poll

Morning Poll: Automated noise enforcement in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com
Traffic flows along Langston Blvd in front of Metro 29 Diner (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

At least two U.S. cities are using automated noise enforcement technology. Should Arlington?

Knoxville, Tennessee recently deployed a noise-monitoring camera as a test to see whether it helps to stem rising noise complaints downtown. From local TV station WATE:

Data that will be collected includes the time and date of a noise violation, the vehicle type and a photo of the vehicle’s license plate.

The camera footage cannot be be used alone as the basis for issuing a noise violation but warnings may be issued. The city release said the trends that are verified by the data can lead to more effective enforcement.

New York City also reportedly has a system that sends out warnings to drivers whose cars are too loud.

Arlington may not be able to deploy such a system without legislative authorization, given that Virginia is a Dillon Rule state. But, if the county can get the authorization, should it?

Excessive noise from cars and motorcycles became a more frequent complaint in Arlington over the course of the pandemic. Meanwhile, a law originally proposed by a local legislator, and intended to reduce racial disparities in traffic stops by prohibiting noise being used as a pretext for pulling drivers over, has made enforcement more difficult. An automated system could address both both issues.

What do you think?

Morning Poll: Daylight saving time year-round?

By ARLnow.com
Sunset over Ballston, as seen from The View of DC in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

All of a sudden there’s an hour of additional daylight in the evening.

Daylight saving time is back, and for many this is a welcome change that means more sunlight for exercise, outdoor dining, or other evening activities. For others, however, less sunlight in the morning could be detrimental to their AM exercise routines, commutes or overall feeling of wakefulness.

Amid the annual time change, there’s a nationwide push to end the springing forward and falling back, which leave many fatigued twice a year while they adjust.

A bipartisan roster of sponsors are backing a bill in Congress dubbed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, which would make daylight saving time permanent.

Polls have suggested it would be a popular move, particularly with the rise of working from home making early wakeups less necessary. But some people and many sleep experts say that sticking with standard time is the better way to go from a health and wellness perspective.

What do you think about these potential changes?

Morning Poll: Are you driving less due to high gas prices?

By ARLnow.com
A BP gas station near Shirlington (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Are rising gas prices having an effect on your driving habits?

Local gas prices have reached record-breaking levels, including $4.35 per gallon in D.C. and $4.20 per gallon in Northern Virginia, Axios reported yesterday.

The cause? Increased travel leading to rising fuel demand, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to sanctions and bans against Russian oil. And the pain at the pump may extend well into the summer, while oil production catches up with the new global realities.

With a $4 per gallon or higher price of gas looking like it’s here to stay, we’re wondering whether Arlingtonians are making any changes. Let us know in the poll how your driving habits are changing, broadly, and feel free to go into more detail in the comments.

Morning Poll: Are you still wearing masks during ‘low’ Covid levels?

By ARLnow.com
A discarded face mask in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 12:10 p.m.) Two years ago, stores in Arlington were being picked clean of face masks, as COVID-19 started to spread in the United States. Today, for the first time in a long time, masks are becoming optional in county facilities.

It’s been an unusual round trip from those early days of the pandemic, when healthy people were being actively discouraged from wearing masks.

From a March 4, 2020 Time article:

“It seems kind of intuitively obvious that if you put something–whether it’s a scarf or a mask–in front of your nose and mouth, that will filter out some of these viruses that are floating around out there,” says Dr. William Schaffner, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University. The only problem: that’s not effective against respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19. If it were, “the CDC would have recommended it years ago,” he says. “It doesn’t, because it makes science-based recommendations.”

The science, according to the CDC, says that surgical masks won’t stop the wearer from inhaling small airborne particles, which can cause infection.

Soon enough, mainstream opinion among health professionals shifted decidedly to the pro-mask camp, to the extent that mask mandates became the norm in Arlington and elsewhere.

But with most of the population vaccinated, and with new antiviral treatments available, the CDC last week again adjusted its mask guidance, saying that masks should be optional in places where the levels of Covid and Covid-related hospitalizations are relatively low.

That includes Arlington.

Only about 90 cases and two daily hospitalizations were being reported per 100,000 Arlington residents, per week, as of Tuesday, according to Virginia Dept. of Health data. That is well below the 200 cases or 10 hospitalizations per 100,000 people per week that would push the county above the CDC-defined “low” levels.

So with county facilities, Arlington schools, the Pentagon and Congress now mask-optional, we’re wondering how our readers are handling the shifting guidance. Are you still wearing masks in some mask-optional situations, or are you going full maskless unless otherwise required, like on airplanes or in medical settings?

Let’s find out.

Morning Poll: Should summer camp registration shift to a lottery system?

By ARLnow.com
A man clicks a mouse (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class William Tracy)

Yet another year of summer camp registration drama is prompting action by the Arlington County Board.

The online registration system used by Arlington’s Dept. of Parks and Recreation again melted down as camp registration opened at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, despite efforts to beef up the systems this year.

Camp registration is competitive in Arlington, with parents jockeying for position to claim some of the prime camp slots the second registration opens. That makes it tough to keep up with demand, amid hundreds or even thousands of people trying to register at the same time.

At stake is not only enrichment opportunities for kids, but affordable de facto childcare for parents.

After another year of stories of frustrated parents spending an hour or more trying to get the registration pages to load, Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol said the Board has “been in touch with the County Manager and department leadership about expectations for a full reform of registration.”

DPR will be “designing a new process” and the Board has “asked for details… including a timeline for implementation,” Cristol said in a statement she posted on social media.

What’s unclear is what a new registration system might entail.

One possibility is that the process remains competitive, with more robust technology preventing server crashes and those with quick clicking fingers continuing to get an advantage.

Another possibility, as suggested by some parents in the wake of last week’s fiasco, is a lottery system that would remove the need for parents to wake up early and try to register as quickly as possible, but would add some additional uncertainty to parents’ summer childcare plans.

In a lottery system, one might have to try to register for multiple camps in order to increase the odds of getting a given time slot. Then, they would have to cancel the registration for any duplicate entries. But if everyone adopted that strategy, it might lead to a chaotic registration process and make it hard for DPR to predict the true demand for a given camp.

Which do you think the parks department should choose?

Morning Poll: Is Arlington becoming a better place to go out on dates?

By ARLnow.com
Valentine’s Day reservations (Photo by Rene Ranisch/Unsplash)

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, which naturally leads many to consider where to take their significant other out on a date.

If you live in Arlington, there’s a natural gravitational pull to stay closer to home when possible. After all, you’re presumably paying the higher rent or mortgage payments associated with living here because you like being close to stuff.

One significant challenge to taking your beloved out in Arlington has been a dearth of properly impressive options. D.C. has far more hip and high-end restaurants to choose from, for instance. Of Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants list from Feb. 2020, most are located in the District and only one currently operating restaurant — Ser in Ballston — is from Arlington.

But the picture seems to be changing, at least by some measures.

We now have some new, well-regarded homegrown spots (like Ruthie’s All-Day and Cafe Colline), local outposts of popular city eateries (Salt Line and Sfoglina) and an entire neighborhood (Pentagon City) that seems intent on transforming into a drinking and dining destination with plenty of interesting new restaurants, many apparently banking on business from those working at Amazon’s under-construction HQ2.

Entertainment options in Arlington remain limited, however, with options for going to big shows pretty much confined to Signature Theater and, when a national name is on the marquee, the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is still screaming out for a decent concert venue or comedy club.

Given all that, five days before V-Day, we’re asking: on balance, do you think Arlington has improved as a date destination over the past few years?

Photo by Rene Ranisch/Unsplash

Morning Poll: What do you think about the groundhog’s forecast?

By ARLnow.com
Groundhog Day 2002 at Gobbler’s Knob (staff photo)

Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous weather-forecasting groundhog, saw his shadow Wednesday morning, thus predicting six more weeks of winter.

“As I look over the faces of the true believers from around the world, I bask in the warmth of your hearts, I couldn’t imagine a better fate, with my shadow I have cast than a long, lustrous six more weeks of winter,” Phil said in a statement, as read by a member of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle.

Setting aside questions of Phil’s forecast accuracy raised by naysayers like the National Weather Service, how do you feel about the prospect of six more weeks of winter here in Arlington, after a relatively cold and snowy January?

Morning Poll: Should APS continue to require masks in schools?

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools is not alone in defying Virginia’s new governor.

One of the first acts in office for Gov. Glenn Younkin (R) was an executive order intended to let parents decided whether their children wear masks to school. But APS — along with Alexandria and Fairfax County, among other public school systems — says that masks are still required, despite the order.

APS argues that state and federal law still requires masks in schools and on buses, and thus the governor’s order is, essentially, invalid. Youngkin hinted that a legal clash may follow.

“The fact that that tweet came out from Arlington County within minutes of my executive order, what that tells me is that they have not listened to parents yet,” Youngkin said, when asked about it by a WTOP reporter. “We will use every resource within the governor’s authority to explore what we can do and will do in order to make sure parents’ rights are protected.”

On Twitter and in interviews, Arlington’s Democratic state lawmakers backed the local school system.

Also issuing a statement of support for APS was a notable Arlington resident: White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

“Hi there. Arlington county parent here (don’t believe you are @GlennYoungkin but correct me if I am wrong),” President Biden’s primary spokesperson said on Twitter. “Thank you to @APSVirginia for standing up for our kids, teachers and administrators and their safety in the midst of a transmissible variant.”

Legality aside, Youngkin’s executive order suggested that, in practicality, requiring masks in schools is ineffective and fails to substantially reduce virus transmission.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends use of masks, and has published studies showing more Covid cases among schools without universal masking policies. But some have questioned the science behind the CDC’s guidance.

At last check, there were nearly 1,000 confirmed Covid cases among students and staff in the seven days following their return to school from winter break and a week of snow days.

What do you think: should APS stand firm on its masking policies, or do you support Youngkin’s call to make masks optional at schools?

Morning Poll: Ready for more winter weather?

By ARLnow.com
A man on cross-country skis navigating the snow in Rosslyn on Jan. 3, 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Like it or not, another round of snow is looking increasingly likely this weekend.

Forecast models are putting the odds of at least an inch of snow at 50% or above, and some are even suggesting more than a foot is possible, according to the Capital Weather Gang. The storm would cross our area Sunday into Monday.

Given that we just got through a full week of school closures, caused by snowstorms that bookended the week, we’re wondering how Arlingtonians feel about the idea of more snow.

Looking forward to another winter wonderland and more snowball fights? Dreading shoveling and days off of school? Weigh in below.

Morning Poll: Will you use fewer plastic bags when the new bag tax takes effect?

By ARLnow.com
Plastic bag in a fence (Photo by Morgan Vander Hart on Unsplash)

Arlington’s new bag tax is only a few days away from taking effect.

The tax, which was also enacted by neighboring Alexandria and Fairfax County after being authorized by the Virginia General Assembly, calls for certain stores to collect a five-cent tax on single-use disposable bags.

More from an Arlington County press release, below.

Beginning January 1, 2022, a five-cent tax on single-use disposable plastic bags will go into effect for grocery stores, convenience stores and drug stores in Arlington County, the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County. The Arlington County Board, Alexandria City Council and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors each adopted a plastic bag tax in September 2021, as a step to reduce the negative environmental impacts of single-use plastic bags.

To support the transition, the jurisdictions have been working closely with the Northern Virginia Regional Waste Management Board to align outreach, education, timelines and common language for the localities to ensure consistency and clarity. A regional informational website contains answers to frequently asked questions and multilingual outreach materials for retailers. Reusable bags have also been distributed with information about the plastic bag tax to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefit recipients over the past few months.

The tax would not apply to:

  • plastic bags intended for reuse;
  • plastic bags solely used to wrap, contain or package certain items (ice cream, meat, fish, poultry, produce, unwrapped bulk food items or perishable food items);
  • plastic bags for dry cleaning or prescription drugs; or
  • multiple plastic bags sold in packages for garbage, pet waste or leaf removal.

Collected taxes may be used for environmental cleanup; providing educational programs designed to reduce environmental waste, mitigating pollution and litter; or for providing reusable bags to benefit recipients of either Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC).

Last year, after the state law passed, we asked readers if Arlington should enact the bag tax. About 57% of more than 2,000 respondents to our unscientific online poll said yes.

Today, we’re wondering if the bag tax will change your behavior — which, after all, is its primary goal. Specifically, do you plan to use fewer single-use plastic bags as a result of the new tax?

Morning Poll: Will 2022 be a better year?

By ARLnow.com

By most accounts, 2020 was a tough year. Despite hopes for better, 2021 certainly had its rough moments, too.

The pandemic is still here and, at least in terms of new cases from the latest variant, remains well underway. The stock market it up for the year, but the last half of 2021 hasn’t been kind to many investors amid inflation and stretched supply chains. And the country still appears to be inexorably divided politically, as was put on full display this past January.

There are hopeful signs for next year: maybe, just maybe, the pandemic ends and enters an endemic phase, while the economy looks fundamentally strong and there’s always hope that what unites us turns out to be stronger than that which divides us.

We had lots of hope for 2021 and the dawning of the Covid vaccination era, but reality and new variants intruded on dreams of a full return to normalcy. Perhaps 2022 will be different. Or more of the same.

What do you think? Are you optimistic that the new year will be better than 2021?

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