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ART Buses Crash at Nearly the Same Rate as Metrobuses

Published December 22, 2014 at 1:30PM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:40PM

According to crash statistics provided by Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services, ART buses have had 26 “preventable accidents” this year, a rate of 2.23 accidents per 100,000 miles of revenue service. This number accounts for minor scrapes, including incidents in the ART bus depot.

ART bus drivers came under renewed scrutiny last week when one was charged with reckless driving after causing a seven-car crash on Columbia Pike last week, sending four people to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. That driver, 26-year-old Agere Sileshi, had been driving in “revenue service” for four weeks, and is “currently on administrative leave,” according to DES spokesman Eric Balliet.

Traffic

UPDATED: ART Bus Driver Charged After Seven-Vehicle Wreck

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 15, 2014 at 6:25PM | Updated July 11, 2017 at 4:44PM

(Updated at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday) Seven vehicles — five cars, an ART bus and a mixing truck — were involved in a collision at about 5:45 p.m. at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S. Dinwiddie Street.

According to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Lt. Kip Malcolm, the ART bus was in the parking lot of Columbia Pike Plaza when a car turned in front of it. The ART bus, driven by 26-year-old Agere Sileshi, struck the car, at which point Sileshi lost control of the bus, Malcolm said.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 26, 2014 at 10:00AM

New Tot Playground Opens — An upgraded tot playground with “education-themed amenities” has opened at Chestnut Hills Park, at 2807 N. Harrison Street. [InsideNova]

H-B Woodlawn Student Scores School Musical — Calista Garcia, an 8th grade student at H-B Woodlawn, produced the score for the school’s fall musical, “Lizzy Strata.” Garcia is also the lead singer and guitarist for an all-girl rock band, the Diamond Dolls. [Washington Post]

Around Town

ACPD Reunites Mom With Four-Year-Old Stranded on ART Bus

By Ethan Rothstein

Published September 29, 2014 at 2:30PM | Updated September 29, 2014 at 3:03PM

(Updated at 3:00 p.m.) A 4-year-old boy was separated from his mother after an ART bus drove away with him on it and her still at the Ballston Metro station this afternoon.

The mother was folding up her infant’s stroller and preparing to get on the ART 52 bus when the boy and an adult male boarded. The bus driver assumed the man was the 4-year-old’s father, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. The bus driver then “took off” without the rest of the small child’s family.

News

UPDATED: ART Bus Overturns Near Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published May 12, 2014 at 5:45PM | Updated May 13, 2014 at 1:17PM

(Updated at 1:10 p.m. on 5/13/14) Police and firefighters are on the scene of an overturned Arlington Transit bus in South Arlington.

The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. on S. Dinwiddie Street in the area of 7th Road S. Initial reports suggested that a natural gas-powered ART bus struck a tree and overturned.

News

New Crystal City-Courthouse Bus Route Launches Next Week

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 24, 2014 at 11:00AM | Updated March 24, 2014 at 11:59AM

ART Bus (file photo)

ART 43 will run from the Crystal City Metro Station to the Crystal City VRE station and Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro Stations between 5:55 a.m. and 8:55 a.m. and 3:20 to 7:17 p.m. starting March 31.

The bus will only run during rush hour on weekdays; there’s no planned off-peak or weekend service yet. The bus schedule indicates a 20-minute travel time from the Crystal City Metro stop to Courthouse.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 18, 2014 at 9:00AM

Board to Consider $6.6 Million Homeless Shelter Contract — County staff is recommending that the Arlington County Board approve a $6.6 million contract for construction of the new year-round homeless shelter in Courthouse. The contract includes a $1.1 million construction contingency to cover overages. The contract is “within budget,” a county spokeswoman said. The new Homeless Services Center will include 50 year-round beds, 5 medical respite beds and an additional 25 beds for winter months. [Arlington County]

Hike in ART, STAR Fees Proposed — Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan has proposed a hike in fees for the county’s ART and STAR transportation systems. The base fare for ART buses would increase from $1.50 to $1.75 under Donnellan’s proposal. [Sun Gazette]

News

Schools, Federal Offices Closed Due to Snowstorm

By ARLnow.com

Published February 13, 2014 at 2:00AM

All school extracurricular activities, adult education classes and Dept. of Parks and Recreation classes are canceled.

Most ART bus service in the morning has been canceled, although Arlington Transit will try to keep ART 51 service running between Ballston Metro station and Virginia Hospital Center. “ART will restore other service tomorrow as street conditions permit,” the agency said.

Schools

Wednesday: APS Closed, Feds Delay Opening, ART Service Limited

By ARLnow.com

Published January 21, 2014 at 10:20PM | Updated January 22, 2014 at 8:33AM

Update at 8:15 a.m. — County government offices and courts will open at 10:00 a.m. From Arlington Alert: “County plows are working around the clock, but road conditions remain slippery. If you must drive, please exercise caution.”

Arlington Public Schools will be closed Wednesday.

News

Feds Close, County Gov’t Remains Open

By ARLnow.com

Published January 21, 2014 at 7:55AM

Non-emergency federal employees will have the day off, unless their office requires them to telework.

“Telework-Ready Employees who are scheduled to perform telework on the effective day of the announcement or who are required to perform telework on a day when Federal offices are closed must telework the entire workday or request leave, or a combination of both, in accordance with their agency’s policies and procedures, subject to any applicable collective bargaining requirements,” according to the Office of Personnel Management.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2014 at 10:15AM

Zimmerman Pushes Back Last Day — County Board member Chris Zimmerman’s last day in office will be Feb. 10, rather than late January as originally planned. As a result, the special election to replace him on the Board will likely have to be held in early April. [Sun Gazette]

Henry Elementary Wins Accolade — Arlington’s Patrick Henry Elementary School, in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, has been recognized as a Title I Distinguished School. “Henry is one of 55 schools honored for raising the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students,” Arlington Public Schools said in an email.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 20, 2013 at 9:10AM

Chamber Doesn’t Support ‘Kings Dominion Rule’ Change — The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is supporting two out of three items on Arlington Public Schools’ 2014 state legislative agenda. The chamber supports in-state tuition for immigrant students who are working toward legal status in the U.S., and higher state funding for Northern Virginia schools. It did not support, however, a change in the law that would allow Virginia school systems to start school before Labor Day. [Sun Gazette]

Another John Boehner Spotting at Guapo’s — Speaker of the House John Boehner was again spotted at Guapo’s restaurant in Shirlington last week, just a couple of days after a bipartisan budget deal was announced. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]