Will road maintenance become an election year issue in Arlington?
Last week the Sun Gazette reported that supporters of Green Party candidate for County Board Audrey Clement were trying to make the case that Arlington’s roads are crumbling — and the county’s political leaders should be held responsible for it.
County Board Chair Mary Hynes acknowledged that local roadways were “rough,” and that road maintenance had fallen behind in recent years, but said funding added several years ago should help allow Arlington to repave roads every 15 years.
How important will the state of local roads be when you go into the voting booth on March 27?
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The roads are definitely far from purrfect.
Some of the roads are so terrible (Wilson west of Glebe I’m looking at you) I feel like my spine is going to snap while driving.
Glebe is a VDOT road?
Yes, we like to refer to her as Ye Ole Route 120.
Zoning, crime, and excessive parking/speeding ticks tops my list.
Dam you autocorrect! Ticks = tickets
Things are definitely getting bad out there. I would love to hear an explanation from the county as to why.
I used to hear that sometimes counties leave the roads poorly maintained as a means of slowing people down. I haven’t the slightest idea if that’s true or simply an urban legend, but I suppose it’s an explanation for why the roads are so crappy, and why they’ve been so crappy for so long.
well keeping the roads in good shape might cut into the car free diet budget
It makes a person wonder. But the “county” sure likes all that revenue each year from the car property tax!
Street paving is not “sexy” in the view of the CB……they will float a bond to pay for street paving.
And they will keep getting elected.
Go figure……….
How about funding sidewalks? The Master Transportation Plan states that building sidewalks is a top priority but there is no funding outside of the oh-so-perfect NCAC program. All those distracted drivers swerving around potholes makes for some scared pedestrians! Let’s have sidewalks for the the bus stops!
and let’s keep crosswalks brightly painted, please.
Part (or much) of the reason the roads are so bad is the endless construction that goes on in Arlington, from the developments in Clarendon to the McMansions in residential areas. Less construction, fewer road problems. Do we really need to build on every empty parcel of land in this county?
On Wilson Boulevard, utility crews seem to regularly dig up the pavement for some reason or another making an already existing problem worse.
I was going to mention the same thing–the whole county is a construction cite–and why aren’t the developers required to repair the roads they ruin?
What?!?!?! Require developers to repair the roads they ruin!?!?!? Why….that’s just plain……subversive and seditious!
/s off
I agree, developers should repair the roads they ruin, but I seriously doubt that our current Board will agree to such a thing, even if there were laws requiring developers to do so.
Keep assuming, it’s so much easier than actually checking.
Whatever.
I don’t understand why homebuilders and utility crews are not required to fully restore the roads they tear up. In my neighborhood the “repairs” are just poor patch jobs.
Do any county officials check up on these guys?
I always hope the road situation can get better, but have no idea how this could be an election year issue.
Is anyone going to come out AGAINST keeping the roads up? Sounds like Miss Audrey Clement is just taking a page out of the standard politician playbook.
“I am for education! I am for maintaining roads! I am for Arlington!” Deep…
+1
I can’t be the only one who LOL’d at something being an election year issue. Oooh, I wonder who will be elected. Will be the Democrat or the Democrat? This is going to be soooo exciting to watch!!
You don’t know much about politics. The D or R next to a name isn’t that important. If that’s all you know, you need to pay better attention.
I assume this is a joke or you are new to Arlington.
I assume you don’t participate in Arlington politics.
+1 ArlForester! You nailed it.
One of the wealthiest most expensive counties to live in the country and we have pot holes that rival those of third world countries. All four of my wheels have flat spots from hitting pot holes around town. Its absolutely frustrating and nerve racking!
A veteran friend of mine recently commented that while driving the roads in Arlington he frequently has flashbacks where he is in a humvee with the sounds of automatic weapon fire and Apache and Black Hawk helicopters in the background.
He is probably hearing cars from DC and MD back firing and dudes in brown flipflops running to Starbucks.
My street is a mess of potholes and cracks. I will not ride a bicycle until Arlington’s streets are repaved. I will also vote for Audrey Clement, enough tax dollars are being spent on entertainment.
Keep driving on bad roads, then stop when they’re fixed. That makes sense.
The roads in Arlington are almost as bad as those in that 3rd world nation across the river from us.
Better fill those potholes before we build the Columbia Pike streetcar route to the Artisphere…
I think we’re done here folks. That pretty much wraps it up….
Not yet:
Cupcakes and flipflops.
Okay, now we’re done.
The board will never force developers to fix/maintain the roads they ruin (with utility excavation or dump truck runs) because those companies are holding a cushy seat ready for them when they retire from the board.
I believe that many of the main roads are state roads (such as Glebe Road) and not under the purview of the county. It is the state’s responsibility to fix them…and of course the state has no transportation dollars for us.
Since when has the Green Party been concerned about the quality of roads? Most roads in Arlington are the responsibility of VDOT, which has no money because Richmond refuses to raise gas taxes. It is no more complicated than that.
Who is responsible for Columbia Pike? My non scientific observations is that north of Arlington Blvd. the roads are nicely maintained while they are decrepid south of AB.
Top of my list is also zoning, crime, police harrassment with excessive parking and traffic tickets just for revenue, not safety. Government that actually listens to its residents!
I live in Fairlington and the roads are a mess. Libby Garvey has lived here for decades and does not care about her own community. She wants my kid to bicycle to school over these streets? No way. I’m voting for Audrey Clement next month. Sending the Democratic Machine a loud message.