Columbia Pike

Arlington’s Metrobus Service Set for Route Changes Starting Next Month

By Alex Koma

Metrobus 5A to Dulles from Rosslyn

Metro is making some changes to a handful of its bus routes around Arlington, in a bid to make service more efficient and save a bit of money.

WMATA’s Board of Directors approved a series of changes to Metrobus routes across the region on Thursday (June 14), including adjustments along six routes in the county. All of the alterations will take effect on July 1, and they mark the latest in a slew of recent changes to Metrobus service in Arlington.

The biggest change will be the elimination of the 22B route, which currently runs from the Ballston Metro station to a stop at the intersection of S. Four Mile Run Drive and Columbia Pike in Barcroft.

Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly notes that “alternate service is available on routes 22A and 22C,” and that buses once running the 22B route will be used to provide more service between Pentagon City and Shirlington. Eric Balliet, a spokesman for the county’s Department of Environmental Services, added that the “majority of the 22B is redundant with the 22A and C” and suggested that the change will complement the county’s planned expansion of dedicated-lane Transitway service in Pentagon City.

“The public reaction was neutral, and the change nets $108,000 per year in savings,” Balliet told ARLnow via email.

Another significant change approved by the WMATA board is the truncation of the 10E route, which currently runs from the Rosslyn Metro station to Hunting Point in Alexandria. Now, the route will end at the Pentagon instead of continuing on to Rosslyn.

Balliet said county transit officials have planned on making the change since July 2016, noting it’s redundant with Metro’s Blue Line and some Arlington Transit routes. In all, he expects the change will save about $232,000 each year.

Other changes include increasing the time between buses on routes 7A and 7F between the Pentagon and Shirlington, and a series of changes along Columbia Pike to account for bus service improvements designed to take the place of the abandoned streetcar project. In all, Metrobus will tweak the schedule of buses on routes 16A, 16B, 16C, 16E, 16G, 16H, 16J, 16K, 16P and 16X.

Finally, Metro will rearrange the schedules of routes 4A and 4B between Pershing Drive and Arlington Boulevard, eliminating 4A buses in the middle of the day in favor running 4B buses more frequently.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Free Admission at New Observation Deck — The new observation deck in Rosslyn is holding “Arlington County residents day” this weekend. Arlington County residents with valid ID can present it at the Observation Deck at CEB Tower box office for free admission from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. [Observation Deck at CEB Tower]

Stanley Cup to Visit ACPD Today — The Arlington County Police Department is set for a visit from the Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and the Stanley Cup today. [WUSA 9]

Pike May Get New ‘Showplace’ Library — “The current two-story community library in the corridor is tucked away on the Arlington Career Center campus, which is slated for a massive, if currently undefined, redevelopment effort in coming years. A library space is expected to be part of the redevelopment package, but county officials are looking at other options, including a full-frontal signature space facing Columbia Pike itself.” [InsideNova]

Road Closures for 5K Race — Several roads will be closed in and around Pentagon City Saturday morning for the 2018 ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk/Dash for Dads 5K Race. [Arlington County, ZERO]

Flickr pool photo by GM and MB

Columbia Pike Blues Fest Returns Saturday

By Melanie Pincus
1/7

The 23rd annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival will take place this Saturday (June 16) from 1-8:30 p.m.

The event is free and will take place near the intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike. Singer/songwriter Don Bryant will headline the festival, which features blues, R&B and funk performers of regional and national acclaim.

Performances begin at 1 p.m. with Three Man Soul Machine, who will be followed by Caz Gardiner at 2 p.m. and King Soul Band at 3:30 p.m. Nikki Hill will take the stage at 5 p.m. ahead of Bryant’s 6:45 p.m. set.

The festival will also offer activities in the Arlington Art Truck, a reading from Arlington poet laureate Katherine E. Young, arts and crafts for sale from local artists and businesses, such as Hannah Huthwaite and Marney and Swa, as well as food, drink and booths from vendors and community organizations.

Saturday’s weather forecast calls for near-perfect weather: partly cloudy skies and a high of 85 degrees.

As in past years, the event will prompt several road closures from around 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, according to a county press release.

A full list of road closures is below:

  • Walter Reed Drive, from Columbia Pike to 9th Street S. (detour: 7th Street S. westbound to Highland Street)
  • 9th Road, from S. Garfield Street to Walter Reed Drive
  • 9th Street, from S. Highland Street to Walter Reed Drive

Photo courtesy Columbia Pike Documentary Project

UPDATED: New Caps Banner Above Columbia Pike Prompts Community Consternation

By Alex Koma
1/2

Update on June 7 at 10:30 a.m. — Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization officials say they’ve struck a deal with the Capitals to resolve this dispute.

Each group will now post a banner above Columbia Pike, one facing east and one facing west. They believe a contractor for the Caps inadvertently disposed of the old CPRO banner, and the team plans to replace it, at no cost to CPRO.

“We are happy that CPRO and the Washington Capitals were able to come together and make things work for both organizations,” John Snyder, president of the CPRO board, wrote in a statement. “The Pike community loves the Caps. We invite the Caps family and fans to join us at the Blues Festival on June 16th — and hope they bring along the Cup!”

Earlier: A new banner stretching over Columbia Pike proclaiming that “Arlington is All Caps” might not seem out of place, given the D.C. region’s hockey obsession these days — but the arrival of the pennant has ruffled a few feathers, all the same.

As recently as this past weekend, a banner hung from the same streetlight poles in front of the Audi dealership at 3200 Columbia Pike advertising the Columbia Pike Blues Festival, set for next Saturday (June 16). The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, known as CPRO, puts on the event and arranged to have that banner placed in such a prominent spot.

CPRO leaders say they were quite confused to see their pennant disappear in favor of the Washington Capitals-themed decoration, as they believed they had a permit from Arlington officials to leave the banner up a bit longer. But the Capitals themselves also believe they have the county’s permission to post the pennant, leaving CPRO at a loss.

“It could’ve been a snafu, we don’t know,” Cecilia Cassidy, CPRO’s executive director, told ARLnow. “It could’ve just been Stanley Cup fever.”

Megan Eichenberg, the Caps’ manager of communications and publicity, insists that the team has a county permit to post the banner. She declined to answer questions about when the Caps applied for and received that authorization, or what became of the banner, deferring comment to the county.

A spokeswoman for the county’s zoning office didn’t immediately have answers on the matter, saying only that staffers are looking into it. Cassidy added that CPRO has been in contact with the county about the issue, but has yet to hear more details.

Michael Garcia, an insurance agent with an office on the Pike and a CPRO board member, says the group’s chief concern isn’t in seeing the Caps banner come down, especially with the team on the cusp of its first-ever Stanley Cup. He is, however, interested in learning what became of the $1,800 banner.

“Has it been trashed? Or will it be returned to CPRO?” Garcia wrote in an email to ARLnow. “Who will reimburse CPRO for the $1,800 banner and cost of re-installation? And who authorized this without notifying CPRO in the first place?”

Crime Report: Gropings in Pentagon City and Along Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Two women were groped in separate incidents over the weekend.

On Friday evening, a woman was allegedly touched inappropriately in a store at the Pentagon City mall, leading to the arrest of a 24-year-old Alexandria man.

On Saturday afternoon, a man hugged a woman without her permission and also touched her breasts. That groping happened in an elevator of an apartment building near Columbia Pike.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

SEXUAL BATTERY, 2018-05250226, 1100 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 5:42 p.m. on May 25, security at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City requested the assistance of police. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female victim was inside a store when the male suspect brushed against her and touched her inappropriately. The suspect fled prior to police arrival, but was located returning to the store while units were still on scene. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the suspect was also wanted out of Fairfax County. Sterling Flowers, 24, of Alexandria, VA, was arrested and charged with Sexual Battery. He was held on no bond.

SEXUAL BATTERY (late), 2018-05260118, 1300 block of S. Scott Street. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on May 26, police were dispatched to the late report of a sexual assault. Upon arrival, it was determined that on May 15 at approximately 1:15 a.m., when the victim was entering an elevator in a residential building, the male suspect approached her and asked if he could hug her. Before the victim could respond, the suspect hugged the victim tightly and touched her breasts. The victim was able to push the suspect away and exit the elevator. The suspect is described as an olive skinned male, approximately 5’8″, with short, straight, dark black hair and an average build. The investigation is ongoing.

The rest of this past week’s crime report highlights, including one that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

Portion of Columbia Pike Shut Down Due to Fire Investigation

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Firefighters are investigating smoke in a building along Columbia Pike and the emergency response has shut down the westbound lanes.

The fire investigation is happening on the 3700 block of Columbia Pike, the same block as El Rancho Migueleno.

No active fire has been found, according to scanner traffic, and most fire department units are getting ready to leave the scene.

Banners Branding Columbia Pike as Arlington’s ‘Main Street’ Could Be on the Way

By Alex Koma

Some new banners proclaiming Columbia Pike as “Arlington’s Oldest and Newest Main Street” could soon pop up along the roadway, with a series of other new pennants close behind.

The nonprofit Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization is looking for the County Board’s permission to start putting up 48 banners along the road over the next few years, as it runs from S. Jefferson Street and S. Orme Street between the area just outside Bailey’s Crossroads and Pentagon City.

The 24-inch-wide, 48-inch-tall banners would be vertically mounted on street light poles along Columbia Pike, in order to “assist in identification and branding of the Columbia Pike corridor,” according to a county staff report.

CPRO is particularly interested in outlining “a Main Street vision” for the area, staff wrote, so the first banners would be placed at five intersections along the road as part of a branding effort along those lines.

In the coming years, CPRO also hopes to post pennants to identify the boundaries of various neighborhoods in the area, like Arlington Mill and Columbia Forest.

CPRO also envisions using the banners to advertise events like movie nights or farmers markets. The organization — which is largely county funded — will pay for the new banners, with a projected cost of $11,280 in all.

The County Board is set to vote Saturday (May 19) on whether to move forward with this project. If approved, the Planning Commission would hold a public hearing on the topic on June 4 and the Board would hold its own on June 16.

Flickr pool photo by Bekah Richards. Banner rendering via Arlington County.

Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse Summer Movie Series Presents Solo: A Star Wars Story

On Memorial Day weekend, Solo: A Star Wars Story opens nationwide and at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse.

As part of the Arlington Drafthouse summer first release series — we are thrilled to feature this highly anticipated film.

The Arlington Drafthouse is the most unique social experience to enjoy the next installment of Lucas Films’ Star Wars anthology series. The early reviews are in and there is reason for excitement… and intrigue.

“Bold” is how Entertainment Tonight describes this film, hinting that there are many surprise twists that deeply affect the Star Wars universe. ET cautions not to read any spoilers before seeing the film. Not to worry no spoilers here.

“Exceeded Expectations” is how One Minute Movie Review describes the film. Having first been worried because of the change of directors mid filming to Ron Howard — One Minute Movie Review declares this film their favorite of all the Star Wars films produced by Disney.

“This is the Chewbacca Movie” is how Ron Weston from ET describes positively describes the film. He says it is a “heist” movie set in the Star Wars universe. Which also sets up sequels for the Solo franchise. (more…)

Columbia Pike Escape Room to Open in June

By Anna Merod

Arlington’s first escape room will be opening on June 1, according to a press release by Ravenchase Adventures.

The opening for Escape Room Arlington was initially slated for December 2017. Signs went up for the business in April. Ravenchase currently has two other locations, in Herndon and Richmond.

Escape Room Arlington is in the same building as William Jeffrey’s Tavern, near the corner of Columbia Pike and N. Adams Street.

There will be four, hour-long escape room adventures, but only two of the escape rooms will be open June 1. The initial rooms are called “Mind Trap” and “Glitch,” and are considered medium difficulty. Another room “What’s in the Attic?” is expected to launch later in June while the final room “Black Valve Laboratory” should launch later this summer.

The cost per player for public games is $28.

Escape Room Arlington’s opening plans follow Bond’s Escape Room’s recent announcement that it will open an escape room in August at Market Common Clarendon.

Photo courtesy Sarah Campbell

Residents Steaming About Air Conditioning Problems at Dominion Towers Apartments

By Alex Koma

As temperatures have climbed past the 90s over the past few days, one apartment complex just off Columbia Pike hasn’t been able to turn on the air — and that has some residents steamed.

Staff at the Dominion Towers Apartments (1201 S. Courthouse Road) were hoping to switch on the air conditioning system this past Thursday (May 3), giving people living in the building’s 330 units their first chance to cool down their homes for the year.

But senior property manager Christle Tate told ARLnow that the system experienced some sort of malfunction, and now she’s waiting on a contractor to work with the A/C’s manufacturer to find a fix for her overheated residents.

“We’re sitting in limbo, just like they are,” Tate said. “I’d never want anybody to sit through this… but, truth be told, we don’t have an answer right now.”

Tate suspects that the problem stems from the system’s “chiller board,” but she says has no idea when the contractor working on the A/C might be able to get it fixed.

“It’s not anything we’re doing on our end to hold up the process,” Tate said.

She says that even executives with the company that owns and manages the building — Alexandria-based Capital Investment Advisors — are in the dark about when the system might work again. Officials at the company did not immediately return requests for comment.

That sort of uncertainty is quite troubling for people living in Dominion Towers, like Jim Eisele, a resident since 2011.

He says the past weekend’s at-times sweltering temperatures made his apartment unbearable without any air conditioning, but he’s even more frustrated with the way the building’s management has responded to the incident.

“The communication has been terrible from when they took over managing the building,” Eisele said. “But obviously that’s more severe when it affects the air conditioning.”

Tate stressed that management has sent out several emails updating residents on the status of the system, and she emphasized that’s as dismayed as anyone about the outage, particularly because she’s concerned about the heat’s impact on many of the building’s older occupants.

But she also conceded that there’s little she can tell Dominion Towers residents except: “Be patient.”

“My residents here are not used to me not having an answer to something,” Tate said. “This is the first time I truly don’t know.”

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Water Disinfectant Switch — With the annual pipe spring cleaning complete, the Washington Aqueduct will be switching back to chloramine as its water disinfectant after today. [ARLnow]

Car-B-Que on the Pike — A car caught fire on Columbia Pike between S. Oakland and Quincy streets Friday night. The road was closed while firefighters extinguished the blaze. [Twitter, Twitter]

Auction Item Prompts Mini Controversy — Ethical concerns were raised over the weekend by an item donated by State Sen. Barbara Favola (D) to an auction at the annual Fairfax Democrats dinner. The winning bidder was promised an official introduction on the state Senate floor. Favola responded by saying she was “horrified” and that she “never approved this auction item.” [Twitter, Twitter, Blue Virginia]

Choun Profiled By VOA — Democratic Arlington County Board candidate Chanda Choun had his campaign highlighted by the Voice of America. [Voice Of America]

Nearby: Wonder Woman and J-D Highway — Two items of note in Alexandria: first, Wonder Woman 2 is set to film some scenes at the Landmark Mall. Also, Alexandria is replacing signs marking Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1) with its new name in the city: Richmond Highway. [Washington Business Journal, WTOP]

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