Fairfax County officials expressed disappointment at the Nov. 18 decision by the Arlington County Board to cancel the Columbia Pike Streetcar project.
“Although we believe the decision to end the project is short-sighted, we recognize that the project cannot happen without the support of the Arlington Board,” says a joint statement by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova and Mason Supervisor Penny Gross, vice chair of the board.
The Arlington County Board voted 4 to 1 to terminate all streetcar projects and withdraw or modify applications for federal and state grants. The $333 million streetcar would have run along Columbia Pike between the Potomac Yard and the Skyline Center in Bailey’s Crossroads. Only a small portion of the project would have been in Fairfax County.
Bulova and Gross “remain committed to providing high-quality transit for the residents, workers, and businesses in the Bailey’s Crossroads area,” according to the statement. “Such transit is important to unlocking the potential in this area of Fairfax County and will assist the area in transforming itself into an attractive, urban destination with a supportive transportation system.”
“More than a decade of work has gone into the project, and the streetcar alternative for Columbia Pike has been approved by both the Arlington and Fairfax County boards on multiple occasions,” Bulova and Gross note. “Recently, considerable progress has been made toward completing the project in 2020. We continue to believe that the implementation of the streetcar would provide both transportation and economic development benefits to the corridor, as demonstrated repeatedly through multiple analyses. In addition, businesses and residents in both counties have been eagerly waiting its arrival.”
Two of three three pro-streetcar members of the Arlington Board – Board Chair Jay Fisette and Vice Chair Mary Hynes – announced that the program had to be canceled to heal divisions that were distracting the board from other pressing issues, says a statement from the Arlington board.
“This was a painful decision for me and Ms. Hynes,” Fisette said. “Both of us continue to believe that the streetcar is the best long-term transit option for the two corridors that are expected to absorb much of Arlington’s population and job growth in the coming decades. We both still believe that fixed rail would both transform Columbia Pike and attract development that would generate the revenue necessary to support our excellent community services and enhance our regional competitiveness.”
However, Fisette said, “We must deal with political realities,” noting that voters re-elected the candidate (John Vihstadt) “who made opposition to the streetcar a centerpiece of his campaign. This was a serious message. Debating the streetcar issue further – with continued discord and dueling facts – will not serve our community and will distract us from addressing the other pressing issues before us,” such as growing school enrollment, a historically high office vacancy rate, and a lack of affordable housing.
“Although we believe the decision to end the project is short-sighted, we recognize that the project cannot happen without the support of the Arlington Board,” says a joint statement by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova and Mason Supervisor Penny Gross, vice chair of the board.
The Arlington County Board voted 4 to 1 to terminate all streetcar projects and withdraw or modify applications for federal and state grants. The $333 million streetcar would have run along Columbia Pike between the Potomac Yard and the Skyline Center in Bailey’s Crossroads. Only a small portion of the project would have been in Fairfax County.
Bulova and Gross “remain committed to providing high-quality transit for the residents, workers, and businesses in the Bailey’s Crossroads area,” according to the statement. “Such transit is important to unlocking the potential in this area of Fairfax County and will assist the area in transforming itself into an attractive, urban destination with a supportive transportation system.”
“More than a decade of work has gone into the project, and the streetcar alternative for Columbia Pike has been approved by both the Arlington and Fairfax County boards on multiple occasions,” Bulova and Gross note. “Recently, considerable progress has been made toward completing the project in 2020. We continue to believe that the implementation of the streetcar would provide both transportation and economic development benefits to the corridor, as demonstrated repeatedly through multiple analyses. In addition, businesses and residents in both counties have been eagerly waiting its arrival.”
Two of three three pro-streetcar members of the Arlington Board – Board Chair Jay Fisette and Vice Chair Mary Hynes – announced that the program had to be canceled to heal divisions that were distracting the board from other pressing issues, says a statement from the Arlington board.
“This was a painful decision for me and Ms. Hynes,” Fisette said. “Both of us continue to believe that the streetcar is the best long-term transit option for the two corridors that are expected to absorb much of Arlington’s population and job growth in the coming decades. We both still believe that fixed rail would both transform Columbia Pike and attract development that would generate the revenue necessary to support our excellent community services and enhance our regional competitiveness.”
However, Fisette said, “We must deal with political realities,” noting that voters re-elected the candidate (John Vihstadt) “who made opposition to the streetcar a centerpiece of his campaign. This was a serious message. Debating the streetcar issue further – with continued discord and dueling facts – will not serve our community and will distract us from addressing the other pressing issues before us,” such as growing school enrollment, a historically high office vacancy rate, and a lack of affordable housing.