CommuterPageBlog

A “charmed” neighborhood...

“Tree-lined streets with brick colonial, Victorian and semi-detached duplexes” and “a small business district cut from the cloth of small-town USA…reminiscent of times gone by.”  That is how the Washington Post describes the charming Arlington neighborhood known as Westover.

Located in the western part of Arlington County, Westover was mostly farmland until the late 1930s when plots were subdivided for housing, the Westover Shopping Center was built, and Claude A.Swanson Junior High (now Middle) School opened.

By 1952, Westover and adjacent neighborhoods looked much as they do today, with a mix of housing, public transit, multi-use trails, and a concentration of full-service shops. This friendly, self-sufficient
and supremely walkable neighborhood retains a mid-century character that evokes memories of simpler times.

Here’s a quote from a Westover resident interviewed for the Post article that pretty much sums it up, "It's comforting to know that if my car died, I could walk to all my shopping in a friendly community. It feels like a village, which is unique in the area."

Westover was #16 in the series of Walkabouts, or neighborhood walking routes, mapped by WalkArlington since 2005. Right now, WalkArlington is conducting a search for a walk friendly neighborhood that will be showcased as our 20^th Walkabout.

If you think your neighborhood is Walkabout-worthy, click here for more on how to submit your Walk Friendly Community Walkabout nomination. The deadline is Wednesday, February 29, so don’t delay!

In the meantime, if you want to know what’s so charming about Westover, pick up a WalkArlington Walkabout brochure or print out the Westover Walkabout map, then head out and see for yourself all the charm this neighborhood has to offer!

And if you head to Westover today, maybe you’ll find that some of the neighborhood’s popular restaurants are offering specials for Valentine’s Day!

 WalkArlington, an initiative of Arlington County Commuter Services within the Department of Environmental Services, gets "more people walking more of the time" by promoting the health, environmental, community-building, and commuting benefits of walking.

Does your neighborhood have it all?

The deadline for WalkArlington’s Walk Friendly Community Walkabout nominations is Wednesday, February 29^th.  We’ve received quite a few nominations already and hope you’ll consider nominating your neighborhood to be featured in our 2012 Walkabout. For inspiration and motivation, WalkArlington will showcase a few of the 19 neighborhoods featured in our Walkabouts brochure in the weeks leading up to the nomination deadline…

We all want to live in a great neighborhood, and there are plenty to choose from in this region. No matter where we live, most of us would agree on the ingredients that make a great neighborhood.  Does it have good schools?  Is it accessible to transportation and shopping?  Does it have a lot of trees and open spaces? Does it preserve its historic architecture?  In other words, does it have it all?

One neighborhood touted by locals as “having it all” is Arlington’s Yorktown. That’s a bold claim, but does Yorktown really live up to the hype? Once home to an Indian village and burial ground, yeoman farmers, and a wagon road that led from Four Mile Run to the Potomac, present-day Yorktown boasts top-rated Yorktown High School, popular Greenbrier Park, and bustling Lee-Harrison Shopping Center.  Strong civic involvement has characterized Yorktown since the 19th century and contributes to the quality of life in this northwest Arlington neighborhood to this day.

Pick up a WalkArlington Walkabout brochure or print out the Yorktown Walkabout map, then head out and see for yourself what Yorktown is all about. Only then can you decide whether this northwest Arlington neighborhood really has it all—and see how your neighborhood measures up!

 WalkArlington, an initiative of Arlington County Commuter Services within the Department of Environmental Services, gets "more people walking more of the time" by promoting the health, environmental, community-building, and commuting benefits of walking.

All welcome at Monday, February 6, Arlington Bike Advisory Committee meeting

Please join us at this month's Arlington County Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting.  It will be held next Monday, February 6, 2100 Clarendon Blvd. at 7:00 PM.  Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you have ever attended in the past or not.  We value input from all members of our community.

We have invited Christine Green from the Safe Routes to School Coordinator, who will update us and engage in a conversation about how to promote more cycling among our students.

Hope to see you there.

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Steve Offutt is a member of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee.

 

Future of Transportation: Notes from a Workshop

 

Yesterday, I spent a lively afternoon with a diverse group investigating the Future of Transportation at a workshop hosted by GovLab of Deloitte in their Arlington, VA, offices. The conversation was similar to many others I have been part of in the transportation industry. But the discussion confirmed that the vision of Arlington County's Mobility Lab is on the right track. Here are the ideas discussed at the workshop that I found compelling:  

• Adam Greenfield of Urbanscale said that there is no such thing as a seamless transportation system. In fact, what we are trying to acheive is a system with "beautiful seams".
• Reducing waste, whether through Collaborative Consumption such as Avego's real time ridesharing community or through GM's EN-V, should be a focus in designing future systems.
• Improvements in connections and reliability through provision of real-time transportation information on multiple mode choices and advances in design of technology are of prime importance. While much can be done on the policy and funding levels to encourage innovation and advancement, there is no need to wait. All sectors, but especially the private sector, can start on this critical job today.
• Behavioral economics can help identify the reasons for mode choice by various types of travelers. This knowledge can help design a system that better serves travelers' needs, and help travelers make good mode choices for their trips. 

At the end of the day, the most popular "solution" for the future of transportation was the one that was simple - one based on a single philosophy, easy to explain and understand, flexible enough to serve all types of trips, and as reliable as possible in a world replete with technology and information.

Sonali Soneji, AICP, Research Manager, Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS). Mobility Lab is an initiaitve of ACCS.

Outfitting for a winter ride (or run)

The Washington Post published a story the other day that featured this guy:

The article gave advice on how to dress appropriately for outdoor weather when exercising.  Some of the advice would also be useful for bike commuting.  However, as someone who bike commuted year round for many years, I don't think it's necessary to make the hundreds of dollars investment in expensive gear like this.  There's plenty of ways you can meet your needs at reasonable cost.  Talk to cyclists you know first.

Or visit the Bike Arlington bike forum.   Lots of experienced cyclists will be happy to lend you their advice. 

But whether you want to keep REI in business or not, it's not bad to ride through the winter in the DC area.  It gets cold sometimes, but there are many, many days this time of year when the low temperature doesn't even drop below freezing.

Good luck.

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Steve Offutt, Arlington, doesn't mind riding in the cold

Oh, the weather outside can be frightful…

Winter is here, but considering the mild temperatures we’ve been having the last few weeks, you wouldn’t have guessed it. Of course, as much as we hope for more of the same, we know that Mother Nature is unpredictable and real winter weather could be here with the next front. 

We also know that winter in our region can coat sidewalks with everything from sleet and ice to snow and whatever you call that nasty gray slush churned up by cars and plows, making it a bit challenging to get where you’re going.  So, whether you’re walking for exercise or to reach your destination, here are a few winter walking tips to heed from WalkArlington:

1. Be safe and be seen: Follow basic safety rules, like looking both ways before you cross a street, crossing at marked crosswalks, watching for traffic, paying attention to cyclists, and walking to the right on trails and paths. Assume drivers can’t see you and proceed with caution, especially when days are short and weather conditions unfavorable.
   
   
2. Share the way: Be mindful of cyclists, runners, and other trail users. Walk on the right, and listen for bells and audible warnings. Watch for icy spots!
   
   
3. Cover your head and other parts to stay warm: Dress in layers, and don’t forget the mittens or gloves and hat — you lose 35 percent of your body heat through your head.
   
   
4. Wear bright or reflective clothing and stay visible. With fewer daylight hours and often cloudy conditions, it’s important to don a high-visibility outer layer.
   
   
5. Consider the conditions when planning your route. Walk where trees offer some shelter from the wind. In nasty weather, try a shopping mall, where you can walk — and window-shop — without abandoning your walking regimen.

For more safety and comfort tips on walking in winter weather, check out the Winter Walk Guide courtesy of WalkArlington and goDCgo.

 WalkArlington, an initiative of Arlington County Commuter Services within the Department of Environmental Services, gets "more people walking more of the time" by promoting the health, environmental, community-building, and commuting benefits of walking.

New bike/ped bridge connecting W&OD to East Falls Church under construction

Arlington County is replacing the footbridge across Four Mile Run that connects the

Existing bridge as approached from the east

W&OD/Custis Trail east of Sycamore Street with the East Falls Church Metro station.  The current footbridge is very narrow, very old and has become obsolete. Its replacement is necessary for safety reasons. However, with input from the Arlington County pedestrian and bicycle advisory committees, the County has taken advantage of this opportunity to improve the bridge.  The replacement bridge will meet ADA standards, will be wider and is in a better location for reducing confusion among trail users.

On numerous occasions I have offered confused trail users directions at this location, because it is not obvious which direction is the main trail. Obviously, better (or any) signage would be helpful as well.  Signage is not included in the current project budget. This map shows the locations of the original bridge and the new bridge and estimated placement of the new trail connector.  As noted on the map, a significant area of asphalt will be removed and replaced with landscaping.  The total amount of permeable surface is likely to be increased even though the new bridge and trail connector will be wider than the original. View East Falls Church trail bridge replacement in a larger map

The new bridge will be 50 feet long and 14 feet wide with a concrete deck (the existing bridge has a wooden deck). The cost for this project is $240,000, with half coming from Arlington's bridge replacement funding and half from pedestrian improvements.  Expected life of the bridge is 75 years and the project is planned for completion in mid-March. Below are some photos (click on any photo for a larger view).

Existing bridge as approached from the direction of the East Falls Church Metro station

W&OD trail passing by construction zone. Sycamore Street can be seen in the back left.

Current pathway to the footbridge. Construction zone is to the right of the existing bridge

Location of the new bridge. Traffic signals at Sycamore and N. 19th St can be seen in the background.

View of the construction as of Dec. 31

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Steve Offutt, Arlington

WalkArlington Invites Arlingtonians to Nominate Neighborhoods for Our Next Walkabout!

In honor of Arlington County’s designation as a Gold-Level Walk Friendly Community — one of only 11 cities nationwide to receive this Walk Friendly Community recognition and one of only four cities honored at the Gold Level­—WalkArlington is planning our first-ever Walk Friendly Community Walkabout.

Walkabouts are self-guided walking tours of Arlington neighborhoods. Since 2005, WalkArlington has developed 19 Walkabout routes, highlighting the history, cultural attractions, natural resources, transportation options, and overall character of Arlington neighborhoods, from the ground up. The 2012 Walkabout will be the 20^th in our series and our first official Walk Friendly Community Walkabout so we want it to be extra-special!

In honor of Arlington County’s Walk Friendly Community designation, in keeping with Arlington County Board Chairman Mary Hynes’ call for civic engagement in 2012, and in preparation for development of our 20^th Walkabout, WalkArlington is pleased to open the Walkabout selection process for 2012 by issuing a call for nominations for our inaugural Walk Friendly Community Walkabout!

WalkArlington will work with the selected neighborhood to develop a Walkabout route and to plan a Walkabout event, featuring a guided tour of the neighborhood to be held later in 2012.

The nomination process opened January 1, and the deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

For more information, an overview of the nomination process, tips on nominating a neighborhood, and a link to the online nomination form, visit WalkArlington.com.

If you have a question about WalkArlington, Walkabouts, or Walk Friendly Community Walkabout nominations, please contact info@walkarlington.com

 WalkArlington, an initiative of Arlington County Commuter Services within the Department of Environmental Services, gets "more people walking more of the time" by promoting the health, environmental, community-building, and commuting benefits of walking.

I-66 "Spot Improvement" now completed

I-66 looking westbound from Ohio St.

The project to widen I-66 westbound between Fairfax Drive and Sycamore Street is now completed.  This is one of several projects that VDOT calls "Spot Improvements."  In this case, the "spot" is about 1.5 miles long.  This is the first of these projects, and was begun in the summer of 2010. None of the others is currently underway nor scheduled for the immediate future.

The roadbed was widened and new drainage had to be designed and built. The VDOT web page says that the shoulder is designed to handle full traffic and thus could be used as a travel lane in emergencies.  The project did not affect the Custis Trail in any way nor any of the soundwalls or adjoining neighborhoods. In my post last year I expressed concern that the widened bridge over the Custis Trail where it passes under I-66 would make it darker and the lighting should be reassessed. My opinion is that the lighting is still essentially the same as before and that the project did not change the daylight on the trail much if at al.

I'm not sure why the shorter dotted lines are used to delineate the right lane.  Perhaps to indicate that the lane is not continuous, although I have not seen this treatment in other locations, even where lanes exist for short distances. 

According to this VDOT press release, the other two spot improvements are on hold in the engineering phase until after the completion of the I-66 Multi-Modal study.

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Steve Offutt, Arlington

Be a PAL on Arlington's Streets!

Do you drive in Arlington?  Do you bike in Arlington? Do you walk in Arlington? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should make sure that you are being a PAL in Arlington's streets.

What's a PAL? you say? (Aside from being a creatively appropriate mnemonic device)...

Being a PAL means being:

• Predictable – travel in a predictable way; don't make sudden, unexpected moves
• Alert – pay attention to your surroundings and to others
• Lawful – obey the traffic laws, whether in a car, on a bike, or on foot

The street scene below illustrates how to be a PAL whether you're on two feet, two wheels or four wheels!   Take a look and see what you can be doing to help make Arlington's streets safer for all users of the road!  You can find more safety tips on the BikeArlington, WalkArlington and Car-Free Diet websites.

 Zanna is the Events and Outreach Coordinator for BikeArlington.  She loves being a PAL when she rides her bike (she also loves mnemonic devices).  Follow BikeArlington on Twitter, Facebook or visit the Washington Area Bike Forum.