The Arlington County Board approved five lower speed limits and delivered salutes to an outgoing county attorney and organizations promoting disability awareness this week.
This is in addition to actions related to new development and office-building conversions. Barring something unexpected, the July 22 meeting represents the last public gathering for the Board until mid-September.
Lower speed limits win approval, despite debate
The County Board lowered speed limits on stretches of five roadways, finding that likely safety benefits outweighed concerns about slower traffic leading to congestion and other issues.
Speed limits will drop from 30 mph to 25 mph on each of the following roads.
- Fairfax Drive from Little Falls Road to Langston Blvd
- Washington Blvd from Kirkwood Road to N. Glebe Road
- S. Carlin Springs Road from Arlington Boulevard to the Arlington County line
- S. Arlington Mill Drive from S. Walter Reed Drive to Shirlington Road
- S. Four Mile Run Drive from Columbia Pike to Shirlington Road
Before the 5-0 vote, Board members said they were convinced the lower speed limits would be a net positive in each case.
“We don’t make these changes lightly,” Board member Susan Cunningham said. “The amount of study and analysis that goes into it is just mind-boggling sometimes.”
Her colleague Maureen Coffey said that 25 mph and 30 mph are “significantly different” in terms of avoiding dangers on the road.
“Your ability to see, recognize and react to something that might be in your peripheral field of vision is really important,” Coffey said.
Lower speed limits are one facet of a broader county effort to address vehicular crashes, especially those involving pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Speed limits are such a critical element,” Coffey said. “It’s not the only element, but it really underlies a lot of what we’re doing. We have to combine the engineering with human behavior.”
Not everyone, however, thought the decision was a wise one.
Jonn Lau, who spoke during the public hearing in advance of a vote, said Board members should understand that “lowering speed limits in these areas [could have] unintended consequences.”
“Slower traffic likely increases congestion and stop-and-go traffic, promotes reckless-driving behaviors like weaving and rapid acceleration, and it elevates pollution levels,” he said.
“We really need to look at the full health benefits,” Lau continued. “While lowering speeds can reduce collisions, they can cause problems.”
Board Chair Takis Karantonis said he was interested in looking at the studies Lau referenced related to lower speeds leading to higher pollution levels.
“I’ve never heard that argument before,” Karantonis said, voicing the view that “lower speeds are correlating with better air quality — far better air quality.”
Staff targeted these specific roads for reduced speeds after the county’s Department of Environmental Services (DES) conducted engineering studies, as required under state law. The studies determined lower speed limits would be warranted.
Of all the stretches where speeds were reduced, perhaps the most notable is the stretch from S. Carlin Springs Road from where it crosses Arlington Blvd southbound and travels southwest to the county’s border with Fairfax County.
Stretches of that road are home to multiple schools, and the entire corridor has been receiving piecemeal transportation-safety upgrades over time.
The lower speed limit on the road is another step in the right direction, Karantonis said.
“Finally, we see the light,” he proclaimed.
County staff have been tasked to conduct follow-up studies to chart the effectiveness of the changes over time. The total cost of new speed-limit signs for all five roads is about $3,500.
While Arlington controls many of its roads, others in the county are under the jurisdiction of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Dan Nabors, a county-government transportation planner, said the local government and state agency had collaborated before to consider altering speed limits. One area for future discussion is VDOT-controlled Langston Blvd, he said.
Nabors said there are plans to “hopefully have a constructive dialogue” with VDOT officials on lowering speed limits on more roads.
Board touts disability-awareness efforts
Board members on July 22 approved a proclamation declaring July as “Disability Pride Month” in Arlington.
The resolution, adopted unanimously, salutes both people with disabilities and those working to support them and advocate on their behalf.
“There are so many folks, so many organizations, doing this work in our community,” said County Board member Julius “JD” Spain Sr., who sponsored the resolution and spoke to its merits.
Among the organizations on hand to receive the proclamation were the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, The Arc of Northern Virginia and SPARC (Specially Adapted Resource Center). Also part of the event was the Department of Human Services’ Developmental Services department.
The resolution came forward in July in honor of the July 26, 1990 enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which President George H.W. Bush signed into law.
The federal law in part can trace its roots to the Virginians with Disabilities Act. That legislation, signed into law by Gov. Chuck Robb in 1985, was patroned by Del. Warren G. Stambaugh, an Arlington Democrat.
A longtime advocate for those with disabilities, Stambaugh (1944-90) shepherded his legislation through the House of Delegates in 1984, but it stalled in the Virginia Senate.
The next year, it received final passage, and has been updated several times since.
The building that houses that county’s Department of Human Services is named in honor of Stambaugh, who died at age 46 following a heart attack.
Board members praise county attorney and name interim successor
Board members also had words of praise for MinhChau Corr, who will be leaving the post she has held since 2021.
Corr earlier this month was tapped to serve as counsel to Virginia Railway Express. She will succeed Stephen MacIsaac, who himself was county attorney in Arlington before taking that post.
In brief remarks at the tail end of the Tuesday meeting, each Board member took a moment to praise Corr’s service.
“Your years of experience have been so critical,” said Board member Maureen Coffey.
Corr joined the county attorney’s office in 2010 and in 2018 was tapped as deputy county attorney. She served as acting county attorney following MacIsaac’s departure in early 2021 before being selected for the post.
As their last piece of business at the July 22 meeting, Board members voted to appoint Ryan Samuel as acting county attorney effective Sept. 8, Corr’s last day in the post.
Samuel has been a member of the county attorney’s staff since 2018 and was appointed deputy county attorney in 2022.
County officials have posted the job opening with an application deadline of Aug. 8. The salary was listed as negotiable.
The county attorney’s office has a professional and paraprofessional staff of 18 and an annual operating budget of $4.64 million.
