Changes Coming to Hayes Street in Pentagon City

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by Katie Pyzyk — April 19, 2012 at 3:19 pm 6,206 34 Comments

(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) If the County Board approves the construction contract, work could start soon on a major road improvement project near the Pentagon City mall.

An agenda item is on the table to award a contract to Milani Construction LLC for the work along S. Hayes Street from S. 15th Street to Army Navy Drive. There will also be improvements made to the Pentagon City Metro station plazas. The contract is worth more than $9 million.

The project is designed to improve safety along the corridor for both pedestrians and drivers. Some of the changes in the area will include new bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks and lane markings, along with areas to cross the street mid-block. New ADA ramps and pedestrian crossing equipment will be installed at all intersections, as will upgraded traffic lights with new timing. Improved landscaping, including bioretention basins and rain gardens for stormwater runoff, will be installed, along with additional street trees and upgraded street furniture.

The two Pentagon City Metro stations will see some upgrades like new canopies, wider sidewalks and better lighting.

The county worked with members of the community, VDOT and WMATA to devise the design. As part of an agreement from 2006, VDOT will reimburse Arlington for 80 percent of the project costs, up to $5.9 million.

The County Board is scheduled to take up the issue at its meeting on Saturday.

Sarah

I hope this means they’ll be eliminating the tour bus parking in front of the mall along that entire street. I hate those buses — they limit visibility, plus tourists jaywalk in between them right out into the street. The slow movement of tour buses also impedes pedestrian crossings and jams up lanes of traffic.
- CrystalMikey
  
  I doubt that will happen…those buses bring big $$$ to the Food Court. I do agree with you though.
  - Sarah
    
    I know, the mall will always protect its food court money. But the rowdy kids and the hazards of buses will always be a pain for nearby residents.
    - CrystalMikey
      
      I agree!
      - soarlslacker
        
        The buses stink and I tired long ago of biking or walking in the area because breathing the diesel fumes is horrible. Walking there feels like sucking a tailpipe.
    - Rowdy kids
      
      *&*^&*^&*^&^$#$%()_@#!@
- TSA
  
  Still plenty of bus parking to the north of 12th on Hayes.
- KCDC
  
  EVERYONE jaywalks, not just the tourists…and they don’t even care that they’re jaywalking or crossing against the light. They just take their time as if they own the street. I often have to stop my car in the lane even thought I have the light & let the lazy, overweight slow pedestrians cross. They’re probably on their way to the Food Court to stuff their face with the fast food…which will only make their return trip jaywalking back across the street even slower. Arrghhh!!!
  - Swag
    
    It’s all part of their devious plan. They know that one day you’ll snap and just plow right through them. By being fat and actively pursuing increased fatness, they’re working to minimize the impact of your car on their organs (specifically: stomach) while maximizing the damage inflicted to your vehicle.
    
    They’re quite smart.
- Scott
  
  I hope the County will get rid of all the tourist money that comes in those buses…
  - Josh S
    
    Actually, I think very little of the money those tourists spend goes to the county. Almost none of them stay in Arlington. And except for a drive by of the Marine Corps Memorial and a stop in Arlington National Cemetary, there are no tourist destinations in Arlington. This stop at the food court is probably the single greatest revenue source related to these tour buses (at least the ones full of kids, I don’t know where the old people go or stay).
    
    But, in general, I think that complaining about the existence of the tour buses parked in front of the mall for six months of the year is just a waste of energy. It’s really not that big of a deal.
    - Joe
      
      They all stay in Crystal City Hotels too. That brings in even more money
WFY

But will they bring back a Sabrett cart by the Metro entrance?
brian

well metro be able to use this redesign as a backup pentagon bus station?

remember in 2001 after 9/11 it was.

and there was another time when south parking was close for someone with ordinance in a vehicle and the metro station was closed, and everyone was sent to pentagon city.
citizen

I suppose this will be funded by our real estate TAX HIKE???
How about you guys put your WALLET AWAY and keep taxes where they are?

Or HECK, try to be responsible and lower them.
- Jon
  
  Jump to assumption!
  
  I bet all the real estate taxes, hotel occupancy task, and sales tax collected within 300 yards of that block would more than pay for it.
  - citizen
    
    If that’s the case, then why are our taxes going up? Inflation? Seems clear to me it’s all related. Spend more, require more revenue.
    - drax
      
      It’s not like you can just go to the county’s budget website and look up the 2013 budget and find out or anything.
      - citizen
        
        Just did and lookie here:
        FY 2013 County Revenue/Expenditure
        Gap – $10 to $12 million
        – Revenue Growth – 2%
        – Expenditure Growth – 3%
        
        So… STOP SPENDING. SIMPLE NO?
- Josh S
  
  The Arlington County Board presides over one of the richest jurisdictions in the nation – it would be nonsensical for them NOT to make these fixes / upgrades when they can. People will like the end result, thus maintaining or improving tax revenue, etc, etc, etc.
  If they didn’t attempt to improve the built environment in Arlington, gradually it would fall into disrepair and people would not like that and then we would gradually no longer be one of the richest jurisdictions in the nation. On balance, I think this is a worse outcome.
Jon

Probably a good idea. It’s easy to drive very fast on S Hayes in that two block stretch from Army Navy to 15th St, which isn’t a good combo with people jay-walking to/from Pentagon City/Centre.
DT

New canopies for metro stations? I used to work over there, they just installed the ones they have now maybe like 6 or 7 years ago if I remember correctly.
Ali

What they need to reconfigure is the intersection of 15th and Hayes.
- Jenny
  
  I agree completely! I cross 15th St. going to and from the metro. Every day going home (walking away from the mall on Hayes) you really have to watch for vehicles turning left as they never yield to pedestrians and are usually trying to beat the light or speed through before more on-coming traffic comes. They already have a green turn signal at this intersection, but they really need a red turn signal instead of a green yield light. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to stop in the middle of the street to avoid getting hit by turning vehicles who are supposed to yield!
  - Paul
    
    Looks like from the drawing that the intersection has been reconfigured, and the left turn onto 15th is now a regular turn instead of an off-ramp exit style turn that confuses the drivers into thinking they have the right-of-way. This should (cross fingers) increase people’s awareness and may be the single greatest accomplishment of this project, once it gets done.
Runaway Train

The current pick up area cannot sustain the number of residential and employee shuttle buses that privately transport commuters. A designated pick up area for shuttle buses would be something worth considering.
- Rebecca
  
  I agree with this statement. I take one of the employee shuttle busses from P’City and it’s a clusterfuq.
  - Scott
    
    yup
charles

Can they ban the souvenir vendors near the subway escalators? They are unattractive, and they greatly greatly add to the congestion. I hate ’em. And now that the stupid Bikeshare rack takes up HALF the frikkin sidwalk, sometimes there’s no getting through there at all.

Typical Arlington crapola.
- Scott
  
  They wouldn’t be there if they were not making money. How do souvenir vendors on the sidewalk “greatly add to congestion.”
Jed

Arlington has the most visited tourist destination in Virginia, Pentagon City Mall. I don’t understand the need for new canopies over the Metro either. These are attractive and functional. I also agree that we need a better Kiss & Ride configuration, which the county isn’t addressing. I’m willing to share the space with the tourists, but when the county doesn’t accomodate the residents–it’s a damn shame.
YTK

I hope they GET RID OF those miserable TOUR BUSES that are parked there belching fumes and — even — worse noisy turistas who take over the Food Court.
YTK

I clicked on that tiny illustration above and got a tiny enlargement with 6 point type– deos this mean that Arlington does not (as usual) want us to know what is really going to be done there???
- Pentagon city worker
  
  Click on the link just below the graphic, and you should be able to access the pdf of it that can be enlarged.

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