Metro

Smoke at Ballston Metro Temporarily Shuts Station

By Katie Pyzyk

Smoke from Ballston Metro grate (photo courtesy @CAPT258)(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) The Ballston Metro station has reopened after temporarily closing due to smoke. However, Metro now confirms there was no fire inside the station.

A tipster sent a photo showing smoke flowing from the grate over Metro at Fairfax Drive and N. Utah Street.

According to Metro’s Twitter activity, debris inside a vent shaft began smoldering but there was no fire inside the station. The Arlington County Fire Department confirmed the smoke came from leaves that had ignited in a ventilation grate. Capt. Gregg Karl said that sometimes occurs if a passerby tosses a cigarette through the grates and debris below ignites.

The trouble started just before 4:00 p.m., and for about 15 minutes trains skipped the Ballston station while the smoldering debris was extinguished. Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said the brief incident affected two trains in each direction. Fans were brought in to clear the smoke and trains are again running on a normal schedule.

Photo courtesy @CAPT258

Blue Line Closed Between Pentagon and Rosslyn This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Blue Line train by BrianMKAThe Blue Line will be split into two sections this weekend due to track work between Pentagon and Rosslyn.

Metro is performing “NTSB-recommended track circuit replacement, fastener replacement and joint elimination,” according to the agency’s website. Buses will replaces trains between Pentagon and Rosslyn from about 10 p.m. Friday to system closing on Sunday.

Trains will run from Rosslyn to Largo Town Center at regular weekend intervals, Metro said. The other segment of the Blue Line — starting at Franconia-Springfield — will take the Yellow Line bridge over the Potomac to Mount Vernon Square.

Those using the free shuttle bus between Pentagon and Rosslyn should allow 20 minutes of additional travel time, Metro said.

Photo by BrianMKA

Arlington County Holiday Closures

By Katie Pyzyk

arlington-va-logoMost Arlington County government offices will be closed for a number of days to observe the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays.

The closures will be in effect on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1, for Arlington County offices, libraries and human services offices. Courts are also closed those days; Arlington Circuit Court will be open from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on December 26, and Arlington General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts will be open from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on December 26.

The ART Information Center and all Commuter Stores will be closed on the previously mentioned four days. On December 24 and 31, ART 41, 42, 51, 77 and 87 will run on a Saturday schedule. On December 25 and January 1, ART 41 and 51 will run on a Sunday schedule. The STAR Call Center will be closed all four days and all standing order rides will be cancelled.

Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center will be open from 6:00 a.m.-noon on December 24 and December 31; all other community centers will be closed. On December 25 and January 1, all community centers, including Barcroft, will be closed.

Arlington Public Schools will be closed from December 24-January 2.

Trash and recycling schedules are as follows:

Dec 24 & 31

  • Trash & recycling: normal operations
  • Special collection: brush, metal, electronics – normal operations
  • No cart repair or mulch delivery service
  • Leaf bag collection – normal operations

Dec 25 & Jan 1

  • Trash & recycling: regular services not provided. Services available for Tuesday customers on Wed 12/26 and Jan 2
  • Special collection: scheduled services not provided
  • Leaf bag, brush, metal, electronics, cart repair services available for Tuesday customers on Wed Dec 26 and Jan 2
  • Call Center: closed

Dec 26 – 28

  • Trash & recycling: normal operations – all services completed by COB 12/29
  • Special collection: normal operations – all services completed by COB 12/19
  • Call center: normal operations

Jan 2-4

  • Trash & recycling: normal operations – all services completed by COB 1/5
  • Special collection: normal operations – all services competed by COB 1/5
  • Call center: normal operations

Metrorail will run on a regular weekday schedule on December 24. It will be open from 7:00 a.m.-midnight on December 25 and January 1, and will run on a Sunday schedule. MetroAccess subscription trips are cancelled for those two days. On December 31, Metrorail will run on a normal weekdays schedule, but will remain open until 2:00 a.m. to accommodate those celebrating New Year’s Eve.

Disruptions on Orange, Yellow Lines This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Metro riders should plan on major disruptions on the Yellow Line and delays on the Orange Line this weekend.

The Yellow Line will be closed between the Fort Totten and Pentagon stations this weekend. The closure is the result of work on the Yellow Line bridge over the Potomac River and switch replacement outside L’Enfant Plaza.

“Customers traveling to/from Downtown DC should use Blue Line trains to complete their trip,” Metro said in a press release. “Transfer between Blue and Yellow line trains at any station between Pentagon and King Street-Old Town.”

Trains on the Orange Line will be single-tracking between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church stations this weekend, for work on the Silver Line extension project.

“Throughout the weekend, trains will operate every 24 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton,” Metro said. “Customers using Orange Line trains should allow 15 minutes of additional travel time.”

The work is scheduled to start at 10:00 p.m. tonight (Friday) and continue through system closing on Sunday.

Then and Now: Clarendon Metro Area

By Katie Pyzyk

 

The above photo on the left shows the Clarendon Metro station under construction, before it opened in December 1979. Clarendon first became part of a streetcar line in 1896, as a transfer point between the Rosslyn-Clarendon line and the D.C.-Falls Church line. The current Metro Orange Line closely follows the old Rosslyn-Clarendon route.

In 1920, the same year the Virginia legislature officially named Arlington (previously known as Alexandria County) to avoid confusion with the City of Alexandria, there was an effort to incorporate Clarendon as a town. The courts eventually prevented it from going through. Under current Virginia law, counties that have population densities greater than 1,000 people per square mile cannot create a new municipality within the county.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Clarendon affectionately became known as “Little Saigon” due to a number of Vietnamese restaurants opening in the neighborhood. Queen Bee is one of those restaurants, pictured in the late 1980s photo on the above right.

Below is a photo of how that section of Clarendon looks today. Spider Kelly’s now occupies 3181 Wilson Blvd, which is where Queen Bee was located until it closed in 2006.

Historic photos courtesy Arlington Public Library’s Virginia Room

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn Lights Up Tonight — The 19th annual Light Up Rosslyn night is tonight. The holiday event is taking place from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. in front of the WJLA building (1100 Wilson Blvd). Local officials will flip a big switch to “light up” the Rosslyn skyline. In addition, there will be musical groups performing and free hot cocoa, chili, cider and cookies. [Rosslyn BID]

Reduction in Blue Line Service Planned — Metro plans to further reduce service on the Blue Line when the Silver Line to Tysons Corner opens. With the Silver Line in operation, perhaps by the end of 2013, Blue Line trains will run every 12 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Largo, during both peak and off-peak hours. [Washington Post]

More Commuters Are Using Transit — Updated at 10:10 a.m. — There has been a significant jump in the number of Arlington residents using mass transit as their primary means of commuting to work, according to U.S. Census figures. In 2011, 28.4 percent of residents used transit, compared to 23.3 percent in 2000. [Sun Gazette]

Winter is Coming — This week is Winter Preparedness Week. Though the weather might have been warm over the past few days, Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management is advising residents to take steps to prepare for winter weather. [Arlington County]

Flickr pool photo by Ddimick

Rosslyn Metro Station to Close This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Blue and Orange Line riders should expect significant disruptions on Metro this weekend.

From about 10:00 p.m. tonight (Friday) to system closing on Sunday, the Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery Metro stations will be closed and both the Blue and Orange lines will be split into two segments.

The closure will “allow for tie and insulator renewal, joint and fastener renewal, tunnel leak repair, station sign installation and fiber-optic cable work,” Metro said in a press release.

Free shuttle buses will replace trains between Courthouse and Foggy Bottom on the Orange Line, and between Pentagon and Foggy Bottom on the Blue Line. The two segments of each line — a Virginia segment and a D.C./Maryland segment — will operate “at regular weekend intervals.”

Metro says customers should anticipate 20-30 minutes of additional travel time and should consider alternate travel options, like accessing D.C. via trains traveling over the Yellow Line bridge.

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

UPDATED: Schools, County Gov’t Open Wednesday

By Katie Pyzyk

Update at 5:55 p.m. — All Arlington Public Schools (except Barcroft Elementary) will open on time tomorrow (Wednesday). “Parents are asked to be patient as buses may need to work around road closures in some parts of the county, causing delays on some routes,” said school spokesman Frank Bellavia.

All county government offices, libraries, courts, community centers, and nature centers will also be open.

Roads are gradually being cleared, dark homes are lighting up and residents are attempting to return to a sense of normalcy following Superstorm Sandy.

Currently, Dominion’s outage map shows 14,645 Arlington customers without power. The company promises to have crews working around the clock until power is restored. It’s hoping to complete its restoration efforts by Thursday night.

The federal government will be open for business tomorrow, according to the Office of Personnel Management, which will mean increased traffic on neighborhood streets that are still littered with storm debris.

Metro has resumed bus and train service and is slowly getting all lines back up to normal operation. Trains are running on a Sunday schedule. ART buses also resumed service this afternoon on routes 41 and 51. There may be delays if there is debris in the roads along the routes.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority reports that Reagan National Airport fared well and didn’t experience any damage or flooding. Most flights are still cancelled today but there are a few taking off and arriving. Travelers are urged to check with their airlines directly for information about flights before going to the airport. MWAA will provide updates via Twitter as more flights begin to take off.

Early voters can go to Courthouse Plaza until 7:00 p.m. for in-person absentee voting. For now, the Barcroft and Madison locations remain closed, but the county hopes they can open tomorrow in addition to the Courthouse location. More information about absentee voting can be found online.

Trash and recycling services, including brush and leaf collection, will resume Wednesday. Monday/Tuesday pickups have been rescheduled for Wednesday, and Wednesday/Thursday pickups have been rescheduled for Friday. Storm debris removal can be requested online or by calling 703-228-6570. The normal requirement for brush to be less than 18 inches in diameter will be waived.

The county notes that an additional 2,000 people signed up for the Arlington Alert system during the storm, bringing the number of total subscribers to more than 50,000. The system provides emergency information updates via email or text message. Anyone interested in receiving alerts during the storm cleanup and for future public safety events can sign up online.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Voter Registration Deadline Today — If you want to vote in the upcoming presidential election and haven’t registered yet, today’s the last day to do so. Oct. 15 is the deadline to register to vote or update your address for the Nov. 6 election. Registration applications most be postmarked by today or submitted to Arlington’s Office of Voter Registration (2100 Clarendon Blvd) by 5:00 p.m. [Arlington County]

Marymount ‘Blue Goose’ Will Be Demolished — Marymount University’s distinctive but aging “Blue Goose” building at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Fairfax Drive in Ballston is set to be demolished and redeveloped. The actual demolition is still “a few years away,” according to a school spokeswoman, but the planning process is now getting started. [Arlington Mercury]

Metro to Miss Cell Phone Deadline — Tomorrow is the deadline set by Congress for Metro to have all of its underground tunnels and stations wired for cell phone service. The agency will miss the deadline and doesn’t expect to meet the mandate until the end of 2015. [Washington Examiner]

High School Football Update — In high school football action over the weekend, Yorktown came from behind to defeat Langley by a score of 24-14. The Patriots are undefeated with a record of 7-0. Washington-Lee and Bishop O’Connell both lost on Saturday afternoon. And Wakefield is still looking for its first win of the season after losing its homecoming game to Falls Church by a score of 41-6.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Suicide Thwarted at Metro Station — An alert Metro train operator helped to thwart a suicide attempt at the Reagan National Airport Metro station Thursday morning. Around 7:55 a.m., a man climbed down and laid on the southbound tracks. The operator of an approaching train saw the man and stopped the train in time. Transit police apprehended the man and took him to a local hospital. [Washington Examiner]

Park(ing) Day in Rosslyn — Today (Friday) is Park(ing) Day, a day where people worldwide transform parking spots into temporary public spaces. Artisphere in Rosslyn will again be participating. A giant shopping cart, created by artist J.P. Flick, will be placed near the corner of Wilson Blvd and Lynn Street. Passersby are encouraged to donate gently used professional attire by placing it in the cart. The clothes will go to a job placement program run by the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network. [Artisphere]

Retired Educator Receives Community Award — Meg Tuccillo — who for 26 years served Arlington Public Schools as a teacher, a principal, and an assistant superintendent — has been named the 2012 recipient of the William T. Newman Jr. Spirit of Community Award. “The Board was impressed by Meg Tuccillo’s highly regarded dynamic and good-natured commitment to Arlington, both in her professional role as Assistant Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools and in her broad involvement in several nonprofit organizations serving children, families, the homeless and strengthening education and the arts,” said Julian Fore, president of the Arlington Community Foundation, which administers the award. [Sun Gazette]

Va. Flags Half Staff for State Supreme Court Justice — Virginia state flags have flown half staff this week in honor of former state Supreme Court Justice Henry H. Whiting, who died on Sept. 17. Whiting was a justice when the court first upheld the use of DNA evidence in Virginia. The DNA case in question originated in Arlington — the trial of Timothy Wilson Spencer for the 1987 rape and murder of 44-year-old Susan Tucker in her Arlington condominium.

Morning Poll: Rush Minus?

By ARLnow.com

Metro’s Rush Plus service is not working as planned, officials say.

As reported by WTOP, the rush hour changes have resulted in overcrowding on the Blue Line, since not as many riders are using the Yellow Line as expected.

Has your commute on Metro improved, stayed the same, or gotten worse since Rush Plus was first implemented on June 18? (A week after the change, more than 75 percent of poll respondents said their commute had stayed the same or gotten worse.)


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