Arlington Lawmakers Urge Governor: Don't Pull Streetcar Funding

Virginia lawmakers who represent Arlington in Richmond are letting Commonwealth transportation officials know they back the county board’s proposed Columbia Pike streetcar project and they don’t want to see millions of dollars in promised funding from the Commonwealth disappear.

At the same time, Arlingtonians for Sensible Transit, a group of citizens who oppose the streetcar — for what they say is a project that is too costly — says it plans to meet next month with Virginia’s secretary of Transportation, to voice their opposition to what they say is premature funding of the streetcar.

This most recent controversy surrounding the proposed streetcar concerns up to $65 million in funding promised by Virginia for the project. Those who are for the project have applauded the funding; those who are against the streetcar say Virginia is promising the funds before putting the project through Virginia’s own prioritization process.

In their Oct. 22 letter to Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey L. Lane Jr., the group of lawmakers states:

“As Members of the Arlington County General Assembly delegation, we strongly support the Commonwealth of
Virginia’s commitment to provide funding for the regional streetcar system that the Commonwealth
Transportation Board (CTB) has included in its six-year improvement program.”

The lawmakers who signed the letter are: Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd), Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th), Sen., Barbara Favola (D-31st), Del. Patrick Hope (D-47th), Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49th), Del. Rob Krupicka (D-45th) and Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48th).

Arlingtonians for Sensible Transit, in its own letter to Lane, dated Oct. 1, states:

“...we are puzzled that the Commonwealth would want to move forward with funding the Arlington streetcar project without first including it in the prioritization process established in H.B. 2. In particular, we took note of the announcement in July 2014 that Virginia is offering $65 million as an initial sum to help pay for the streetcar project.“

The group of state lawmakers, in its letter to Lane, states:

“We urge you and Governor Terry McAuliffe to keep this critical funding for the streetcar project in place.”

Leaders of Arlingtonians for Sensible Transit are expected to meet with the Transportation secretary on Nov. 19.

Meanwhile, an opponent of the streetcar project, John Vihstadt, running as an Independent, is up for re-election next month to the Arlington County Board, after winning a special election against Democrat Alan Howze. Some say Vihstadt’s earlier win this year was due in part to his opposition to the streetcar. The two will be on the ballot Nov. 4.

Another member of the board, Democrat Libby Garvey, has also stated her opposition to the project.

“Every indication is that the vast majority of Arlingtonians do not want a streetcar. …,” Garvey said in a recent letter to the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board. “This has been clear to John and me from public forums, letters, e-mails and John’s own election in April with 57% of the vote. He is the first non-Democrat to win an election to the Arlington County Board in 15 years. The streetcar was the main issue in that campaign.”

Also read: Garvey, Vihstadt Urge State Transportation Board to Fund Bus Rapid Transit, Not the Streetcar

But the group of lawmakers, in their Wednesday letter to Lane, noted their displeasure with Garvey and Vihstadt’s actions: “We strongly disagree with the efforts of Libby Garvey and John Vihstadt to deprive Arlington of those state funds dedicated to the streetcar project.”

The state lawmakers noted that: “Their flawed strategy would not save any taxpayer dollars, but would instead move funding to other transit projects around the state that would not match the economic development and diversification that the streetcar would promote along the Pike, in Pentagon City, in Crystal City and in neighboring jurisdictions.”

Interested in learning more about the streetcar project? Join Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette and members of the business community for an information session and roundtable discussion on Thursday morning, 8:30-10 a.m. at the Arlington Mill Community Center, Room 404, 909 S. Dinwiddie St. in Arlington. County staff and service providers will be available to discuss tools to help your business be sustainable throughout the process.

This event is free, but registration is required - Register now

Read more about Arlingtonians for Sensible Transit efforts here, on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SensibleTransit

Read more here from Arlington County about the streetcar project: http://sites.arlingtonva.us/streetcar/

PHOTO is a screen shot from Arlington County video about the streetcar