The Wisdom of The Arlington Model

http://mobilitylab.org/201/0527/other-places-nipping-at-of-arlingtons-transit-oriented-developments/
http://www.washingtonpost.com)



Hello Everyone:

I hope you all had a chances to read and consider yesterday's post on urban planning and rape prevention.  I just want to mention one more thing on the subject, safer streets is one element of reducing sexual violence.  Strongly enforced laws aimed at prosecuting those commit sexually based crimes and changes in cultural attitudes towards women is also part of the equation.  Of the two, changing long engrained attitudes towards women is the most difficult but if we-meaning humanity-show that we will not tolerate sexually based crimes and are willing to back it up with criminal prosecution, it might just make the difference.  Alright, switching to a more pleasant topic, Today I would like to spend some time talking about transit-oriented development (TOD).

Arlington, Virginia
nragent.com

Arlington, Virginia has long been considered the national and regional leader in walkable and bicycle-friendly neighborhoods, emphasizing choices in public transit.  Sounds like something I touched on yesterday.  Mobility Lab's urban-affairs's reporter Paul Geddin's article "Other Places Nipping at Heels of Arlington's Transit-Oriented Development" looks at how other cities in the Washington D.C-Virginia area are giving Arlington some competition in developing and promoting TODs using Arlington's model.

A May 16, 2014 op-ed piece in the Washington Post by David Alpert made a strong case for why Arlington needs to stay on its present course regarding transit development.  In the

Columbia Pike Streetcar
columbia-pike.org

article, Mr. Alpert cites the example of the Columbia Streetcar a good example of the benefits of a TOD.  The Columbia Pike Streetcar project opened in March 2013 with a prototype on Columbia Pike and South Walter Reed Drive.  The line is estimated to cost about $358 million, including a twenty percent contingency, Crystal City segment which will bring the total up to $585 million. (Alpert, 2014) While it's hoped that the relatively new project will bring all the benefits of the Washington D.C's Metro system, opponents argue that the opposite is more likely and it holds the creation of needed bus routes.  Mr. Alpert sums up his argument thus, "Arlington's success today builds on yesterday's investment.  The next generation needs a similar investment, and now is the time..." (Ibid)  Mr. Geddin concludes, "This streetcar will maintain Arlington's competitiveness at a time when it's all the more crucial to do so." (Geddin, 2014)

Washington D.C. metro train
en.wikipedia.org

Arlington's road to transportation and urban planning innovation began in the seventies, with Arlington County's decision to locate the Orange Line Monorail stops below Wilson Boulevard instead of the more convenient above ground stops along Interstate  66.  This was a controversial choice at the time but was instrumental in creating the dense better connected "urban villages" which dot the county and make it a highly desirable area to live and work.  Presently, more municipalities are recognizing the wisdom of this move, especially when it comes to transportation options.  Fixed-rail transit projects are planned for a number of localities. Virginia's Silver Line Metro expansion, Maryland's Purple Line, Washington's H Street streetcar, and the Columbia Pike Line are all examples fixed rail transit projects that offer the promise of huge economic benefits.  At the national level, fixed rail transit projects are having their moment in the sun with hundreds of planned regional projects in the offing.

Residential property in Tysons Corner, Virginia
novaproperties4sale.com

Rather than use transit as end in itself, it is being recognized as a unique opportunity for revitalizing blighted or car-centric, transforming them into more mixed-use, walkable, well-connected, denser, and livable communities.  This could be one way to combat New Delhi's ongoing epidemic of sexually based crimes.  The four latest Silver Line stations in the regional Metrorail system have become Tysons' motivation for reinvention from a sterling example of congestion and sprawl into a well-laid out, mixed-use. pedestrian oriented group of villages similar to Arlington.  This isn't mere coincidence, Katy Gorman, a spokesperson for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project told Mobility Lab, "Tysons', TOD redevelopment is an attempt to 'mimic Arlington.'"  Tysons isn't the only city in the D.C. metro area encroaching on Arlington's turf.  Arlington County Commuter Service Bureau chief Chris Hamilton outlined the city's competition: Bethesda, Silver Spring, White Flint, NOMA (North of Massachusetts Street),  Ballpark District, and Tysons.

Downtown Arlington, Virginia
streetsblog.net

Livable well-connected communities are on trend but, as Paul Geddin tells us, "...they have again and again to make economic sense as well.  The Brookings Institution is among those finding strong correlations between public transit and economic competitiveness."  Senior fellow of Metropolitan Policy Program Robert Puentes recognizes the temptation to "rip the wires out of these transit systems."  Mr. Puentes adds this warning, "Some people may think that transit systems are easy targets for budget savings/budget slashing but...this is the wrong time to be doing that."  Regarding the Columbia Pike streetcar, Mr. Puentes' admonition is particularly on the mark.  Admittedly, the streetcar project is expensive but, as Mr. Geddins argues, it will pay for itself many times over.

With regards to growing consumers' need for urban developments with good transportation, the rise of the Millennial generation will only accelerate this demand.  This generation has a well known preference for transit and pedestrian oriented urban places.  Given this, Arlington is the epicenter for this trend thanks to its transportation options, urban lifestyles, connectedness.  Real estate developers also are eyeing this county like hungry cats.  According to Chris Ballard, principle of McWilliams Ballard recently praised the city's strengths at an Urban Land Institute seminar, "The Changing Condo Market in Washington D.C." in context to the county's unmet demand for high-density residential needs.  Mr. Ballard said "We could do Arlington all the time."  Mobility Lab Director Tom Fairchild agrees with this statement, adding, "Arlington's experience with transportation is that options are important.  Transportation options have reaped an economic bounty for Arlington and provided better access for all residents.  The individuals rushing to build and live in Arlington is further proof that the this model works.  Yet transit-oriented development is, in a sense, under attack from within.  This internal debate is coming at a time when Tysons is nipping at Arlington's heels in the same way that Samsung is becoming more competitive with Apple.  This may sound like a good thing but innovation and forward movement are far more important.

Dovetailing a little on yesterday's post on urban planning and sexually based crime reduction, if we've learned anything from the Arlington model it's that wise and strategic moves to increase transportation options which help create urban villages lead to more walkable and livable cities.   The implications for New Delhi mean that women, girls, and by extension, everyone will be able to travel throughout the city with less fear of being assaulted.  Further, it will increase access to social, cultural, educational, and economic opportunities for everyone.  Perhaps, urban planners and designers the world over can look at the Arlington model and adapt it for their own purposes.

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