streetcar

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Mother’s Day Weekend — Sunday is Mother’s Day and, just in case you’re the type to make last minute plans, here are some brunch ideas from around Arlington.

Route 1 Streetcar Compromise? — Arlington and Alexandria officials are considering a compromise that could end their reported impasse over the planned Route 1 streetcar project. Under the compromise, the streetcar line that starts in Crystal City would end at the new Potomac Yard Metro station in Alexandria, instead of at the Braddock Road Metro station, as originally proposed. [Connection Newspapers]

Employee Fired Over Rosslyn Derailment — A Metro track worker has been fired following last month’s derailment at the Rosslyn Metro station. [WTOP]

Cocaine Trafficking Ring Busted — Twenty-eight individuals have been arrested and charged with operating a cocaine trafficking ring in Northern Virginia. Five of those arrested are said to be Arlington residents. The Arlington County Police Department and other local agencies assisted the FBI in the investigation. [U.S. Attorney’s Office]

MMA Studio Coming to Columbia Pike — A new mixed martial arts studio called Pentagon MMA is coming to the former Kayak Station space on S. Edgewood Street, along Columbia Pike. [Along the Pike]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington, Alexandria Compete for Federal Funds — Alexandria’s planned transit corridor along Route 1 is competing with Arlington’s proposed Columbia Pike streetcar for a limited pool of federal transporation funds. Meanwhile, Alexandria officials are still upset that Arlington declined to help pay for a study that could have helped Alexandria obtain federal funding for the Route 1 transit project, which the two jurisdictions have been otherwise cooperating on. [Connection Newspapers]

Democratic School Board Slate Set — Incumbent Emma Violand-Sanchez and political newcomer Noah Simon have received the Democratic endorsement for Arlington County School Board, all but guaranteeing their election in November. [Sun Gazette]

Condo Building Sells Out in Weeks — A new condo building at 1221 N. Quinn Street, in the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, sold out of all 13 units  in just a matter of weeks this past winter. [CityBiz List]

Arlington Responds to Route 1 Transit Controversy

By ARLnow.com

A report that Arlington backed out of an agreement with Alexandria to conduct an environmental assessment for the Route 1 transit corridor project is incorrect, according to a county government spokeswoman.

The two jurisdictions have been cooperating on a transit project that will bring bus rapid transit and, ultimately, a streetcar to the Route 1 corridor of Crystal City and Potomac Yard. But today Connection Newspapers reported that Alexandria officials were upset because Arlington supposedly withdrew from an agreement to pay $2.4 million of the $3.4 million cost of an environmental analysis.

In reality, says Arlington County spokeswoman Mary Curtius, the environmental analysis is currently underway and Arlington County is paying its $1.78 million share of the $3.56 million cost. The Arlington county manager and the Alexandria city manager signed an agreement to split the cost of the analysis in 2010, she said.

At issue, according to Curtius, is an “Alternatives Analysis” that was optional under the agreement.

“Arlington recently informed Alexandria that we do not intend to do an Alternatives Analysis,” Curtius told ARLnow.com. “Such an analysis is required in order to apply for federal small/new starts funding. Arlington does not intend to apply for such funding for Route 1. We are continuing to work with Alexandria on how to proceed in a way that enables Alexandria to apply for federal funding for its part of the transit project, should it choose to do so.”

In an apparent effort to dispute the report about rising tensions between the two jurisdictions, Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes and Alexandria Mayor William Euille have issued a joint statement regarding their transit partnership.

Arlington County and the City of Alexandria have been transit partners for more than 35 years. Together, we’ve ensured safe, efficient transit options for hundreds of thousands of people … every day.

Throughout our region’s history, federal and state transportation funding has been the backbone of supporting transit projects. Unfortunately, that landscape has changed dramatically in just the last few years, greatly impacting local transit planning across the country. All of us have to reassess transportation projects, determine how we can fund them, and make some tough strategic decisions.

The City of Alexandria has decided to focus its attention and its funding on the planned infill Metrorail station; this investment will benefit not only the City, but the entire region.

Arlington needs a streetcar system in Crystal City to support development there — and has funding available through a special tax district.

We are both committed to providing more transit options for people who live and work in the Route 1 corridor. Our strategies are not exactly the same at this point in time. We look forward to working together collaboratively as we continue to move people efficiently through our communities and the region.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Eaglets Hatched? — Flickr pool photographer Philliefan99 says the eagles in the photo above are exhibiting behavior that suggests they have eaglets in their nest. The nest is located near Spout Run. [Flickr]

No Streetcar Stalemate, Arlington Says — There is no discord between Arlington and Alexandria when it comes to plans to build a streetcar line along the future Route 1 transit corridor, according to a joint statement issued by Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan and Alexandria City Manager Rashad Young. The statement was in response to an article that suggested diverging transit plans were causing tensions between the two jurisdictions. [City of Alexandria]

New Data on Remodeling Expenses in Arlington — Households in Arlington spend an average of $5,801 per year on remodeling expenses, well above the national average of $1,907 per year, according to new data from the National Association of Home Builders. Falls Church households, meanwhile, spend the most on remodeling of any southern jurisdiction: $6,099 per year. [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Civic Federation Budget Proposal — The Arlington County Civic Federation has unanimously approved its own vision for the county’s budget. The Civic Federation’s budget proposal would hold the current real estate tax rate steady, while providing more money for schools and public safety, funding an inspector general position and eliminating 16 long-vacant county government positions. The Civic Federation also voted 30-12 for a motion calling on the county to close Rosslyn’s Artisphere by the end of the year unless significant progress is made in turning around the struggling cultural center’s finances. [Sun Gazette]

Streetcar Stalemate with Alexandria — Arlington County’s plan to build a streetcar line from Crystal City to Potomac Yard is facing resistance from Alexandria. While Arlington has financing for the streetcar lined up, Alexandria says they don’t have the money for a streetcar line — and would like the planned Crystal City/Potomac Yard transit corridor to remain a bus rapid transit system for the foreseeable future. [WAMU]

Thousands Sign Up for Housing Aid — Arlington County opened up its waiting list for federal Section 8 housing assistance for one day, after keeping the list closed for the past seven years. In that one day the county received 5,300 pre-applications from those seeking rent assistance. [Patch]

Fund Set Up to House the Homeless — The Arlington Community Foundation has announced a $500,000 private gift that will allow it to create a new fund for the 100 Homes campaign against homelessness. With a $500,000 match from Arlington County, the $1 million public/private partnership will be “dedicated to housing Arlington’s most vulnerable citizens.” [Arlington Community Foundation]

Video: Articulated Buses on the Pike?

By ARLnow.com

Critics of the Columbia Pike streetcar have been pushing the idea of articulated buses as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to streetcar service.

Specifically, some critics have been citing the streetcar-like bus in the video above — which is currently in use in Las Vegas — as a way to get the increased capacity of streetcars while making bus travel more attractive to non-riders. The bus offers prepaid, level platform boarding — which makes loading and unloading passengers quicker and easier — plus a quiet and smooth ride. Since it runs on tires rather than a track, it also has the ability to get around accidents or any other obstruction.

Articulated buses are an option being studied for the Columbia Pike corridor, but a streetcar does have advantages that supporters say a bus cannot match. A streetcar line, supporters say, can attract transit-oriented development and promote economic growth. Plus, rail transit seems to have a psychological advantage over bus transit — in general, more people would be willing to ride a streetcar than they would a bus.

The cost of articulated bus service on Columbia Pike is estimated at $53 million, compared to the estimated $250 million cost of a five-mile streetcar line.

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.

Arlington Seeking ‘Streetcar System Manager’

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is looking to hire a “Streetcar System Manager,” to help with the county’s $250 million Columbia Pike streetcar project. The full-time position is advertised as paying between $72,000 and $119,000 annually.

From a job posting on the county’s website:

Exciting, unique opportunity to be on the ground floor of a new multi-jurisdictional Streetcar System. Over the next decade, Arlington County, in partnership with Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria, will develop two streetcar corridors, which will ultimately operate as a unified streetcar system. The Streetcar System Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the County’s effort to design, finance, and construct the streetcar system including a wide variety of planning, project management and program management duties:

  • Leading the day-to-day development process within the County and coordinating legal and public processes required by jurisdictional partners and state and federal funding and oversight agencies;
  • Providing financial oversight to ensure that millions of dollars in public investment are spent in a responsible, cost-effective manner to ensure maximum grant-fund reimbursement, preparing budget requests for funding, and investigating additional funding sources;
  • Researching, analyzing, and recommending alternative methodologies, for funding, constructing, operating and maintaining the streetcar system;
  • Managing the contracting, contract administration and contract monitoring processes, including developing bid and proposal packages;
  • Directing and/or managing the work of, architectural and engineering consultants, construction management firms, and construction contractors ;
  • Building partner relationships and serving as primary spokesperson with news media and the general public; and
  • Developing systems, maintaining records and preparing written reports that provide for the proper evaluation, control and documentation of project activities.

Besides local funding, the project will also be funded through grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). The Streetcar System Manager shall have a thorough understanding of the requirements and processes of the FTA for project approval, funding and oversight. This employee leads the Streetcar Section within the Transit Bureau where project development and streetcar program work will be accomplished using internal and external matrix teams, including County employees and a wide variety of contractors. Depending upon the eventual partnership agreements, organizational structure, and federal requirements associated with funding streams, it is likely that the section will grow to include permanent county staff, especially as development moves toward the construction and operation stages.

The position reports to the Transit Bureau Chief within the Transportation Division of the Department of Environmental Services. The County’s proposed streetcar system is multi-jurisdictional and depending upon the evolution and development of the system, at some time in the future this position and its functions may be transferred to a separate entity created to manage the streetcar system.

As of September, county officials were hoping to begin construction on the Columbia Pike streetcar system in 2015 and have it up and running in 2017. Earlier this month officials gave a community presentation in which they discussed a number of alternative options to the streetcar, including building an articulated bus system along Columbia Pike.

County Board Candidates Strike Note of Fiscal Conservatism

By ARLnow.com

The six candidates for County Board each struck a note of fiscal conservatism at local civic association debates this week.

Even as Arlington has avoided the worst of the stagnant economy, fears about the impact of federal spending cuts on Arlington’s tax base, combined with the reality of a burgeoning school population, has ushered in a slate of candidates largely devoid of ideas for sweeping new county initiatives. Instead, candidates are talking about prioritizing spending and, perhaps, pulling back on big ticket items like the struggling Artisphere cultural center and the planned Columbia Pike streetcar and Long Bridge Park aquatics center.

Iraq veteran and West Point graduate Terron Sims was perhaps the most blunt of the five Democrats in race when it came to spending.

“We do need to prioritize,” Sims said. “We spend money as though it’s coming out of trees… Though we have the money, that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to spend the money.”

“I’m disturbed at the trolley’s cost,” Sims said of the Pike streetcar’s $250 million price tag. “As for the Artisphere, it’s a failed investment, or at least it appears to be at this time.”

Peter Fallon, an Arlington County Planning Commission, was also candid about his views on spending — particularly when it comes to the streetcar.

“Let’s face it, we need to do a much better job of deciding what we need versus what we want and what we can have,” Fallon said. “I am certainly very pro-transit… however, I am not convinced that $250 million for a five mile rail in the ground is necessarily the way to go.

“If I’m on the County Board, I’m not going to sign off on it until I’m convinced it’s the right thing to do for all of Arlington, and I have not seen that analysis yet,” Fallon added. “There are cheaper ways to enhance traffic and transit throughout Arlington County.”

School Board member Libby Garvey said that some big ticket items sound good in theory, but must be put in perspective when it comes to other needs.

“I think the streetcar sounds like a great project, I think the [proposed Long Bridge Park] aquatics center sounds like a great project, the Artisphere had really good possibilities — they all sound great,” she said. “Meanwhile, our schools are busting at the seams, our police force has not had an increase in 10 years. There are a lot of issues we are facing, and the news is we cannot do it all — or we cannot do it all right now.”

“We need a strategic plan to pick out what our priorities are and decide what we’re going to do first,” Garvey continued. “So if we put money into an aquatics center but we don’t build a school, we’re saying that the aquatics center is more important than a school. Our budget statements are value statements.”

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Eleventh Street Lounge to Close — An employee says Eleventh Street Lounge in Clarendon is planning to close by the end of the month. Like its neighbor, Potomac Crossfit, Eleventh is closing to make way for a new office development. [Clarendon Culture]

County Board Candidates Tepid About Streetcar — The five remaining Democratic candidates for County Board spoke at a forum organized by the Arlington County Democratic Committee on Wednesday. On the topic of the Columbia Pike streetcar, most candidates expressed reservations about the pricy project. Only one candidate, Melissa Bondi, expressed full support for the streetcar. [Sun Gazette]

APS an Example of How to Reduce Achievement Gap — Arlington Public Schools’ highly successful efforts to reduce the achievement gap between low income students, Black and Hispanic students and affluent, white and Asian students is the subject of a new book. The book, Gaining on the Gap: Changing Hearts, Minds and Practice, was written by several APS administrators. Its suggested approach to reducing the achievement gap is being called “stunningly reasonable” by one Washington Post columnist. [Washington Post]

APS Adds State Honors — Ten Arlington County schools have earned state honors for learning and achievement this year, a gain from the seven that won awards last year. Arlington was actually one of the few school systems making gains in state recognition — both neighboring Alexandria and Fairfax County won significantly fewer awards this year. [Washington Examiner]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Linden Resources Profiled — Linden Resources, based on 23rd Street in Aurora Highlands, provides jobs to more than 250 people with disabilities, including disabled veterans. The company was recently profiled on WUSA9’s Hero Central segment. [WUSA9]

GOP Still Looking for County Board Candidate — A special election may be the GOP’s best chance to capture a seat on the Arlington County Board, but so far no Republican has stepped up to run in the upcoming special election to fill state Senator-elect Barbara Favola’s seat. [Sun Gazette]

Obama Leading in Va. Poll — Virginia’s state legislature may be dominated by Republicans, but a new poll shows that voters are leaning toward President Obama in theoretical match-ups against GOP presidential frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. [Washington Examiner]

Pike Streetcar… A Bargain? — Miles Grant argues that the estimated $250 million cost of the planned Columbia Pike streetcar is actually a bargain compared to some other major transportation project. [Greater Greater Washington]

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