Arlington Advocacy on Transportation

Examples of the Chamber’s advocacy in Arlington on issues related to transportation include:
The Arlington Chamber submitted comments to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, supporting grant funds for both the Crystal City to Washington National Airport (CC2DCA) connector and the expansion of the Shirlington Bus Station. 
On September 23, the County Board is to adopt a Project Coordination Agreement and allocate existing funds for the construction of an eastern entrance to the Crystal City Metrorail station. This new entrance will provide more direct access to offices, shops, and residences along Crystal Drive, and offer a more direct connection to the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), the Metroway bus rapid transit network, and eventually Amtrak service. The Chamber has have long advocated for as a means to support economic development in Crystal City and in National Landing, and is pleased that the County Board is adopting the agreement and moving this project forward to construction and completion. The Arlington Chamber expresses support for the Strategic Transformation Plan. This Plan is a high-level overview of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)’s goals for the future. The Chamber is especially supportive of the emphasis placed on regional opportunity and collaboration. Arlington is home to eleven Metrorail stations and multiple Metrobus lines; it serves as a key factor in Arlington’s economic development. Fostering strong relationships between WMATA, Arlington and other counties is essential to a prosperous metropolitan area.The Chamber supports Amtrak in its application for program funding for the Crystal City High Level Platform Project. The project would allow for construction of an additional platform at the Crystal City VRE Station, allowing it to be served by Amtrak. Arlington residents, workers and visitors would be able to board Amtrak trains bound for the Northeast Corridor or Southern cities without having to go to Union Station or Alexandria. It would also provide greater connectivity and greater transport opportunities for the growing National Landing area, of which Crystal City is a central part. The Chamber urged NVTA and NVTC to fully grant Arlington’s request for funding for a second entrance to the Ballston Metro. Adding another entrance at North Fairfax Drive and North Vermont Street will improve access around Glebe Road and be a huge boost to the restaurants and other customer-facing businesses on that side of Ballston. The Chamber encouraged the Arlington County Manager to include the construction of a second entrance to the Ballston Metro Station in Arlington County’s Capital Improvement Plan, and ensuring that it remains a priority for the County. Adding another entrance at North Fairfax Drive and North Vermont Street will improve access around Glebe Road and be a huge boost to the restaurants and other customer-facing businesses on that side of Ballston. Chamber supported the criteria being used to evaluate proposals for the CC2DCA Intermodal Connector project and encouraged the selection of a design concept 7D for further development. The preferred design concept best fulfills the project’s purpose and need, when compared with the other concepts remaining under consideration, and is the most robust to all possible future connections between the airport and rail station. The Chamber supports moving forward with the CC2DCA Intermodal Connector. The CC2DCA Intermodal Connector will provide direct connection to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport terminal from multiple transportation facilities in Crystal City. It will provide a more comfortable and safe access to the airport terminal for pedestrians, bikes, and other micromobility traffic. The Chamber expressed support for including funds for the Metro and construction of second entrances at Ballston and Crystal City Metro stops in the Arlington County Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY 2022-2024. Metrorail serves as the backbone of Arlington’s transportation management program and is a primary driver of economic development in Arlington and the metropolitan region. The CIP also secures funding for critical improvements to transportation infrastructure including the second entrances at the Ballston and Crystal City Metro stations and improvements to transit and multimodal services on Columbia Pike. 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.