Streetcars Involved in Numerous Accidents with Vehicles and Bicycles in Phoenix, Portland, Seattle

Hello,

We heard from a resident of Portland Oregon, who is a summer intern living in Arlington, that there are 'lots of streetcar accidents in Portland'. So we did a Web search on 'streetcar accidents'. We found an investigative report that was published in the Arizona Star newspaper on February 19th. So here are the first few paragraphs.

Streetcar tracks heighten accident concerns here

"In addition to figuring out how to engineer, build and operate a $200 million new modern streetcar through the heart of town, Tuscon faces an additional challenge: how to prevent accidents with cars and bicycles.

Phoenix's new light rail experienced more than 100 accidents with cars and pedestrians in the first three years, causing more than $2.3 million in damages to the light rail forcing officials to launch a nearly $275,000 public education campaign. The Arizona Daily Star created a database of all 106 light-rail crashes at azstarnet.com/databases.

Meanwhile in Portland, the bicycle community has ramped up a campaign to get riders to report accidents because hundreds of cyclists have crashed on the tracks, mainly by getting their wheels stuck in the gap between the tracks and the street.

In Seattle, a group of six cyclists filed a class action lawsuit against the city, saying they crashed on the streetcar tracks and were injured.

Despite the fact only a miniscule portion of Tuscon's streetcar tracks have been installed, they have already contributed to a fatality - something that hasn't happened in Portland in its 10 years of operation."

Dennis M. McKinney, 47, was riding on East Congress Street near the Fourth Avenue Underpass when he lost control of his bike as it got caught up in the streetcar tracks, according to a police report of the July 2010 incident. He lost control of his vehicle and was struck by a truck in the next lane. He was pronounced dead at University Medical Center."


Cindy

County Board, County Manager, Chamber of Commerce Intimidating Local Media into Endorsing Pike Streetcar System

Hello,

Arlington County Board, Arlington County Manager, and Arlington Chamber of Commerce are pulling out all the stops to keep the local media, (including news blogs) from featuring, or even mentioning, articulated buses on the Pike and in Crystal City, which would save Arlington taxpayers at least $400 million versus the anticipated cost of the County Board's trolley folly.

Special recognition to County Board Member Chris Zimmerman, County Manager Barbara Donnellan, Arlington Public Information Director Diana Sun, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee Member Scott McCaffrey for intimidating the local media into profound silence regarding the real and only transit alternative for the Pike, articulated buses. Nothing like telling local media editors that they will lose ad revenue, lose access to elected VIPs, and lose advance information from elected VIPs if they provide ANY information about articulated buses, to ensure silence from the local media.

Cindy

Articulated Buses - the ONLY Transit Option for the Pike and Crystal City

Hello:

The more we look at the articulated bus option for the Pike and Crystal City the more we feel articulated buses are the ONLY transit option for the Pike and Crystal City. The Wright articulated buses, also known as 'Wright streetcars', that provide transit service for Las Vegas as the 'Ace Bus' would cost Arlington taxpayers $100 million versus $500 million for streetcar systems on the Pike and in Crystal City. The 'Ace Bus' uses clean energy, not mountaintop coal, for power. The 'Ace Bus' is flexible, it uses both regular traffic lanes in downtown Las Vegas and dedicated transit lanes in outlying areas. There are no tracks to cause accidents with bicycles and pedestrians. There are no overhead wires. The 'Ace Bus' is a big hit with tourists and residents in Las Vegas. You can see for yourself by Googling 'Las Vegas ACE Bus' and 'Wright streetcar'.

We are appalled by the Arlington County Board's 'dirty tricks' aimed at anyone who might oppose its trolley folly. These ranged from telling minority groups (who heavily use Pike transit) they would be arrested if they attended the June 6th and 7th Pike Transit meetings to cutting off the audio when County Board candidate Audrey Clement spoke against the trolley folly at last Saturday's County Board meeting.

We feel our only recourse is to write both the Federal Transit Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General detailing the outrageous manner in which the County Board has behaved.

We don't have financial interests in any corporation or organization that markets articulated buses. We need the $400 million that would be wasted on the County Board's trolley folly spent on new transit infrastructure to benefit all County residents. Therefore, the 'Ace' Wright streetcar articulated bus is the only real transit option for the Pike and Crystal City.

Cindy, and many others,
South Arlington

Meanwhile, Back In Dumb Growth America....Can You Find the Dollar Store?

Hey Yupette,

Thanks for your blog. Last week I was visiting my daughter and her family, who live in a typical in Dumb Growth suburb far away from Arlington. Here's a couple photos of the shopping plaza where she and her family shop. It's about 35 years old, same vintage as the Safeway on Wilson Blvd. Had a nice makeover about 4 years ago.

Can you find the Dollar Store in the photos?

L.K.

Arlington Fire Department Sets Off Explosives, Burns Junk Vehicles 200 Feet from Abingdon School

Hello,

We wondered what the loud explosions coming from the vicinity of the Arlington Trade Center are all about. One usually hears them weekdays between 10:30 and 11:00 AM. We venture to the Trades Center to recycle our old bills and bank statements once a month. So we asked the County employees who work at the Trades Center about the explosions. Also, we noticed a strong odor in Fairlington like burning garbage or tires on a number of occasions weekdays.

"Oh" they said, "That's the Fire Department doing its thing at the Fire Training Academy." So, we stopped at the Fire Training Academy on our way out of the Trades Center. (The Fire Training Academy is where voters who lived in Shirlington Precinct voted until a few years ago).

Surprise. Surprise. A parking lot full of burned out junk vehicles. Here's a photo. WHY are explosions being set off 200 feet from Abingdon Elementary School? WHY are junk vehicles being burned 200 feet from Abingdon Elementary School? WHY is this being done weekdays when children are attending Abingdon Elementary School?

Doesn't Fairlington resident, long-time School Board member, cancer survivor, and current County Board member Libby Garvey care about the health and safety of children in her own community? Appears not.

Cindy

Waste, Fraud, and Mismanagement - Pike Streetcar Planning Has Jumped the Tracks

Hello Yupette,

Didn't WMATA already conduct an alternatives analysis for the proposed Pike streetcar system? And didn't that alternatives analysis determine that articulated buses, also known as bus rapid transit, would cost taxpayers $50 million versus spending $250 million for a streetcar system? Why do we need any more meetings?

Know what these streetcars have turned into? A classic taxpayer rip-off. Not only is money being wasted on something we don't need or want, but state-of-the art bus service using double deck buses isn't being mentioned. Nor are safety and environmental issues involving construction and operation of streetcars. It's gotten so bad that Arlington County employees who don't live in Arlington are being ordered to post anonymous comments promoting streecars

to local blogs using material they are handed by County public information staff.

I don't know about anyone else, but I called and am sending an e-mail to the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General. The number to call to reach the DOT IG here in the D.C. area is 202-366-0377.

Pike Rider

Non-Resident Arlington Decision Makers: "Party's Over There, in Arlington"

Hey Yupette,

Don't you just love our non-resident decision makers organizing all the wonderfully noisy festivals and events, like wonderful "Rolling Thunder" this weekend? Our County Manager and Chief of Police live in lovely Clifton. County Staff also live elsewhere, at the end of cul de sacs in classic Fairfax County, Prince William County, Loudoun County neighborhoods, not off Route 50, Route 66, and I-395 in Arlington. Thanks for featuring the wonderful non-residents who make all our decisions for us. Summer begins again in Arlington. Duh.

Peter, 22205