Arlington County scuttles streetcar plans
Written by Douglas John BowenArlington County officials said Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 that the county is canceling its plans for two streetcar projects, bowing to continual opposition and heightened by a recent local election.
The move quickly was criticized by officials in neighboring Fairfax County, which was participating in on the the projects, the $33 million, 7.4-mile Columbia Pike Streetcar. A second adjoining project, the $217 million Crystal City Line, was not as far advanced as its counterpart.
The news, as reported by The Washington Post, undercuts the county’s plan to redevelop a congested portion of Arlington County. Opponents had continually argued that improved bus service, and/or Bus Rapid Transit, could handle future needs.
Said Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette, “We believed that a streetcar system would provide the economic stimulation and the placemaking that would keep Arlington competitive for years to come.” Noting the recent election of anti-rail candidate John Vihstadt to the Board, Fisette added, “But we cannot ignore the political realities.”
Still to be determined is the fate of the $26 million contract Arlington County approved last September with Omaha, Neb.-based HDR Inc.
