Arlington's Streetcar System

for decades Arlington has worked to give people travel choices. our county has the most metro rail steps in virginia, a successful local bus service; ART, which carries 2.5 million riders annually and a growing Bike Share program it is all designed to make it easier for you to live work, play and visit in Arlington. now we're taking a transportation network to a new level of service by making a strategic investment in a streetcar system arlington's next generation of transit Arlington's streetcar system still in the early design stages, will put a decidedly modern twist on one of the nation's oldest forms of mass transit. Streetcars will extend Metrorail's reach and provide important infrastructure and people caring capacity they will offer yet another travel choice and help reduce traffic congestion as our community continues to grow and they will do all this at a fraction of the cost of building new metro lines arlington street cars will bring clean efficient accessible quite transit to to the most heavily travelled corridors in northern virginia route one and columbia pike they will link to the regional transit network connecting to metro rail in pentagon city and crystal city when completed arlington streetcar system will serve already densely developed parts of the County that are projected to add 37,000 21,000 residents, and more than 11,600 housing units between 2010 and 2040. Is it bold to add a whole new form of transit to our mix? Yes. but decades ago Arlington made another key strategic decision when it opted for transit-oriented development or smart growth by concentrating development around transit and offering transit options arlington has built an impressive record of success success at managing growth, expanding our tax base, attracting high-quality development and businesses and moving millions of people every year more than forty percent of all transit rides in the commonwealth of virginia begin or end in Arlington Within Northern Virginia, well over half of all transit rides begin or end right here in our community By 2040, we expect annual transit trips in Arlington to grow to 110 to120 million. That's a staggering number for a County that is only 26 square miles. Only a robust mix of transit options can meet our County's future needs that's why arlington is making major investments in our transportation infrastructure including in a modern streetcar system were already in the early stages of designing a two segments system one segment will run nearly five miles along Columbia Pike, from Pentagon City in the east to the skyline area fairfax in the west the columbia pike street car will link two major employment centers and, when completed, offer riders a "one-seat-ride" from Pentagon City to Skyline Plaza. the columbia pike street car is the centerpiece of efforts to revitalize the pike and transform it into a more walkable main street arlington is a second segment that will run through the Route 1 corridor, the heart of one of Arlington's most successful business districts. The Route 1 streetcar segment will run from pentagon city through crystal city to the potomac yard border between arlington in alexandria this segment will connect with the columbia pike segment in pentagon city ultimately providing a one seat ride from Skyline and Columbia Pike to Crystal City and potomac yard across the nation cities and counties are investing in streetcars because they offer many of the of heavy-rail transit, at far less cost these are not the trolleys it used to carry people across northern Virginia and to and from the District of Columbia from 1892 to the nineteen sixties Arlington's streetcars will be very similar to the electric streetcars that are transforming downtowns in Portland, Seattle and other American cities that are searching for ways to revitalize neighborhoods encourage sustainable development and reduce pollution portland and see how a modern streetcar line can be an economic boom to a community Developers are attracted to areas with fixed-route transit lines because they don't have to worry that stops or routes might change. they know that street cars are a reliable appealing efficient form of transit communities that have built modern streetcar lines have seen property values around those lines rise Since a streetcar is a fixed mode of transportation it brings a certain number on people past this restaurant everyday and sometimes it's all about people just knowing where you are streetcars they're quick their silent I just think they're great for cities People that are visiting the city tend to hop onto a streetcar because it does have a lot more romanticism to it, than a bus. i do think that in the end it is a positive impact I can see no negatives to having a streetcar especially two lines on the site of the restaurant I believe the streetcar benefits Portland immensely by the lack of cars. If you look at how many people are on the streetcar right now if everybody were driving a car, we wouldn't actually be going anywhere the streetcar is such a vital part of our neighborhood that it brings locals home and it brings tourists throughout the Pearl District The streetcar has a stop across the street, stops every fifteen minutes or so right in front of the store it's certainly the the most easiest and convenient way to get around downtown it gives me access to travel parts of downtown without having to get into a car and i think that's huge Having the streetcar was a key factor in us picking this location especially for it being our flagship studio where everyone comes to visit. So having the streetcar be a central point of how people get around really makes a huge difference because parking is always a problem It definitely makes the traffic run smoother, it helps the businesses and it helps people that don't have a car, or don't want to drive it downtown I live just a few blocks down the way in Northwest and it's kind of nice to not have to drive my car and have to deal with parking downtown The streetcar is quiet and smooth and it feels really low-key but at the same time you're quick. You're getting everywhere You don't have to worry about it Our stop is located 50 feet from our front door but actually the streetcar is about 10 feet pretty much from the front door of the hotel The streetcar has made it extremely easy for people to get here People travel to the Inn at Northrup Station from all over the country Most of my front desk guest services people that work here don't have a car don't have a car, this is the way they get to work every single day. It is the top amenity of the entire Portland metro area Streetcars offer high-quality transportation and greater capacity than buses for about the same fare rates-- yet they are quieter, less polluting, and easier to get on and off Streetcars also help create great places the sort of places where people like to walk around, shop, dine and visit with their neighbors They attract riders who might otherwise choose to drive they help connect neighborhoods For all these reasons, Arlington is choosing to invest in streetcars ... just as it invested a half-century ago in Metrorail. Arlington's investment in Metro considered too risky at the time transformed our community from a fading inner suburb to a dynamic model of transit oriented development Today, Arlington is known for its lively urban villages that successfully coexist with its world-class single family home neighborhoods Won't you join us in this next phase of Arlington's Smart Growth Journey to learn more about arlington street cars upcoming public meetings funding and more, visit: Arlington VA.us/Streetcar and more, visit: Arlington VA.us/Streetcar