transportation | ARLnow.com

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

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.

News

An Electric Vehicle Shuttle Service For Columbia Pike Residents In The Works

By Kalina Newman

Published November 12, 2019 at 10:20AM

A new, eco-friendly form of transportation is in the works for some residents along Columbia Pike.

Electric shuttle company FLARE Technology and Services is in the process of securing contracts with several apartment buildings in south Arlington. Once finalized, residents those buildings will be able to use the free service — offered as an amenity — to shuttle anywhere they might not have immediate access to, such as a Metro station or grocery store.

News

Docks for Electric Scooters Come to Crystal City, With More On the Way

By Vernon Miles

Published September 16, 2019 at 10:00AM | Updated September 16, 2019 at 12:02PM

(Updated at noon) New scooter docks have been added to Crystal City in an effort to curb intrusive sidewalk scooter parking.

Four new docks from the electric scooter company Spin were placed throughout Crystal City last week after their debut in D.C., with five more expected to be added sometime in the next week.

News

Au Revoir, Crashed Columbia Pike ART Bus

By Vernon Miles

Published September 5, 2019 at 4:30PM

The Penske Truck Rental depot on Columbia Pike following the removal of the ART bus

After serving as a local fixture and punchline for nearly a month, the Arlington Transit bus lodged into the side of a truck depot on Columbia Pike has been removed.

On Aug. 5, a bus carrying roughly 10 passengers lost control and careened through the Pike and S. George Mason Drive intersection, veering over the curb and smashing into the side of the Penske Truck Rental building at 4110 Columbia Pike.

Events

Arlington Holding Transportation “Block Party” Along Columbia Pike

By Airey

Published August 8, 2019 at 11:05AM

A “block party” style event with a transportation theme is set for later this month along Columbia Pike.

Arlington County is hosting its third annual “Our Shared Street Pop-Up” on Thursday, August 22, in the parking lot at the intersection of S. Four Mile Run Drive and the Pike. The event will run from 5-7 p.m. that night, and will feature booths from transportation organizations with activities and answers to transportation questions.

News

Geofencing Restricts Where Scooters Can Take You in Arlington

By Vernon Miles

Published June 27, 2019 at 3:30PM | Updated June 27, 2019 at 3:48PM

Bird scooter in Arlington (via @RideBird)

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Scooters are all the rage in Arlington now thanks to a newly-extended pilot program, but there are some places they can’t take you.

Geofencing is the limiting of where the scooters can ride or park. Certain areas are set as fenced off by Arlington County government as part of the Shared Mobility Devices (SMD) pilot, according to county transportation spokesman Eric Balliet.