Arlington officials are working to modernize outdoor drinking fountains in county parks, but acknowledge the effort will take time.
It could be into the 2030s before all fountains are converted to year-round use, the Park and Recreation Commission was told on June 16.
Arlingtonians’ views of the county government performance and overall quality of life have not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, a new survey confirms.
While improving from the last resident-satisfaction survey conducted in 2022, overall grades on six key metrics remain down from 2018, according to data presented June 17 to County Board members.
It could now be 2027 before any community task force is empaneled to consider structural changes to county governance.
A timetable put in place last December suggested that a task force could be appointed sometime in the second half of 2026. But getting past a number of procedural steps has taken longer than anticipated, County Board members were told at their June 17 meeting.
Recent trends in Arlington’s hotel-occupancy and room rates are pointing modestly upward after a downturn in 2025.
For the first four months of 2026, the county’s hotel-occupancy rate was up 2% year-over-year, while the revenue per available room was up nearly 6%, according to new data.
Glencarlyn residents used the weekend to celebrate their community, get an early start on the nation’s 250th birthday and express concerns about ongoing issues.
The two-day Glencarlyn Neighborhood Days event is an annual opportunity for the South Arlington community to both reflect and look forward.
County officials are preparing for the final phase of a nearly 20-year effort to improve conditions for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists along Wilson Blvd.
“The goal is to start in late summer — late July or sometime in August,” said Gabriela Kock, the county government’s project manager for the streetscape project.
Community leaders and neighborhood residents celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Aurora Hills branch library on Saturday.
Megan Wianecki, manager of the branch library, said the day’s events were not just a celebration of the centennial, but all those who support the library and community.
Costs for the Arlington 55+ Travel program aren’t going up as much as first proposed, but they’re still rising and future increases are likely.
As part of the fiscal 2027 budget process, County Board members approved a 25% increase in fees charged by the 55+ Travel program, operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Arlington County has retained the highest possible credit rating for the 26th year in a row.
All three major bond-rating agencies — Moody’s, S&P Global and Fitch Ratings — reaffirmed the county’s Aaa/AAA/AAA debt ratings this week, the county announced this morning. Arlington is one of just 54 counties nationwide, and one of 13 in Virginia, to hold the top mark from all three.
Arlington’s level of homelessness was largely stable from 2025 to 2026, but the number of those considered chronically homeless showed a year-over-year increase.
A total of 29 single adults in Arlington were counted as chronically homeless in this year’s Point-in-Time Survey, a one-night regional tally of those experiencing homelessness across the region. That’s up from 23 a year before.
A local environmental advocacy organization hopes to breathe new life into its efforts.
Supporters of the Arlington Tree Action Group (ATAG) met online May 14 to consider specific initiatives and, potentially, a broader mission. The goal, leader Mary Glass said, was to take a fresh look at the local civic landscape and ATAG’s place within it.
Later this year, Arlington will mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and salute the efforts of public-safety personnel who saved innumerable lives at the Pentagon that day.
No police officers, sheriff’s deputies or fire department personnel lost their lives at the Pentagon that day. But last Friday’s Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony was a reminder that many would carry physical and emotional scars of 9/11 with them for years to come.
