The streetcar plan has spawned a very vocal group of opponents. Many of those streetcar critics say that one of the alternatives from the analysis — articulated buses — is a cheaper and in some ways superior transportation option for Columbia Pike. Streetcar supporters disagree, however, and often point to economic development along streetcar corridors as the reason why rail is preferable.
Here is the unedited response from Bruce Shuttleworth:
To any of the ARLnow community who I may have “robocalled” during your dinner hour — sorry!
Here is the unedited response from incumbent Rep. Jim Moran:
I’ve dedicated my adult life to fighting for Northern Virginia; to strengthen our economy, promote social progress and safeguard our environment for future generations. Northern Virginia’s economy has been highly resilient through one of the worst downturns in U.S. history. Our proximity to the federal government, capitalizing on a creative class of technology entrepreneurs, government contractors and a diversity of small businesses has provided steady growth. We are now being challenged by conservative attempts to hollow out the federal government, regardless of the serious, negative, economic and societal impact it would have. I am using my role on the Appropriations Committee to fight to overcome these challenges and ensure that the 8th District remains the best place to work and live in the country.
Making a case for the large investment required to build a streetcar system, Hynes argued that the streetcar is part of Arlington’s “smart growth” philosophy.
“Traffic on many major Arlington streets is less than it was in 1970, even though our population has doubled in that time,” Hynes wrote. “The secret sauce is Arlington’s commitment to ‘smart growth’ planning — our commitment to transit-oriented development that keeps density along our transit corridors, while preserving neighborhoods. In fact, more than half of Arlington’s real property values are on just 11 percent of our land — our Metrorail corridors. It is a philosophy that is the backbone to Arlington’s success, the envy of many in the region and the nation.”
ARLnow.com suffered technical problems around 6:30 tonight and we’re still working to get everything up and working again.
Articles and the home page were inaccessible from 6:30 until about 10:00 p.m. As of 10:25 p.m., we have restored most of the site, but we’re still trying to recover articles, comments and forum posts from the past 24 hours. Please be aware that there’s a risk that comments posted between tonight and tomorrow morning may be lost as we work to recover data.
Editor’s Note: This periodic sponsored Q&A column is written by Adam Gallegos of Arlington-based real estate firm Arbour Realty. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com. Please submit follow-up questions in the comments section or via email.
Lisa says she’d like to know the following about Ballston Mall:
Does asking developers to contribute to affordable housing funds or to pay for improvements to nearby roads constitute “official corruption?”
That’s what Arlington resident and conservative political activist Morton C. Blackwell suggested in a letter to the editor of the Washington Times last week.
“‘Public land for public good’ is a battle cry making its way up the Arlington agenda,” writes Charlie Clark in his Our Man in Arlington column for the Falls Church News-Press.
The idea, Clark reports, is that existing county-owned land should be used to create affordable housing, reducing the cost of affordable developments by eliminating the need to purchase land from private landholders. Advocates say both unused and already-developed county-owned parcels could be utilized for affordable housing. For instance, an affordable apartment building could be built atop a surface parking lot or a fire station.
Here is the unedited response from Audrey Clement (I):
I’m eight year resident of Arlington County with a doctorate in Political Science and service as a Congressional Fellow. As a long time Green Party leader and civic activist, I’ve worked hard to promote a better quality of life for Arlington residents. As treasurer of the Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation, I filed suit in 2009 to compel VDOT to assess alternatives to piecemeal widening of I-66 westbound. In 2008 I helped to place a referendum on the ballot to consolidate Arlington’s housing programs in one agency to leverage more money for affordable housing. I’ve lobbied to create a year round homeless shelter and ban plastic bags in supermarkets and chain drug stores and Styrofoam in food retail outlets.
Here is the unedited response from Mark Kelly (R):
We need a new voice on the County Board to keep Arlington a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
Here is the unedited response from Libby Garvey (D):
Like many ArlNow readers, I believe this is a pivotal time in Arlington. We are a vibrant, energetic community – without a doubt, Arlington is a great place to live and do business. But the years ahead present very real challenges and opportunities for our community as well as some very significant decision points for our community’s leaders.
“The time to accelerate our withdrawal from Afghanistan has arrived,” said Moran, a senior member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. “Afghanistan is not a threat to the United States — Osama bin Laden is dead and there are fewer than 50 al Qaeda operating along the border with Pakistan.”
Moran then referenced a week-long trip he took to the Afghanistan/Pakistan region last month.
