Neighborhood Projects Set for Approval

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by ARLnow.com February 7, 2012 at 10:37 am 3,334 16 Comments

The Arlington County Board will consider approving $3.4 million worth of Neighborhood Conservation Program projects at its meeting on Saturday.

In December, the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee considered 33 different requests and recommended six for the current round of NC funding. Among the recommended projects:

Beautification, pedestrian safety improvements, corner nubs and bike lanes on Patrick Henry Drive from 16th Street N. to Washington Boulevard in Westover Village ($531,829)
Park improvements to the playground at Glencarlyn Park in Arlington Forest ($485,000)
Beautification, pedestrian safety improvements, corner nubs and bike lanes on N. Sycamore Street from 26th Street N. to Williamsburg Boulevard in Williamsburg ($679,101)
Beautification, pedestrian safety improvements, corner nubs, landscaping and possible bio-retention features on 23rd Street S. from S. Culpeper Street to S. Columbus Street in Claremont ($495,671)
Street improvements including sidewalk, curb, gutter and streetlights on 20th Street N. from N. Kenmore Street to N. Monroe Street in Cherrydale ($562,481)
Street improvements including sidewalk, curb, gutter and streetlights on S. Fern Street from 22nd Street S. to 19th Street S. in Aurora Highlands ($683,673)

Funding for the projects will be provided through Neighborhood Conservation bonds. The Neighborhood Conservation program allows neighborhoods to, essentially, compete with one another to receive funding for public improvements requested by residents.

Rick

Well it looks like the rest of Patrick Henry will get horrid looking medians and cement valleys.
- Arlington, Northside
  
  The section by the Apartments could use a facelift of some sort. Still need something to slow cars down coming over the I-66 bridge. The bridge is wide enough for folks to feel comfortable hitting 45-50mph as they approach Westover Baptist Pre-School and Swanson Middle School. Random speed checks from our ACPD friends might help.
  - Josh S
    
    If one car in 500 hits 50 mph in that stretch, I’d be surprised.
    - charlie
      
      josh — you are on. Friday. Midnight.
      oh wait, you can see it any weekday as soccer-mom tries to get her kid to Swanson by 8 AM.
      50 is easily hit on most any street in Arlington, particularly these wide boulevard style streets.
      - Rick
        
        My friend caught air going away from upton hill/towards swanson before the median “improvements” right before the bridge and landed on someones car. Someone could have hit 50 on that stretch in the last 5 hours, the other direction coming over the bridge probably in the last 5 minutes.
      - Josh S
        
        Not disputing it’s POSSIBLE, just disputing the frequency in which it actually happens.
        
        I find that pedestrains / neighbors peering out their living room windows tend to exaggerate car speeds to a remarkable degree….
      - charlie
        
        i often cross patrick henry on walks and can tell you it is frightening.
        
        i also get up to 50 on Glebe Road from Wilson To Washingotn Blvd.
        
        ribbons of asphalt turn me on.
      - Richard Cranium
        
        You think that’s bad, you should see the speed boats completely ignoring the “Slow – NO WAKE” signs prominently posted throughout Donaldson Run!
      - JamesE
        
        Most people are horrible at judging speeds of cars, a normal person in his 20-30s is probably overestimating by a good 5-10 mph. Add another 1 mph for every year older than 30, multiply x2 if they have children, if it is a sports car with a loud exhaust multiply x3 and finally if in a residential zone add another 50 mph. If my calculations are correct a sports car going 25 mph would appear to be going around 9000 mph to a 40 year old parent in a residential zone.
John Andre

None of this appears to involve Columbia Pike or the streetcar project.
- Rick
  
  I know! High five!
LNE

If they want to improve safety on Patrick Henry, they need to make that interaction with 16th Street into a four-way stop. From Patrick Henry it’s too difficult to see both ways on 16th Street before crossing.
- PHD
  
  exactly right
thelevyisdry

So what exactly is the virtue in corner nubs? They put those in on Walter Reed south of Colombia Pike a few months ago. Best part is that they just resurfaced that stretch of road last year. Now it has these lovely bumpy wavy sections where they patched the asphalt around the new nubs. Perfect example of wasteful spending/poor planning.
RanomDude

The stretch of Wilson Blvd from Glebe to George Mason from the bottom of the hill onwards sucks. How about a well needed resurface. I’m sure all the patients in Medic units would appreciate it.
Dts

My neighborhood is putting in brand new playground for $25,000. What is Arlington County doing to the playground at Glencarlyn Park that’s going to cost $485,000? That better be one nice playground.

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