Portland, SF, Toronto, Boston Bicyclists Fear Streetcars, Tracks

Hello Yupette,

I was traveling to the West Coast last week. Streetcar accidents and accidents from tires slipping along streetcar tracks are a big topic of conversation among bicyclists in Portland. Something to think about when the streetcar is discussed here. Also, there are quite a few accidents involving streetcars and motor vehicles in San Francisco. I've also visited Boston and Toronto on business recently. Same thing there. Why isn't that being discussed here?

Regards,

Ron

ACE Articulated Bus or Deuce Double Deck Bus - Vegas Transit Riders Win Both Ways

Hello,

Want to know what we're missing by focusing on a stupid streetcar? Why did WMATA conclude that Arlington could get the same quality transit service from articulated buses as from a streetcar system for $200 million less? Here are links to three YouTube videos which show the wildly popular Las Vegas Deuce double-deck bus and ACE articulated bus in operation.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=dctwqxy6Ohg

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG-RJUc6hUM

Deuce and ACE together on the Vegas Strip:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30ivqQEGao



Cindy

Pike Middle Class Increasingly Unhappy about Proposed Streetcar, Gentrification

Hello, Yupette,

I was unhappy to see that the Arlington County Board and Fairfax County Board don't want to even mention alternatives to the Pike streetcar, although enhanced bus service would serve Pike residents equally as well as streetcars at 1/5 the cost.

It's time to state what the Arlington County Board's twin agendas are: racism and elitism. They want all minorities and the middle class out of Arlington. They want every building on the Pike to be another Penrose Square or 5500. They want miles of upscale restaurants. They want restaurant employees to commute 40 miles one-way, just like Clarendon and Shirlington.

Well, I want the County Board out of office. They're nothing bunch a bunch of racists and elitists, including Walter Tejada.

Same thing occurred in Alexandria with waterfront development and now the real Democrats are going after PlutoCrat Elitist Bill Euille to vote him out. About time.

Same must happen in Arlington, starting with electing Audrey Clement on March 27th. While we're at it, time to fire the gang that's making Arlington an 'New Urbanist Redevelopment Opportunity'. Starting with Barbara Donnellan.

Thanks for your blog.

K.L.

When Will My Street Be Repaved? County to Spend $320,000 for 'Designer Fence' at Water Pollution Control Plant

Hello, Yupette,

In case you want to know where the money to repave your crumbling street is going, check out Item 23 on the County Board's agenda this Saturday. The County will give an artist $320,000 - $350,000 for a 'compelling innovative design concept for the fence that separates South Eads Street from the water pollution control plant.' The length of the 'designer fence' will be 1600 feet. This will be in an area of S. Eads street where the WMATA bus maintenance facility is across the street from the wastewater treatment plant. There is already an expensive fence surrounding the water pollution control plant that was recently installed.

Bethany

Arlington 'Counter-Terrorrism' Exercises Referred to Arlington Greens as 'Terrorists' in Training Scenarios

Hello Yupette,

More bad news regarding the rightward drift of Arlington County Government.

There was a big 'anti-terrorist' training exercise in Arlington this morning. Police, Fire, EMS, ATF, FBI, etc., all took part.

Apparently anyone who is to the left of the Arlington County Democratic Committee and/or doesn't go along with ACDC's program is a 'terror suspect' these days.

So local 'law enforcement' characterized 'Greens' as 'Terrorists' in several SWAT Team training scenarios.

What next? Round up anyone who doesn't go along with Zimmerman's program and throw us all in a concentration camp?

Stay tuned.

2100

'Pike Transit' Meeting - All About Streetcars and Pike 'Clarendonization'

Hello,

We received e-mail from several persons who attended yesterday's 'Pike Transit Policy Committee' meeting at the Annandale Government Center on the Pike. The two elected officials who attended were Jay Fisette and Penny Gross (the Fairfax County Supervisor whose district includes the Pike within Fairfax County). Also transportation lobbyists, county staff, planners, corporate facilitators, developers, and their attorneys.

None of these people cared about what the alternative transportation analysis determined and none of them care about what the environmental analysis will determine. They want to massively lobby the Federal Transit Administration so they can get their streetcar system funded and the equivalent of Clarendon constructed on the Pike. They didn't talk about transportation, they talked about development. Much of what they talked about was a proposed streetcar station at Skyline which Vornado and Target are heavily involved in planning. None of the 'decision makers' at the meeting cared at all what Arlington and Fairfax County residents think...we're just nuisances to them.

Cindy

Enhanced Pike Bus Service - Same Level of Service as Pike Streetcars at 1/5 the Cost

Hello Yupette:

If you haven't seen WMATA's analysis of enhanced bus vs. streetcar service costs and benefits, you should go to www.piketransit.com and click on 'View the February Community Group Presentations' under Pike Transit Initiative.

For just over $50 million spent on higher capacity buses we can get about the same level of transit service on the Pike as we would by paying $250 million for streetcars. WMATA should analyze the economics of double-deck buses as well as so-called articulated buses.

Moreover, with enhanced bus service on the Pike there would be money left over for expanding the ART Bus network and for other new transportation projects. It appears the Pike streetcar system would consume all the revenue from the commercial property surtax that's supposed to fund new transit projects.

Zimmerman's Pike streetcar is all about massive development along the Pike, not about efficiently and effectively moving people. Why else would the County pay 5 times more than it needs to spend for public transit on the Pike.

Enough wasteful spending is enough. I'm going to send Zimmerman a strong message by voting for Audrey Clement on March 27th. You should too.

Pike Rider