The Streetcar Is Dead. Now What?

[mstone]

Put your hopes and dreams on the shelf until the next election cycle

[Starduster]

@mstone 100056 wrote:

Put your hopes and dreams on the shelf until the next election cycle

Nope. Not giving up or giving in that easily.

[dasgeh]

Of concern is the bike trail segment needed to connect North Bridge Park with the Mt. Vernon Trail under the humpback bridge. My understanding is that it is tied to the proposed Aquatic Center project at North Bridge. John Vihistat has opposed the Aquatic Center for similar reasons, and I expect it will be on the chopping block next. How can the trail segment be separated from the Aquatic Center project?

I believe you mean Long Bridge Park and my understanding is that the bike/ped connection to the mvt is tied to the renovation/rebuilding of the train bridge, which is still moving forward. Also, my understanding is that the Aquatic Center is currently on hold but practically dead, but that there’s no direct link between that and cycling.

BRT proponents consistently touted statistics on BRT systems that relied on dedicated lanes. These can be dedicated bus/bike lanes. One way forward is to hold them to the dedicated lane model.

Sidenote: whether you like the streetcar or not, this seems like a very poor way to go about making/announcing the decision to kill it. Our partners – who we’ll still need to work with – are mad at us and we have no leverage with VDOT to get concessions from them on whatever solution we come up we (eg dedicated lanes). *sigh*

[Drewdane]

As I don’t live in Arlington and was only tangentially aware of a streetcar proposal at all, can someone explain what this has to do with bicycles?

[mstone]

VDOT already said that there was no chance of dedicated lanes. If there was, the streetcar would have been designed for them. Talk about BRT was always just a way to cloud the issues on the part of those who wanted to kill transit.

And yes, Arlington is going to have a hard time finding any allies for the immediate future.

[DismalScientist]

Rail transit without a dedicated right-of-way makes no sense. To characterize opponents of the streetcar as anti-transit seems to be SOP in the current tenor of political discourse.

[Starduster]

@Drewdane 100068 wrote:

As I don’t live in Arlington and was only tangentially aware of a streetcar proposal at all, can someone explain what this has to do with bicycles?

We who are cycling advocates will have to deal with the same elected officials, who from this point forward, as a whole, might require more convincing that *our* desires aren’t frivolous.

And for the objectives we want, we have to have good relations with our neighbors in the region. The way this decision went down did *nothing* for that.

[sjclaeys]

@Starduster 100052 wrote:

and over in Faixfax County, Sharon Bulova and Penny Gross are absolutely furious with us.

How much was Fairfax County going to contribute to the cost for building and running the street car?

[DismalScientist]

20%

[Starduster]

@sjclaeys 100072 wrote:

How much was Fairfax County going to contribute to the cost for building and running the street car?

Fairfax County was going to contribute I think 20% for their part of the route. This *was* a joint effort over many years, and their transit plans for Baileys Crossroads and Skyline got flushed down the drain with Arlington’s decision. Bridges burned.

[sjclaeys]

@DismalScientist 100073 wrote:

20%

Both construction and annual operation costs?

[mstone]

@Starduster 100074 wrote:

Fairfax County was going to contribute I think 20% for their part of the route. This *was* a joint effort over many years, and their transit plans for Baileys Crossroads and Skyline got flushed down the drain with Arlington’s decision. Bridges burned.

Plus their help in prying money out of Richmond (something upward of $150M IIRC).

[mstone]

@DismalScientist 100070 wrote:

Rail transit without a dedicated right-of-way makes no sense. To characterize opponents of the streetcar as anti-transit seems to be SOP in the current tenor of political discourse.

There are no other viable higher capacity options for the route. The choices are streetcar or the current bus system. Streetcars manage to work in other places, it’s never been clear why opponents were convinced it couldn’t work here. It’s fair to say it’s anti transit because the other options being floated are disingenuous fantasies floated by transit opponents to muddy the waters and give moderates something to latch on to. Metrorail was never going to happen, BRT was never going to happen, and even bus improvements are unlikely and definitely not a game changer. So if this isn’t anti transit, what transit options are left on the table?

[chris_s]

@DismalScientist 100070 wrote:

Rail transit without a dedicated right-of-way makes no sense. To characterize opponents of the streetcar as anti-transit seems to be SOP in the current tenor of political discourse.

Except some WERE anti-transit. Many weren’t, true. But I totally get why some other streetcar supporters paint with a broad brush. When many of the antis are spreading misinformation in snappy soundbites, it’s easy to get frustrated and start getting sloppy yourself to try and make your own argument soundbitey.

[chris_s]

@mstone 100079 wrote:

There are no other viable higher capacity options for the route. The choices are streetcar or the current bus system. Streetcars manage to work in other places, it’s never been clear why opponents were convinced it couldn’t work here. It’s fair to say it’s anti transit because the other options being floated are disingenuous fantasies floated by transit opponents to muddy the waters and give moderates something to latch on to. Metrorail was never going to happen, BRT was never going to happen, and even bus improvements are unlikely and definitely not a game changer. So if this isn’t anti transit, what transit options are left on the table?

My take on this is “Hey, ‘Arlingtonians for Sensible Transit’ got the County Board to change their mind on a ‘done deal’; if they’re really pro-transit then let’s get Streetcar Now together with them, present a united front and get VDOT to change THEIR mind on dedicated lanes.” The agreement with the state says Columbia Pike can’t get below 4 General Purpose lanes without VDOT approval. Let’s get VDOT approval. It’s a new administration. If I’m gonna be stuck with a bus system, it better be the best damn bus system we can build.

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