transportation | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published January 4, 2021 at 6:00AM

NY Man Arrested for NYE Gunfire — “The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating the discharge of a firearm which occurred in the Rosslyn area on the morning of January 1, 2021. At approximately 1:48 a.m., police were dispatched to the report of a person with a gun in the 1500 block of Clarendon Boulevard… officers observed the suspect on the sidewalk holding a firearm as they arrived on scene. The suspect was compliant and taken into custody without incident.” [ACPD]

First Arlington Baby of 2021 — “What a way to ring in the #newyear! Welcome to the world, Mohamed! Our first [Virginia Hospital Center] #newborn of #2021 was born at 1:18 am this morning. Congratulations to the family, and thank you for letting us celebrate the new year with your bundle of joy!” [Twitter]

News

Virtual Public Meeting on Improvements to Route 1 to Be Held Wednesday

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 14, 2020 at 9:45AM

Current view of Route 1 (via National Landing BID)

A virtual public meeting is being held this week on the topic of potential improvements to Route 1 through Crystal City.

VDOT and Arlington County are studying ways to improve the safety, accessibility and experience along Route 1 between 12th and 23rd Street. The study responds to greater demand for various transportation methods as construction of Amazon’s HQ2 progresses.

Traffic

Memorial Bridge Fully Open After Two Years of Construction

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 7, 2020 at 9:45AM | Updated December 7, 2020 at 1:46PM

Memorial Bridge at the blue hour (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)

(Updated at 1:45 p.m.) After two years of construction, the Arlington Memorial Bridge is completely open for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.

The 90-year-old bridge, which connects Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, was renovated to save it from potentially closing for good in 2021. The $227 million rehabilitation project, one of the largest infrastructure projects in National Park Service history, will give the bridge another 75 years of service, officials said on Friday.

News

Planning Process for Army Navy Drive Changes Nearly Complete

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 19, 2020 at 3:45PM | Updated November 19, 2020 at 5:02PM

Army Navy Drive at S. Joyce Street (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After five years, Arlington County is putting finishing touches on its Complete Street plan to improve walking, biking and driving conditions along a stretch of Army Navy Drive in the Pentagon City area.

The updated plans — which are 90% complete — were presented in a virtual public hearing on Wednesday. County staff are taking public comments via email on this version until Dec. 4, and the final plans will be submitted next summer. Construction on the section of road from S. Joyce Street to S. Eads Street is slated to begin in 2022.

News

New Traffic Garden Teaches Kids the Rules of the Road, in Miniature

By Jo DeVoe

Published November 6, 2020 at 9:30AM

Without in-person school, play dates and activities, many kids have lost their primary sources of social interaction and exercise due to COVID-19.

But volunteers in Arlington say a new traffic garden, a space where kids can play and learn how to travel roads safely, could restore some of the lost opportunities for play.

News

VDOT Seeking Input on Ways to Improve Route 1 in Crystal City

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 20, 2020 at 10:30AM | Updated December 11, 2020 at 3:00PM

Current view of Route 1 (via National Landing BID)

The Virginia Department of Transportation is asking residents to take a short survey that will shape a study of potential improvements to Route 1 between 12th and 23rd Streets S. in Crystal City.

As development activity in Crystal City and Pentagon City continues, VDOT and Arlington County are looking for ways to improve the safety, accessibility and effectiveness of a variety of transportation modes on Route 1 in the area. In particular, the study responds to the increased demand for transportation resulting from the construction of Amazon’s HQ2.

News

Why Arlington Streets Never Closed During the Pandemic

By Jo DeVoe

Published October 8, 2020 at 2:30PM | Updated October 8, 2020 at 2:47PM

As the summer approached with lockdowns in place, many cities, including D.C. and Alexandria, closed some streets to drivers and expanded walking and biking options.

Arlington did not, although many residents supported the idea, according to an ARLnow poll from April that found support for closing streets among 80% of respondents.

News

New Scooter Company Rolls Into Arlington and Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published July 28, 2020 at 3:35PM | Updated July 28, 2020 at 4:52PM

Helbiz scooters in Alexandria (photo via Helbiz/Facebook)

(Updated at 4:50 p.m.) After a launch delayed by the pandemic, mobility company Helbiz has started putting e-scooters onto Arlington and Alexandria streets.

The company announced yesterday that it would immediately move forward with bringing 100 new scooters to locations in Arlington and 200 to Alexandria. Like other scooter companies, like Lime or Bird, Helbiz scooters are unlocked by scanning a code in a smartphone app, with the cost of each ride determined by distance and parking.

News

VDOT and Arlington County Considering Medians and Turn Restrictions for Route 50

By Vernon Miles

Published May 4, 2020 at 3:05PM

Median on Route 50 in Alternative 1 (image via VDOT)

Arlington and the Virginia Department of Transportation are looking at how to improve the situation along the notably crash prone stretch of Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) between Glebe Road and Fillmore Street.

Between 2014 and 2018, VDOT said there were 247 total crashes with 61 crashes resulting in injuries, a few severe but none resulting in fatalities. Most of these crashes were concentrated around intersections.

News

Transportation Commission: Courthouse Hotel-to-Residential Project Has Too Much Parking

By Vernon Miles

Published February 11, 2020 at 11:00AM | Updated October 17, 2022 at 11:27AM

A plan is currently in process to transform the Arlington Court Suites hotel into an apartment complex, but at a Transportation Commission meeting last week the project hit a small snag as commissioners unanimously agreed the project might have too much parking.

The plan would convert the 187 hotel rooms in the Arlington Court Suites into a 180-unit residential property called Park Arlington at Courthouse. The current plans do not call for any major demolition work and staff said the proposed residential units would likely be less expensive than new construction at the same site.

Traffic

Va. Square Bus Station Closes Pending New Pedestrian Improvements

By Vernon Miles

Published February 3, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated February 3, 2020 at 2:21PM

Washington Blvd and N. Nelson Street (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

A bus station on Washington Blvd is temporarily closing for improvements to an intersection a couple blocks north of the Virginia Square Metro station.

The intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Nelson Street is considered a “hot spot” of crashes, according to an Arlington County project webpage. It’s located on the northeast corner of Quincy Park, one block from Washington-Liberty High School, and several blocks from intersections that have seen a number of notable crashes involving pedestrians.

News

Public Meeting Planned for Possible Route 50 Changes

By ARLnow.com

Published November 12, 2019 at 3:30PM

An SUV flipped on its roof during an evening rush hour wreck on Route 50 near S. Hudson Street in 2012 (file photo)

The Virginia Dept. of Transportation is studying possible upgrades to Route 50 between Glebe Road and Fillmore Street.

The 0.7 mile stretch, which is notably crash prone and difficult for drivers making left turns and pedestrians trying to cross the street, is a candidate for what VDOT has dubbed “Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions.” Possible upgrades range from new turn lanes to pedestrian enhancements to — perhaps — even roundabouts.