FW: Arlington's Transportation Future - Advisory Group Meeting 7 - Activities

[Hanna, K. Mike]

Just in case this did come through from my Gmail.

 

I attended the meeting of the Transportation Future Advisory Group.  We were given significant homework which is due Oct 18 (including our opportunity to give input on the maps)  Given that we are likely to have a full agenda for our October 8 meeting, I am looking for a strategy to get input and assemble our responses as efficiently as possible.  See the details of the needed input below - but two more general asks:

 

1.  I am asking everyone who can - to please provide input by email prior to our Oct 8 meeting - I will compile as best I can and lead a more focused discussion during the meeting to confirm our consensus as a committee.
2. For the mapping exercise, in addition to receiving emailed input, I am wondering if we can assemble the small group that met before and anyone or everyone that wants to provide input on October 6?  We could meet in person or virtually (if we meet in person I have large scale print outs of the maps for our use).  PLease let me know if you are interested in meeting, available and whether you would prefer in person or remote.

For more information, you can read the amil from Kristin and read through the slides, but to summarize:

 

Please read and respond to the following:

1. POLICY ACTIVITY

To help inform draft policies that will support the Vision and Goals (which are attached), please:

• Identify up to three opportunities to help reach each goal
• Identify up to three challenges to achieving each goal

1. NETWORK GAP ANALYSIS

REfer to the last three pages of the presentation attached to this email.

 

The concept staff has developed is to have a single map that identifies priority corridors by mode.  Each identified corridor will have a primary, secondary and tertiary transportation mode.  To begin with pedestrian travel is always the primary mode - so whenever a corridor is redeveloped, the first priority will be making sure safe pedestrian travel is accommodated.   Next is that it is assumed that motorized vehicular travel is already accommodated on all roads in Arlington as therefore no special effort needs to be made to accommodate vehicles in the future.  Given the assumptions the exercise boils down to identifying critical corridors for bike/micro mobility and transit.  FOr each of the critical corridors identified they will be either be identified as the primary or secondary priority (note that on the maps, since pedestrian is always priority 1, transit and bike are identified as priority 2 or 3.  THe idea would that whenever a road is modified, limited right of way would be dedicated first to pedestrians, then to the Priority 2 activity, then to the PRiority 3 activity.  That doesn't mean that facilities for Activity 3 won't be accomodated, but just that they will have a lesser priority than 1 or 2.  So, for instance the maps shows George Mason all the way from Langston to the County line as Priority 2 for bikes, 3 for transit -  so the County would prioritize bike facilities in redevelopment of Gearge Mason.  There still will be bus service, but additional bus facilities would not go in at the expense of bike facilities.

 

Other issues impacting bike facilities like lane vehicle lane width, number of lanes, car parking, etc. are not addressed on this map and would be an issue of policies to be developed later.  Also no specific types of facilities are identified (protected bike lanes, separate bike facilities, trails, paths, intersection design, etc.).  These also would be developed on a case by case basis, subject to future design standards, on going best practice development, etc.

 

They have also noted that the current maps have lots of gaps - many of these are for us to suggest how they get filled in.

 

Here is the ask:

1. How do we feel about the process - is there a better way to document a plan as a guidance document that will eventually get us the network we need.
2. Are we identifying the right corridors? What is missing - maybe what should be removed?  How best to fill the gaps?

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Kristin Calkins <kcal...@arlingtonva.us>
Date: Fri, Sep 12, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Subject: Arlington's Transportation Future - Advisory Group Meeting 7 - Activities
To: Alex <alex.mend...@gmail.com>, Sohail Husain <sohailhu...@gmail.com>, Aaron Schuetz <ajsc...@yahoo.com>, Bill Braswell <brasw...@verizon.net>, bpri...@live.com <bpri...@live.com>, Catalina Calachan <catalina...@gmail.com>, Chris Slatt (ch...@dodgersden.com) <ch...@dodgersden.com>, Claire Noakes <ecno...@yahoo.com>, Daniel Garay <dgar...@gmail.com>, Evan Pritchard <eprit...@wiregill.com>, garcia...@yahoo.com <garcia...@yahoo.com>, Joan McIntyre <jfmcin...@gmail.com>, John Carey <john.a...@verizon.net>, Justin Fuhmrann <justin....@gmail.com>, Mike Hanna <hannak...@gmail.com>, Pam Van Hine <pvan...@gmail.com>, Thomas Shannon (thos.s...@gmail.com) <thos.s...@gmail.com>, Tony Striner (Commissions) <tstr...@commissions.arlingtonva.us>
Cc: Allison Bullock <abul...@arlingtonva.us>, Brian Shelton <bshe...@arlingtonva.us>, Erin Potter <epo...@arlingtonva.us>, Nate Graham <nsgr...@arlingtonva.us>

 

Good Afternoon Advisory Group,

 

Thank you for taking the time to meet with us in person last night and for your thoughtful input on how to complete the modal priority networks. They were great starting conversations for this next phase of work, and we hope they will help you provide context to your committees and commissions about how we reconciled the current planned Transit and Bike and Micromobility Networks. I have attached the PDF of the presentation for your reference, which can also be found on the Advisory Group Page. The video of the presentation can also be found on this page.

 

We have two areas of input we are hoping you can facilitate. We would appreciate both activities be returned to us by Monday, October 13 so we have time to consider the feedback as we prepare for Phase 3 of Public Engagement.

 

NETWORK GAP ANALSYIS

Share any ideas from your Committee/Commission on how to address gaps in the reconciled networks. The networks are embedded into the presentation as the last three slides.

POLICY ACTIVITY

To help inform draft policies that will support the Vision and Goals (which are attached), please:

• Identify up to three opportunities to help reach each goal
• Identify up to three challenges to achieving each goal

 

Please let me know if you have any questions about either activity.

 

I will also be sending out an invite for the next Advisory Group on Wednesday, October 22.

 

We are excited about this next phase of plan development and look forward to your collaboration.

 

Kristin

 

Kristin Calkins, AICP

Principal Long-Range Transportation Planner

Division of Transportation

Arlington County Dept. of Environmental Services

Office: (703) 228-0088 | Cell (703) 843-6774

 

Please note that any email sent to/from Arlington County email addresses may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

 

 

[Randy Swart]

Mike, some suggestions for the goal questions:

Equitable and Inclusive

Challenge: Eliminate the cost of using micro-mobility devices and bicycles for low
income riders.
Opportunity: Subsidize Capital Bikeshares and commercial scooter and bike use
by low income riders.

Challenge: make bus and metro transit available to all income levels.
Opportunity: Eliminate fares for low income residents

Challenge: Make bus routes easier to use, particularly for seniors and occasional
users.
Opportunity: Keep routes stable, publish maps, mark stops with big clear route
letters, make the Next Bus system work at every stop.

Challenge: Improve bus or micro-bus availability in low income areas
Opportunity: Add bus or micro-bus routes, increase daytime bus frequency in South
Arlington.

Challenge: make bus travel easier for handicapped riders.
Opportunity: Find less cumbersome ways of accommodating wheelchair users.


Livable
Challenge: improve pedestrian and bicycle access to parks and trails.
Opportunity: Pave "desire lines" connecting to trails such as the one at
Carlin Springs Road and the W&OD trail.

Challenge: Reduce hydrocarbon pollution on Arlington's streets, particularly for
those using bus transit.
Opportunity: Eliminate internal combustion engines on Arlington's buses.

Challenge: enhance the perception of safety among pedestrians, bicycles and
micro-mobility users.
Opportunity: Reduce car size and speed on all streets. Provide more robust
pedestrian refuges where crosswalks are too long.

Challenge: Improve crossing safety for slow-moving pedestrians and seniors.
Opportunity: Use video sensors to increase crossing times when a pedestrian is still
in a crosswalk. Install NTOR signs at all intersections used by pedestrians.

Challenge: make bus transportation more pleasant.
Opportunity: improve bus shelters throughout the county. Reduce vehicle traffic
to reduce hydrocarbon emissions.

Reliable
Challenge: Reduce ped/bike/micro route disruptions at construction sites.
Opportunity: Enforce strict maintenance of transportation rules for contractors.

Challenge: Eliminate blocked bicycle lanes.
Opportunity: Use video technology to issue tickets for drivers obstructing lanes.

Challenge: Improve the reliability of micro-mobility devices.
Opportunity: Enforce equipment durability standards for micro-mobility
companies and fast response standards for devices needing recharging.

Challenge: Make bus arrivals more predictable for those waiting.
Opportunity: Improve the Next Bus function and install it at every bus stop

Safe
Challenge: Protect vulnerable road users from drunk drivers.
Opportunity: Adopt Scandinavian standards and penalties for drunk driving.

Challenge: Enforce speeding laws.
Opportunity: Use speed cameras on all arterials to ticket offenders.

Challenge: Continue to innovate with new safety measures.
Opportunity: Fund Vision Zero at high levels.

Sustainable
Challenge: promote walking and self-powered vehicles.
Opportunity: Fund Vision Zero at high levels.

Challenge: Reduce hydrocarbon emissions.
Opportunity: Discourage the use of internal-combustion vehicles of every type.
Convert all county vehicles to electric or hydrogen power.

Challenge: Reduce the cost of clean power vehicles
Opportunity: Provide subsidies to low income residents trading in internal-
combustion vehicles for clean power vehicles.

Transparent and Accountable

Challenge: Prove that county officials are cooperating in reaching the goals.
Opportunity: Publish annual estimates of county official use of non-vehicular
transportation.



_____________________________

Randy Swart
ra...@helmets.org
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Arlington, VA USA
703-486-0100
helmets.org

[Gillian Burgess]

Thanks, Mike,

A practical suggestion: for gathering BAC input, could you set up a shared document that we could comment on/add to? That way, we could comment on each other's thoughts in an organized manner. (I.e. on each of the questions in turn)

As to the overall approach that's being suggested, it seems backwards to me: the prioritization of any individual street only matters in as far as the street fits into the bigger network for each mode. Instead, I would expect to plan out what we want the network to look like, then ask what modes need to be prioritized on each street in order to achieve that network.  

I am also VERY concerned by the underlying assumption that cars get to go everywhere.  Contrary to what is claimed in the presentation, guaranteeing that cars can go on every street means that we will not be able to prioritize people walking & biking without massive investments. Instead, we should think through the networks and prioritization needs, then consider where cars should be allowed to go.  

From the presentation, this approach seems very car-centric in a way that is hugely disappointing.

Finally, for the bike network, SSAFETY & SusMo crowd sourced what we see as the current network of neighborhood streets that are (mostly) safe and comfortable to bike on, which has been turned into the Happy Wheels Network.  https://ssafety.org/happy-wheels/  Comparing the Happy Wheels Network to what's in the presentation from DES reveals some headscratchers.  For example, for biking north-south in the middle of the County, the DES map routes people on for a few blocks on N Nelson St, which does not have traffic lights to cross major streets. Then the DES map has a gap near the Virginia Square Metro and in Ashton Heights routes people on Jackson St, which has some bad sightlines.  The Happy Wheels Network utilizes N Monroe, N/S Irving, S Monroe and S Kenmore, which stretch from Langston Blvd to Shirlington Blvd/the start of the W&OD (the Grover Route). The route already has traffic lights at most of the major crossings.  Similarly, in North Arlington, N Harrison St is an extremely useful north-south route for biking. But when you get to Wilson Blvd, Harrison St doesn't go straight through.  The DES map has the bike route continuing on Harrison street - which requires taking a left onto Wilson Blvd then a right onto Harrison (in either directions). But taking a left ONTO Wilson is not as easy as taking a left FROM Wilson. So the Happy Wheels Network routes people to N Illinois S of Wilson (as part of the Fozzie route).  

Some of these discrepancies could be chalked up to current vs. future considerations: e.g. it may be possible to have a light at Harrison and Wilson, which would make routing bikes onto Harrison south of Wilson make more sense.  But those kinds of investments are years away, while the Happy Wheels Network is mostly safe and comfortable today - and could be made entirely safe and comfortable with very modest investment.

My two cents.

Best

Gillian

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