It was an especially busy week for thieves in Arlington County. At least 32 cars were broken into in the past seven days, according to the latest Arlington County crime report.
LARCENY FROM AUTO (SERIES) 01/06/11, 3200 block of Wilson Boulevard. On January 6 between 8 pm an 9 pm, an unknown subject broke into at least four vehicles in the same area. Various items were stolen. There are no known suspects.
Arlington Police make at least one arrest per day thanks to the cameras, which snap photos of passing license plates and compare them to a database of stolen cars and wanted subjects. According to an article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times earlier this week, the cameras can process up to 100,000 license plates per hour.
“It’s quick and efficient,” Arlington police Capt. Kevin Reardon told the Times.
“Is there any point at which that will formally and permanently be canceled?” a caller asked the governor, adding that single-occupant hybrids “clog up” the HOV lanes during rush hour.
McDonnell, who signed a one-year extension of the law in March, noted that the law was “put in place in previous administrations… to create an incentive for using fuel-efficient cars.”
The Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge will begin accepting video applications on Jan. 3. The contest, organized by Arlington County Commuter Services, is seeking two drivers who are skeptical about ditching their cars but willing to try it out for 30 days.
Applications will be accepted from Jan. 3 to Feb. 28. In addition to submitting a 30 second to two minute YouTube video, would-be skeptics will be asked to fill out an application, provide photos, and answer questions about why they think they’re the county’s biggest car-free skeptic.
It’s now surrounded by a small army of orange barrels, but this sinkhole on Columbia Pike at the intersection with South Wakefield Street claimed at least one car’s muffler this morning.
Heavy rains apparently caused the patched-up section of roadway to sink, while the older, existing road stayed at the same level. So it must have been quite the jolt when one driver we talked to hit it at full speed, causing his muffler to fly off.
Happy World Car Free Day — As mentioned earlier, it’s Car Free Day, the day in which car commuters are encouraged to consider alternatives to driving solo to work. Thousands of people in the DC area have signed a pledge to keep their car at home today, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. If leaving the car at home doesn’t sound fun enough on its own merits, there will be a Car Free Day party from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Capital Bikeshare station at Crystal Drive and 23rd Street in Crystal City.
Arlington Issues Hundreds of Texting Citations — According to the Washington Examiner, Arlington County police issued 131 citations for texting while driving during the first half of the year. Texting while driving is illegal in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland.
The Washington area is among the 1,500 locales recognizing World Car Free Day today. It’s a “fun and worthwhile event” that challenges commuters to leave their car at home.
