Arlington Advocacy on Transportation

Examples of the Chamber’s advocacy in Arlington on issues related to transportation include:
The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board expressing its support for the adoption of the proposed ordinance for micro-mobility devices. The amendments will help to facilitate a diverse transportation network in Arlington, which the Chamber supports in its Local Policy Positions.
The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board encouraging the Board to make some changes in the proposed update to the Bicycle Element of the Master Transportation Plan, which it is due to adopt next week. This letter follows on the Chamber’s February letter to the Department of Environmental Services, which prompted welcome changes in the plan text. Notwithstanding the changes from the original draft, the proposed plan could lead to a one-size-fits-all approach to bike parking in smaller commercial and apartment buildings, when more flexibility would allow for creative and site-specific approaches to providing bicycle storage.​ Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services is preparing an update to the Bicycle Element of Arlington’s Master Transportation Plan. The Chamber sent a letter expressing its support for many aspects of the draft update, particularly the goals and policies related to safety. In the letter, the Chamber also encouraged the Department of Environmental Services to make amendments to ensure that proposed streetscape changes be considered holistically, including their impacts on retail and other community uses. The Chamber also encouraged flexibility in the implementation of policies and expressed concern with proposals that use subjective language or include bike parking mandates to small businesses and apartment buildings.​ The Arlington Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz in support of the VRE Platform Location #2. In the letter, the Chamber expressed support of the findings by the Crystal City Citizen Review Council, which show that the direct connection to Metro offered by Location #2 through the new planned Metro entrance is vital to accomplishing current and future transit goals.In a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, the Chamber called on the Board to adopt the draft recommendation by the Trespass Towing Advisory Board (TTAB) and reject the costly, burdensome second signature requirement for the removal of illegally parked vehicles from private property.The Chamber urged the Arlington County Board to adopt the Trespass Towing Advisory Board's (TTAB) comprehensive recommended updates to the Arlington County Code. The Chamber expressed its vehement opposition to a second signature requirement in order to remove illegally parked vehicles, as well as the prohibition of parking “spotters” to monitor parking areas. These additions would act solely as administrative and costly burdens on local businesses that depend on clear, available parking areas for employees, visitors, and customers in order to remain financially viable, by deteriorating the level of service provided by towing contractors.The Chamber sent a letter to the Trespass Towing Advisory Board (TTAB), urging the Board to reject burdensome proposed changes to a local ordinance that threaten Arlington business owners' private property rights. By adding another authorization requirement to tow trespassers and placing new restrictions on monitoring parking areas, these proposals would hinder the ability of local businesses to provide parking for customers, employees, and visitors.The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board expressing opposition to the extension of parking meter hours and requesting that the Board not adopt the proposed extension of parking meter hours.