HOT lanes | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published December 28, 2010 at 8:02AM

Chamber Questions HOT Lanes Lawsuit — The Arlington Chamber of Commerce says ending the county’s lawsuit against the I-395 HOT lanes project is one of its public policy priorities for 2011. “We find it kind of bizarre that the county has taken the actions that they have,” Chamber President Rich Doud told the Washington Examiner. “As far as I can tell, they don’t have many friends agreeing with them on this from outside Arlington, and I guess counting us, not many friends inside Arlington, either.”

Costly Sunday Snow Preps — Arlington County brought in 150 employees over a 24 hour period to prepare for an expected Sunday snowstorm. The snow ended up skipping the Washington area on its way up to Philly, New York and New England. More from TBD.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 20, 2010 at 6:00AM

Santa Visits Cherrydale — More than 300 children swarmed the Cherrydale Fire Station on Sunday afternoon, taking home free presents, stuffed stockings and fresh memories of Santa Claus. The children were beneficiaries of the 80th annual Christmas celebration sponsored by the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department. — Michael Doyle

End in Sight For HOT Lanes Suit? — After more than $1 million in legal costs, could the county’s lawsuit over HOT lanes on I-395 be nearing an end? Arlington “has had several positive negotiations that could lead to a settlement outside of court,” reports Ben Giles of the Washington Examiner, citing an interview with County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac.

News

Va. Transportation Chief: No Money For I-395 Improvements

By ARLnow.com

Published November 22, 2010 at 9:22AM

Virginia’s transportation chief is gently nudging the federal government for road money while tweaking Arlington’s HOT Lanes lawsuit.

In an interview with WTOP, Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton said that the planned shift of 6,400 Department of Defense jobs to Alexandria’s Mark Center is turning I-395 into a “military corridor.” He quickly added that the state does not have money for any major improvements to the highway, despite dire predictions of heavy congestion as a result of the Mark Center move.

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Arlington Delegation Responds to HOT Lanes Letter

By ARLnow.com

Published September 16, 2010 at 1:49PM

In subdued, measured language, the letter states support for “properly designed and managed HOT lanes,” but urges the state to “come to the table and negotiate in good faith.” The letter cites “legitimate environmental impact concerns” and “technical issues that must be resolved if the project is to achieve its goal of moving people through the corridor efficiently” as justification for the county’s resistance to the project.

Noticeably absent from the letter is any defense of the lawsuit’s “outrageous claims of conspiracy and racism” that the original letter — sent by Republican House Speaker Bill Howell and Democratic Senate President Pro-Tempore Chuck Colgan — railed against.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 15, 2010 at 5:42AM

Library Sets Summer Reading Record — A record 5,305 Arlington students read 24,782 books over the summer as part of the Arlington Public Library’s “Summer of Reading.” More from the Library Blog.

Moran to Hold “Women’s Issues Conference” — Newscaster Maureen Bunyan will join Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) at a conference on women’s issues next Saturday. The conference will feature workshops like “How Health Insurance Reform Will Affect You” and “Car Care 101.” It’s being held at Kenmore Middle School (200 S. Carlin Springs Rd) from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sept. 25. Details here.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2010 at 5:00AM

Examiner Keeps Blasting Arlington on HOT Lanes — Arlington’s million dollar HOT lane lawsuit continues to cause blood to boil at the Washington Examiner. This time, the Examiner hammers away at county board member Chris Zimmerman for his role on the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board. Zimmerman is up for reelection this year, of course. More from the Washington Examiner.

Courthouse Hookah Bar Could Open By This Weekend — It seems impossibly speedy, but TBD reports that Adam’s Corner, the new hookah bar being launched by the owner of nearby Chez Manelle restaurant, could open to the public by the end of this week. Adam’s Corner will serve light fare and drinks (a liquor license is in the works), and will allow hookah smoking on the wooden deck outside. More from TBD.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 31, 2010 at 8:16AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 3:28PM

Trio of Editorials Against HOT Lane Lawsuit — Arlington County’s $1 million lawsuit against the planned I-395 HOT lanes project is getting more bad press from local newspapers. Letters to the editor in the Sun Gazette and the Washington Post have both panned the county’s decision to add a federal highway employee to the lawsuit in his professional and personal capacities. And an editorial in the Washington Examiner called the lawsuit a “peevish jeremiad to block HOT lanes on Shirley Highway.” Ouch. All three have been published in just the past 36 hours.

Metrorail Operator Caught Texting in Arlington — Unsuck DC Metro published a photo that purports to show a Metrorail employee texting while operating a Blue Line train in Arlington. The incident happened Saturday morning, a tipster told the site.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 20, 2010 at 4:10AM

Arlington Awarded HUD Homelessness Grant — Arlington County has been awarded a $540,000 competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The money will help homeless families reunite or remain united by providing them with housing vouchers. With the family placed into housing, the children will no longer need to be placed into foster care. The vouchers will also be used by youth exiting the foster care system. A total of 50 individuals and families are expected to benefit. More from Arlington County.

Virginia Hospital Center Cheaper Than Inova Fairfax — Bloomberg reporter Peter Waldman takes a look at the impact of local hospital monopolies on the cost of medical procedures. According to the article, the average cost of a conventional birth at Arlington’s Virginia Hospital Center is $5,100, compared to $6,750 at Inova Fairfax. An abdominal CT scan costs $1,150 at Virginia Hospital Center, but costs $2,300 at Inova Fairfax. One analyst said the price difference is a result of Inova’s dominance in Northern Virginia.

Traffic

WaPo Editorial: Va. Should Conduct HOT Lanes Study

By ARLnow.com

Published June 15, 2010 at 12:17PM

In an editorial today, the Washington Post questions the basis for Arlington County’s $750,000 lawsuit against the proposed high occupancy toll lanes on I-395. But after calling the lawsuit’s racial claims “a doozy” and asserting the need for more capacity along I-395 and I-95, the Post says that Virginia and the Feds should accede to Arlington’s request for a full environmental impact study.

The request is “reasonable,” the Post editorial board writes, while adding that “once [the study] is complete, Arlington should stand down before it throws further taxpayer dollars down into the sinkhole of litigation.”

News

After Bankrolling Lawsuit, Taxpayers May Be Billed For HOT Lane Construction

By ARLnow.com

Published June 14, 2010 at 6:42AM

In an ironic twist, Arlington taxpayers, who have already paid nearly three quarters of a million dollars to fight the state and federal plan to build high occupancy toll lanes on I-395, may end up partially footing the bill for the eventual construction of the lanes.

Uriah Kiser of InsideNoVA.com reports that state transportation officials are considering a plan that would use taxpayer dollars to supplement private funding for the construction of HOT lanes. Previously, officials had said that the lanes would be wholly funded by a private company, in exchange for a long-term lease on the lanes.

News

As Governor Makes HOT Lane Push, Companies Donate to GOP

By Uriah Kiser

Published June 7, 2010 at 4:50PM

The Texas-based engineering firm Fluor and Australian toll road developer Transurban collectively donated $20,000 to Virginia’s GOP in May, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Neither company donated to Democrats in the most recent reporting period, according to VPAP records.

The money comes as Governor Robert McDonnell and state transportation officials are pushing to resurrect a plan to replace HOV lanes with High Occupancy Toll lanes on both highways. The lanes on I-95 would then be extended from Dumfries to Spotsylvania County to make a 56-mile toll road, which would compliment HOT lanes now being built on the Capital Beltway, between Springfield and Dulles Toll Road, by the same two companies.

Around Town

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 7, 2010 at 6:01AM

It’s Pride Week In Arlington — June 7-13 is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Week in Arlington. County Board Chairman Jay Fisette, Virginia’s first openly gay elected official, signed the proclamation on Wednesday. Arlington’s pride week is timed to coincide with the larger Capital Pride Week. An Arlington “Pride Social” will be held at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant (555 South 23rd Street) from 6:00 to 9:00 Friday night.

AGLA Board: “Decline to Sign” — The Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance is urging supporters to “decline to sign” the hotly-debated change-of-government petition. The AGLA and other petition critics say a change in the county’s form of government would, as a result of the Dillon Rule, eliminate Arlington’s ability to stop discrimination based on sexual orientation.