Friday, September 30, 2011

Traffic Cameras on the Pike

Copied from ARLnow
 
Over the past couple of weeks, people have been noticing mysterious, concealed video cameras mounted on lamp posts along Columbia Pike.
Some residents thought they were ingenious surveillance cameras in place for the 9-11 anniversary. Others thought they were part of some shady dealings, and called police to investigate.
In reality, however, the cameras are merely being used by Arlington County to monitor traffic patterns at intersections. According to Arlington Traffic Engineering and Operations Chief Wayne Wentz:
These are video cameras that are temporarily in place to collect intersection data. The videos will be viewed in the office and technicians will create vehicle turning movement counts. These data will be used for our periodic (every three years) traffic signal optimization effort.
As of yesterday evening, three cameras were in place at the intersections of Columbia Pike and S. Courthouse Road, S. Scott Street and S. Quinn Street.

Walking History Tour of Fort Myer


 

 Arlington Historical Society <arlingtonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 29, 2011 at 9:30 PM
Subject: Walking History Tour of Fort Myer
To: Arlington Historical Society <arlingtonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com>

The Arlington Historical Society and Arlington Heritage Alliance are proud to present a walking tour of historic Fort Myer, Va., at 5 p.m. Wed, Oct. 12, 2011, an exclusive look at some of the base's most famous sites, including theparade grounds where Orville Wright conducted the first military test flight,the base stables, home to the Caisson Platoon that serves military funerals atArlington National Cemetery, and more.

Fort Myer, now part of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, boasts a rich historythat dates to the Civil War. It is home to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The walking tour will be conducted by base historian Kim Holien and also will include aview of Victorian-era generals' quarters, Civil War fort ruins, base auditoriumConmy Hall and the Patton Society.

Cost is $20 for AHS and AHA members; $30 for non-members and includes hot hors d'oeuvres at the Fort Myer Officers Club to jump-start the evening. Reservations are required and space is limited. To sign-up, please go to www.arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org or contact Tom Dickinson at tomwd3@gmail.com or 703-841-4992.


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I created this e-mail list as a public service to enable Arlingtonians to send event announcements to all neighborhood presidents and leaders.

This list is not affiliated with any organization -- not Arlington County Virginia, not Arlington County Civic Federation, not anyone else but me.

I personally moderate all messages to this list to assure that they are of general interest, meet standards of decency, and are announcements only, not discussions.

I am solely responsible for the content of this e-mail list and for moderating its messages.

-- Thank you
-- Jay Jacob Wind
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Thursday, September 29, 2011

County Police Looking to Learn from Troublesome Intersections

County Police Looking to Learn from Troublesome Intersections

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Posted: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 12:00 am

County police throughout March will be focusing their attention on Arlington's most incident-prone intersections, hoping to raise public awareness about safety and come up with ideas that traffic engineers can use to make improvements.

The public "is going to see officers working traffic enforcement at each of these intersections, on the lookout for every violation they can see," said Lt. Tom Trumble of the Arlington County Police Department's special operations section.

A total of 23 different intersections have been identified for special attention.

"It's the high-volume intersections - most people who commute to work travel through more than one of these intersections every day," Trumble said.

At the end of the enforcement period, police officers will compile their observations, which will be studied to determine any patterns that had not previously been uncovered. A compilation of observations and analysis will be turned over to the county government's Transportation Division in an effort to address any engineering programs that can be fixed.

County police say that, in the majority of cases they investigate at high-density intersections, it is more often driver inattention that leads to collisions rather than any roadway flaws. Hence the well-publicized enforcement effort, which is an attempt to remind the driving public to be extra careful at problem intersections.

Based on calls for service reported by the police department for 2010, the most accident-prone intersections in the county are:

Top 10: Arlington Boulevard at Washington Boulevard; Columbia Pike at Washington Boulevard; Columbia Pike at South George Mason Drive; Columbia Pike at South Glebe Road; 23rd Street South at Jefferson Davis Highway; South Walter Reed Drive at Washington Boulevard; Lee Highway at North Lynn Street; Lee Highway at Spout Run Parkway; Lee Highway at Washington Boulevard; and North Glebe Road at Washington Boulevard.

Other High-Incident Intersections: 2nd Street South at Washington Boulevard; Fairfax Drive at North Glebe Road; South Glebe Road at Jefferson Davis Highway; North Glebe Road at Pershing Drive; North Glebe Road at Wilson Boulevard; 26th Road South at South Glebe Road; Army Navy Drive at South Hayes Street; North Courthouse Road at eastbound Arlington Boulevard; 850 Army Navy Drive; 24th Road South at South Glebe Road; North Glebe Road at Interstate 66 west; South Glebe Road at South Walter Reed Drive; and North George Mason Drive at Lee Highway.

Columbia Pike Pavement Repairs

Thank you for your patience as Arlington County continues working to revitalize and improve Columbia Pike.

Pavement Repairs
Road repairs are underway along Columbia Pike. The excessive heat and rain this summer combined with construction and regular bus traffic have taken a toll on the Pike. Over the next few weeks crews will be assessing trouble spots, patching and making improvements. You can help by reporting a pothole or area of road that needs attention. Visit  www.arlingtonva.us and search "Potholes" for the reporting form or call 703-228-6570.

Background
The County is investing in the Columbia Pike community with the Columbia Pike Revitalization Plan - a comprehensive, multi-year effort involving numerous projects. Arlington is working to create an easily accessible and pedestrian-friendly "Main Street" environment in the Columbia Pike corridor as part of the Revitalization Plan. As one of Arlington's major transit corridors and most vibrant neighborhoods, Columbia Pike is a County priority.

For more information on the Revitalization Plan, visit www.arlingtonva.us, and search "Columbia Pike Revitalization".  

You can also join DES on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonDES or Twitter at http://twitter.com/ArlingtonDES.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Re: ARLINGTON VIEW CIVIC MEETNG, WED, SEPT 28, 2011, 7:30 p.m.

THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE ARLINGTON VIEW CIVIC ASSN WILL BE HELD WEDNESDAY, SEPT 28 at 7:30 P.M.  ATTHE CARVER REC CENTER, HOFFMAN-BOSTON SCHOOL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK  WITH  THE PRESIDENT, MR. HUBBARD.
HOPE  YOU ALL HAD A GREAT SUMMER!

Ms. Ross, Secretary.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

LATEST ON WASHINGTON BLVD BRIDGE

Copied from ARLNOW.COM
 
The project has been nearly 20 years in the making, but VDOT has finally nailed down rough a construction schedule for the Washington Boulevard bridge over Columbia Pike.
At a community meeting on Tuesday, VDOT project manager Christiana Briganti-Dunn said land acquisition and construction is expected to begin this spring and will be complete by Aug. 2015. The $51.5 million project is being paid for primarily with federal and state funds, although Arlington is expected to contribute about $1 million for utility relocation and upgrades.
The project will replace the crumbling Washington Boulevard bridge, which dates back to the 1940s, and replace it with a new, wider span that will be dubbed the Freedman's Village Bridge, in honor of the enclave of freed slaves that was established nearby in 1863 and remained until the 1890s.
The new, wider bridge will allow a turn lane to be placed in between the four existing lanes of Columbia Pike. It will also allow for a 10-foot mixed-use path next to the westbound lanes, and the possible future addition of dedicated bicycle lanes. The design of the bridge was elevated by couple of inches to accommodate the planned Columbia Pike streetcar, Briganti-Dunn added.
Another planned change is the addition of two traffic lights on Columbia Pike, at the intersection with two sets of reconfigured Washington Boulevard ramps. The intersection of S. Quinn Street and Columbia Pike will be reconfigured as a one-way only entrance into the Arlington View neighborhood, and the traffic light there will be moved to the intersection of Columbia Pike and N. Queen Street, where reconfigured ramps onto and off of eastbound Washington Boulevard will converge.
 
On the northwest side of the new interchange, a 15-20 foot sound wall will be installed. The size of the barrier, and the loss of trees along its path, drew some criticism at Tuesday's meeting, though engineers argued that it was the only feasible way to keep highway noise out of a nearby condo complex. VDOT promised to preserve or replant trees, where possible, and touted the addition of two storm water management ponds next to the new ramps as a plus, environmentally.
One thing that won't be changing is the "time of day lane use" on eastbound Columbia Pike. Briganti-Dunn said that VDOT expects to maintain the use of the righthand eastbound lane as a right-turn only lane onto Washington Boulevard during the morning rush hour. However, the agency plans to replace the current small, easy-to-miss lane restriction signs with lighted, dynamic lane signs. It's hoped that the new signs will help make the accident-prone ramp safer.
During construction, traffic disruptions will be kept to a minimum for Columbia Pike and Washington Boulevard drivers, Briganti-Dunn said. All travel lanes will be kept clear during the morning and evening rush hours, and drivers will only have to put up with intermittent lane closures during the long construction process. During certain construction and demolition stages — during off-peak hours — Columbia Pike traffic will be redirected up the existing northbound ramps to a four-way traffic signal that will be placed on Washington Boulevard. Briganti-Dunn said the traffic light, when it's in place, is not expected to significantly reduce the capacity of either thoroughfare.
No local street detours are planned, and no homes will need to be torn down to make way for the reconfigured interchange, Briganti-Dunn said.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

TRAFFIC ALERT: Street Closures for "Navy 5 Miler"

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington police will be closing several roadways for the Navy 5 Miler foot race on Sunday September 25, 2011. The below listed roads will be closed from approximately 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.:
  • Northbound I-395 Exit 8B to Washington Boulevard will be closed.
  • Washington Boulevard will be closed between I-395 and the George Washington Parkway.
  • Southgate Road will be closed between Columbia Pike and S. Oak Street.
  • Columbia Pike will be closed east of S Joyce Street.
  • Access to Boundary Drive from I-395 is closed (Exits 9 and 10A).
The run starts at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday. For more information visit http://www.navy5miler.com/

Saturday, September 17, 2011

FW: Reminder: Movie Under The Stars at Penrose Square : this Saturday, Sept. 17, 8pm


 

Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:47:21 -0400
From: cpro@columbiapike.org
To: lynndurbin@hotmail.com
Subject: Reminder: Movie Under The Stars at Penrose Square : this Saturday, Sept. 17, 8pm

Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization
Movie Under The Stars at Penrose Square
Presented by the new Penrose Square Giant Market
co-sponsored by CPRO

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 17
TIME: 8pm
LOCATION: Penrose Square, Col. Pike and S. Barton St.

Featuring Best Picture Academy Award nominee:  

 

a true and truly remarkable football story [trailer] with Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates and Tim McGraw in the leading roles. Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her leading role in this movie.

Bring your Family, friends and Neighbors, a blanket and/or a lawn chair
Free pop-corn (courtesy of GIANT Food)! 

 

Free Parking at the Penrose Square Building! 

(access from S. Barton St., S. Adams St. and S. 9th St.).

Pike-ride Metro Buses (Line 16) will bring you to the event from all Pike Neighborhoods (Stop: S. Barton St.) and from the Pentagon and Pentagon-City Metro-Rail stations.

 

This email was sent to lynndurbin@hotmail.com by cpro@columbiapike.org |  
Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization | 2611 Columbia Pike | Arlington | VA | 22204

Friday, September 2, 2011

ARLINGTON COUNTY TREE PROGRAM

The Arlington County Neighborhood Tree Distribution will be October 15-16,
8 am to 5 pm. The County moved the giveaway to the fall to increase the
survivability of the young trees, which often don't make it through our
summer droughts. There will be a wider selection of trees available to
provide more diversity, but fewer of each species. Finally, County Nursery
staff and Tree Stewards will be available to provide education.

The County is asking that each homeowner submit their tree request on-line
and directly to the county. The URL for requesting a tree is at the bottom
of this message.

The County has also changed the distribution system for the program. They
are now asking each homeowner to pick up their own tree at the County
Nursery, or to carpool with neighbors and pick up several trees.

Having people come to the County Nursery, which is behind Barcroft
Recreation
Center on Four Mile Run off of George Mason Drive (look for signage), will
allow residents to see the large variety of trees planted in Arlington, meet
county staff responsible for our street trees, and learn best practices for
planting and care of the tree they receive. The County is increasing the
educational component of the program and will have county staff and
volunteer Tree Stewards available on October 15 & 16, to answer questions
on tree care.

There will be nine types of canopy trees: American sycamore, black oak,
black gum, cherrybark oak, pin oak, red maple, river birch, poplar, and
Virginia pine; and eight smaller understory trees, American hazelnut,
arrowwood viburnum, Eastern redbud, serviceberry, staghorn sumac, sweetbay
magnolia, winterberry holly, and American Witch hazel.

If you are interested in a tree you can reserve your request directly from
the County, at <http://www.tinyurl.com/TreeDistribution>
www.tinyurl.com/TreeDistribution

CORRECT INFORMATION ON VDOT MEETING

Penrose Neighborhood Association is hosting VDOT on Tuesday,  September 20, 2011 at 7:30 pm for presentation on the Washington Boulevard /  Columbia Pike bridge project, also known as the Freedmen's Village Bridge.   

 Location:  Trinity Episcopalian Church, Children's Center entrance on Wayne  Street
 
 2217 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA FREE.

 http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/route_27-244_interchange.asp
>

VDOT MEETING FOR WASHINGTON BLVD BRIDGE

TRAFFIC ALERT: Street Closures for Arlington Police/Sheriff/Fire 9-11 5K

MEDIA RELATIONS: Det. Crystal Nosal, 703 228-4331
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington County Police Department will close several streets on Saturday, September 10, 2011, for the 10th annual Arlington Police/Sheriff/Fire 9-11 Memorial 5K. Listed below are the streets that will be affected.
From 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the following roads will be closed:
  • Army Navy Drive, between South Fern Street and South 12th Street.
  • South 12th Street, between Amy Navy Drive and Crystal Drive.
  • Crystal Drive will be closed from South 23rd Street to South 12th Street.
The Pentagon South parking area will also be disrupted during the race. In addition, motorists should be on the lookout for temporary "No Parking" signs in the area. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-228-4252.
The run starts at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

STREET CLOSURE SEPTEMBER 10

TRAFFIC ALERT: Street Closures for Arlington Police/Sheriff/Fire 9-11 5K

MEDIA RELATIONS: Det. Crystal Nosal, 703 228-4331
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Arlington County Police Department will close several streets on Saturday, September 10, 2011, for the 10th annual Arlington Police/Sheriff/Fire 9-11 Memorial 5K. Listed below are the streets that will be affected.
From 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the following roads will be closed:
  • Army Navy Drive, between South Fern Street and South 12th Street.
  • South 12th Street, between Amy Navy Drive and Crystal Drive.
  • Crystal Drive will be closed from South 23rd Street to South 12th Street.
The Pentagon South parking area will also be disrupted during the race. In addition, motorists should be on the lookout for temporary "No Parking" signs in the area. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-228-4252.
The run starts at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.