Funding for better safety on Arlington buses, a new “microtransit” project and upgrades to a crash-prone intersection is included in a new state funding proposal.
Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board is proposing a total of $13.7 million for Arlington projects in Fiscal Year 2026 as part of a draft Six-Year Improvement Program.
Gunfire prompted a large police response to Wakefield High School over the weekend.
Officers were dispatched around 7 p.m. Saturday for a report of a man who fired a shot into the air on school grounds.
Fire Station #8’s dedication ceremony on Saturday included equal nods to the past, present and future.
“It symbolizes struggle, determination, progress,” Arlington Fire Chief David Povlitz said at the formal opening of the four-bay, three-level, 20,000-square-foot facility that is expected to serve until at least the mid-2070s.
Arlington’s namesake U.S. Navy ship recently hosted a cruise for first responders and family members of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Participating 9/11 first responders included active and retired personnel from Arlington County and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Also invited on the trip from Norfolk Naval Station were several members from the Arlington Emergency Communications Center who supported rescue efforts at the Pentagon.
The race for four seats on the Falls Church City Council is underway.
Incumbents Laura Downs and David Snyder have already qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot. Several other aspirants, including incumbent Marybeth Connelly, have started the process of qualifying, city elections director David Bjerke told ARLnow.
HQ2 Hiring Slows — “Amazon’s most recent application to Virginia for taxpayer subsidies said that its confidence it would meet that jobs target had dropped to a “moderate” level, according to a copy of the application obtained through a public records request. Every previous annual Amazon report to the commonwealth detailing its job growth at the HQ2 site noted a “high” level of confidence in the employment goal.” [Washington Post]
New DCA Crash Details — “As they flew south along the Potomac River on the gusty night of Jan. 29, the crew aboard an Army Black Hawk helicopter attempted to execute a common aviation practice. It would play a role in ending their lives…. an air traffic controller at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport alerted the crew to a regional passenger jet in its vicinity. The crew acknowledged seeing traffic nearby. One of the pilots then asked for permission to employ a practice called ‘visual separation.'” [New York Times]
Man Charged After Crash — “A man has been charged after crashing into a building and a telephone pole in Arlington Saturday, according to the Arlington Police Department. Police say officers received reports of a single-vehicle crash at 12:16 p.m. in the 900 block of S. Rolfe Street. There, a truck could be seen smashed against a brick building.” [DC News Now]
Another Rainy Day I-395 Wreck — “When it rains, you can almost guarantee a crash on I-395S just after the Arlington Ridge Road overpass. Hydroplaning there seems to be something you can count on.” [Dave Statter/X]
Laid-Off Feds Starting Businesses — “There are thousands of federal workers and contractors in Greater Washington like Bishop who have lost their jobs as the Trump administration has moved swiftly to shrink the federal civilian workforce and slash government spending. Laid-off workers need new jobs, but some of them are deciding this time, it might be better to be their own boss.” [WBJ]
State GOP Candidate Drama — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has asked Richmond-area radio host John Reid to withdraw as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor after GOP researchers found sexually explicit posts online that they believe are connected to Reid, according to two sources familiar with the situation.” [Richmonder]
It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high temperature near 75 during the day In the evening, it will be mostly clear with a low around 54. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
A teenage girl suffered significant injuries after being struck by a driver while on her way to school.
The crash happened around 7:15 a.m. this morning (Friday) at the intersection of N. Jefferson Street and 15th Street N., a few blocks from Swanson Middle School, in the Westover area.
Customers are flocking to Department of Motor Vehicles locations across the country, including in Arlington, as a deadline to get REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses approaches.
Arlington’s two service centers were recently singled out by DMV officials as areas where customer traffic had increased significantly in the run-up to the May 7 deadline changing access rules for airline flights and government buildings.
A developer’s plans to add 73 units while retaining the existing Shirlington House apartment building have cruised relatively unscathed through the county’s site-plan review process.
“It’s a good project,” James Lantelme, a member of the Planning Commission who serves on the panel evaluating the proposal, said on Monday.
New Nepalese Eatery Profiled — “Restaurateur Keshar Jarga Magar, along with his brother Dip Jarga Magar and business partner Tuk Prasad Gurung, opened Himalayan Wild Yak in Ashburn in 2022 with the mission of introducing diners to Nepalese cooking. Three years later, the trio’s second location, stationed in Ballston, is open with the same goal.” [Washingtonian]
Voting Starts Soon for Va. Races — “Early voting begins May 2. There will not be a primary in the governor’s race, as both parties have already selected their nominees — Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger. Most of the action in the primaries will focus on the race for lieutenant governor. Six candidates are competing on the Democratic side.” [WTOP]
Diverse GOP Statewide Ticket — “The Republican ticket for Virginia’s statewide races this year is set. It’s a notably diverse roster of candidates for the Old Dominion. Richmond conservative talk show host John Reid secured the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor Monday after the only other candidate dropped out… Reid is the Commonwealth’s first openly gay nominee for statewide office of any party.” [Axios]
It’s Friday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high near 79 and calm winds shifting to the south at 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Friday night, there’s a 70% chance of showers, mainly after 8pm, with temperatures dropping to around 64. Winds will be from the southeast at 8 mph, and new precipitation amounts may be less than a tenth of an inch. [NWS]
A new four-way traffic signal has been installed at a high-crash intersection near Lubber Run Community Center, capping off years of efforts to improve safety.
As of this week, the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive also has curb extensions on all corners, more street lighting and marked crosswalks at all crossings, according to a county webpage. These replace the interim safety measures previously installed to guide vehicles through the intersection.
A new long-term “blueprint” to dramatically expand Northern Virginia’s bus rapid transit lines calls for significant investment along core Arlington routes.
A draft Bus Rapid Transit Action Plan, unveiled yesterday (Wednesday) is meant to guide agencies throughout the region as they consider future transit investments. A proposed map of possible BRT lines envisions two routes connecting Columbia Pike to Crystal City and D.C., and another route running east from Falls Church into Rosslyn, across the Potomac River and into Georgetown.
