Plans for more public seating, real-time transit displays and a new food truck court are included in a proposed changes to a highly trafficked area in Courthouse.
Respondents have until Sunday, March 2 to provide feedback on a new concept design for the “mobility hub” near the Court House Metro station. This area includes the Arlington County government headquarters at Courthouse Plaza, Strayer University, The Commodore Apartments and the county’s large surface parking lot.
The design includes proposed investments in three main areas: mobility, wayfinding and placemaking. Notable changes include the following.
- New “picnic/plaza” spaces in front of county government headquarters (the Bozman Government Center), as well as between The Commodore and Strayer, in what is currently N. Uhle Street
- A “food truck court” with seating in the parking lot facing The Commodore
- Additional signage for navigating public transit, including real-time arrival displays and station area maps
- More directional signage and bicycle wayfinding
- Additional streetside bike/scooter parking
- Additional pickup/dropoff zones in front of Strayer on Clarendon Blvd and 15th Street N.
Previous engagement efforts found several common themes among respondents’ hopes for this area. People emphasized a desire for displays tracking transit arrival times, better signage when exiting the Metro or shifting between modes of transportation, more gathering spaces and more secure and convenient bike parking.
“Based on your prior feedback, we chose improvements that will make the area work better as a mobility hub,” a project page says. “The concept plan shows the intended placement of new mobility hub elements in the area, as well as potential moves of existing elements.”
The page notes that “the look and feel of the wayfinding system is currently under development.” Additionally, while the concept plan calls for adding or relocating many elements, other elements like crosswalks and bike and scooter parking “will be improved in their existing place.”
Photo (1) via Google Maps
