Arlington County Board Election

[chris_s]

@rcannon100 95178 wrote:

Curious as to whether he said anything of interest. Did he just listen or did he appear to be insightful?

He came and listened. Then he asked a question about sharing trails because he’s heard from pedestrians that are scared of bikes.

He didn’t say anything I found insightful, nor did he actually allow the BAC to ask HIM any questions.

[Steve]

@chris_s 95185 wrote:

He came and listened. Then he asked a question about sharing trails because he’s heard from pedestrians that are scared of bikes.

He didn’t say anything I found insightful, nor did he actually allow the BAC to ask HIM any questions.

Basically what Chris said, though I thought it was reasonable. He’s fairly new as a board member. He came to our meeting, and asked what we thought were the biggest issues facing cyclists in Arlington. We talked about the Intersection, trail safety, police involvement, etc. He was there mostly in “I’m new and want to know what the committees see as the major issues” mode. The sharing the trails thing was irritating, but whatever. We are probably a little sensitive to this type of question, moreso than we should be.

While it is fair to say that the BAC didn’t get to ask him any questions, and to criticize him for that, the BAC doesn’t get to ask ANY of the board members questions, so at least this one came to listen. Hell, the county manager hasn’t even ever been to a meeting, and she’s technically the person we are advising.

[dasgeh]

@Steve 95175 wrote:

For what it’s worth, John Vihstadt did actually attend a BAC meeting a few months back, to listen to some of the major thoughts and issues that the BAC thought were important. Even if it’s not much, it’s certainly more than any other board member has done.

I wasn’t at the BAC meeting that Vihstadt attended, I was at a civic association meeting that he attended (Cherrydale). He opened by disparaging County staff. Then he made read straight from notes prepared for him by County staff. It was clear he had no independent understanding of the issues, including the numerous transportation issues that came up. I asked him specifically about Lynn/Lee and his response indicated that he thought the project in the works was enough. *Sigh*

Oh, and rcannon – I PM’ed you.

[Starduster]

Also, Alan Howse rode with Kidical Mass Arlington to the County Fair.

[Tim Kelley]

@Starduster 95215 wrote:

Also, Alan Howse rode with Kidical Mass Arlington to the County Fair.

He bikes because the freedom and speed of travel.

[rcannon100]

[video=youtube_share;Ar8CbLDKy-Q]http://youtu.be/Ar8CbLDKy-Q[/video]

HOWZE CALLS FOR ARLINGTON TO ADOPT “TARGET ZERO” SAFER STREETS INITIATIVE
-ZERO pedestrian and cyclist injuries from vehicle accidents to make Arlington safer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alan Howze – 703-258-2608

Today, Alan Howze, the Democratic Nominee for the Arlington County Board, called for Arlington to adopt a goal of ZERO pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths from vehicle accidents. This can be achieved through a comprehensive safe streets approach.

Said Howze, “more and more Arlington residents are choosing to move in our community on foot and on bicycles. We must continue to create safe infrastructure that promotes walking and cycling and protects residents from preventable injury and death. Communities across the Country are setting targets of ZERO pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and injuries caused by vehicle accidents and so should Arlington.”

Howze continued, “from the Intersection of Doom to safe routes to all Arlington schools, we must take action to make our streets safer. I want walking and biking to be a safe, attractive transportation option for all Arlingtonians: young or old, single riders or families, commuters or for recreation. We should enable people to walk and bike when they want – on short trips on safe neighborhood streets to school or the store or to the park, and on longer trips to work or across the County on a connected network of trails.”

Concluded Howze, “Today, I am issuing the challenge for Arlington to become a community with ZERO pedestrian and cyclist traffic injuries. I am laying out specific actions that we can take to make our community safer and healthier through walking and cycling.”
Howze Safer Streets Plan
1)Make Streets Safer for All Users
2)Complete Safe routes to ALL Arlington schools
3)Expand trail and route network
4)Enhance Community Involvement

Detailed Action Plan
1)Make Streets Safer for All Users
a. Identify safety hot-spots in neighborhoods and resolve these within 12 months
I. Accelerate safety improvements at the “Intersection of Doom” in Rosslyn (Lynn and westbound Lee Highway) – see plan here
b. Collect detailed incident information on all bike and pedestrian accidents
c. Expanded sidewalks for pedestrian accessibility
d. Expand broken links program to improve connectivity
e. Implement street designs and configurations that enhance safety
f. Incorporate bike and pedestrian safety in all road and bridge projects
g. Expand the use of low-cost tools such as stop-signs at dangerous intersections
h. Increased traffic enforcement of actions that endanger pedestrians and cyclists
I. Adjust traffic signaling to minimize vehicle and pedestrians interactions in intersections

2)Complete Safe routes to ALL Arlington schools
a. Work with APS to ensure that children, parents, staff and visitors can safely access the school by bus, car, bike, and walking
b. Create Transportation Demand Management plans for each school, including crossing guards and traffic calming
c. Create a coordinated County and APS plan to clear sidewalks and provide safe routes to schools within 24 hours after inclement weather (snow/ice)
d. Design safe bike infrastructure and policies that accommodates all bikes, especially those used to transport children
e. Respond to input from local civic associations in safe street designs – such as the Rock Spring Civic Association request on crossing design and traffic lights

3)Expand trail and route network
a. Enhance maintenance and repaving of trail network
b. Work with the National Park Service to widen the Mt Vernon Trail and separate cyclists and runners and pedestrians
c. Create 20 miles of protected bike lanes by 2020
d. Support continued expansion of Capital Bikeshare
e. Complete Route 50 bike route connectivity
f. Enhance I-395 and North-South trail connectivity
I. Work with Ft Myer on commuter access
II. Support Army Navy Country Club connector
g. Complete bike boulevards along Columbia Pike
h. Create network of bike boulevards and safe bike routes that connect the county
i. Improve Crystal City and Long Bridge Park trail connectivity
j. Work with regional partners to improve connectivity including the Roosevelt Bridge; Chain Bridge; Memorial Bridge; and Mt Vernon Trail
k. Design bike-ped facilities into commercial construction and County buildings
l. Ensure that designs – such as the Pedestrian bridge over Rt 50 at Irving – can accommodate bikes effectively

4)Enhance Community Involvement
a. Improve opportunities for input by residents on street and safety improvements
b. Improve County outreach and response processes on street safety issues
c. Accelerate implementation of neighborhood traffic safety solutions

[dbb]

I emailed Alan Howze after I read Mr. Cannon’s post about connectivity between the MVT and Boundary Channel Drive (the trail to nowhere on the downstream side of the Humpback Bridge) and CaBi at the Pentagon. He just responded with:

“Thank you for your email. I agree with your suggestions – in fact, I have bike commuted to and from the Pentagon and I personally know the trail connectivity challenge you mentioned. I would also like to work on a more direct northerly route so people don’t have to ride down to Rosslyn or Crystal City on the W&OD or Custis trails to the Mt Vernon to get to the Pentagon.

And the capital bikeshare idea is also a good one.

The Pentagon can be challenging but this is an area where I would like to work with you and others to see real improvements.”

[dbb]

I emailed Alan Howze after I read Mr. Cannon’s post. I asked about connectivity between the MVT and Boundary Channel Drive (the trail to nowhere on the downstream side of the Humpback Bridge) and CaBi at the Pentagon. He just responded with:

“Thank you for your email. I agree with your suggestions – in fact, I have bike commuted to and from the Pentagon and I personally know the trail connectivity challenge you mentioned. I would also like to work on a more direct northerly route so people don’t have to ride down to Rosslyn or Crystal City on the W&OD or Custis trails to the Mt Vernon to get to the Pentagon.

And the capital bikeshare idea is also a good one.

The Pentagon can be challenging but this is an area where I would like to work with you and others to see real improvements.”

[PotomacCyclist]

The Boundary Channel Drive Interchange project is funded (I believe) and in the planning stage.

http://www.crystalcity.org/area/transformation/boundary-channel-drive-interchange

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6904[/ATTACH]

http://projects.arlingtonva.us/capital-projects/entry/2/45/

Summary
The conceptual design development started in early 2011 under a $48,500 contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates. The project goal is to develop plans to manage the future traffic generated by Long Bridge Park, and the existing local and regional traffic generated by the Pentagon and I-395. In addition to Boundary Channel Drive and I-395, the project scope includes connections to Long Bridge Park Drive and U.S. Route 1, and a bicycle connection from the Humpback Bridge to Long Bridge Park. Once preliminary engineering begins, the project will need to be reviewed through VDOT, FHWA, NPS and DOD. The project funding is currently projected for $8 million of local bond money in fiscal 2015. Funding for the project will need to be moved to an earlier fiscal year because of the opening of the aquatics center in fiscal 2016.

Phase
Planning (2 of 5)

Status Description
[09/03/2013] Awaiting 2nd FHWA comments on the project framework document.
Program Name
Complete Streets
Program Description
The Complete Streets Program focuses on multimodal projects integrated with adjacent community uses. Program projects include intersection or interchange improvements, new street links, major corridor reconstruction and neighborhood street improvements.
Program Mission
Complete Streets projects are intended to improve safety and access for pedestrians, transit riders and bikers on noncommercial arterial streets, as well as improve street aesthetics, stormwater management and bioretention.

The project manager appears to be the same one for the Eads Street cycletrack and other Arlington projects in the Crystal City/Pentagon City area. She spoke at the Eads Street presentation earlier this year.

[dasgeh]

Target Zero is an international movement to reduce pedestrian and cyclists deaths. I’m actually surprised Arlington hasn’t joined — the PAL campaign would be an interesting addition to the conversation, and others have strategies that we may be able to use. Kudos to Alan for having a plan to make Arlington a better place to live.

[mstone]

@dasgeh 98112 wrote:

Target Zero is an international movement to reduce pedestrian and cyclists deaths. I’m actually surprised Arlington hasn’t joined

Probably for the best, given the impact Target Zero has had in NYC

[lordofthemark]

@mstone 98117 wrote:

Probably for the best, given the impact Target Zero has had in NYC

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bill-de-blasio-signs-law-speed-limit-25-mph-article-1.1989397

[rcannon100]

Arlington hasnt had an election in the past few days, and therefore we are having another one.

Means I should get off my duff and send the find new crop of prospective candidates a survey on their views about biking in Arlington (that is, unless the action committee was thinking of doing that????)

Once again – I asks you first ~ what should I asks them?

[chris_s]

@rcannon100 114251 wrote:

(that is, unless the action committee was thinking of doing that????)

Once again – I asks you first ~ what should I asks them?

The Action Committee is not due to some legal concerns WABA has.

Here’s some thoughts:

Do you ride a bike? How often? For recreation or transportation? If not, what would it take

Would you support removing parking to install bike infrastructure that closes an important gap in the bicycle network?

Do you support “road diets” as Arlington has done in the past on Shirlington Drive and is installing on Wilson Blvd this Summer which remove travel lanes on overbuilt streets to provide accommodations for other modes of travel like bicycles?

If elected, what do you hope to have accomplished to make Arlington a better place for cycling by the end of your first term?

List the specific bike infrastructure projects you would like to see built in Arlington.

Many board members have been supportive of cycling, but few are true champions. Would you be a supportive board member or a champion?

The Bike Element of the Master Transportation Plan (MTP) is almost seven years old, an eternity given the rapid pace of innovation in bicycle facilities. It contains no reference to the current gold standard bike infrastructure known as “protected bike lanes” and many of the projects identified have already been built. If elected, would you support the funding and prioritizing a robust community process to update the Bike Element of the MTP?

[elbows]

@chris_s 114278 wrote:

The Action Committee is not due to some legal concerns WABA has.

Here’s some thoughts:

Do you ride a bike? How often? For recreation or transportation? If not, what would it take

Would you support removing parking to install bike infrastructure that closes an important gap in the bicycle network?

Do you support “road diets” as Arlington has done in the past on Shirlington Drive and is installing on Wilson Blvd this Summer which remove travel lanes on overbuilt streets to provide accommodations for other modes of travel like bicycles?

If elected, what do you hope to have accomplished to make Arlington a better place for cycling by the end of your first term?

List the specific bike infrastructure projects you would like to see built in Arlington.

Many board members have been supportive of cycling, but few are true champions. Would you be a supportive board member or a champion?

The Bike Element of the Master Transportation Plan (MTP) is almost seven years old, an eternity given the rapid pace of innovation in bicycle facilities. It contains no reference to the current gold standard bike infrastructure known as “protected bike lanes” and many of the projects identified have already been built. If elected, would you support the funding and prioritizing a robust community process to update the Bike Element of the MTP?

Those are obviously good thoughts. Here are quick thoughts on thoughts.

Maybe instead of asking if someone rides, we could ask when the last time someone rode was? I mean, sure, I abstain from grocery store baked goods at the office, but not anytime recently.
Maybe something that addresses ACPD? Personally, I think ACPD does a decent job but I see vast opportunity for further engagement with and protection of cyclists. (The closest I get to them in my neighborhood, literally, is when I pass their cars running and unoccupied outside the pizza shop. I have actually had police talk to a driver about something that endangered my safety in DC, but never in Arlington.)
Maybe something about Ft Myer or Arlington Cemetery access?

[Author]

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