ART bus | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published August 9, 2019 at 7:30AM | Updated August 9, 2019 at 7:47AM

County Releases Statement on ART Crashes — “We are incredibly thankful that no one was seriously injured in these incidents, which the County and ART take very seriously. ART’s number one priority is the safety of our riders and others on the road.” [Arlington County]

More I-395 Nighttime Closures — “Motorists should expect significant lane closures on the general purpose lanes along I-395 North this weekend, August 9-11, from Duke Street (Exit 3) to past Pentagon City/Crystal City (Exit 8C) for bridge rehabilitation work along the I-395 corridor.” [Press Release]

News

BREAKING: ART Bus Careens into Community Garden After Crash

By ARLnow.com

Published August 8, 2019 at 3:20PM | Updated August 8, 2019 at 4:20PM

Crash involving ART bus at 10th Street and N. Barton Street

(Updated at 4:20 p.m.) An Arlington Transit bus has careened into the Barton Street community garden after a crash near Courthouse.

The crash happened around 3:05 p.m. at the intersection of 10th Street N. and N. Barton Street.

News

BREAKING: ART Bus Rolls Into Building on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Published August 6, 2019 at 1:00PM | Updated August 6, 2019 at 2:19PM

Aftermath of out-of-control ART bus crash along Columbia Pike

(Updated at 2:20 p.m.) An out-of-control Arlington Transit bus rolled into a number of parked vehicles and into a building along Columbia Pike.

The crash happened around noon today at the intersection of the Pike and S. George Mason Drive.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published July 3, 2019 at 7:30AM

Kayakers in the Potomac near Rosslyn and the future Arlington boathouse (Flickr pool photo by Lisa Novak)

Incubator Leaving Crystal City — “Startup incubator 1776 plans to open its new D.C. location this year and will ultimately shut down its Crystal City location. 1776 spokesman Lucas McCanna said the company will relocate to ‘the general McPherson Square area,’ but declined to give a specific address.” [Washington Business Journal]

AAA: Worst Times for Independence Day Travel — “Holiday travelers hailing from the area will face absolute gridlock along key freeway segments starting [today], July 3. Topping the list of the worst corridors for those departing Wednesday, July 3, is Interstate 270 northbound.” [Press Release]

Around Town

ART To Build Bus Sculpture from Canned Foods in Ballston

By Airey

Published May 14, 2019 at 5:30PM | Updated May 17, 2019 at 11:03AM

(Updated on 05/17/19) A new bus will arrive tomorrow in Ballston, but the only place it’s going is to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC).

Arlington Transit (ART) is organizing a “food drive” for AFAC by building a 10’x10′ bus sculpture from canned food to celebrate the transit agency’s 20th anniversary, per a press release. ART will then donate the food to AFAC after disassembling the sculpture.

News

Survey Says Arlington Commuters Want Reliable Transit Info

By Airey

Published May 7, 2019 at 4:15PM

An Arlington Transit (ART) bus outside the Ballston Metro station (staff photo)

A recently-released report recommends that Arlington County improve its delivery of real-time transit information.

The Department of Environmental Services’ Mobility Lab released a 245-page report calling for changes to the way the county shares real-time arrival information. Respondents to a survey said the information was valuable, but they wanted additional updates and more data.

News

Study on Replacing Some Arlington Buses with Uber, Lyft Wrapping Up Soon

By Airey

Published April 17, 2019 at 9:55AM

An Arlington Transit (ART) bus outside the Ballston Metro station (staff photo)

(Updated 10:05 a.m.) Arlington will soon release the results of a study on whether Uber and Lyft should replace some bus routes in certain areas of the county.

At the end of May officials are expected to conclude its “Parameters Study for Zone-Based Demand-Responsive (Flex) Transit Service,” per a county spokesman. The study will help officials weigh whether ride-hailing companies can replace some bus service in areas experiencing low bus ridership.

News

New Budget Proposal Calls for Service Cuts Along Two Arlington Transit Bus Routes

By Alex Koma

Published February 27, 2019 at 4:30PM

An Arlington Transit (ART) bus outside the Ballston Metro station (staff photo)

Arlington Transit could soon roll back some of its bus service on two different routes, with county officials arguing that ridership isn’t robust enough on the routes to justify keep them going.

County Manager Mark Schwartz is proposing the service reductions in his first draft of a new county budget for fiscal year 2020, which he forwarded on to the County Board for consideration last week.

News

County Eyes Legal Action to Recover $200,000 Payment Connected to Canceled Land Deal

By Alex Koma

Published February 5, 2019 at 10:00AM

Arlington officials could soon be headed to court to claw back $200,000 the county handed over as part of a since-canceled agreement to buy a two-acre property in Fairfax County.

The County Board agreed back in 2016 to buy several parcels of land along the 6700 block of Electronic Drive in Springfield, with plans to use the property as space for a new maintenance facility for its Arlington Transit buses.

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Contractor Raises Salaries for County Bus Drivers, In Bid to Reverse ART’s Recent Shortage

By Alex Koma

Published January 31, 2019 at 3:30PM

An Arlington Transit (ART) bus in Ballston (file photo)

As Arlington’s bus service grapples with a shortage of drivers, the company responsible for doing the hiring says it’s bumping up starting salaries to lure more applicants.

Arlington Transit told riders last week that a lack of bus drivers has been a prime factor in a series of service delays over the last few months, putting most of the blame on the National Express Transit Corporation, the company that employs the drivers.

News

Arlington Transit Blames Bus Driver Shortage, Maintenances Woes for Recent Service Disruptions

By Alex Koma

Published January 24, 2019 at 4:15PM

An ART bus (file photo via Arlington Transit Facebook)

Arlington’s bus service says a shortage of drivers and persistent maintenance problems are to blame for its struggles in providing consistent service these last few months.

Arlington Transit issued a statement to riders this past Friday (Jan. 18), explaining that some problems with the service’s contractor have caused a variety of “missed trips” recently.

News

Arlington Transit Struggles With More Real-Time Bus Tracking Glitches

By Alex Koma

Published January 18, 2019 at 3:45PM

Arlington Transit’s real-time bus tracking service has been plagued by more technical difficulties this week, and county officials say they’re still unsure when they’ll find a permanent fix.

ART notified riders Wednesday morning (Jan. 16) that it was experiencing “intermittent problems” with the service, which is designed to let riders know how long they need to wait for another bus to arrive.