News

Lost Dog Cafe Expanding — The Lost Dog Cafe location on Columbia Pike is expanding. The restaurant is taking over the space once occupied by an adjacent cell phone store. [Pike Wire]

Changes to ‘Secure Communities’ — The federal government is changing the ‘Secure Communities’ program to “avoid further confusion” about whether it’s optional or not. Arlington tried to “opt out” of the program — which shares local arrest data with federal immigration authorities — last year. The program will remain mandatory for local jurisdictions, but now it will be conducted without formal, signed memoranda of agreement with individual states. [Washington Post]


Around Town

As we reported earlier this month, the meeting will seek input on 33 potential sites for Bikeshare stations throughout the corridor. In addition those sites, the county is also soliciting suggestion for other station locations via an interactive ‘crowdsourced’ map.

The selection criteria for new stations stipulate that the stations get 4+ hours of direct sunlight daily, be on flat ground and avoid creating “a dangerous situation for street users,” among other requirements. A total of 30 stations are expected to be built over the next year.


News

With about 30 new Capital Bikeshare stations planned for the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor over the next 6-12 months, the county is seeking input as to where exactly the new stations should go.

Planners have already identified 33 potential CaBi expansion sites throughout the corridor. They have now scheduled a public meeting to discuss the proposed station locations and to gather additional location suggestions. The selection criteria for new stations stipulate that the stations get 4+ hours of direct sunlight daily, be on flat ground and avoid creating “a dangerous situation for street users,” among other requirements.


News

Smoke at Crystal City Metro Station — Firefighters from Arlington, Alexandria and Fort Myer responded to a report of smoke on the mezzanine level of the Crystal City Metro station around 3:30 p.m. yesterday. The smoke, it turns out, came from a faulty elevator belt, not from a fire. Just as quickly as they arrived, firefighters packed up their gear and headed back to their stations.

More Costs for Arlington Energy Plan — It will cost almost $500,000 in consultant fees and staff salaries to implement Arlington’s ambitious Community Energy Plan over the next year. The plan, which is designed to reduce the county’s greenhouse gas emissions, is up for adoption by the County Board on Tuesday. [Sun Gazette]


Around Town

The site uses pie chart-style icons on a map to represent the number of bikes available at each station compared to the number of available bike docks. Clicking on a station gives you the option of seeing historical usage data for each station.

A map on the Capital Bikeshare web site will only display bike availability data after you click on an icon for the station.


Opinion

But to those who own cars and frequently utilize street parking, even the loss of a couple of parking spaces in a crowded area like Rosslyn can seem like an encroachment. Doubly so if you don’t believe Bikeshare is an efficient use of tax dollars.

Thus, when someone at the Arlington County Republican Committee observed the loss of eight parking spaces for CaBi’s four new Rosslyn locations, he or she took to blogosphere to vent.


Events

The event is being held at the Bikeshare station at Fort Myer Drive and Wilson Boulevard. From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Bikeshare representatives will be demonstrating how the system works and giving away bike maps, CaBi schwag and one-day membership coupons.

The three other locations where Bikeshare stations were installed this weekend are North Lynn Street and 19th Street, North Pierce Street and Clarendon Boulevard, and North Rhodes and 16th Street North.


News

Capital Bikeshare Stations Launch in Rosslyn — Four Capital Bikeshare stations were quietly installed around Rosslyn on Saturday. There were no public notices or proclamations before the installation — unlike earlier in the week when officials announced that four stations were to be installed on Wednesday. The county followed up that announcement with a notice that the installation was delayed indefinitely. Update at 12:05 p.m. — See info on the installations from Bike Arlington. [Patch]

Humpback Bridge Work Nears Completion — The National Park Service expects construction on the Humpback Bridge reconstruction project to wrap up in mid-June. The final construction phase will allow a full merge from I-395 onto the northbound GW Parkway. [WTOP]


News

It’s official: four Capital Bikeshare stations will open in Rosslyn and Courthouse on Wednesday.

The long-anticipated CaBi roll-out along the Orange Line will eventually result in 30 stations and 200 bikes added by the end of 2011, according to Arlington County. Crystal City and Pentagon City are already home to 14 CaBi stations.


Around Town

Capital Bikeshare stations are coming “very soon” to the Rosslyn, Courthouse and Clarendon areas, according to BikeArlington Program Manager Chris Eatough. Some sort of announcement about Capital Bikeshare’s expansion into North Arlington may come on Monday, Eatough hinted.

Previous reports have suggested that 20-30 Bikeshare stations may be installed along the Wilson Boulevard corridor by the end of the year. Crystal City and Pentagon City are already home to 14 CaBi stations.


News

Capital Bikeshare Stations Coming to R-B Corridor — Crystal City and Pentagon City have had all the Capital Bikeshare fun so far, but now it’s North Arlington’s turn. The approximate locations for the first four Bikeshare stations in Rosslyn and Courthouse have been decided, with installation expected to take place next month. Also decided: the stations will be placed on the street, likely replacing existing parking spaces. [People-Powered Arlington, TBD]

Bill Could Make Common Traffic Offenses Misdemeanors — If a bill currently under consideration in the Virginia General Assembly becomes law, it could make rolling stops at traffic lights and other common traffic offenses misdemeanors punishable by jail time or a hefty fine. The bill is intended to give police the flexibility of charging drivers with reckless driving when a specific situation warrants. Supporters, including Del. David Englin (D), say the bill could help improve pedestrian safety. [We Love DC, Richmond Sunlight]


News

Will Capital Bikeshare Experience Distribution Problems? — Due to the one-way flow of commuters, bike share programs tend to experience some degree of distribution problems. At any given time, some stations will be full of bikes, making it impossible to return one, while other stations will be empty, making it impossible to rent one. Such a situation forces bike share officials to manually move bikes from place to place, adding costs to the system. More from TheCityFix blog.

Moran Throws Racy Fundraiser — Rep. Jim Moran is pitching a night at the theater for big donors — but they have to leave the kids at home. For $2,400, donors get two tickets to the anti-Vietnam War musical “Hair” at the Kennedy Center, along with an invite to a pre-show dinner reception. But the offer comes with a warning: “Please note: this performance contains strong language, mature content and brief nudity.” More from Politico.


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