bicycling | ARLnow.com

Section of Custis Trail Near Bon Air Park to Close for a Year

Published September 12, 2019 at 2:30PM | Updated September 12, 2019 at 3:23PM

(Updated at 3:15 p.m.) A portion of the Custis Trail in Arlington will be soon detoured for the next year as crews continue to work on the widening of Interstate 66.

Starting Monday, September 16, trail riders and walkers will not be able to follow the Custis under I-66 where the trail now passes near Bon Air Park until fall 2020, per the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Instead, the department will detour people over the highway via an existing pedestrian bridge about 750 feet from the underpass.

Traffic

Cyclist Struck Near Pentagon City Costco

By ARLnow.com

Published September 6, 2019 at 1:15PM | Updated September 6, 2019 at 1:58PM

Cyclist struck in Pentagon City

(Updated at 2 p.m.) Police and firefighters are on scene of a cyclist struck by a driver in the Pentagon City area.

The incident happened around 1 p.m. at the intersection of 15th Street S. and S. Fern Street, across from the Costco parking lot.

News

National Park Service: E-Bikes Now Allowed on Mt. Vernon Trail

By Kalina Newman

Published September 4, 2019 at 9:00AM

Cyclists can now ride e-bikes around national parks, including the Mt. Vernon Trail along the GW Parkway, thanks to a recent policy change from the National Park Service.

“We think this is a very positive development, and we are hopeful that this serves as a push for Arlington’s parks department to allow e-bikes everywhere,” said Henry Dunbar, director of active transportation for Bike Arlington.

Schools

Back to School Traffic Changes Planned Across Arlington

By Vernon Miles

Published August 30, 2019 at 1:45PM

The school year for Arlington Public Schools starts up again on Tuesday (Sept. 3), and there are a variety of traffic changes around the county for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians to be aware of.

There are several new traffic patterns around new and newly-repurposed schools. At Dorothy Hamm Middle School in Cherrydale, there are new traffic signals and signs, crosswalks and crossing guards near the school at 4100 Vacation Lane. At The Heights Building on Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn, students will be arriving at buses on 18th Street N., which will be closed to the public The Montessori Public School of Arlington on S. Highland Street is now a countywide school, meaning more buses will be at the school.

Around Town

Widened Section of the Custis Trail Now Open in Rosslyn

By Vernon Miles

Published August 29, 2019 at 10:00AM

Cyclist on the Custis Trail in Rosslyn before widening

The widened stretch of the Custis Trail through Rosslyn finally opened to pedestrian and cyclist traffic late yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.

The new improvements widen the Custis Trail along westbound Lee Highway from N. Lynn and N. Oak streets, a popular stretch of the trail that connects the Metro corridor to the Key Bridge and the Mount Vernon Trail.

News

Cycling Advocates Want Amazon to Add Protected Bike Lane Outside HQ2

By Airey

Published August 13, 2019 at 4:35PM | Updated September 6, 2019 at 7:53PM

The current stretch of 15th Street S. near the future HQ2 features an unprotected bike lane (Image via Google Maps)

Advocates want Amazon to help build a protected bike lane in Pentagon City as part of the development of its second headquarters.

Advocacy group Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County wants Amazon pay for the new protected bike lane in exchange for added density for the two office towers the company is planning for the Metropolitan Park site along S. Eads Street. The group is asking the county to consider the request as part of the site plan process for this first phase of HQ2.

News

New Capital Bikeshare Station Coming to DCA

By Airey

Published August 8, 2019 at 1:30PM

Bike Arlington marks where the new Capital Bikeshare station is slated to join Reagan National airport next year (Map via Google Maps)

A new Capital Bikeshare station is slated to arrive at Reagan National Airport sometime next year, officials say.

County and airport officials say they’ve agreed on a site adjacent to a parking garage, near Terminal B, for the Bikeshare station. The plan is now awaiting final approval from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

Events

Arlington Holding Transportation “Block Party” Along Columbia Pike

By Airey

Published August 8, 2019 at 11:05AM

A “block party” style event with a transportation theme is set for later this month along Columbia Pike.

Arlington County is hosting its third annual “Our Shared Street Pop-Up” on Thursday, August 22, in the parking lot at the intersection of S. Four Mile Run Drive and the Pike. The event will run from 5-7 p.m. that night, and will feature booths from transportation organizations with activities and answers to transportation questions.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 1, 2019 at 7:30AM

VDOT Repaving Planned This Month — “Upcoming @VaDOTNOVA night paving into August: Glebe Road, Spout Run Parkway, Washington Boulevard, Route 1 aka Richmond Highway aka the roadway formerly known as Jefferson Davis. Dates tentative, subject to change.” [Twitter]

ACPD Still Not Meeting Staffing Goal — The Arlington County Police Department has, on net, added a few new officers over the past year. But staffing challenges remain, echoing challenges for police departments across the region: ACPD currently has 352 officers despite a staffing goal of 374 officers. [NBC 4]

Around Town

Dark Star Park in Rosslyn Expands Its Orbit

By Vernon Miles

Published July 29, 2019 at 11:00AM

Rendering of closed slip lane (image via Arlington County)

Rosslyn’s Dark Star Park is growing and recently swallowed a nearby slip lane.

The park is notable for the somewhat strange concrete orbs and poles, designed to cast perfectly aligned shadows every August 1. The expansion of the park was planned as part of the Core of Rosslyn study, a project aimed at making Rosslyn’s street network more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly.

Traffic

ACPD Continues Bike Lane Ticketing Campaign

By ARLnow.com

Published July 25, 2019 at 11:00AM

Bike lane enforcement in Crystal City (photo via ACPD)

Even a large, electronic sign in Crystal City telling drivers there is “no stopping in bike or traffic lane” doesn’t seem to be deterring some from doing just that, right next to the sign.

But Arlington County Police are backing up the sign’s message with citations.

Traffic

Bicyclist Injured in Crash Along Arlington Blvd Ramp

By ARLnow.com

Published July 24, 2019 at 4:15PM

A police officer next to the bike involved in a crash on an Arlington Blvd ramp in Lyon Park

A cyclist was struck and injured along an on-ramp in the Lyon Park neighborhood this afternoon.

First responders were dispatched to a scene just after 3 p.m. today (Wednesday) for a report of a cyclist struck by a vehicle on the ramp to and from from eastbound Washington Blvd and westbound Arlington Blvd. The cyclist was in a crosswalk when he was struck by the driver, said Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Michael Sheeran.