In discussing the state of the county, Arlington County Board chair Mary Hynes recently called on residents to help “chart a new course” to plan for the future. Hynes says we need a “2nd generation of Smart Growth,” and ArlNow called Hynes’ vision Smart Growth 2.0. What do you think Arlington’s priorities should be?

Photo by Cliff on Flickr.

Arlington officials will soon unveil a new county transportation plan, prioritizing transit improvements between Crystal City, Columbia Pike and Rosslyn. What, exactly, will be in that plan is still unclear.

In her State of the County address last Friday, Hynes said increased competition, strained resources and little remaining developable space demand that we update how we approach transportation and development.

“Those incredible ups that we had are not going to come Arlington’s way again,” Hynes said. “I challenge each of you to be part of the solution.”

A lot of challenges are coming Arlington’s way

Arlington’s 2009 Master Transportation Plan projects that our population and workforce, along with our demand for transit, will increase significantly by 2030. The plan recommends substantial investments in transit, along with mixed-use and transit-oriented development that works to make alternatives to driving, like biking and walking, more feasible.

Arlington defines Primary Transit Network as operating daily at least every 15 minutes, for at least 18 hours. Data from Arlington’s 2009 Master Transportation Plan.

Since last year’s cancellation of the streetcar, officials haven’t presented a concrete plan for investing in accessible, convenient transit in Arlington. Hynes said that announced that this month, county staff will launch a new transit development plan, along with a conversation that “isn’t about fixing what we have, it’s about how we vision forward.”

Hynes says decades of decisions to fund expansion of transit and implement environmentally conscious land use policies have meant huge economic, environmental, and other quality of life benefits for Arlington. But, she warned, those benefits will not continue at the same levels. She cites Arlington’s high office vacancy rate, rising school enrollment, stiff regional competition and limited remaining space for development, and the federal government’s reduced local presence as challenges for the county.

A new vision can help Arlington overcome those challenges. But as we recently learned from the fallout over the streetcar, broad-based support has to be a top priority for any project. If it’s not there, sustainable transportation projects won’t be so sustainable.

Arlington has a lot at stake

Does Arlington need a “second generation of Smart Growth?” What should Arlington do to retain and strengthen its appeal for years to come?

In September 2014, Matt Carmichael of Livability wrote the following about Arlington:

“Together, its mix of retail, residential, government buildings, and offices help draw residents and businesses, but also help support the more traditional suburban parts of Arlington such as the cul-du-sac, single-family-home neighborhoods of Country Club Hills and Columbia Pike.”

Carmichael makes a salient reference to how mixed development supports Arlington’s traditional suburbs. Often, homeowners oppose plans to add more residential units and further increase density in their backyards when they’re not convinced they’ll benefit. This is happening now with RiverHouse, where I live.

So what will it take to sustain Arlington’s impressive combination of quality-of-life rankings, like best DC suburb for young professionals? Or second best place in the country to retire? Or Livability’s third best small to mid-size locality in the country to live?

In her address, Hynes also touted mega European retailer Lidl’s recent decision to locate its US headquarters in Arlington, near the future Potomac Yards Metro station.

Big revenue-generating employers help fund Smart Growth initiatives. Arlington’s livability rankings help lure the Lidls here. Those ratings depend on forward thinking and follow-through just like reaching the top of a hill by bike depends on non-stop peddling: Rest, and see what happens.

So now which way do we go?

Arlington is experiencing dramatic turnover among its leaders. Hynes and longtime County Board member Walter Tejada are not seeking reelection. In November, we will elect their successors. Jay Fisette, first elected in 1997, will be the only member who has served more than four years. And the Board is searching for a new County Manager.

Board members Libby Garvey and John Vishstadt, while known for what they were against, are approachable decisionmakers. Of the four candidates running in November—Democrats Christian Dorsey and Katie Cristol, former Republican and now Independent Mike McMenamin and Green Audrey Clement—only one, Cristol, addresses smart growth issues on her website. (Disclosure: I supported Cristol and Dorsey in the June 9th Democratic primary.)

The coming transportation plan will aim to tackle some pieces of Hynes’ second generation of Smart Growth, but there isn’t reason to expect a bold vision. She previewed that it may address Blue Line shortcomings. And outline improvements for Columbia Pike, Virginia’s busiest bus corridor, where the county is proposing to install 23 new transit stations. From what I’ve seen, the county has learned from its mistakes with the million dollar Walter Reed bus stop debacle. New, cost-effective designs I’ve seen feature improved signage, seating and protection from bad weather.

Will the new plan focus on Lee Highway or Glebe Road, listed as priority corridors in the Master Transportation Plan? Or on providing better bus service between Rosslyn and Ballston? We’ll soon see.

Once the transportation plan is released, we’ll have some answers—and still important questions to explore. The significant changes in Arlington’s political leadership present an opportunity to engage and think fresh about the path forward. Fisette, together with Vihstadt and Garvey and the two new members, will chart Arlington’s “new course.” And we will, too, if we choose to take up Hynes’ challenge “to be part of the solution.”

Dennis Jaffe has lived in the Washington area since 1999. Elected to two terms on his hometown school board and a former head of NJ Common Cause, he champions opening up government and politics. Dennis led the effort to establish the Metro Riders’ Advisory Council and served as its first chair. Now an Arlington resident, he chairs its Pedestrian Advisory Committee. His views here are his own.