Arlington right to close slip lane in Arlington Ridge

Arlington wants to fix a pedestrian safety flaw and slow traffic in the Arlington Ridge neighborhood. But a group of vocal neighbors is loudly protesting the move, arguing it’s worse for safety and claiming Arlington didn’t listen to their concerns.

But while the safety claim might be heartfelt, the change makes complete sense for safety. As for the process argument, opponents seem to misunderstand the “Arlington Way.”

Staff used the gold standard for public input on this project, even if they ultimately disagree with the critics. They deserve strong support both because it’s a good project, and also because good process deserves positive reinforcement.

The most controversial issue involves a “slip lane,” where a very short one-way road segment cuts off a corner. Right now, drivers heading south on Arlington Ridge Road can make a slight right turn onto South Meade Street, while anyone going from Meade to Arlington Ridge or coming from the other direction has to turn at a 90° T-intersection.

Arlington plans to close that slip lane and have the southbound Arlington Ridge to Meade cars also make the 90° turn. They also plan to widen sidewalks and eliminate a place where buses pull out of traffic at a stop.

There are several good reasons for this. The Arlington Ridge Citizens’ Association (ARCA) has been long asking the county to slow traffic. They want Arlington Ridge Street and 23rd Street South to serve more as neighborhood streets than as major commuter through routes between I-395 and places like Crystal City.

Pedestrians walking along Arlington Ridge, including children walking to the nearby school, have to leave the side of the road to cross South Meade west of the slip lane. That’s a more lengthy path, and in reality, many don’t take it. But crossing right where the slip lane meets Arlington Ridge isn’t so safe, since there isn’t a crosswalk or even a sidewalk, and drivers aren’t expecting people to cross.

The other nearby side streets meet Arlington Ridge at a T. Why not this one? Opponents say that because Arlington Ridge starts a long downhill slope here, drivers won’t see someone who’s stopped to make the turn, especially if a driver is distracted or in bad weather.

Collisions are always a danger of distracted driving or bad weather, but slowing traffic reduces, not increases, the likelihood and also means those collisions that do happen are less likely to cause serious injury or death.

I drove over to the area Friday during the evening rush to check it out in person. From the light at South 23rd Street, at the the top of the hill, the entire intersection is easily visible from even a smaller car. A driver coming down the hill will see another car at the corner with plenty of time.

In fact, as an experiment, I tried turning several times from Arlington Ridge onto South Meade but not using the slip lane — the way drivers will once the change is finished. As I was slowing and stopping at the corner, cars coming down the hill started braking long before.

Opponents also claim that Arlington is ignoring their input, and even got an Examiner article with the headline, “Neighbors feel left out as Arlington zooms forward with street project.”

The critics say,

The citizens are standing up for an honest, open and constructive dialogue. So far, the County has largely ignored our input. This is happening in Arlington (VA) County that is a home for the well-known “Arlington Way”, which is nationally acclaimed as a model example of collaboration and planning between citizens and government. There are obvious issues with this project and the implementation of the “Arlington Way” in reality.

This resembles the arguments we’ve been hearing for years about DC’s zoning rewrite. Despite holding more than 100 public meetings and responding quickly to questions sent via email, critics of the zoning update say that OP has not been listening.

What is the “Arlington Way”? A quick Google search turns up a few descriptions:

• Alice Marshall: “The Arlington Way refers to Arlington’s unique political culture that places great emphasis on citizen input and participation. No decision can be made without consulting all stakeholders.”
• Ron Carlee to SharonTB: “Each person has a chance to be heard.”
• Stephen Davis: “The County places great emphasis on citizen input and participation. All the stakeholders are brought to the table, and Arlington residents are very active in the public process and making their voices heard.”

Arlington appears to have listened very closely. In multiple letters, they detail specific changes they made to the plan based on resident comments.

County officials brought the plan to ARCA, the area citizens’ association, in September 2010—11 months earlier. ARCA signed off on the plan. Only later, after some neighbors brought up complaints, did they change their view. Arlington has been discussing the issues with opponents for 3 months.

Listening does not mean agreeing. The Arlington Way means everyone can be heard, not that nothing can ever happen unless everyone agrees. The county has clearly listened and even made many changes.

I’ve long pushed regional transportation officials to share their plans and listen to input. Some transportation professionals (outside Arlington) have expressed a worry that if they give more opportunities for input, it will simply bring out more opposition. Or, some say, if they conduct public meetings, will they have to take the recommendation of the majority of those participating?

These are not reasons to forgo public input. A government agency needs to tell residents what it plans, and give them the chance to weigh in. Officials should seriously listen to concerns rather than just nodding politely and disregarding everything they hear. But then, it also needs to make a decision based on the available information and move forward.

Setting clear policies is another way to address this. Rather than turning every project into a battle, an agency can set overarching guidelines with public input. DC’s sidewalk policy, for instance, is a good example, and it was most frustrating when Mayor Fenty simply overruled that policy in a few cases. Arlington has developed policies around slip lanes and pedestrian safety, and those policies support this change.

If an agency collects more public input, and sets clear policies and follows them, does that make it easier or harder to follow through projects? Should transportation officials conclude that, actually, all this input is really a bad idea and try instead to hide plans from the public until the last minute?

The response of elected officials is key. The Arlington County Board has held firm in their support for this plan. That sends a clear message that whether on DC’s zoning rewrite or on Arlington’s slip lanes, when public officials follow a good public input process and follow their policies, it might not blunt the criticism from the most vehement opponents or avoid sensationalistic Examiner headlines, but it does secure political support.

Residents of Arlington should thank their board members for sticking with this project. Even if they never drive, walk, or bike in this area, it strengthens the case for good public input and policies on other projects in the future.