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County Readies Update of Cycling Infrastructure Plans, Sketching Out Dozens of Potential Improvements

Published December 11, 2018 at 10:45AM

Arlington transportation planners are weighing major revisions to the guiding document for the future of the county’s bike infrastructure, sketching out a wish list of new trails and bike lanes they want to see over the coming years.

County officials have recently begun circulating a draft version of an updated “bicycle element” to Arlington’s “Master Transportation Plan.” The document was last updated a decade ago, and a working group has spent more than a year crafting potential changes for the plan.

Events

County Set to Officially Open New Washington Blvd Bike Trail Today

By Catherine Douglas Moran

Published November 30, 2018 at 10:45AM | Updated December 1, 2018 at 12:23AM

(Updated at 12:22 a.m.) Arlington County is set to celebrate the opening of a new section of the Washington Blvd Bike Trail today (Nov. 30).

The event will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. along the new bike trail on the east side of Towers Park (801 S. Scott Street). Capital Bikeshare bikes will be available for attendees to try out the trail after remarks from the speakers.

News

Army Plans New Security Fence Separating Arlington National Cemetery, Ft. Myer

By Alex Koma

Published November 19, 2018 at 4:45PM

A proposed fence at the Selfridge Gate at Arlington National Cemetery (via the National Capital Planning Commission)

The Army is now set to build a two-mile-long, eight-foot-high security fence along the border of the Arlington National Cemetery and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

The National Capital Planning Commission, a regional planning body focused on projects on federally owned land, unanimously signed off on designs for the new fence at a meeting last month. The project, commissioned to replace a four-foot-high fence currently separating the base from the cemetery, will also include a five-foot-wide walking trail along the perimeter of the burial ground and a new parking lot to replace some spaces to be eliminated by the construction.

News

Transit Advocates, Neighbors Urge Inclusion of Bike and Pedestrian Trail Along New Long Bridge

By Alex Koma

Published November 5, 2018 at 3:45PM

A map of proposed bike and pedestrian crossing associated with the Long Bridge (via the Long Bridge Project)

A coalition of businesses, neighborhood groups and transportation advocates are urging planners to include a bike and pedestrian trail along the long-planned replacement for the Long Bridge, a key railroad connection from Virginia into D.C.

A total of 15 organizations from Arlington, the District and the rest of the metropolitan Washington region penned a new letter last Thursday (Nov. 1) to both local and federal transportation officials working on the project, calling the inclusion of a trail alongside the bridge part of “a once in a generation opportunity to transform our regional transportation network.”

News

Rosslyn Road Changes Could Mean Big Improvements for Walkers, Cyclists, New Headaches for Drivers

By Alex Koma

Published October 9, 2018 at 1:45PM

Approved for funding: Proposed changes to the "Core of Rosslyn" (via Arlington County)

Plans to make Rosslyn a bit easier to navigate for pedestrians and bicyclists are coming together, though county officials are concerned that some of the proposed changes might further snarl traffic in the area.

The county unveiled its latest designs for future of the “Core of Rosslyn” at a public meeting last Tuesday (Oct. 2), which includes plans to convert several streets around the Rosslyn Metro station into two-way roads, remove the Fort Myer Drive tunnel under Wilson Blvd and add a host of new connections for cyclists and walkers.

News

Arlington Boulevard Trail Changes in Lyon Park Spark Hope for Cycling Advocates

By Alex Koma

Published September 13, 2018 at 9:45AM

The site of some proposed changes to the Arlington Boulevard Trail in Lyon Park (via Google Maps)

Arlington County is working on some modest improvements to the Arlington Boulevard Trail in Lyon Park, renewing hopes among cycling advocates that the trail will someday provide a fully contiguous alternative to Route 50.

The county is currently planning a series of changes on the trail as it runs near Arlington Boulevard’s intersection with N. Pershing Drive, near the Day’s Inn hotel in the area. Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services says it hopes to complete the following alterations sometime this fall:

News

Bike Advocates Craft New Map of DC Region’s Cycling Trails to Promote Holistic Thinking

By Alex Koma

Published August 13, 2018 at 4:45PM

A coalition of bicycling and transit advocates has drawn up a new map of the entire D.C. region’s bike trails, in a bid to promote a more holistic view of the area’s biking options.

The Capital Trails Coalition released the “diagrammatic map” today (Monday), displaying not only the 436 miles of existing trails across the region but also another 302 miles of planned paths that will someday create even more connectivity for cyclists.

Around Town

Lubber Run Park Bridge Closes Temporarily

By Alex Koma

Published August 7, 2018 at 4:45PM

A closed pedestrian bridge in Lubber Run Park (courtesy of J. Michael Korff)

A bridge for walkers and cyclists in Lubber Run Park is now closed, at least temporarily.

An alert on the county’s website says the bridge, closest to N. George Mason Drive as a trail runs over Lubber Run itself, will be closed “until further notice.”

News

Washington Blvd Bike Trail Work Moves Ahead, Late Fall Opening Planned

By Alex Koma

Published August 7, 2018 at 3:45PM

Work on the Washington Blvd bike trail continues (via Arlington County)

Work is speeding ahead on a new bike trail running alongside Washington Blvd as it meets I-395, with construction set to wrap up this fall.

The county has spent close to a year constructing a new 10-foot-wide trail as the road runs between Towers Park (801 S. Scott Street) and 2nd Street S. in Penrose, in a bid to provide more seamless access for cyclists and pedestrians to a previously constructed trail between Arlington Blvd and Walter Reed Drive.

News

Section of Custis Trail Along I-66 Closes Today for Repairs

By Alex Koma

Published July 30, 2018 at 2:45PM

Detours available during the Custis Trail construction near Rosslyn (photo via @arlparksrec)

A section of the Custis Trail running alongside I-66 near Rosslyn is set to close for the next month.

Starting today (Monday), workers will start repairing the trail as it runs between N. Adams Street and McCoy Park to make it a bit more hospitable to cyclists. Construction is set to last through Aug. 24.

News

Van Buren Bridge Reopens, Complete with New Walkway

By Alex Koma

Published July 26, 2018 at 11:45AM

Existing Van Buren Bridge

The Van Buren Bridge near the East Falls Church Metro station is back open after months of renovation work, complete with a new walkway for cyclists and pedestrians.

The city of Falls Church had been working since last fall to repair and widen the bridge, located near where N. Van Buren Street intersects with 18th Street N. and running over Benjamin Banneker Park.

News

County Could Speed Up Design Work on Army Navy Country Club Access Road

By Alex Koma

Published July 13, 2018 at 9:45AM | Updated July 13, 2018 at 10:09AM

County officials seem to have found some money to speed up design work on an access road to link the Arlington View neighborhood to Army Navy Drive.

County Manager Mark Schwartz initially proposed some hefty delays for the project, which is set to stretch across a section of the Army Navy Country Club, in his proposed 10-year plan for county construction efforts. Under his proposal, design work on the effort wouldn’t even start until fiscal year 2027, with construction set for 2029.