Sister City Resident: Arlington County Government Deceitful Regarding BRT Flexibility and Capacity

Hello,

I am a resident of Aachen, Germany, which is a Sister City of Arlington Virginia. I am following the controversy regarding building a street car system in your County. The statements made by your county board members regarding the advantages of a streetcar system over articulated buses are deceitful, one reason that I and other Aachen citizens favor ending the Sister City agreement with Arlington.

On March 10, 2013 Aachen citizens decisively voted in a referendum to oppose a new tram (streetcar) system for Aachen which would have cost U.S. $320 million. I and others opposed the Aachen tram system for the same reasons that Arlington citizens oppose the streetcar system planned for the Columbia Pike, articulated buses (BRT) provide equivalent capacity and are much more flexible (please excuse the pun) for much less money.

Presently, two types of articulated buses are operating in Aachen, single articulated buses and double articulated buses. I am sending you a photo of one of the double articulated buses, a Van Hool AGG-300. There is also a YouTube video of an AGG-300 bus operating on Aachen's streets. The video can be found at:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MMGtz3NH8U

It is unfortunate that your citizens are so poorly served by their elected leaders.

Regards,
Peter, Aachen Germany

Crank Crewes Elude Arlington Police

Hey Ms. Yupette,

You knew with all the interest in bicycles here in Arlington the bandits would start to get with the program. Well, just like New York and LA, the gangstas are using bicycles to facilitate various for-profit activities. Like the armed robbery in North Arlington last night. Like the speedy delivery of certain controlled substances to Arlington's Party Zones (you know where they are). Arlington Police are trying to figure out what's going on. They should visit New York where crank crewes have been ganging in the hoods for more than decade. Check out the homies riding dressed all in black at night. Bonus loot because you don't get pulled over for driving with a suspended license and expired registration.

Later,

DT213

Never Mind the $treetcar. Fix Arlington's Streetlights

Hi Yupette,

County Board is meeting tonight at 9:30 PM, corner of North Monroe Street and Wilson Boulevard to check out the operation of the County's new light emitting diode streetlights. How long has the County been fooling around with this technology? Light emitting diodes have been around for decades.

Meanwhile, taxpayers put up with thousands of poorly maintained mercury vapor and sodium vapor streetlights that are a big gift to Dominion, the older they get the less light they produce, the more power they consume.

Can we please have a modern street lighting system that doesn't put more light into trees and on buildings than it does on the street? How long is County Government going to play with LED streetlights before a street lighting system can be approved that's efficient and acceptable to residents? Stay tuned.

Meredith, 22205