Bus ridership on Arlington Transit (ART) was up about 1.1% in the fiscal year ending in June, despite being held back by a seven-week government shutdown.
The local bus system had a ridership total of 2,669,853 passengers for the 12 months ending June 30, according to figures from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. That’s up from the 2,640,152 riders a year before.
Arlington’s employment picture appears to be stabilizing after a tumultuous 18 months, during which the county lost thousands of jobs.
With 147,695 county residents employed in the county’s civilian workforce and 4,452 looking for jobs, the county’s jobless rate of 2.9% in July was down slightly from 3% a year before.
Total employment in Arlington decreased by 4.5% during the first year of the second Trump administration, tying with D.C. for the biggest drop nationwide.
The decline was part of a downward trend across the inner D.C. region in figures reported Aug. 28 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Removing overly burdensome business regulations was one theme of a recent gathering of Northern Virginia leaders.
“We need to not get in the way,” County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said at the 11th annual Northern Virginia Regional Elected Leaders Summit.
Dominion Hills and Boulevard Manor residents may get an upgrade to their water tower sooner rather than later.
Fairfax County supervisors have agreed to fast-track consideration of a new water tower serving a multi-jurisdictional region in the broader Seven Corners area, which also includes parts of the city of Falls Church.
Arlington’s tepid real estate market has been emblematic of Northern Virginia and the commonwealth as a whole this summer.
“We’re seeing a market where inventory is growing in some segments while remaining incredibly constrained in others,” said Ryan McLaughlin, CEO of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors.
Arlington residents should expect a couple more seasons of spotted lanternfly infestations before the invasive species’ numbers start to decline.
Birds, bats and perhaps even a specialized type of wasp will likely help to thin the ranks of the lanternflies, which have been damaging native trees and plants since they became a common sight in Arlington around summer 2024.
Arlington’s commercial real estate market has many challenges, but one factor working in its favor may be D.C.’s tax code.
Taxes across the Potomac have come into the crosshairs of Republican lawmakers since a wave of progressive politicians swept the Democratic primaries in D.C.
Unemployment in Arlington is stabilizing but remains greatly elevated compared to the end of 2024, according to new data.
With 146,571 county residents employed in the civilian workforce and 4,622 looking for jobs, June’s unemployment rate was 3.1%, according to data reported July 29 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Arlington Public Schools is developing a new policy to address the use of AI and other emerging technologies.
The new “academic integrity policy” will contribute to “a broader framework for academic honesty and responsible learning” as APS continues efforts to navigate the possibilities and challenges of new tools, Christina Arpante, interim assistant superintendent for school and community relations, told ARLnow. She added:
Despite economic challenges, Arlington’s new director of economic development believes the county is poised to enter a positive era.
“We are in a transformational moment,” Anna Nissinen said during the July 14 meeting of the Economic Development Commission.
Local leaders have mixed reactions to a planned state-funded study on a potential consolidation of bus operations in Northern Virginia.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) has called the current arrangement of separate bus networks “incredibly inefficient.” However, County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti told ARLnow that he sees the forthcoming study as unnecessary.
