poll

Morning Poll: Arlington’s Highway Opposition

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s opposition to the I-95/395 HOT Lanes and the I-66 widening projects has inspired a special report from WTOP called “Arlington’s Way of the Highway.”

While noting the praise heaped on Arlington for being a model of smart growth, WTOP reporter Adam Tuss says that the county’s resistance to highway transportation projects has opened it up for criticism.

“There are others that scoff at the county, saying its officials take a parochial transportation view and only think about Arlington at the expense of the entire D.C. region,” Tuss reports.

County board chairman Jay Fisette, meanwhile, defended the county’s expensive lawsuit against the HOT lanes project by saying that the county is concerned about “the impact on our local communities and also insuring the movement of people.”

Do you think the county is doing the right thing, or does is Arlington selfishly ignoring the region’s “greater good?”


Morning Poll: Least Least Attractive?

By ARLnow.com

Travel + Leisure magazine recently published a list of America’s most and least attractive cities. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the much-maligned D.C. area ranked near the bottom of the list, as the country’s #6 least attractive city.

But does Arlington share the blame for the ugliness? If you take a walk around Clarendon on a Friday night, do you find the bar-goers more or less attractive than, say, the bar-goers walking around Adams Morgan on a Friday night?

For the purposes of this poll, let’s narrow the scope down to people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. And while you can make your case for another area’s abundance of attractiveness in the comments, we’re only considering the District and Arlington for this poll.


Morning Poll: Football Roll Call

By ARLnow.com

An interception ended Donovan McNabb and the Redskins’ valiant comeback attempt against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts last night on Sunday Night Football.

Such a loss may portend a day of fatigue and depression in, say, Green Bay. But Arlington is a somewhat transient town. How many local football fans are truly mourning this morning? And how many are loyal to other teams?

Morning Poll: No More White Pages?

By ARLnow.com

How about this for an environmentally-friendly proposition:

A company says it can save 1,600 tons of paper each year by discontinuing a free publication that only 11 percent of recipients actually use.

That company is Verizon, and the publication is all local White Pages directories in Virginia. The company placed an official notice in the Virginia edition of the Washington Post classifieds today, announcing that it’s lobbying the state for permission to stop sending out residential phone books. The Yellow Pages would still be printed.

What do you think?


Moran Leads Poll Despite Low Favorable Rating

By ARLnow.com

Incumbent Rep. Jim Moran holds a 13 point lead over Republican challenger Patrick Murray, according to a poll of 400 likely voters commissioned by the Murray campaign.

The poll, conducted in mid-September, shows Moran with 45 percent of the likely vote compared to Murray’s 32 percent. Another 23 percent say they’re undecided.

In 2008, Moran defeated Republican candidate Mark Ellmore 68 percent to 30 percent.

Despite lagging in the poll, the Murray campaign cites Moran’s favorability ratings as evidence that he is vulnerable.

Asked how Moran is doing as a congressman, 42 percent gave a positive response, while 41 percent gave a negative response. Poll respondents had a 43 percent favorable opinion of Moran, and a 33 percent unfavorable opinion. By comparison, Moran’s favorable rating is roughly twice that of Sarah Palin and a few points below that of President Obama.

Asked about Patrick Murray, only 27 percent of respondents had an opinion or had heard of him. Among those respondents, 19 percent have a favorable opinion, while 8 percent hold an unfavorable opinion.

The poll, conducted by Alexandria-based McLaughlin and Associates, concludes that Moran is a “weak incumbent” who is “clearly vulnerable on issues of character.” To have a shot at winning, however, Murray must make an effort “to become as well known as Jim Moran over the next few weeks.”

Among the residents polled — all likely voters in Virginia’s 8th district — 36 percent said they were Democrats, 31 percent said they were Republicans and 30 percent identified themselves as independents.

Morning Poll: Columbia Pike Redevelopment

By ARLnow.com

Columbia Pike is at a crossroads. On one hand, the corridor is still wonderfully diverse and affordable. On the other hand, new development is bringing luxury apartments and new retail options to the area.

The smart growth-oriented county board is thus stuck in a bit of a paradox. While it funds redevelopment and a new streetcar line, it’s also talking about spending to preserve affordable housing on the Pike.

The Pike certainly has its flaws — crime, lack of bike access, some undesirable land use — but it also has unique qualities that make it a great place to live — diversity, character-filled restaurants and shops, a strong sense of local identity.

With that in mind, we ask: