No need for a bike trail on Long Bridge, since there is already one on the George Mason Bridge.

by WFY on Sep 13, 2012 9:03 am • link • report

SURVEY: A Majority of Americans Want Someone Else to Pay for It.

by monkeyrotica on Sep 13, 2012 9:07 am • link • report

Go express to Tysons

Happy to see Fairfax add good bus service. Sad to see its only focused on 9to5 commuters. They forget people work late, or half-time. Also Tysons, with its Malls should be an excellent destination for shoppers. Would it not be great for Fairfax to get shoppers from the southern end of the county to got to Tysons in stead of Potomac Hell Mills?

replacing the Long Bridge. It would help Amtrak, VRE, and freight rail, and could even include a streetcar crossing or a bike trail.

That's long overdue, and needs at least a paint job. However, if there is a need for a streetcar to cross, then why not use the metro bridge? Plenty of capacity there. If the streetcars don't fit the metro rails, then we find out why it was not smart to pick all kinds of different rail systems in one area.

I would propose Amtrak, DC and VA/VRE work together to get their own passenger track, so they become less dependent on CSX.

by Jasper on Sep 13, 2012 9:11 am • link • report

I saw the headline on this morning's examiner and though "oh no" but was surprised to find it pretty even keeled. I also like in the sidebar about the Pennsylvania bike lanes that the cyclist had specific stories about his interactions with cars while the counter point could only vaguely point out that the cyclists "don't stay in the lane".

by drumz on Sep 13, 2012 9:14 am • link • report

There are bike/pedestrian lanes on all the bridges - Key, Memorial, 14th St (which I think is the George Mason, no?). So it seems logical that the rebuild of Long Bridge should also include bike/pedestrian lanes. Besides, the lanes on 14th St. aren't wide enough as it is. More lanes would ease traffic. Perhaps more and wider bike lanes would, like more car lanes do, induce demand.

by Biker on Sep 13, 2012 9:15 am • link • report

MONORAIL! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw

by Cassidy on Sep 13, 2012 9:15 am • link • report

RE: Sydney Monorail

I wonder if I can put in a low bid that involves me just spending several dozen years whacking away at it with a sledgehammer.

by Bossi on Sep 13, 2012 9:19 am • link • report

The same NRDC found "communities with less driving" which is the preferred option around here, very unpopular.

by charlie on Sep 13, 2012 9:27 am • link • report

Re tysons bus service - yes, a good thing, and a way to make the express lanes a transit facility.

@jasper - maybe as tysons grows longer hours will make sense. Meanwhile running buses that cost money and get low ridership doesnt make sense, free spending european friend. People can get from FS and Annandale to tysons mall on the existing local bus on Gallows. Would an express bus late at night when the beltway is not packed appeal to people with cars? are there many carfree or carlite people in Burke and Lorton

by AWalkerInTheCity on Sep 13, 2012 9:49 am • link • report

Re Long bridge and metro bridge

is there really much capacity left on the metro bridge, with rush +? If so, that will probably be utilized in future by metro extensions.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Sep 13, 2012 9:50 am • link • report

@Jasper, there is no way they would run a streetcar on the Metro bridge tracks across the Potomac. A streetcar mixing with a rapid transit line running 3 minute headways? Umm, no.

On the Long Bridge study, good to see that it is finally getting started. The HSIPR grant was announced at least over a year ago, if not two. Hope they will fully consider the big and long range picture. The best solution would be a separate 2 track bridge for 2 primary passenger rail tracks from L'Enfant Plaza to south of Alexandria station for VRE, Amtrak. The new bridge and tracks should support electrification so it can be used a starting point for a future electrified HSR line to Richmond and beyond. CSX can use the new bridge tracks for an interim period while the current Long Bridge is refurbed or rebuilt if need be.

As for street car tracks, those can't really use heavy rail tracks either because mixing slow 6500' or 8000' long freight trains or faster passenger trains with street cars is difficult and runs into a slew of FRA safety regs. It is done, but with freight running only late at night when the light rail service is shut down. A street car line across the Potomac would have to its own track(s), either on one side of a new rail bridge or use a road bridge - which presents a host of cost and political constraints.

by AlanF on Sep 13, 2012 10:12 am • link • report

Also the hour limit for food trucks in arlington is dumb. What if your parked in a spot with a two hour limit? That is equally dumb in my view (food trucks should probably be allowed to feed the meter in my view) but at least that has a standard beyond just "because we feel like it".

by drumz on Sep 13, 2012 10:19 am • link • report

Go express to Tysons

This is case where a BRT station at Lorton would be useful.

FFX Connector has an express bus from Lorton VRE to Tysons and Omniride has an express bus from Woodbridge VRE to Tysons. Combining the services together would produce better economy of scale and more frequent service for the user.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/routes/expresslanes/lorton.htm

http://www.prtctransit.org/commuter-bus/schedules/tysonscorner-am.php

by mcs on Sep 13, 2012 11:41 am • link • report

The arlington rules are just wrong. In the end, workers in an area have a fixed number of restaurant options and in time they become boring as hell and rules like this just ruin the chance for dining diversity. More options are better than fewer, certainly in the case of food choices.

by NikolasM on Sep 13, 2012 11:47 am • link • report

The compromise on the Arlington food truck issue should be...trucks can stay as long as they like but must pay sales and restaurant tax like fixed restaurants.

by Falls Church on Sep 13, 2012 1:14 pm • link • report

42% isn't "everyone". It's not even half.

by ceefer on Sep 13, 2012 5:43 pm • link • report

@ AlanF:there is no way they would run a streetcar on the Metro bridge tracks across the Potomac. A streetcar mixing with a rapid transit line running 3 minute headways? Umm, no.

Why not? Even if the rails don't fit you can put fitting rails in between. That's how Amsterdam trams get over narrow bridges without track changes.

The Yellow Line does not have perfect 3 minute headways. Not even at rush hour. It's four minutes, and every second or third train is blue, which leave a hole for a streetcar.

by Jasper on Sep 13, 2012 8:44 pm • link • report

@WFY

The new Long Bridge Park would line up perfectly with a trail over a new Long Bridge from the city to Crystal City and on down to Alexandria. It would probably become the first or second most popular crossing of the river for pedestrians/cyclists.

by NikolasM on Sep 14, 2012 4:10 pm • link • report

NikolasM and WFY: The 14th Street Bridges EIS study looked at a bike bridge lined up with Long Bridge Park. Here is more: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14021/14th-street-bridge-area-needs-a-good-bicycle-connection/

by David Alpert on Sep 14, 2012 5:57 pm • link • report

Heres to hoping that with the new changes proposed they dont actually just cut areas around the Silver Line now served to serve the stations but extend from the termination points now to the stations. Instead of what happen when the 5 southern Green Line Stations opened.

by kk on Sep 16, 2012 1:16 pm • link • report