Archive for the 'Commuting' Category
Arlington Transportation Plan for the Next 30 Years- Short on Detail.
November 15th, 2007 Categories: Around Arlington County, Commuting, Going Green
Arlington issued this press release this week on adopting the 2030 transportation master plan.
While I commend the county for even having a plan, I don’t see how it can plan out until 2030 when the local area can’t even agree on how to extend the metro to Tyson’s corner.
I guess it’s good to have a plan. Whether you can meet it or not. And I guess that’s why the plan is short on details and long on objectives. That’s ok– they got 27 years to think about it.
The county’s overarching goals are:
- Provide high quality transportation services for all users & modes
- Move more people without more traffic
- Promote safety (why is this a goal & not an assumption?)
- Establish equity
- Manage effectively & efficiently (I should hope so!)
- Advance environmental sustainability (What does that even mean?)
With emphasis on:
- Expanding system of high-frequency transit routes
- Upgrading walkways
- Expanding the bikeway network
- Expanding the traveler information program
For once I want more from the county on transportation issues than goals. Traffic is the one issue in Northern Virginia that will make or break any elected official. Maybe second only to raising taxes. (Even that is debatable!) I’d like to see some solutions and I don’t want to wait 27 years. I’ve already waited 20.
Upon further research– it’s good to know that Arlington has also supported the Regional Transportation Plan. That plan has more details:
Double the number of Metrorail stations in Northern Virginia as a result of Metrorail extensions in the I-66, I-95 and Dulles corridors.- Add light rail transit and/or bus rapid transit to the Route 7, Route 28, Crystal City-Potomac Yards and Columbia Pike corridors.
- Add 600 miles of on- and off-road trails.
- Increase highway capacity by 8 percent above what is already planned in the region’s Constrained Long-Range Plan.
We should be hearing more about this TransAction 2030 Transportation Plan in the near future. Because, well you know, it has it’s own web site. Let’s hope they do something more than issue press releases.
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Ride Your Bike To Work? Let Arlington Light the Way
November 3rd, 2007 Categories: Around Arlington County, Blue Plate Specials, Columbia Pike, Commuting, Going Green, Life in the District
Most people don’t realize that one of the Arlington County Board members rides his bike to work. This contributes to Arlington’s dedication to it’s bike paths and general bike safety.
In an effort to promote safe bike riding commuting after the end of daylight-saving time & darker evening commutes, Arlington County through it’s BikeArlington program and the Arlington County Police will give out and install free front and rear bicycle lights for local bikers riding without lights on their bicycles. This event will take place for one day only on Monday, November 5, 2007– don’t let it slip by.
Here is the important information:
WHAT: Arlington County’s award-winning BikeArlington program and the Arlington County Police Department will give out and install free bicycle lights for the first 75 local cyclists, instead of ticketing those without lights– which, by the way is required by Virginia law.
WHO: Local bicycle commuters, BikeArlington Staff, Arlington County Police
WHEN: Monday, November 5, 2007, 5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
WHERE: Washington & Old Dominion Trail at Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia
Read the full press release here.
The event is accessible via bicycle from the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and Columbia Pike. The event can also be reached by motor vehicle via Columbia Pike.
Arlington County Commuter Services created the BikeArlington program to promote more cycling, more often throughout the County. Visit www.BikeArlington.com for bicycling information including, maps, commuting tips, and safety tips.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Selling Your Home in Virginia Is Going To Get More Expensive
July 16th, 2007 Categories: Commuting, Local Real Esate Sales Numbers & Things, Real Estate News, Sellers
Last week the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) voted to increase seven taxes in Northern Virginia to raise $300 million in tax revenues for local transportation projects.
The most important tax for residents selling their home is an increase in the Grantor’s Tax from $1 per $1,000 of your sales price to $5 per $1,000 of your sales price. The other taxes relate to vehicle registration, new car tax and various taxes on cars. Here are the all tax increases:
-
-
-
40 cents per $100 increase in the real estate Grantor’s tax
2 percent increase in the rental car tax
2 percent increase in the hotel/motel occupancy tax
$10 increase in the vehicle safety inspection fee
1 percent initial vehicle registration fee (for new car purchases or those moving into the region)
5 percent sales tax on auto repairs
-
$10 regional auto registration fee
-
-
This new tax is slated to take effect January 1, 2008. It will be challenged in court– so stay tuned!
What is the Grantor’s Tax?
The Grantor’s Tax or Transfer Tax is the tax a seller pays to the county at closing. It currently is $1/$1,000 of the sales price of your home. For the average Arlington home– $739,000 the tax will increase from $739 to $3,695. It is a one time tax and only paid when you sell your home.
Why Did NVTA Raise the Tax?
Governor Kaine, as part of his legislative agenda, promoted a new transportation bill – the first in 21 years. The 21 year debate continued in the Virginia General Assembly on whether to increase taxes to raise funding for transportation projects. With most of the debate coming from the delegates outside the areas where transportation are critical (i.e, Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads area) the bill was once again doomed. As a compromise, the General Assembly passed authority to the NVTA to raise local taxes for their own road projects. Board members from Loudon County and Manassas are questioning the General Assembly’s authority to pass its ability to raise taxes to the NVTA and may be taking it to court.
What Is the NVTA?
The NVTA was created as part of the transportation plan passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Kaine. It is a 14–member panel made up of nine elected officials from the Northern Virginia jurisdiction, two members appointed by the House of Delegates, one appointed the Senate and two by the governor.
Arlington County Board Member Christopher Zimmerman is Arlington’s designated official on the panel and it’s chairman.
The purpose of this panel is to identify transportation projects in the Northern Virginia region and raise up to $300M/yr in tax revenue to fund its project. The idea here is causation taxing– tax the people who are living with the problem. Only they should pay for the issue– not the people in the whole state. Maybe its time for Northern Virginia to follow the lead from West Virginia and split from Richmond?
Good News/Bad News
The good news is that the politicians in Richmond have moved forward in addressing the issue of our congested roads in Northern Virginia. I commend Governor Kaine for working out a compromise that our past governors didn’t have the backbone to do.
The bad news is that only the local area is paying for it. We here in Northern Virginia are so suffocated with the traffic gridlock that we are almost grateful our elected officials are finally going to do something that most of us are willing to accept this extra tax burden while the rest of the state’s residents escape any changes. The traffic in Northern Virginia effects everything we do– our whole quality of life. The NVTA has managed to fine a way to raise $300M in tax revenue without raising daily taxes like the sales tax, gas tax or income tax.
Where is the Money Going?
$300 million is a lot of money. The large projects sited to by funded with this money is short. But it’s a start:
-
-
- $28M for improvements to the Fairfax County Parkway
- $15M to widen the Prince William Parkway from four lanes to six lanes between Hoadly Road & Old Bridge Road
- $11M for improves bus service between the Braddock Road metro stop in Alexandria and the Crystal City/Potomac Yard corridor
-
I am a big fan of mass transit– and if the politicians don’t focus on increasing the metro line or the VRE– our transportation issues will continue no matter how wide our road are.
What Does This Mean to Me?
If you are selling your home in Northern Virginia– you can save some money if you close before January 1, 2008. It’s important to price is aggressively to sell before the end of the year.
If you are buying a home in Northern Virginia– and can close before January 1, 2008– it’s a negotiating tool for offer.
This isn’t over– so stay tuned.
| Discussion: 1 Comment »
Bike Arlington- 2007 Bike Maps Available from Arlington County- FREE
July 7th, 2007 Categories: Around Arlington County, Commuting, Going Green, The Native Tourist, The Road Less Taken
Arlington County issued its new 2007 edition of the county’s bike map. Order yours today from Arlington’s Commuterpage.com They’re FREE. Learn more about Bike Arlington.
Arlington’s continues to be committed to its Going Green efforts with its master plan to maintain, improve & expand the county’s bike path and biking events- such as Bike-to-Work. The Arlington County Board’s goal is to make Arlington a “bikable community.”
Arlington County has 46 miles of shared-use off street trails, 24 miles of bike lanes and 43 miles of on-street connecting bicycle routes. That’s pretty good for a county that is just 26 square acres. The network is extensive. You can get to anywhere in the county by bike. The big bike plan is all part of Arlington’s continued support of Urban Villages where you can live and work close to all the things you need like shops and restaurants and other services. The bike network in Arlington have been voted one of the top five in the country and the best on the east coast.
This new map is a must-have for any bike rider. One side of the map shows all the local Arlington paths:
- W&OD Trail
- Mt Vernon Trail
- Custis Trail
- Bluemont Junction Trail
As well as connecting on-street routes and on-street bicycle lanes the map also highligh 
ts difficult crossings, steep hills and other amenities such as Bicycle Repair Shops, drinking fountains & public restrooms. An added bonus is connecting paths to bikes paths in DC along the National Mall, the C&O Canal & Capital Crescent Trail. And that’s just one side of the map!
When you view the other side of the map, there’s a special treat for the weekend cyclist: Arlington County Bicycle Tours:
- East Falls Church/Westover Tour
- Potomac Overlook Tour
- Heart of Arlington Tour
- Lubber Run/Barcroft Tour
- Arlington Ridge/Aurora Highlands Tour
- Grand Tour of Arlington
- Arlington Visual Art Tour
Not only do you get a map of each tour, you also get a brief description of eac
h tour, the level of difficulty and sites along the way. As well as tips about bike safety, the rules of the trails & local laws.
If you own a bicycle– this map is a must. If you haven’t ventured out on one of Arlington’s bike paths– I highly recommend the Mt. Vernon trail starting at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Go for a ride along the Potomac to Gravelly Point and watch the planes land at National airport. If you’re really adventurous, head to Old Town Alexandria for lunch. But where ever you go, enjoy the ride.
| Discussion: No Comments »