Mary Hynes

County Holds Ceremony to Honor Volunteers

By Katie Pyzyk

National Volunteer Week began yesterday, and Arlington County kicked it off by recognizing some of its top volunteers.

The county held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony yesterday. Six individuals and two teams were chosen as outstanding volunteer service. They include Jeffrey Altice, Mary Brasler, Vince Henneburg, Jane Larsen, Allie Pinson, Mary Van Dyke, Arlington Spellbinders and Women Artisans of Harvey Hall. The Arlington Department of Human Services also gave a special recognition award to Arlington County 100 Homes Campaign volunteers for service during registry week, and for supporting Arlington’s 10 year plan to end homelessness.

County Board Chair Mary Hynes extended thanks to all volunteers, saying they play a vital part in keeping the community running smoothly.

“Arlington County Government volunteers serve the community in many ways,” Hynes said. “The bottom line is that volunteers help to enhance our services and help us serve Arlington residents in ways that otherwise would not be possible.”

More than 5,000 people volunteer each year in Arlington County programs, accruing nearly 400,000 hours of service. The county estimates that to be worth about $7.5 million annually.

Full write-ups about the volunteers and their service can be found on the county’s website.

Video: What Is the Arlington Way?

By ARLnow.com

What is the “Arlington Way,” exactly?

It’s essentially an open conversation between the local government and the people who live and work in Arlington. But the Arlington Way can mean different things to different people, as the video above seems to prove.

Last month, under the leadership of County Board Chair Mary Hynes, Arlington held launch events for the PLACE (Participation, Leadership and Civic Engagement) initiative. PLACE is Hynes’ effort to “refresh and reinvigorate” the Arlington Way.

The video above was created as part of the PLACE launch events by the Arlington Virginia Network, the county’s cable TV channel.

County Launches ‘OpenArlington’ Online Forum

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County has launched a new online forum for citizen feedback dubbed “OpenArlington.”

OpenArlington encourages residents to give their opinions on specific topics introduced by a county moderator. The first question — “What would make it easier for you and others to engage with Arlington County Government?” — has so far drawn five responses from residents.

In addition to suggestions about having an “Arlington County Ombudsman” or finding better ways to engage with those who do not have a computer, there have also been off-topic requests to fix a specific street light, for better traffic light synchronization, and for traffic control at Kenmore Middle School after events like school concerts.

OpenArlington is part of County Board Chair Mary Hynes’ PLACE (Participation, Leadership and Civic Engagement) initiative, which she announced at the beginning of the year. Hynes says the online forum will be monitored by county government and Arlington Public Schools officials, and will help make civic involvement “easier and more effective.”

“Through PLACE, we are trying new ways of reaching out to the community, hoping to hear great ideas from people about how we can work together more effectively,” Hynes said in a press release. “OpenArlington makes it easy for people to join the conversation, share their ideas, and see what others are saying.”

Crystal City Streetcar May Get Built Before Pike Streetcar

By ARLnow.com

There has been much discussion about the planned Columbia Pike streetcar, but there’s another streetcar project in Arlington that’s looking more likely to get built sooner than the Pike streetcar.

Arlington and Alexandria are jointly planning a five-mile streetcar line to run from the Pentagon City Metro station, across 12th Street to Crystal Drive, down Crystal Drive to Potomac Yard, and then down Route 1 to the Braddock Road Metro Station.

The Route 1 Corridor Streetcar Conversion Project, as it’s called, is currently in the environmental assessment, alternative analysis and conceptual engineering phase. That phase of the project should wrap up around mid-2013, we’re told. Roadwork on Crystal Drive set to begin this summer, meanwhile, will quietly begin to set the stage for what will eventually be a dedicated bus transitway along Crystal Drive, an interim step before the streetcar becomes operational.

Work on the Crystal City and Columbia Pike streetcar projects is running in parallel, meaning construction on each could theoretically take place at the same time. The projects are separate in an organizational sense, but connected physically. The streetcar lines will connect at the Pentagon City Metro station.

One big difference between the streetcar projects is financing. The $250 million Columbia Pike streetcar plan relies heavily on financing from the federal government, which is far from certain given the current budget crunch on Capitol Hill. Financing for the Crystal City streetcar, meanwhile, is more or less in place — it’s coming from the Crystal City tax increment financing area (TIF) that was approved by the County Board in 2010.

In a recent interview with ARLnow.com, Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes said the Crystal City streetcar could very well open before the more-publicized Columbia Pike line.

“I think it’s actually more likely that we’ll get the Crystal City segment built first, because we know how we’re paying for it.” Hynes said. “We were hoping 2016, 2017 to have that segment open.”

Arlington County Director of Transportation Dennis Leach says work on the Crystal City streetcar is moving forward, and that a project to construct certain facilities that will be used by the streetcar will be going out for bid this summer. Leach, however, refused to speculate on when the project may be completed.

Events Scheduled to Launch PLACE Initiative

By Katie Pyzyk

The county is gearing up for the kickoff of its Participation, Leadership and Civic Engagement (PLACE) initiative next week. The effort is being launched to improve engagement between residents and the county government.

County Board Chair Mary Hynes proposed the initiative in January to get more people active in their communities, and more involved in key decisions that will shape the future of the county.

Hynes said PLACE consists of many layers so people can choose their preferred level of community participation. Overall, it’s supposed to help bring people together to make a better Arlington.

“What I think I’ve learned the most from more than 25 years of civic activism and elected office is that we’re all smarter together,” Hynes said.

The recently started “Open Door Mondays” sessions are a part of the effort. Hynes says it shows that the County Board is really interested in hearing from residents. The sessions allow leaders to gather suggestions and ideas from people who may not have an interest in attending formal board meetings.

“Good ideas come from all different places,” Hynes said. “Sometimes that person who walks in new and just kind of looks at the landscape and makes what they think is an offhanded comment provides you with a real insight that gives you a new direction.”

Hynes said the county appreciates all of the existing participation from the public, but it’s often limited to a few very active members. She said the current level of involvement isn’t necessarily representative of Arlington as a whole, and could benefit from some refreshing. For example, she’d like to see more young people and seniors becoming engaged in their communities and offering input.

Another goal of PLACE is to provide more avenues for people to find out events or gatherings throughout the county. The hope is that by the end of the year, some sort of online portal will be in place to list neighborhood events and organizations. The portal would also give the government a better idea of what groups have formed and what people are interested in.

Hynes said it’s time to refresh “The Arlington Way,” which was an idea put forth a couple of decades ago. The Arlington Way at its core is defined as an open conversation between the government and the people who live and work in Arlington. Because of the population growth and business expansion throughout the county, Hynes believes the old model has become obsolete.

The PLACE launch events will be held at Artisphere next Thursday, March 15 and Saturday, March 17. There are several 90 minute sessions scheduled for those two days. Attendees can learn more about PLACE, chat with community leaders, learn more about Open Door Mondays and get community groups on the map.

As of last Thursday, more than 100 people had signed up for the events. Attendees are asked to register online for one of the sessions.

Arlington Sounds Alarm on Transportation Bill

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes is warning that a transportation bill approved by the House Ways and Means committee on Friday could have significant reprocussions for the Metro transit system and, by extension, Arlington.

The transportation bill would eliminate the dedicated funding stream for federal transit programs and grants — 2.86 cents of the 18.4 cent federal gas tax — replacing it instead with one-time funding.

The federal government contributed about $150 million in dedicated funding to Metro’s budget in the current fiscal year, and more than 50 percent of its current capital improvement budget. Should federal funding be cut, which would be more likely without a dedicated source of revenue, Hynes warns that Metro and Arlington County could suffer greatly.

“Arlington relies on transit. Our whole region relies on transit to move hundreds of thousands of people off our already clogged roads,” Hynes said in a statement. “The gasoline tax supports Metro, the backbone of mass transit in our County and the region. If the House proposal were to become law, it would make budgeting and capital funding for Metro, and for transit systems across our nation, nearly impossible.”

ART Bus Ridership on the Rise

By ARLnow.com

More people are riding Arlington’s ART buses more often, County Board Chair Mary Hynes said earlier this week.

According to statistics quoted by Hynes, ART is on track to serve 2.5 million riders for the 12 month period ending this June. That’s a marked increase from just seven years ago, when ART bus ridership was just under 800,000 during financial year 2005.

Hynes said 1.2 million passengers rode ART from July to the end of December 2011 — a 14.5 percent increase over the same time period in 2010. ART now serves more than 9,000 passengers every weekday, versus 8,000 a year ago.

The transit service is planning to add additional service to the ART 42, 75 and 77 routes, according to Hynes.

County Board to Hold First “Open Door Monday”

By Katie Pyzyk

The Arlington County Board kicks off its “Open Door Monday” sessions tonight.

The meeting at Fire Station No. 4 (3121 10th St. N.) is part of Board Chair Mary Hynes’ Participation, Leadership and Civic Engagement (PLACE) initiative. Residents are encouraged to attend the sessions to chat directly with a Board member about any topic. No appointments are necessary.

Board members have said they believe many good ideas for community improvement come from the public, and they want to hear what types of changes residents have in mind.

“Our challenge now is to ensure that Arlington — our home town — continues to tap into our residents’ and County staff’s talents so that Arlington remains a great place for all kinds of folks — even in these increasingly demanding times,” said Hynes.

The sessions will all be from 7:00-9:00 p.m. and will be held at different locations throughout Arlington. No meetings will be held on federal holidays.

The complete listing of planned 2012 dates and locations of Open Door Monday meetings, after the jump.

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Arlington ‘Disappointed’ By Loss of Vote on Metro Board

By ARLnow.com

Arlington lost its long-held vote on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board this month, as an appointed representative of the state government was granted voting power on the Board in place of Arlington’s representative.

Now the Arlington representative, County Board Chair Mary Hynes, is limited to “alternate” status on the Metro Board. In response, Hynes released a statement expressing disappointment but also noting that the county “does still have a voice at Metro.”

For the first time since Metro was formed in the 1960s, Arlington does not have a principal voting seat on the Board of Directors for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA). The seat that was previously Arlington’s is now filled by a Commonwealth of Virginia representative.

Of course we’re disappointed.

Arlington does still have a voice at Metro. As an alternate WMATA Board member, I continue to serve as a voting member of all Metro committees, where, under WMATA Board rules, all of the Board’s important work is performed. While the exact composition of the committees — Governance, Finance & Administration, Customer Service and Operations, Safety and Security , Planning, and Audits — has yet to be determined, the WMATA Board has agreed that all Board members will continue to be welcome at all Committee meetings. I pledge to you that I will continue to vigorously represent Arlington’s interests and ensure that our viewpoints are heard.

It’s also fair to say that we’re concerned about the role the Commonwealth will play in continuing strong support for WMATA‘s – and our region’s – future.

The eight principal voting members of the Board of Directors hold our region’s future in their hands. It is a funding and governance responsibility Arlington has taken very seriously for more than 35 years. No one in the region disputes that Arlington has nurtured a spirit of regionalism in its approach to critical challenges, even as we’ve been a leader in fully utilizing the tremendous opportunities that regional transit investment provides to local communities. It’s also fair to say that, to date, the Commonwealth of Virginia has had a far less keen interest in supporting vital transit services than have the founding Virginia WMATA jurisdictions – Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax.

This month, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission – the body which appoints WMATA Board members — unanimously passed a resolution PDF file I co-authored that calls on WMATA Board members to actively work together for the good of the agency, our local jurisdictions and our region. I am heartened by this agreement. The resolution also called on the Commonwealth to “provide sustainable and dedicated revenues to support WMATA, in order to ensure the safety and reliability of the Metro system and the economic sustainability of our region.”

Clearly, Metro is an invaluable asset in the region. And Arlington will continue to invest in Metro. Our Metro system is the largest urban transit system in the United States without dedicated funding. We will continue to advocate for long-term, dedicated funding for the system, which is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of WMATA. It is our hope that, as the Commonwealth assumes 50% of Virginia’s voting power on WMATA, the Governor and General Assembly will rise to meet the enormous, unavoidable challenge of vigorously supporting transit so that Northern Virginia can remain one of the Commonwealth’s strong economic engines – a role it has played for many decades.

While Arlington is losing some influence on the Metro Board, it is gaining some influence on another regional transportation body. County Board member Jay Fisette was just elected chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.

“NVTC plays a vital role in coordinating and managing transit in Northern Virginia,” Fisette said in a statement. “I look forward to working with my colleagues from throughout the region to protect and improve the existing transit systems, and to ensure that we are meeting the growing demands of this region.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

McDonnell Supports August Start for Va. Schools — A legislative priority of Arlington Public Schools may actually get some traction in the General Assembly this year. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has thrown his support behind the repeal of a state law that prevents Virginia schools from starting before Labor Day. Known as the “King’s Dominion law,” the law was originally intended to benefit the state’s tourism industry. Arlington has repeatedly applied for a waiver from the requirement, arguing that an August start to the school year would allow for more instruction time, but the request always been denied. [Washington Examiner]

Arlington Loses Vote on Metro Board — Arlington has been “demoted” on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board. County Board Chairman Mary Hynes, previously a voting member of the board, has been moved to alternate status in favor of voting status for a Fairfax County representative and a state government representative. [Sun Gazette]

Do Board Candidates Lack Conviction on Smart Growth? — Writing for Greater Greater Washington, environmental activist Miles Grant asks whether the Democratic candidates for County Board lack conviction when it comes to their support of traditional Arlington Democratic priorities like smart growth, affordable housing and transit. [Greater Greater Washington]

Board’s 2012 Agenda: Backyard Hens And The Arlington Way

By ARLnow.com

Last year, then-County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman used the annual chairman’s New Year’s Day address to promise a pro-business agenda for 2011. Indeed, the agenda eventually became a reality. Throughout the year the county held a series of public forums for business owners, worked to streamline some regulatory process and finally, in December, the Board adopted a measure that allowed A-frame signs — a big item on local business owners’ wish lists.

This morning the new County Board Chairman, Mary Hynes, promised to enhance civic engagement in Arlington. Already famous for its process of including community stakeholders in decision making — a process broadly referred to as “The Arlington Way” — Hynes is seeking to more formally institutionalize Arlington County’s commitment to civic engagement.

To do so, Hynes is proposing to first create a “map” of the numerous nonprofit groups and community associations that make up Arlington’s civic landscape.

“Our hope is that this expands our understanding of what each Arlington group does… and becomes a valuable resource for each Arlingtonian, newcomer and old-timer, teen to senior, seeking to make connections in our community,” Hynes said.

Hynes also wants to officially define what “The Arlington Way” means. Appropriately, she proposes to come up with a definition by engaging in a wide-ranging community discussion.

“We will convene a formal county-wide conversation to develop a clear description of The Arlington Way as it applies to and should energize our decision-making going forward,” she said. “Working with County Board Members, Commissioners, County staff, and Arlington residents, non-profits, and businesses, we will delineate the roles and responsibilities of participants in our civic decision-making processes.”

In another new initiative, Hynes announced that every Monday night (except for federal holidays) a County Board member will hold a two-hour “open door” session, “where residents can discuss any County-related issue with a Board Member.” The sessions will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; session locations will be posted on the county web site.

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