Lang Street Community Gardens in November 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Lang Street Community Gardens, facing the north end of the property (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Front view of property at 28th Street South and South Lang Street (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Rear view of property at 28th Street S. and S. Lang Street (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Side view of property at 28th Street S. and S. Lang Street (staff photo by James Jarvis)
The Arlington County Board is considering buying a property adjacent to the Lang Street Community Gardens to expand its gardening space.
The Board is set to review — and likely approve — the $1.2 million sale agreement for the house at 1128 28th Street S. during its meeting this Saturday.
If approved, it will be the county’s ninth property acquisition on this same block in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood since 1969, according to a spokesperson for the Arlington Dept. of Environmental Services.
The most recent was a 0.2-acre site at 2822 S. Arlington Ridge Road — situated on the block’s southeastern edge — which the county bought in 2015 for $699,000. That house was demolished to create 45 half-sized plots.
Following the purchase of the nearly 0.3-acre property on 28th Street, the house would be razed to add “approximately 43 new 10’ by 20’ garden plots,” according to a county report.
Arlington County’s Office of Historic Preservation determined the residence, built around the 1930s, does not have any historical or architectural significance, per the report. The item is on the Board’s Consent Agenda, reserved for items deemed noncontroversial by county staff.
Arlington County aims to enlarge Lang Street Community Gardens by acquiring residence at 1128 28th Street S. (via Arlington County)
By creating more garden plots, the county aims to ease the high demand for the nearly 2.3 acres of community garden space throughout Arlington.
The waiting period for larger gardens, including Lang Street, is often under a year, but for smaller ones, such as 1601 Key Blvd, the wait can extend to three to five years, according to a spokesperson for the Dept. of Parks and Recreation.
As of this past Monday, the waitlist for Lang Street Community Gardens had 1,094 hopeful gardeners.
The potential purchase also advances the county’s strategic plan to add at least 30 acres of new public space, including two more community gardens, over the next 10 years as part of the 2019 Public Spaces Master Plan.
In addition to the property’s purchase price, county officials estimate that demolition costs would be about $350,000.
“The Commodore” apartments in Courthouse in September 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
“The Commodore” apartments in Courthouse in September 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Costs are rising for some traffic signal upgrades in Courthouse.
Developer Greystar is installing new traffic signals at three intersections near its new, 423-unit, 20-story building that replaced several restaurants, including Summers Restaurant, in an area known as the “Landmark block.”
The new signals are part of a host of other county-funded projects the developer agreed to undertake in January 2022, along with pavement, sidewalk and curb and gutter improvements to public streets.
These improvements have progressed on a separate timeline from the building, approved in March 2021 and on which Greystar broke ground that fall. This July, as construction on the apartments drew to a close, Greystar received extra time for the transportation projects.
Earlier this year, when the civil engineering plan for the traffic signals was under review, county staff made some “refinements to technical details” regarding the signals, per a county report.
These tweaks increased the overall project costs by $1.1 million, according to the county. Greystar is requesting the additional funding to complete the work and the Arlington County Board is set to review this ask on Saturday.
The overall cost of the project is now $3.5 million, up from $2.4 million.
The traffic signals will be installed where N. Courthouse Road bisects Wilson and Clarendon Blvd as well as the intersections of N. Courthouse Road and 15th Street N. and N. Uhle Street and Clarendon Blvd.
The changes, which the county describes as “refinements to technical details,” are as follows:
A. Increases in all mast arm lengths, which require more costly structures and foundations.
B. Increases in the lengths of trenched conduits due to the density of the underground utilities.
C. Changes to equipment specifications to accommodate newer technologies in the control cabinets.
D. Increases in signal and civil design costs.
E. Additional duration of maintenance of traffic due to the complexity of the anticipated work.
DES obtained an independent cost estimate of this work, $2.77 million. The county says Greystar’s $2.75 million request is thus “fair and reasonable.”
As for the apartment building, the first set of tenants were set to move into “The Commodore” starting last month. The first retail tenants in a slate of restaurants and fitness studios were also set to move in last month, too, though others will not open until next year.
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Arlington Central Library November 2023 election (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Election Day got off to a busier-than-expected start this morning.
As of this morning, some 9,200 voters turned out to vote today, according to the Arlington County’s Dept. of Elections.
“So far, the pace today has been slightly busier than June,” observed Tania Griffin, the communications director for the elections department.
This year is an off-off-year, or one with neither gubernatorial nor presidential offices on the ballot. In Arlington, voters are selecting candidates for local offices as well as representatives to the state Senate and House of Delegates.
Mallory McPherson, who is chief of precinct 146, told ARLnow that the flow of voters has been stronger than she expected.
“Usually the state elections are a little quieter but it’s been steady all day,” she said, noting a mix of voters so far. Before 9 a.m., it was mostly people voting on their way to work and since then, more families have stopped by.
9am turnout estimates show ~6 % of Arlington has voted today. This does not include the ~12% who voted early or by mail. 🗳️#ArlingtonVotes#Election2023
Griffin says early voting, which ended Saturday, “definitely picked up in the last week.”
Early voting kicked off in September to a muted start, with only one poll open. After additional locations opened, the pace ramped up and on the last two days of early voting, more than 800 people cast ballots.
Overall, early voting far outpaced numbers in the last comparable election year, 2019. This year, 7% voted early and in-person while another 9% requested mail-in ballots.
In 2019, 9% of voters voted absentee, both in person and mail, Griffin said. Total turnout in 2019 was 37%.
“The difference between in-person absentee voting today vs. 2019 is in 2019 voters were required to provide an excuse to vote early,” Griffin said.
The morning kicked off with a confrontation outside one of the polling places involving Matthew Hurtt, the chairman of the Arlington GOP, which he recorded and posted on social media.
Hurtt was near the Dawson Terrace Community Center, offering people sample Republican ballots, when an unidentified voter confronted him, making liberal use of expletives.
“You might as well have been walking up to my head and… putting a gun to my head and telling me not to vote and you expect me not to take that [expletive] personally?” the man said.
Unhinged progressive confronts Republican poll greeter in Arlington, Election Day 2023. pic.twitter.com/fgRfNxVS7X
The scene appeared notably calmer at Arlington Central Library, where Democratic Arlington County Board candidate Maureen Coffey observed a lot of activity this morning.
Coffey is one of four candidates vying for two seats on the Arlington County Board, along with Democrat Susan Cunningham, Republican Juan Carlos Fierro and independent Audrey Clement.
The victorious candidates will replace a seat Katie Cristol vacated this summer and a seat that Board Chair Christian Dorsey will leave behind this December.
Two Virginia State Senate races are also competitive: incumbent Democrat Sen. Adam Ebbin is going up against Republican Sophia Moshasha for the 39th District and incumbent Democrat Sen. Barbara Favola is going up against Republican David Henshaw for the 40th District.
Races are less competitive for local delegates to the lower chamber of Virginia’s state legislature.
N. Glebe Road and Chain Bridge (photo via Google Maps)
N. Glebe Road and Chain Bridge (map via Google Maps)
The Arlington intersection just before Chain Bridge is set for some upgrades.
The proposed $1.1 million project “focuses primarily on upgrading the outdated traffic signal at the intersection of North Glebe Road and Chain Bridge Road as well as installation of a reversible lane control system to improve safety for vehicles approaching and travelling over Chain Bridge,” according to a report to the Arlington County Board.
The Board is set to vote on awarding the contract to M.C. Dean, Inc. at its meeting this Saturday.
“The project will also improve pedestrian safety and accessibility at the intersection by placement of ADA ramps and high visibility crosswalks,” the report adds.
The contract includes a $950,000 base and a $171,000 contingency.
This stretch of Glebe in Arlington’s far northern reaches has seen a number of construction projects lately, including a 2021 project to rehabilitate the bridge over Pimmit Run and the forthcoming restoration of a roadside ditch following a major water main break in 2019. Just up the steep, winding hill from Chain Bridge Road, VDOT is planning to replace the Old Glebe Road bridge in a few years.
Republican candidate for County Board Juan Carlos Fierro (staff photo by James Jarvis)
This week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the Nov. 7 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.
Below is the unedited response from Juan Carlos Fierro, who is running for the Arlington County Board as a Republican.
My name is Juan Carlos Fierro. I’m a husband, a father, a 26-year resident of Arlington, and a proud American. I am running for Arlington County Board because I care about our community, and I believe voters deserve a choice in this election.
I was born in Ecuador and raised by my grandparents before moving to Northern Virginia. I earned my undergraduate degree at George Mason University where I also played Division I basketball. For the last 25 years, I have worked as an entrepreneur and financial advisor — to help my clients achieve their American Dream. And in 2000, I proudly became an American citizen. I married my wife Inmaculada in 2005. We have three daughters — Carolina, Isabel Teresa, and Rebecca — and an adorable Shih Tzu named Olivia.
Through my church and community service projects I am deeply aware of the need to help Arlingtonians who are not blessed with stable homes, and resources to provide food for their families. The issues in this election are non-partisan issues that affect the community: Affordable housing, the rising crime rates, and the pending tax increases because of the failure to address the consequences of densification initiatives. These issues cut across party lines. Regardless of political affiliation, many are disenchanted and disappointed with the political status quo in our community given how the existing board does not truly value public engagement.
On ‘Missing Middle,’ our elected leaders ignored the will of a majority of Arlingtonians by ramrodding a densification initiative that jeopardizes Affordable Housing, and puts excess strain on our existing infrastructure, If elected, I will challenge staff policy proposals that call for more densification that does not adequately reflect the impact of proposed developments and causes land prices to increase with negative impacts on Hispanic and other minority communities.
On the issue of crime and community safety, our elected leaders don’t seem to care. I support common sense, data-driven policies to address the increase in violent crime and property crime across Arlington. I support fully investing in the Arlington County Police Department’s effort to recruit and retain qualified, professional staff, including incentives for incoming officers and retention incentives to keep veteran staff on the force.
Many of our crime problems stem from mental health issues in a post COVD environment. I will fight for the provision of mental health services as part of efforts to reduce the crime rates.
When it comes to the “Arlington Way” –a process our elected leaders claim to support but disregard when it’s politically convenient — I will fight to ensure everyone has a voice in local government. If elected, I will be a voice for the tens of thousands of you — irrespective of party affiliation — who are ignored and dismissed by our political leaders.
And on fiscal matters, I promise to roll up my sleeves and dig into the county budget, prioritizing necessary county services while questioning waste and unnecessary expenses. Unless something is done quickly, homeowners will be hit with a rate hike — costing Arlington families hundreds more dollars each year as recently admitted by retiring Board Chair Christian Dorsey.
Single-party rule benefits only a select few in our community. Tens of thousands of Democrats, independents, and Republicans are left out of the process and disregarded by the current members of the County Board.
Regardless of your party affiliation, my door will be open to you as we seek to make Arlington a better place. It would be an honor to channel my dedication to community service on the County Board, and I am personally asking you for your consideration and your vote.
I am seeking election to the Arlington County Board — and your vote — because I believe Arlington’s best days are ahead and we need elected leaders with experience and common sense to get us there.
From the divisive missing middle housing debate to urgent challenges facing our youth, we clearly have important work to do to bring our community back together. My priorities include:
Smart growth and planning that gets housing right — with diverse options for ownership and rental across life stages and incomes. This includes revisiting lot coverage, closely monitoring and revising the Expanded Housing Options policy, and developing a comprehensive, common-sense housing plan that takes all Arlington residents into account.
Reconnecting our community — especially our young people, whose formative years have been disrupted by the pandemic, political unrest, and climate anxiety. This includes improving access for all and strengthening volunteerism and out-of-school programming.
Transparent, good government that gets the basics right and responds quickly when something needs attention. This includes careful spending analysis and long-term planning, improvements to permitting and site review processes, and transparent, easily accessible data to answer inquiries.
I know many of you through professional and volunteer roles. Trained as an engineer, I am a seasoned executive and mom to two teenagers in Arlington Public Schools, known as:
Problem-solver. Trained as an engineer, I bring stakeholders together with critical data to develop and deliver lasting solutions. Whether serving as a founding member of the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission, leading a divided community through the Dorothy Hamm Middle School project, or readying a Donaldson Run rambler for a refugee family, I get things done for and with this community.
Common Sense Leader: As an executive at U.S. Department of the Treasury and McKinsey, I managed billion dollar budgets and led large organizations through challenges and change. As CEO of AHC, our largest nonprofit affordable housing provider, and as an environmental sustainability leader at Gensler, I leveraged many of the finance, design, and land-use tools we need to mitigate climate change and get housing and planning right.
Throughout this campaign, it has been a real privilege to talk with thousands of Arlingtonians about your hopes and concerns. I hear a nearly universal desire for a resilient Arlington that is connected, inclusive, and sustainable – both environmentally and financially. And, I hear deep concern that the accelerating global climate crisis, violence in the Middle East, and loneliness epidemic nationally raise the stakes for reconnecting our community, hearing each other, and building Arlington’s future together.
My experience and common-sense leadership will help move Arlington ahead into its best days. I look forward to what we can achieve together and ask for your vote on or before Tuesday, November 7th. Thank you.
Arlington County Board candidate Maureen Coffey (courtesy photo)
This week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the Nov. 7 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.
Below is the unedited response from Maureen Coffey, who is running for the Arlington County Board as a Democrat.
I’m running to be your next County Board member because I know that Arlington can do more to live by our values and take meaningful steps towards our goals.
Housing availability and affordability are at the front of many residents’ minds. We should continue to invest in housing, pathways to homeownership, and opportunities to age in place. Our community should prioritize addressing the climate crisis. We need to support our schools and our teachers. We need to balance fixing immediate problems while investing in long-term community goals. We need a plan that centers the needs of people in our community and protects and values our core identity.
As we look to our future, we must plan for and invest across all of our critical systems: housing, schools, transportation, parks, stormwater management, infrastructure, and services like child care and mental health. We must recognize where our areas of need overlap with each other, breaking down the silos in our planning process, and working to address the bigger picture while we make tangible progress in each area.
Planning for our future will require us to bring everyone to the table. Arlington can and should provide better transparency and more effective engagement. We need to develop overlapping layers of communication so we bring in voices that reflect Arlington. We should recognize that the people closest to the problem should be most involved in creating solutions. This also means that we need better engagement processes, where members of the community can not only provide input for county decisions but also know that input is heard and used.
My professional experience combines listening to people and using survey data with quantitative analysis and evidence-based practices. My policy work supports the real needs of families, focusing on economic opportunity with an emphasis on gender and racial equity, helping to build investments in child care, workforce development, and our social safety net. That expertise is why Governor Ralph Northam appointed me to Virginia’s Family and Children’s Trust to advise on policies that create stable families, support child well-being, and prevent and treat family violence. My experience has prepared me to address our biggest issues here in Arlington.
As a member of the County Board, I will focus on developing a plan that enables us to create the community we want, together, by bringing people to the table to share their perspectives and listen to others. As a renter and union member, I will bring an important perspective to the County Board that reflects the experiences of many in the community. I am asking for your support and your vote on or before November 7th.
To learn more about my specific policy priorities, endorsements, and more, please visit MaureenCoffey.com
Independent Audrey Clement in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
This week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the Nov. 7 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.
Below is the unedited response from Audrey Clement, who is running for the Arlington County Board as an independent.
I’m Audrey Clement, Independent candidate for Arlington County Board. As a 19-year Westover resident, long time civic activist, and past member of the Transportation Commission, I’m running for County Board because the County has pushed harmful policies resulting in:
excessive taxation
overcrowded schools
lack of transparency
loss of green space and excessive runoff
I also oppose the so-called “Missing Middle” ordinance that the County rammed through earlier this year. Missing Middle up-zoned residential neighborhoods throughout the county, despite massive opposition from homeowners and those like me who believe it is nothing more than a sop to developers.
County Board is pushing for Missing Middle, while actively misleading voters about what it will do. They claim that Missing Middle will end de facto redlining even though in a February 1 letter to County Board, the local NAACP president reported that only 20% of Blacks in the county can afford a Missing Middle unit.
They also say that Missing Middle will provide a way for moderate income residents to get starter homes, even though most of the units will be rental and the prices prohibitive.
If Missing Middle is upzoning on steroids, plans for Clarendon Presbyterian Church at 1305 North Jackson Street is upzoning on crack. The congregation wants the County to rezone the .89 acre site on which its historic church is located from single family residential to high rise apartments. Even under Missing Middle zoning the site would be limited to 3 6-unit multiplexes or 18 units total.
If, however, the County approves the church’s application for a “spot” amendment to the General Land Use Plan (GLUP), the sky is the limit. The deal will also set a precedent whereby every other church property in the County — 85 in number — can be re-glupped for high rise development.
The Democratic Party candidates are waffling on this issue now. Once elected they will be forced to go along with the program. The only way to stop Missing Middle and re-glupping church property throughout the county is to end one party rule by voting for Independents Clement and Fierro for County Board on November 7.
If elected, I also pledge to:
Seek immediate tax relief for residents and businesses.
Demand full transparency in the deals the County cuts with developers.
Convene a task force of housing experts and civic associations to study reasonable alternatives to Missing Middle.
If you share my agenda, then:
Spread the word about my candidacy.
Donate to my campaign.
Help make the “Arlington Way” more than an empty phrase.
Election Day 2022 in Arlington (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The end of the election is drawing nearer: early voting ends on Saturday and Tuesday is Election Day.
At this point, the roughly 12,000 early votes cast are almost evenly split between in-person and mailed-in ballots, per the Arlington County election turnout dashboard. Some 44,000 ballots need to be returned between now and the close of the polls on Tuesday to surpass turnout in 2019, the last similar election year.
With few days left to vote, candidates for the two open Arlington County Board seats are making their last public pitches for support at the polls.
They maintain the reasons that motivated them to run — economic stability, crime rates, Missing Middle, outcomes for youth and better planning — remain relevant in the home stretch.
“One of the reasons I’m running for the Arlington County Board is my concern for the rising crime rate,” Republican candidate Juan Carlos Fierro said in a statement Monday.
“As a husband and a father, I am deeply concerned about the safety of my wife and daughters,” Fierro continued. “I am increasingly hearing about concern about Arlington’s rising crime from my fellow Arlingtonians — talking with friends and neighbors, following postings on social media, and reading articles in the local media.”
He referenced the Arlington County Police Department’s 2022 annual report, released this year, in which the department reports a nearly 18% increase over 2021 in crimes against persons, property and society, ranging from murder and manslaughter to drug offenses. Crimes against people increased 16.4% — primarily driven by assault — and property crimes increased by 23%, driven by motor vehicle thefts, larcenies and fraud.
While total offenses have risen since 2018, total arrests only ticked up between 2021 and 2022 and still have not recovered from a decline going back to 2013, according to annual reports by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
ACPD reports do not include arrests for these offenses and previously told ARLnow it would have to be requested by the Freedom of Information Act, though they can also be found on the Virginia State Police data dashboard.
“While Arlington is generally a safe community, residents must be aware of the rising crime, and our leaders must prioritize the safety of our residents,” Fierro added. “Crime and community safety are not partisan issues. Voters deserve elected leaders who will prioritize community safety and address the rising crime across Arlington.”
Fierro attributed the uptick in part to police staffing issues and pledged to “fully” invest in ACPD’s recruitment and retention efforts. Part of the reason fewer people are becoming officers, he said, is “because police officers are being vilified.”
“Community leaders must rebuke the pro-criminal elements in our justice system that are contributing to the culture of increased crime and reduced public safety in Arlington,” he said. “Some in our own community have joined the nationwide effort to undermine police morale while refusing to prosecute certain offenses.”
Democrat Maureen Coffey distilled her platform into two fundamental issues: affordability and economic stability.
“Our residents need to see a path forward where we can meet their needs,” she said. “Whether it’s housing, taxes, child care, or food security, people are struggling. Arlington needs to find both the short- and long-term solutions that help us serve everyone in the community and create stability while maintaining our core services.”
Meanwhile, perennial independent candidate Audrey Clement — who presciently made Missing Middle central to her campaign three years ago — is doubling down on her choice to make it a focus in 2023, after the passage of the ordinances in March.
She says “the issue will live on,” no matter how the Arlington County Circuit Court rules on challenge by 10 Arlington homeowners to the Expanded Housing Options ordinance the Arlington County Board “rammed through earlier this year.”
Voting in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Early voting is picking up speed in Arlington while Arlington County Board candidates focus on Missing Middle and taxes.
The general election on Nov. 7 is less than two weeks away and at this point, far more people are voting early in person this year compared to 2019, the last election year without gubernatorial or presidential races.
More than 4,700 mailed ballots have been returned, leaving around 9,000 still outstanding, while some 3,000 people have already hit the polls, per Arlington’s voter turnout dashboard. Early in-person voting appears to have picked up this week with the election drawing nearer and after polling places opened Tuesday at Madison and Walter Reed community centers.
Early in-person voting in Arlington in 2019 and 2023 (via Arlington County)
As Election Day looms nearer, Arlington County Board candidates have focused on few key local issues and the importance of voting, generally.
Republican Juan Carlos Fierro weighed in after a judge ruled residents have standing to sue the county for its Missing Middle ordinances.
“One of the reasons I entered this campaign for the County Board is because of my concern that the existing County Board was ramrodding Missing Middle without considering the views of most citizens, and for not conducting adequate development impact analysis,” Fierro said in a statement.
If elected, he said he will question all projects that increase density without considering negative impacts and respect that homeowners “do have in fact ‘standing’ to challenge the County’s development policies.”
Not enough study of potential impacts is one of the charges the residents who sued levied against the county. Arlington County did hear frommany residents about a myriad concerns while deliberating the zoning changes and, after a three-phase study that included a financial analysis, the county determined impacts would be “manageable because the pace of change will be gradual and incremental.”
“While the Judge’s ruling is a positive step to either repeal or modify Missing Middle, it underscores the fact that the County’s public engagement process is not very democratic,” he continued. “The Judge admonished the County Attorney for stating that the lawsuit was a ‘subversion of our democratic process.’ The County Attorney’s comment illustrates the lack of understanding by the County on what is true public engagement.”
Repeat independent candidate Audrey Clement, meanwhile, is focused on lowering taxes and convincing residents not to vote for a straight Democratic ticket.
In a recent email newsletter, she noted Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey discussed a possible tax increase next year during this month’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting.
“ACDC is confident that it can quell any taxpayer revolt by simply passing out the Democratic Party Blue Ballot at the polls on Election Day,” Clement said. “When voters refuse to hold their elected officials accountable at the ballot box by blindly voting the Blue Ballot, excessive taxation is the result.”
She urged readers to “turn this situation around” by voting for fiscal conservatives such as herself and Fierro. Together, she says, they will also revisit Missing Middle ordinances, emphasize basic services and reduce the office vacancy rate.
The two appear to have formed an informal alternative joint ticket to Democratic nominees Maureen Coffey and Susan Cunningham, to fill the seats vacated by now-former Board member Katie Cristol and being vacated by Dorsey.
A Virginia Railway Express train heads south through Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Virginia Railway Express is considering introducing Saturday service and making fares free for children.
The former would result in three round-trip trains on the lines connecting Arlington, from its Crystal City station, to Manassas and Fredericksburg. Service would head northbound in the morning and southbound in the afternoons and evenings.
Adding Saturday service is part of a bid to increase ridership on the rail by moving beyond mostly serving commuters from ex-urban counties headed to D.C.’s urban core. Average daily ridership has surpassed 6,000 and is ticking up but is far from the agency’s 2024 goal of 10,000 average daily riders. Still, looking from January 2022 to this January, VRE saw a whopping 114% growth, which Greater Greater Washington reports trumps all other commuter or regional rail systems.
“We’re moving into an all-week service for our trains,” County Board member Takis Karantonis said during a meeting last Tuesday. “Like every other major, mature metropolitan area, this kind of train service should be growing and graduating out of its mere commuter function into a real regional connector.”
Local transit advocacy group, Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County, or SusMo, also celebrates the changes for making the train more useful to Arlingtonians. County residents make up such a small fraction of riders that they are lumped in with Alexandrians and “other” riders in VRE ridership surveys, per the rail’s 2024 budget.
“This begins the process of making VRE useful for more than just commuting,” SusMo says on its website. “Arlingtonians could use VRE to safely and sustainably [take] a day-trip to Fredericksburg breweries, a flight lesson at Manassas Regional Airport, exploring historic Old Town Manassas, and more.”
VRE intends to add these routes without spending extra money by relying on smaller trains that need fewer conductors, Karantonis said. The new routes are included in the proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which will see a total of $18.3 million in contributions from VRE’s supporting jurisdictions: Arlington, the cities of Alexandria, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg, and Fairfax, Stafford, Spotsylvania and Prince William counties.
The proposed budget also includes a 5% increase to base fares and free rides for those under 18. Karantonis celebrated the free rides as “an opening to youth travel and families” while the fare hike could boost revenue by $1 million while possibly driving away 100 daily riders.
Multi-ride tickets will maintain the same discount structure and the current $5 fare for short-distance travel — between Union Station in D.C. and Springfield — would be made permanent. The seven-day pass, use of which plunged after the rise of remote work, would be eliminated, he said.
SusMo says these changes are much needed.
“We think this simplification is a positive step forward and VRE’s first fare increase in several years is appropriate given the cost inflation we have seen in recent years,” it said.
As for ridership, Karantonis acknowledged some Arlington bus routes ferry more than the 6,000 average daily riders VRE sees. He said the county “should really think very hard about how we can improve” the number of average daily riders. One way, he mused, could be by advertising its ease and affordability compared to driving on I-95.
“Congestion on I-95, the competing infrastructure, is completely impossible,” he said. “The cost of driving on I-95 is absolutely intimidating for a lot of people and it has been going up continuously over time.”
