Aftermath of out-of-control ART bus crash along Columbia Pike
Aftermath of out-of-control ART bus crash along Columbia Pike
Aftermath of out-of-control ART bus crash along Columbia Pike
Aftermath of out-of-control ART bus crash along Columbia Pike
Aftermath of out-of-control ART bus crash along Columbia Pike
Aftermath of out-of-control ART bus crash along Columbia Pike
(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) An out-of-control Arlington Transit bus rolled into a number of parked vehicles and into a building along Columbia Pike.
The crash happened around noon today at the intersection of the Pike and S. George Mason Drive.
Around 10 passengers were on the bus, according to a fire department spokesman, when it rolled through a rental truck depot on the southeastern side of the intersection, near a 7-Eleven store. The bus struck several trucks and a car, which was pushed into a small building on the lot.
The bus passengers were evaluated by medics on scene. One person suffered a minor injury and was taken to the hospital, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Ben O’Bryant.
Three witnesses told ARLnow that the bus started rolling downhill after the driver exited the bus at a bus stop. Two of those witnesses, who were on the bus at the time, said one of the passengers jumped into the driver’s seat and steered the bus off to the side, away from traffic, thus running into the parking lot and the building.
The person who was injured was inside the building at the time of the crash, the witnesses said.
Police were unable to immediately corroborate the witness accounts provided to ARLnow. Officers remain on scene investigating the cause, an ACPD spokeswoman said, and a building inspector has been called to “evaluate structural integrity of the building.”
ART buses have been involved in a series of significant crashes over the past few years, including:
Two Arlington men were arrested for separate indecent exposure incidents along Columbia Pike over the past week.
The first happened early Friday morning at the intersection of the Pike and S. Glebe Road, when a man allegedly approached a woman in her vehicle and exposed himself, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.
The second happened Monday morning, when a drunk man was refused service at a business and subsequently exposed himself to an employee, police said.
Both men were charged with Indecent Exposure and Drunk in Public.
More from this week’s crime report:
INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2019-07190026, S. Glebe Road at Columbia Pike. At approximately 2:22 a.m. on July 19, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was in her vehicle at a traffic light when the unknown male suspect allegedly approached her vehicle and exposed himself. Arriving officers located the suspect nearby and he was taken into custody. David Nichols, 39, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Indecent Exposure, Drunk in Public and Failure to ID. He was held on no bond.
INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2019-07220261, 4800 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 9:00 p.m. on July 22, police were dispatched to the report of an exposure. Upon arrival, it was determined that after the male suspect was refused service at a business due to his level of intoxication, he allegedly exposed his genitals and inappropriately touched himself, before attempting to approach an employee. The employee was able to push the suspect away and leave the business to call police. Arriving officers located the suspect and took him into custody. Josue Sierra Lopez, 31, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Indecent Exposure and Drunk in Public.
The rest of the crime report is below, after the jump.
Family Dry Cleaners posted going out of business signs (Image courtesy of Teresa D.)
Family Dry Cleaners posted going out of business signs (Image courtesy of Teresa D.)
Map showing the former location of Family Dry Cleaners (via Google Maps)
Last month, when Jeannie Osborn dropped off her new dress at her usual Arlington dry cleaner, she never thought it could be the last time she would see the garment
Osborn now lives in D.C. but still drives to Arlington to do her dry cleaning at the same spot for years: Family Dry Cleaners on 5021 Columbia Pike. The business offers nearly unbeatable prices — normally charging $2.29 per piece of clothing — which Osborn said made up for inconvenience of having to pay upfront in cash.
But five days after she took her new $128 Banana Republic dress to the dry cleaner on June 25, the business closed.
Now there’s a sign taped to the door reading “GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!” and asking customers to pick up any garments by June 30, “otherwise you will not be able to pick up your clothes FOREVER.”
Osborn was on vacation when the business went under, and only learned her dress was locked in the building when she tried to pick it up last week.
“I’ve been going there for six years,” she told ARLnow Monday. “And the fact that they are just closed is shocking.”
The business is located in the Columbia Pike Plaza shopping center, near the Arlington Mill Community Center, between a CVS and a Little Caesars. ARLnow could not reach the strip mall’s property management company, Bethesda-based Rakusin & Becker Management.
After reaching out for comment to the company and the county, Arlington Resident Ombudsman and Director of Constituent Services Ben Aiken said he had good news to share.
Family Dry Cleaners will temporarily re-open on Thursday from 4-7 p.m. so customers can retrieve their belongings, per Rakusin & Becker.
“Anyone with clothing that needs to be picked up should try to go,” said Aiken, who noted afterward the owners may be unavailable to re-open the shuttered shop.
Family Dry Cleaners’ phone number was out of service when called on Monday and a Facebook page for a business with the same name had no posts nor ways to contact the owner.
Aiken previously said he heard from two customers whose clothes are apparently locked in the cleaners, and told ARLnow today (Tuesday) that he “shares their frustration.”
“It’s an unfortunate circumstances,” he said, adding that whenever dry cleaning customers are left out to dry it can be “tricky” to access legal remedies.
When a dry cleaner business closed in Silver Spring two years ago, the Montgomery County Consumer Protection Agency had to step in to return clothing.
Last August, customers in Austin, Texas, taped signs to the locked doors of a dry cleaning business, pleading with the owners to call them and return their clothes after the business unexpectedly shut down.
Last September, a Denver cleaner posted a sign for its customers that read, “if you have clothes, sorry we are closed.” Those customers were out of luck until another cleaning company purchased the inventory and returned the clothes to customers for free, per a press release.
Jeannie Osborn took pictures of the storefront and its sign last week that show a full rack of clothing behind the counter. She says she could see her dress through the glass.
“It’s just hanging there in the front,” Osborn said. “They hadn’t even put it on the conveyor belt yet.”
EvolveAll studio front desk (courtesy of EvolveAll)
Staff at EvolveAll pose in front of the gym’s new location off Columbia Pike (via @EvolveAll)
The expanded EvolveAll fitness studio near Columbia Pike is now open, after missing the mark on its original goal to open in May.
Owner Emerson Doyle said that the company had problems “trying to line up getting out of our old lease, coordinating the move, finishing the build out, and getting our [certificate of occupancy] with Arlington County.”
The Columbia Pike studio, which is located at 1058 S. Walter Reed Drive, has 10,000 square feet of space, separated into four rooms that allow trainers to run simultaneous classes.
EvolveAll has nine instructors who teach a wide gamut of classes including children’s martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, yoga and fitness boot camps. Personal training and massage therapy are also offered.
“We have the same schedule as before but are adding early morning yoga and bootcamp classes, starting with Tuesday and Thursday at 6:15 a.m.,” Doyle said of the new class schedule.
The company’s website notes that the fitness studio aims to serve as a “meeting space for local communities of growth minded people.”
Listing Prices Around HQ2 Skyrocket — “From June 2018 to June 2019, the median asking price for a single-family home in Zip code 22202, home to Amazon’s planned Northern Virginia headquarters, skyrocketed a whopping 99.9 percent–essentially doubling over that period–according to a new report from listings service Bright MLS.” [Curbed, Bloomberg]
Board OKs Child Care Parking Changes — “The Arlington County Board today voted to reduce the parking requirements for child care centers, in keeping with the County’s Child Care Initiative to promote the expansion of accessible, available, high-quality child care throughout the County.” [Arlington County]
New Pizzeria Open on Lee Highway — Chicago’s Pizza With A Twist opened a couple of weeks ago on Lee Highway, next to Maya Bistro. The Indian-Italian fusion restaurant serves unique dishes like a chicken tikka masala pizza. [Instagram]
New Pike Bus Stops Approved — “The Arlington County Board today approved a $1.6 million contract with Sagres Construction Corporation to build the first four of 23 transit stations planned for Columbia Pike. Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed by fall 2020.” [Arlington County]
Arlington GOP Sitting Out County Races — “For the most part, Arlington Republicans will be sitting out the November general election – the party did not field candidates for the County Board, School Board and most legislative races on the ballot, although there are several non-Democrats who are running that might attract GOP support.” [InsideNova]
Swanson Middle School Teacher Honored — “Congratulations to @SwansonAdmirals teacher Mary Beth Donnelly who was named the 2019 Virginia History Teacher of the Year.” [Twitter]
Injured D.C. Fire K-9 Stops GW Parkway Traffic — Updated at 9 a.m. — “Traffic stopped on the George Washington Parkway near Reagan National Airport Tuesday afternoon so a medevac helicopter could land, but the patient wasn’t human — it was a very special dog. The 6-year-old German shepherd named Kylie works for D.C. Fire and EMS as a cadaver dog… [she] seriously hurt one of her hind legs while helping another law enforcement agency conduct a search.” [WTOP]
Entrance to the Ethiopian Community Development Council near Columbia Pike (Image via Google Maps)
The Ethiopian Community Development Council is located near Columbia Pike (Image via Google Maps)
The Arlington County Board made the unusual move of extending weekend operating hours to 2 a.m. for one Columbia Pike establishment — but it’s not for a bar.
The Board granted permission for the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) to hold community events until 2 a.m. on weekend nights. In exchange, staff from the office building at 901 S. Highland Street will be responsible for keeping the noise down, and ensuring there are two security personnel present in labeled vests.
“It’s outcomes we care about,” said Board Chair Christian Dorsey after a lengthy back-and-forth over the number of security personnel needed to accommodate the event space. The Board voted unanimously to grant ECDC a use permit after Board member Katie Cristol proposed an amendment to keep the current requirement of 2 staff members.
“It’s pretty unusual extending events to 2 a.m., particularly in a space that abuts a more residential area,” said Cristol.
“The reason I’m comfortable taking this unusual step is all of the work all of you have done,” she said, citing sound-proofing and traffic management measures ECDC has taken over the past several years.
“I think it is going to accommodate the needs of our community,” ECDC President and CEO Dr. Tsehaye Teferra told ARLnow today (Tuesday). “In times of death or joy people need a space to gather and we are meeting that need. That’s how we started it.”
The development council has provided language and job training to Ethiopians who have newly immigrated to the United States since 1983 and advocates for the D.C. area’s growing Ethiopian community. ECDC’s office along Columbia Pike also serves as an ad-hoc community center by letting members rent out space for events, from celebrations to memorial services.
County planner Matthew Pfeiffer presented recommendations to the Board that ECDC be granted longer opening hours — as long as they provide three staffers to oversee operations to direct “potential impacts away from N. Highland Street.” Under the county’s proposal, ECDC would be required to provide two staffers to monitor the events and provide security, and the third would be dedicated to managing noise and traffic on N. Highland Street.
Teferra protested the increased staffing requirement, saying it should be up to ECDC to set appropriate staffing levels in order to keep cost of renting the spaces low.
“If we are required to have three staff at all times, financially it is not sustainable,” he said.
The newly-extended hours would only apply to one of ECDC’s buildings: the “front” building on the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Highland Street, which has a 3,762 square-foot ballroom. ECDC’s rear office building also has a 1,437 square-foot space that will stick with the old midnight closing hours for weekend events, Teferra says.
ECDC requested later hours for the ballroom to help serve a community that includes people working late shifts in restaurants and hotels that conflict with the current closing times.
Teferra added that although many of the community members work in hotels, it’s hard for them to afford the activity space in hotels, and not all locations allow them to bring in their own food. Other places, like apartment party rooms, sometimes require guest lists which are difficult to manage for drop-in events like wakes.
“In many cases, most people work until 8 or 9 p.m. and events don’t start right away,” he said. “So in the past we had the limit was until 11:30. By the time the party started then it’s over.”
Teferra told the Board that ECDC usually hosts at least one community event per month, including memorial services, christenings, weddings, graduations, religious ceremonies and birthday parties.
The council also holds other events, like job training events.
He told ARLnow that not every event is a nighttime one — most christenings happen in the morning, for instance — and that ECDC plans to end most weekend nighttime meetings before 1:30 a.m.
Pfeiffer noted that neighbors “fairly clearly” did not support the request for long hours when the county engaged the Arlington Heights neighborhood. Teferra disagreed, saying the ECDC gathered over 100 signatures of support from neighbors.
Rendering of new bus stop on Columbia Pike (2018 file photo)
Locations of the four Columbia Pike bus stops funded with the current contract up for consideration (Image via Arlington County)
Prototype “Super Stop” bus stop at Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive (file photo)
The county is hoping to move past the “million-dollar bus stop” by building four less expensive stops along Columbia Pike.
A network of new transit stops along Columbia Pike were originally supposed to serve both buses and streetcars, before the streetcar project was cancelled. The latest turn in the Pike transit saga, the County Board is scheduled to discuss awarding a $1.64 million contract to build four out of 23 planned bus stops along the Pike.
“This project is key to the revitalization of the entire Columbia Pike corridor,” county staff wrote in a report to the Board.
The original construction plans were scrapped six years ago after the more than $1 million in costs for the prototype Walter Reed Drive stop, first reported by ARLnow, drew outrage from the public and international press attention.
The four bus stops would be located near the intersections of:
Columbia Pike and S. Buchanan Street
Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive
Columbia Pike and S. Oakland Street
Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road
If the Board members approve the contract, the county is poised to pay Sagres $1,372,250.70 for the work with the possibility of an additional $274,450.14 for unexpected costs.
Sagres was the least expensive bidder for the project by more than a million dollars, per a staff report to the Board.
“The four new transit stations coming to the Pike are the critical first step in the larger multi-modal project that will enhance transit along the Pike, and bring us one step closer to providing connectivity between the Columbia Pike Corridor, Crystal City and the new Amazon HQ2,” Kim Klingler, the new Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, told the Sun Gazette.
County staff will attend 10 community events like the Pike’s farmer market, movie nights at Arlington Mill, and the Blues Festival to talk with residents about the project, per the report.
“The feedback received from the public thus far has been generally positive,” the staff report notes. “However, concerns about disruption to vehicular and pedestrian traffic during construction have been expressed. Other concerns noted include sun and weather protection.”
Construction on the four bus stops could finish as early as spring 2020, but officials have not yet shared when they expect contracts to be awarded for the remaining stations.
Sponsored by Monday Properties and written by ARLnow.com, Startup Monday is a weekly column that profiles Arlington-based startups and their founders, plus other local technology happenings. The Ground Floor, Monday’s office space for young companies in Rosslyn, is now open. The Metro-accessible space features a 5,000-square-foot common area that includes a kitchen, lounge area, collaborative meeting spaces, and a stage for formal presentations.
Mechaniku is built on a simple frustration: no one likes waiting for their car to get worked on. So Mechaniku will work with users to have a mechanic sent out to change their oil.
The company is based along Columbia Pike, where co-founders Jesse Tyler and Clifton Hartsuff live.
“In a society fast becoming overtaken by technology I am shocked this is not already a common service provided in every city,” Tyler said. “We live in a world of convenience and I believe people will pay for this service because it ultimately makes lives easier. It takes a time-consuming and aggravating practice and simplifies it.”
The company currently only has one service: a full synthetic oil change in 30 minutes for $100. It’s a little pricey as far as oil changes go, which average a little under $50. But Tyler said the convenience is part of the cost.
“It’s about the convenience of having someone come to your home,” Tyler said. “We did one for a guy here on Columbia Pike… he said ‘I’ll pay $150 if it means I don’t have to get out of my pajamas and go sit in a line on Sunday morning.'”
Tyler said half of the $100 goes to the mechanic, while the other half goes to the company. The goal, Tyler said, is to connect qualified mechanics with freelance jobs to help make some money on the side.
In the future, Tyler said the company could expand to tire rotation and other light car maintenance jobs, but he’s in no rush to grow.
“I think several of the groups on the market with a similar model have made the mistake of trying to do everything instead of focusing on doing a service well and what they end up doing by trying to do everything is not doing a very good job of anything,” Tyler said. “We seek to be the best at offering on demand oil changes to our customers with the ultimate goal of providing excellent service and giving them time back.”
Tyler said the pricing and types of oil changes could also change over time as the company continues to refine its business model. The company’s app is currently available on Android and Tyler said the company is working to get it onto the Apple App Store on iOS.
“My father always told me not to reinvent the wheel,” said Tyler. “So we’ve taken an existing business and improved on it.”
Four people, all in their 20s, were arrested after a wild incident early Sunday morning at Bob and Edith’s Diner on Columbia Pike.
According to Arlington County Police, police were called to the business around 3:30 a.m. and found one of the diners “yelling verbal profanities and acting aggressively towards staff.” While escorting the suspect out of the business, three of his dining companions allegedly attempted to interfere with the responding officer and a scuffle ensued, ending in backup arriving and helping to arrest the group.
All four suspects are charged with Drunk in Public, while two are also facing other charges.
The ACPD crime report (below) says the incident happened on the 2300 block of Columbia Pike; the only business on that block that open at the time would have been Bob and Edith’s.
ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2019-06230071, 2300 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 3:38 a.m. on June 23, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly subject inside of a business. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect yelling verbal profanities and acting aggressively towards staff. As an officer attempted to escort the suspect out of the business, three additional suspects began following behind, while yelling verbal profanities at the officer. While exiting, the Suspect One allegedly stopped in the doorway and ignored lawful commands, refusing to exit. He became combative and swung at the officer. Suspect Two allegedly attempted to interfere with the officer’s interaction with Suspect One, at which point, the first suspect pushed the officer. Suspect Three then allegedly grabbed the officer’s outer carrier vest and became verbally irate and physically aggressive towards the officer. Suspect Four allegedly attempted to physically obstruct the officer’s efforts to control Suspect Three. The officer was then able to move the four suspects out of the staircase area and to the exterior of the business. While the officer attempted to place Suspect One in handcuffs, he actively resisted and then grabbed the officer’s arm. With the assistance of additional units arriving on scene, Suspect One was taken into custody, however, Suspects Two, Three and Four continued to act disorderly, ignoring lawful commands from officers to disperse and were subsequently taken into custody. The officer suffered minor injuries that did not require medical treatment during the incident. Rudy Barrera, 25, of Sterling, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery on Law Enforcement, Disorderly Conduct and Drunk in Public. He was held on no bond. Gabriel Gonzalez, 25, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct and Drunk in Public. Yancy Aguilar, 22, of Fairfax, Va., was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public. Cinthia Escobar-Gomez, 24, of Sterling, Va., was arrested and charged with Drunk in Public.
Arlington View Terrace redevelopment proposal (Image via Arlington County)
Map showing the Arlington View Terrace redevelopment
Site of the Arlington View Terrace redevelopment proposal (Image via Google Maps)
Site of the Greenbrier Apartments redevelopment proposal (Image via Arlington County)
Map showing the Greenbrier Apartments
Site of proposed Greenbrier development (Image via Arlington County)
Site of proposed Greenbrier development (Image via Google Maps)
Proposed street changes by the Greenbrier development (Image via Arlington County)
Two apartment communities along the Columbia Pike corridor could soon be getting major facelifts.
Developers are planning to build a new three-to-four story affordable residential building to replace Arlington View Terrace, a 77-unit apartment complex at the 1400 block of S. Rolfe Street, according to a presentation last week to the county’s Form Based Code Advisory Working Group.
In a separate redevelopment proposal, developer Merion Companies wants to remake the 1940s Greenbrier apartment community made up of 179 residential units on S. Greenbrier Street. The project will be split into two phases, with the first phase seeingthe north half of the community replaced by a six-story building with ground floor retail and residential above.
Designs for the project indicate the development could convert the drive that partiallyborders the complex into a “two-way alley” and add new roadways through the development that would potentially connectwith S. Frederik Street to the east.
The total number of units planned for the Arlington View Terrace project is unknown, but they will all be affordable units, as per last week’s staff presentation, helping bolster Arlington’s dwindling affordable housing stock.
Arlington View Terrace is bordered by the Army-Navy Country Club to the south. Developers will need to request an amendment to meet county standards regarding setbacks and separation between the two property types, mixed-use residential and golf course residential zoning, the presentation says.
The working group is scheduled to evaluate amendments to the two development plans in July and September. The Form Based Code Advisory Working Group is then scheduled to review the plans again in the winter.
Both developments have to be approved through the Columbia Pike’s Form Based Code, which guides development and favors mixed-use buildings with retail on the ground floor and housing units above.
The developments are expected to apply for LEED Silver certification, unlike the proposed Westmont Shopping Center redevelopment, which staff noted is not seeking the green building designation.
Kim Klingler, the new Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, said the “main theme” from residents who discussed the residential projects last week was “a lot of concern with access to and from Columbia Pike and making sure that these buildings have appropriate access.”
Klingler said that the Greenbrier development, which the developer is dubbing “Pike West,” may have redesigned roads too narrow for fire trucks to access both sides of the building. She told ARLnow today (Thursday) the developer acknowledged the problem and pledged the fix it during the meeting.
(Updated at 1:20 p.m.) Arlington County Police will close the busy intersection of S. Glebe Road and Columbia Pike for two hours over the weekend as part of a crash investigation.
The closure is scheduled from about 6-8 a.m. Saturday, ACPD said in a statement today. Detectives will be conducting “follow-up investigation pertaining to a critical multiple vehicle crash,” which happened last Friday afternoon.
One person was seriously injured and trapped in their vehicle as a result of the crash, according to scanner traffic at the time.
“One victim was transported to an area hospital with critical, but non-life threatening injuries,” said ACPD spokeswoman Kirby Clark. “No other significant injuries were reported.”
More from ACPD:
The Arlington County Police Department’s Critical Accident Team will close the intersection of South Glebe Road and Columbia Pike on Saturday, June 22 in order to conduct a follow-up investigation pertaining to a critical multiple vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 3:14 p.m. on June 14.
The following road closures will be conducted in order to restrict access to the intersection from 6:00 a.m. until approximately 8:00 a.m.:
South Glebe Road, northbound at South Monroe Street and southbound at 9th Street South
Columbia Pike, eastbound at South Monroe Street and westbound at South Highland Street
Access to businesses within the area will not be impacted, but vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic in some areas will be restricted.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area during the specified time and seek alternate routes. To access points north and south, motorists may use South George Mason Drive and South Walter Reed Drive. To access points east and west, motorists may use Route 50 and South Four Mile Run Drive.
The investigation into the circumstances of this crash remain ongoing and anyone with additional information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective B. Ames at [email protected] or 703-228-7073. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).
⚠️ TRAFFIC ALERT ⚠️ ACPD will close the intersection of S. Glebe Road and Columbia Pike from approx. 6-8 a.m. on Sat., June 22 to conduct a follow-up investigation regarding a critical crash that occurred on June 14 Details: https://t.co/9CnzomYNwapic.twitter.com/7P8zEMstbH
