenile suspects allegedly tampering with two vehicles, one of which had a smashed rear window. The officer attempted to make contact with the suspects, during which they fled the scene on foot. Officers initiated foot pursuits, located the five juvenile male suspects and took them into custody. Two suspects sustained minor injuries and were treated by medics. Petitions are pending for the juvenile suspects.

Additionally, there were two separate incidents of alleged gun brandishings, both along Columbia Pike over the weekend. One involved an implied gun and the other a BB gun, according to police.

BRANDISHING, 2023-05060148, 900 block of S. Dinwiddie Street. At approximately 12:29 p.m. on May 6, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect approached the two victims, allegedly physically assaulted Victim One and made threatening statements implying he had a firearm before leaving the scene. The victim reported minor injuries and did not require medical attention on scene. During the course of the investigation, the suspect returned to the area and was taken into custody without incident. [The suspect], 25, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Brandishing and Assault and Battery. He was held without bond.

BRANDISHING, 2023-05070094, 4800 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 12:13 p.m. on May 7, police were dispatched to the report of a person with a gun. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect on scene and took him into custody without incident. The investigation determined the suspect approached the known victim, told him to leave the area and when the victim refused, the suspect allegedly brandished a firearm. Officers recovered a BB gun on scene. No injuries were reported. [The suspect], 44, of No Fixed Address, was arrested and charged with Brandishing and Disorderly Conduct. He was held without bond.

Don’t be surprised if you answer the phone and John Legend is on the other end, endorsing a local candidate

By ARLnow.com
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington residents may soon hear the dulcet sounds of John Legend on the phone, asking them to vote for Parisa Dehghani-Tafti.

The singer, songwriter, actor and media personality is again weighing in on the local race for Commonwealth’s Attorney. An advocate for justice reform, Legend endorsed Dehghani-Tafti in 2019 and has recorded an endorsement for the prosecutor’s reelection this year.

“Hi, this is John Legend,” the singer’s voice will say to those who pick up the phone. “Why am I calling is because Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, your Commonwealth’s Attorney who needs your vote in the June 20 Democratic primary.”

“Parisa has delivered on her promises,” Legend continues. “She stopped prosecuting low level marijuana possession and ended cash bail. Under Parisa’s leadership, Arlington is one of the safest cities in America. Parisa’s work to establish treatment programs and reduce racial disparities has made her a leader on safety and justice reform both locally and nationwide.”

Dehghani-Tafti posted a copy of the recording on social media this morning.

https://twitter.com/parisa4justice/status/1655573276234489859

Dehghani-Tafti is facing a challenge in the Democratic primary from her one-time deputy, Josh Katcher.

The challenger has outraised his former boss $105,562 to $66,613, though Dehghani-Tafti has criticized him for accepting money from GOP donors. Katcher, who also describes himself as a justice reformer, has linked a local rise in crime — albeit one in line with national trends — with the alleged “multiple failings” of Dehghani-Tafti’s leadership.

While lacking the star power of John Legend, Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey is among those who have endorsed Katcher.

ACPD nabs four teens who tried to run from traffic stop of stolen car

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Four teens are facing potential charges after running from a felony traffic stop.

The incident happened Thursday afternoon in the Rosslyn area.

Arlington County police say the juveniles were in a stolen car when officers tried to pull them over. All four — including one who allegedly was armed with a gun — tried to run off, but they were each eventually taken into custody, ACPD said.

More, below, from an ACPD crime report.

RECOVERED STOLEN AUTO (Significant), 2023-05040170, 1600 block of N. Queen Street. At approximately 4:15 p.m. on May 4, police attempted a traffic stop at N. Quinn Street and Wilson Boulevard on a vehicle previously reported stolen out of Fairfax County, VA. The four occupants exited the vehicle and ran from the scene. Officers initiated foot pursuits and the occupants, four juveniles, were located and taken into custody. During a search of the driver, a firearm was recovered. Petitions for the four juvenile suspects are pending.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
The Alamo Drafthouse in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Crash with Overturned Vehicle — From Alan Henney early Saturday morning: “Washington Blvd and North Brookside Dr in Arlington. Two-vehicle crash where one driver (who has a prior arrest for DUI) tried to flee. Injuries are NLT.” [Twitter]

County Board Primary Roundup — “It’s a big election year in Arlington. Two seats on the five-member at-large county board are up for grabs, with six candidates vying for them in the Democratic primary… We asked each of the candidates to weigh in on the top issues facing Arlington County, including ‘missing middle’ zoning, retaining teachers, police and mental health staff, and financial uncertainty amid a loss of commercial real estate revenue.” [DCist]

Crystal City’s Underground Bike Ride — “Two levels below street level, dozens of cyclists in a progression of wacky costumes raced around an empty underground parking garage in Arlington, Va., in what has become one of the biggest celebrations for the D.C. region’s tightknit biking community.” [Washington Post]

Yellow Line Bridge Reopens — “Over the bridge and through the tunnel, trains on the Yellow Line are ready to go. Starting Sunday, May 7, Yellow Line service will resume across the Potomac River, following an eight-month, on-time and anticipated to be under budget rehabilitation project to repair the deteriorating 1970’s tunnel and bridge. The reopening, announced last month, will provide a faster, more direct connection for customers between Virginia and downtown DC, including travel to/from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.” [WMATA]

It’s Monday — Updated at 9:40 a.m. — Overcast with passing showers and some peeks of sun. Mild. High of 80 and low of 59. Sunrise at 6:02 am and sunset at 8:07 pm. [Weather.gov]

Advocates say county needs to emphasize electrification to reach carbon neutrality by 2050

By Jo DeVoe
Geese fly along the Potomac River near Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The following in-depth local reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support local journalism and to get an early look at what we’re planning to cover each day.

When a member of Arlington County’s climate change committee took the dais earlier this month, she told the Planning Commission that she had good and bad news.

After evaluating the environmental commitments from JBG Smith for its Americana Hotel redevelopment project, the Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission (C2E2) gave the project a score of 64. 

“Sixty-four is a terrible score but it’s one of the best scores we’ve given,” member Cindy Lewin said.

She commended JBG Smith for participating in national and local programs incentivizing sustainable projects, and, at her request, meeting with a coalition focused on decarbonizing buildings. But, she emphasized, the building will still use significant fossil fuels.

“Arlington County is not going to be able to meet its commitments to climate change, to carbon neutrality and to its [Community Energy Plan] and sustainability goals if we continue to approve so much development,” she said.

Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission member Cindy Lewin (via Arlington County)

Arlington County, which has long been recognized nationally for its commitments to environmental sustainability, is trying to move away from fossil fuels. The burning of such fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere and contributes to a warming planet and other climate changes.

Since resolving in 2019 to neutralize its carbon emissions by 2050, Arlington County has already reached an important milestone toward that goal and knocked out other goals along the way.

In January — two years ahead of schedule — all county operations moved to renewable electricity, mostly because it is buying electricity from a new Dominion solar farm in rural Virginia. Arlington hired a first-ever Climate Policy Officer, purchased electric school buses and published the first edition of a quarterly publication showcasing its climate progress.

“Arlington, in general, is performing very well,” says Arlington County Board Takis Karantonis. “With what we set out to accomplish, we are at a nice level of completion.”

He says going forward, gains will be harder to achieve.

“We will have to electrify transportation and convince people not to drive so much,” he said. “We will have to make sure that new buildings are built at far higher standards than they were before.”

ARLnow spoke with leaders of a half-dozen environmental advocacy groups and every one of them commended the county — but said it is moving slowly and disjointedly toward electrifying everything from county buses to private development projects to single-family homes.

If it moved faster, they say, the county would live up to its reputation and show organizations and individuals these lifestyle and business changes are not only possible but necessary.

“What the scientific community is saying is that we have to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 if we are to avoid going past what we need to to keep temperature rises at a manageable level,” C2E2 Chair Joan McIntyre said. “This is a critical thing we have to move quickly on and there’s a sense that that urgency is not seen in how the county is moving forward.”

These leaders hope the long-awaited climate czar, Climate Policy Officer Carl “Bill” Eger, will have the authority to steer a “whole of county” approach to reaching carbon neutrality. Julie Rosenberg, who leads the Arlington branch of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, says she has “ridiculously high expectations” for Eger.

“My hope is that he has staff and brings enthusiasm to decision-making and expectations so that it doesn’t feel like they look up and their bosses are so focused on getting the job done today,” she says. “I was a bureaucrat. It’s hard to run the train and envision a new path ahead but we have to do it. We don’t have a choice.”

In a conversation with ARLnow, Eger said some siloing is inevitable in local government but many divisions of Arlington’s government are working to solve problems collaboratively. His vision for a “whole of county” approach goes beyond the headquarters at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

“As we look to the future, we are looking at a ‘whole of community’ thinking,” he said. “The county is the trusted institution standing behind the foundation of the work, bringing up community foundations, neighborhood groups, institutions, nonprofits and universities, to bring together resources and creativity, ways of problem solving and embedded intelligence to work toward contributing to solving climate change.”

He says his first aim is to integrate climate into policy conversations the way the county evaluates equity in its major policy discussions so it remains top-of-mind for the government.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
Construction along Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

School Board Caucus Kicking Off — “It’s almost show time for the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s School Board endorsement caucus… Voting is slated for: Sunday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School, 3500 23rd St. South. Wednesday, May 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Campbell Elementary School, 737 South Carlin Springs Road. Saturday, May 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Washington-Liberty High School, 1301 North Stafford St.” [Gazette Leader]

First Day of Early Primary Voting — “Arlington County will be implementing ranked choice voting for the first time in the June 20, 2023 Democratic Primary Election for the office of County Board (2 seats)… First day of Early Voting for the June 20, 2023, Primary Election: May 5, 2023.” [Arlington County]

Sierra Club Candidate Endorsements — “The Sierra Club’s Virginia chapter has endorsed Maureen Coffey and J.D. Spain Sr. in the June 20 Democratic primary for Arlington County Board. ‘In their answers to our candidate questionnaire and our interviews with the candidates, J.D. and Maureen demonstrated a solid grasp of climate change as the defining challenge of our time,’ said John Bloom, chair of the Potomac River Group of the Sierra Club, which includes Arlington.” [Gazette Leader]

Prosecutor Fires Back at GOP — From Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, in response to the Arlington GOP accusing her campaign event’s special guest of being a communist: “Dear @goparlington, wrong Angela Davis. Thanks for the racism, tho. (PS. I’m an American citizen who was born in Iran).” [Twitter]

Dehghani-Tafti Says Challenger Took GOP $ — “Dehghani-Tafti told the News-Press ‘It is very concerning that over a third of my opponent’s identifiable funding comes from Republican donors, including those with contributions to Donald Trump, Glenn Youngkin, Jason Miyares, Amanda Chase, Josh Hawley, and the Republican National Committee.'” [Falls Church News-Press]

County Still Has Lowest Unemployment — “Arlington retained the pole position, recording the lowest jobless rate among Virginia’s 133 cities and counties in the latest data. With 159,040 county residents employed in the civilian workforce and 3,374 looking for jobs, Arlington’s unemployment rate stood at 2.1 percent in March, according to figures reported May 3 by the Virginia Employment Commission.” [Gazette Leader]

‘Joy Luck Club’ at Aurora Hills Library — “Join us for tea and a movie! Fun fact: Following Flower Drum Song in 1961, The Joy Luck Club was only the 2nd Hollywood film featuring a mostly Asian cast, and would not be repeated again until Crazy Rich Asians in 2018. This event is part of the Library’s celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.” [Arlington Public Library]

YHS Football Coach Honored — “Bruce Hanson thought he was attending a simple and brief recognition ceremony when his name would be called and he’d receive a handshake. He was surprised when the event became much more, making him a bit emotional… Hanson was one of multiple Arlington Public School employees on hand in front of the School Board April 27 to be recognized for reaching a milestone of 30 or more years of service. The longtime teacher and coach was the only one saluted for a half-century of service.” [Gazette Leader]

It’s Friday — Sun, plus some clouds. Mild. High of 69 and low of 51. Sunrise at 6:06 am and sunset at 8:04 pm. [Weather.gov]

ACPD delivers lunch after Uber Eats driver involved in crash

By ARLnow.com
File photo

(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) An Arlington police officer went above and beyond the call of duty earlier today, after a crash involving a food delivery driver.

The crash happened around 12:30 p.m. at the busy intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. Initially it was reported to be a hit and run, but the second vehicle was then found in a parking lot a couple of blocks away.

According to scanner traffic, one of the vehicles involved belonged to an Uber Eats driver, with a warm order from sub chain Jersey Mike’s awaiting delivery to an address nearby, along S. Glebe Road.

The officer radioed dispatch that he would be completing the task himself and, at 12:45 p.m., reported a successful food delivery — presumably to a somewhat surprised recipient.

“Lunch has been delivered,” the officer said.

Arlington County police confirmed the incident Friday morning.

“At approximately 12:33 p.m. yesterday, officers were dispatched to Columbia Pike at S. Glebe Road for the report of a hit and run,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The incident was determined to be a minor crash and both drivers were located near the scene. As officers were assisting the drivers with paperwork, it was determined one of the drivers was in the process of making a food delivery. The delivery address was determined to be nearby and the officer delivered the food.”

Hat tip to Alan Henney

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com
A Virginia Railway Express train heads south through Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Rappelling Down Hotel for Good Cause — “More than 70 brave individuals will cruise down the exterior facade of the 14-story Hilton Arlington National Landing on May 5 at the ’14 Stories of New Hope’ fundraiser for New Hope Housing. The Alexandria-based nonprofit aims to wipe out homelessness in Northern Virginia by providing shelter, housing and an array of support services.” [Arlington Magazine]

Forum on Governance Change Proposal — “Proponents of changing aspects of Arlington’s 90-year-old governance structure may get an inkling of what’s politically and logistically feasible, and what is not, at an upcoming forum. The Arlington County Civic Federation’s Task Force in Governance and Election Reform – acronym ‘TiGER’ – will host the gathering on Thursday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Central Library.” [Gazette Leader]

Mechanical Bull Coming to Ballston Bar — “Break out your sun hats and seersuckers, it’s time to GIDDY UP for a good cause at Quincy Hall. Join us this Saturday, May 6th for a day of Kentucky Derby celebrations: MECHANICAL BULL RIDES starting right after Kentucky Derby (around 7pm).” [Instagram]

Clement Lauds Fairfax County — “‘Why can’t Arlington be more like Fairfax County?’ is not a phrase one hears too often in the corridors of power across Arlington.But in at least one case, a County Board candidate believes Arlington officials should have followed their Fairfax counterparts this year. Audrey Clement, making her latest bid for County Board as an independent, on May 1 criticized the incumbent Arlington County Board for gouging taxpayers by not reducing the real-estate-tax rate” as Fairfax did, by 1.5 cents per $100. [Gazette Leader]

Cristol Staying Here Miffs Some in Tysons — “Saddened to hear that our new chief cheerleader for #Tysons VA @kcristol
says: ‘And even after the transition, I’ll keep the title I’ve always valued most: Arlingtonian.’ Yikes! Don’t Tysonians deserve better?” [Twitter]

Green Valley Takes the Stage — “If the names Friendly Cab, Funshine Preschool, Veterans Memorial YMCA, Richard Walker Shoes, Naomi’s TV, Chinn’s Funeral Home, Mamie Brown’s Friendly Beauty School and Majestic Barber Shop don’t ring a bell, they will after you’ve attended a performance of ‘From Nauck to Green Valley: Transforming a Community.’ Encore Stage & Studio’s new student-devised original play looks at the history of one of Arlington’s historically African-American communities.” [Gazette Leader]

Warner Intros Social Media Bill — “U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined 27 colleagues in introducing the Kids Online Safety Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to protect children online. The Kids Online Safety Act provides young people and parents with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against online harms.” [Press Release]

It’s Thursday — Mostly cloudy and cool. High of 62 and low of 43. Sunrise at 6:07 am and sunset at 8:03 pm. [Weather.gov]

Public input drives developer to nix drive-thru ATM from Clarendon Wells Fargo redevelopment plans

By Jo DeVoe
1/9

In response to criticism from residents, citizen commissioners and county staff, a developer has removed a drive-thru ATM from its plans to redevelop the Wells Fargo in Clarendon.

One year ago, McLean-based developer Jefferson Apartment Group filed plans to replace the bank — the one someone recently attempted to rob — with a mixed-use building. It is set to consist of 238 apartments, 60,000 square feet of office space and 30,000 square feet of retail, including a new Wells Fargo branch.

The current two-story bank building at 3140 Washington Blvd has a drive-thru in addition to a surface parking lot. Critics of keeping the drive-thru say it would detract from walkability in the area, which is seeing significant redevelopment that will result in more people living, shopping and using public amenities in Clarendon.

“This is the most walkable place in the county and drive-up for anything doesn’t make sense to me,” said Planning Commission member Jim Lantelme back in February. “You would have to have a second ATM that people could walk up to.”

One commenter said drive-thrus are “horrible for the environment and they aren’t faster than parking and going into the building,” while another called it “a relic of the 70s [that] doesn’t belong here.”

A third said it “seems like a very bad idea that will take away space from pedestrians and increase the chance of crashes and congestion in an area that is meant to be dense and walkable.”

Jefferson had originally doubled down on the drive-thru ATM, saying in a county document this was “for the convenience of existing customers and as requested by Wells Fargo based on customer feedback during and after the pandemic.”

Ultimately, it agreed to changes that resemble a suggestion from the Clarendon Courthouse Civic Association: walk-up ATMs and free, short-term parking on a new local street that Jefferson will construct as part of the project.

The walk-up ATMs will be located at the northern and southern edges of the bank, which looks out over N. Irving Street. This street, which dead-ends in a green space, is set to become a plaza through a separate, Dept. of Parks and Recreation-led planning process.

People using the ATMs will be able to park in short-term parking on the north side of a planned public road. As part of the project, Jefferson will build a new 10th Road N., which will run parallel to Washington Blvd and separate the new construction from the existing Verizon building to the south.

The proposed changes to the Clarendon Wells Fargo redevelopment (via Arlington County)

Even with the walk-up ATMs, staff have concerns that a bank, generally, is not the kind of lively retail that encourages people to use the planned Irving Street Plaza. Those who commented were not as concerned with this but suggested sculptures or water features could help “activate” the plaza.

(more…)

New report details Courthouse brandishing incident, wild chase and exchange of gunfire

By ARLnow.com
1/9

A report from Fairfax County’s top prosecutor recounts the eventful day this past October that led to a wild chase of an armed suspect.

The Oct. 6 incident started that morning when a driver made a U-turn in front of Arlington County police headquarters and brandished a gun at a sheriff’s deputy, later fleeing and striking a parked car.

It ended that evening with a car chase, gunshots being fired by the suspect along a residential Arlington street and along Route 50 in Fairfax County, and the suspect’s ultimate arrest after his gun reportedly jammed.

A detailed timeline of events was compiled by Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, in a document released publicly late last week. The use-of-force review ultimately determined that a Fairfax officer who fired shots at the suspect acted properly.

Descano’s report is below.

REPORT ON OCTOBER 6, 2022, OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING

On October 6, 2022, Ofc. Chiz of the Fairfax County Police Department (“FCPD”) shot at Ricardo Singleton after a multi-hour series of events that began in Arlington, Virginia. At approximately 0845, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office (“ACSO”) Deputy Daley witnessed a Silver Honda Civic making an illegal u-turn on the pedestrian crosswalk outside of the Arlington Courthouse. The driver — later identified as Ricardo Singleton — waved at Deputy Daley to get his attention and then brandished a firearm with an extended magazine, pointing the firearm towards the ceiling of the vehicle. Both Deputy Daley and ACSO Deputy Zajkowski witnessed this brandishing. At the same time, a marked Arlington Police cruiser driven by Lt. Tabibi of the Arlington Police Department (“APD”) drove up behind Singleton’s vehicle and pressed his airhorn because Singleton’s vehicle was blocking traffic. Singleton rapidly drove away on Courthouse Road and then eastbound on 15th Street. Deputies Daley and Zajkowski entered a marked ACSO cruiser and followed Singleton’s vehicle. Singleton’s vehicle eventually pulled into the county owned parking garage and stopped next to the cruiser driven by Deputy Daley. Deputy Daley exited the cruiser, approached Singleton, and observed a firearm with an extended magazine on his lap. Deputy Daley drew his weapon and gave direct commands to Singleton to keep his hands raised. Singleton put the vehicle in drive and fled south on North Uhle Street. The Deputies pursued with lights and sirens activated, but they lost sight of the vehicle, which was driving at a high rate of speed, disregarding stop signs. APO received a report that Singleton struck another vehicle and continued to flee the scene.

(more…)

This trio of local streets is slated to get safety and accessibility improvements

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

Arlington County is working on plans to make safety and accessibility upgrades a trio of local streets.

Some of the changes could include adding sidewalks where there are none, removing obstructions from existing sidewalks, and extending curbs — — known as a “bump-out” — to make shorter pedestrian crossings.

Residents can learn more about this batch of “Neighborhood Complete Streets” projects in the Arlington Mill, Westover and Arlington Heights neighborhoods during a virtual meeting this coming Monday, May 8. t 7 p.m.

The projects were selected from more than 200 nominees by the Neighborhood Complete Streets Commission in February. The commission identifies and recommends for funding projects to improve the experience of cyclists and pedestrians — particularly those who need ramps or wider sidewalks to get around, such as people using wheelchairs or pushing strollers.

“Sidewalks free and clear of obstructions, streetlights, Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible curb ramps, safe space for bikes and appropriate street widths — these are all elements of a complete street,” per a county webpage.

Next week’s meeting will cover three projects selected after a competitive ranking process that considered gaps in sidewalks, heavy pedestrian use, speeding problems and surrounding socio-economic diversity.

On 8th Road S. between S. Dickerson and S. Emerson streets, in the Arlington Mill neighborhood, the county proposes building curb ramps accessible to people with disabilities and installing pedestrian bump-outs and other relevant signage and pavement markings.

“Existing conditions include complete sidewalks on both sides of the street and large intersections, which increase crossing distances for people walking,” per a project webpage. “Curb ramps are blocked by parked vehicles.”

The commission recommended 8th Road S. because of its crash history, traffic, high residential population, proximity to transit and location within a census tract that is lower income and more diverse.

On 14th Street N., in the Westover neighborhood, the county will install an accessible sidewalk for people walking between N. McKinley Road and the intersection with N. Ohio Street.

Arlington proposes installing sidewalk, curb and gutter, accessible curb ramps and new signage and pavement markings on the north side of the street.

The street won out over others because it is close to schools, transit and bike facilities but lacks consistent sidewalks, according to a project webpage.

Lastly, S. Irving Street near Thomas Jefferson Middle School is set to get an accessible, unobstructed widewalk between 2nd and 6th Street S. The upgrades will connect to a planned new sidewalk between 6th and 7th Street S.

Currently, the sidewalk on both sides are obstructed by utility poles and streetlights, according to the county.

The street projects are in a preliminary design phase and, as such, could change. None have “undergone any detailed survey or design work” or have been approved for funding, according to the county.

More opportunities for community engagement will arise as the designs are further developed, the county says.

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