Hello, Yupette,
I attended the County Board - County Manager - County Staff 10-year CIP work meeting yesterday afternoon. Most of this CIP meeting was about transportation. As you might expect, the Pike transit discussion was entirely about streetcars. Total cost of Arlington portion of a streetcar system is projected to be $198 million. The County Board would seek a $65 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration through its Small Starts program.
I was appalled to hear County Manager Barbara Donnellan declare that she and her staff don't know anything about streetcars and will have to hire consultants, travel to cities that have streetcar systems, hire streetcar program managers, educate the County Board and County Staff about streetcars, and so on. Not only the County Manager but Transportation Division Chief Dennis Leach stated they are clueless about streetcars.
Oh, even though County transportation staff don't know anything about streetcars that doesn't prevent them from persuading citizens that streetcars are the 'best option' for the Pike and Crystal City. One of the members of the County Board's hand-picked Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission described how transportation staff intensely lobbied FAAC commissioners about the 'merits' of streetcars.
'Alternatives analysis'. What alternatives analysis? Looks like the County will try to tell the FTA that after a fair and unbiased process Arlington residents chose streetcars as the 'best' transit option for the Pike and Crystal City.
2100
8 comments:
Seen any other blog or local newspaper print or show a photo of the Wright Las Vegas ACE Bus?
FAAC deadlocked 4-4-1 regarding articulated buses vs streetcars, despite being heavily lobbied by transportation staff.
Actually, the most appalling part of yesterday's CIP work meeting was when Fisette and Zimmerman jumped all over Harry Wang because he wants to spend a few million more each year to get Arlington's streets and roads in great shape over the next decade.
So, how many streetcar 'fact finding' trips do the county board and county staff get to take to Portland, Seattle, S.F., etc?
Zimmerman and Fisette want everyone to ride a bicycle and walk but every new building on the Pike will have 300+ parking spaces.
Purchasing and operating another ACFD heavy rescue vehicle would cost Arlington how much a year? I took a look at recent streetcar crashes on the Web and about half the autos were really mangled.
I sometimes see Scott McCaffrey zipping around S. Arlington in his Miata. After dining on SUVs and full size autos morning and evening rush hours Scotty's Miata would be a light snack for a streetcar.
Hello,
I live in Toronto. Yes, there are always streetcar crashes occurring. Many who live here want them replaced by hybrid buses. Me included.
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